Something in The Tide

Previously published as Something in the Tide by R. Caulder. The beach is beautiful. That is the first problem. Miles Cavanaugh is a burned-out Chicago detective looking for an easy case and a reason to stay away from home. Finding a missing marine biology student in the picturesque coastal town of Tern's Mouth should take two weeks at most. The locals are friendly. The sea is warm. The woman left behind enough clues to suggest she wanted to be found. But something about the town is wrong. The sand holds its warmth long after sunset. The tide moves when there is no wind. Residents watch the beach with the careful attention of people guarding a secret-and the closer Miles gets to the truth, the less certain he becomes that the missing woman is the real mystery. A local group appears to be at the center of it all. Miles knows their rituals, their hidden records, and their obsession with the shoreline must mean something. He just doesn't understand what they are trying to prevent. Not yet. Something in the Tide is a darkly funny coastal noir mystery where the sun is warm, the drinks are cold, and something ancient is paying attention. Perfect for readers who enjoy atmospheric detective fiction, unreliable narrators, isolated towns, slow-building cosmic horror, and mysteries that become more disturbing after the final page.