Fatal Tide

From the East Salem setting to the strange prophecies and the engaging characters, I have been enjoying the East Salem Trilogy by Lis Wiehl. I was more than a little excited to read Fatal Tide the conclusion and see how it all turned out. Steeped in religion, evil, greed and mythological beasts this final chapter had me flippin the pages as we loomed towards the final battle. Mini review: fast-paced, edge of your seat action with a side dish of romance.
In order to fully appreciate Fatal Tide, it is important to begin at the beginning with Waking Hours, where all of the key players come together, and the mystery begins. Equally important is the middle with Darkness Rising, where we discover the scope of evil making its presence in East Salem. Some spoilers may be present if you have not read the previous books. Although I will make every attempt to avoid using them.
Dani and Tommy are closer to discovering the secrets at St. Adrian’s school and those of a pharmaceutical company located in East Salem. Dani is a forensic psychiatrist and Tommy is an ex-pro football player turned PI. They have unearthed diabolical plans to deliver a mind altering drug to the world’s water supply and the key to the plot begin in East Salem. In this last chapter, new characters emerge, and clues begin to piece together. New players enter the scene as Dani and Tommy begin to amass allies and a plan to stop the devil and his pawns.
While the series has been more plot driven than character, the author has given us a colorful cast of heroes. Danni has spunk and is fearless. Tommy is unbending in his faith. There romance continues to deepen and their faith in each other never waivers. Cassandra, Tommy’s ex really shows development in this third novel, and I was impressed with her involvement. A student from St. Adrian’s becomes an ally, and I liked Reese, even if he wasn’t fully fleshed out. They draw others into their inner circle to help as well; a police officer and an FBI agent. All of these characters help move the plot and add to the ominous tone. A biker, and an Indian (two angels) are present again and help even the odds. Quinn had a pivotal role in this tale, and I was quite taken with this silent soul.
Fatal Tide and the East Salem Trilogy is one of good vs. evil, of faith and the power to overcome. Wiehl did an excellent job of building the suspense and tale as we progressed in this trilogy. She kept me on the edge and had me piecing together the clues along with the team. While religion is at the forefront of this series, it is never preachy and open to all forms of religion from Hindu to Catholic. In the context of this trilogy, religion was a key factor and added to the overall intensity. St. Adrian’s school was creep-tastic, as were the tech toys Tommy surrounded the team with. The whole time I was reading I could hear the sound track to Ave Satani. (Creepy Latin music that reminds you of the devil)While the tale takes place in East Salem and slowly builds to the day of the planned attack, we also travel abroad as we move to thwart the attacks..It was intense. Wiehl gradually increased the attacks and intensity as we counted down, and the climatic ending was riveting. While a few little things bothered me, some unnecessary threads, and questions left unanswered I was pleased when I closed the book and quite enjoyed the ride.
Fans of quests, suspense, good vs. evil and battles against demonic forces will enjoy Fatal Tide and the East Salem trilogy. I will continue to enjoy Lis Wiehl’s work and look forward to seeing what she does next.
Four cups of coffee out of five