James Swain’s The King Tides introduces readers to Jon Lancaster, a former cop turned private investigator who teams up with his partner Beth Daniels. On paper, it’s an appealing setup, and Lancaster himself is a lovable, larger-than-life character who brings humor and warmth to an otherwise grim storyline. Unfortunately, the case he tackles drags readers into the disturbing world of serial predators and child pornography—subject matter I simply don’t enjoy reading about.
The book is well written, with fast pacing and tense action scenes, but the darkness of the plot overshadowed everything else for me. While I admire Swain’s skill and can see why many readers might appreciate the grit and realism, I closed the book feeling unsettled instead of entertained. That said, Lancaster’s personality made me want to spend more time with him, and I’m not ready to give up on this author. I’ll likely try another book in the series or one of Swain’s other works—hopefully one that delivers suspense without wading so deeply into such disturbing territory.