While I treasure the emotion and happy endings of romance, I also like a good, edgy suspense thriller. Riptide definitely delivers in the latter department. Though some aspects of the novel could use a bit more polish, I still found myself enjoying this book. It's not for the faint of heart, but it's definitely a wild ride.

The main character of this book is Christina Cardiff, a woman of modest background who moved to New York from the midwest and managed to marry into a fabulously wealthy and established family. It all sounds like a fairytale until readers learn just how troubled the marriage was - think infidelity, drugs, substance abuse, and all manner of other ills. When Christina's husband drowns in the family pool, it initially seems to be a tragic accident. However, the combination of small details that appear to be a little off and the insistence of the Cardiff family that their son would never have been in such an accident make authorities think twice.

The author makes use of an entire maze of subplots and diversions to add texture to the story and make things interesting, but there are really two major plots. First, through both flashbacks and present day action, readers see how dysfunctional Christina's life has been. Her marriage was miserable and she battles an alcohol addiction. And this isn't a happy tale where the alcoholic sees the light and - poof! - instant sobriety. Christina works for every tiny gain she makes during the story, and readers follow her through many phases of it. Christina can be a hard person to like, but the author did a good job of putting readers in her shoes and calling forth empathy.

And then there is the suspense plot. Under pressure from the Cardiffs, the police start looking further into Christina and into her husband's death. Not surprisingly, they find things that don't add up, but what really makes the story stand out is not what happens, but how the author lays out the narrative. The author tells her story from the perspectives of several different characters, ranging from Christina to the police to her outraged in-laws. Thankfully, she does a wonderful job of keeping readers clear on whose version of events we're seeing. Many of the twists in the story will make themselves apparent early on, but the author does save some for the end.

Running through both major plots is Christina's relationship with Daniel Cunningham, a contractor who worked on the Cardiff's home and with whom Christina became involved. Now that her husband is dead, Christina is free to explore a relationship with Cunningham, but there are obvious complications. Internally, Christina is a wreck and then, of course, there is the external pressure of a police investigation.

So, what were my quibbles with the story? Even though Christina and a few of the secondary characters are well-drawn, some characters who should have been multidimesional really aren't, with Daniel Cunningham being one of them. Though this story is a thriller rather than a romance, he still should have come to life more than he did. In addition, while I found myself swept along by the many twists and turns of the plot, the writing style did sometimes feel a little rough to me.

On another note, the violence in the story does bear mentioning. This is a very gritty story and the author does not spare readers when it comes to revealing the sordid details of her characters' lives. While much of the violent content in the story advances the plot and also illustrates the attitudes and character of some of the cast of the novel, there are scenes that include sexual violence some readers may find disturbing.

Gritty as it is, I found Riptide an interesting read, if not a comforting one. The publisher should not have labelled this book "Romantic Suspense" because it is most definitely nothing of the kind, but as a suspense thriller from a relatively new author, I find myself curious to see how Margaret Carroll's voice will develop in the future.