Book Review: "Rip Tide" by Colleen McKeegan

Kimmy Devine leaves her prestigious finance job to move back to Rocky Cape, her hometown on the Jersey shore. When she graduated high school 15 years before, she swore she’d never move back, but she’s taking over the family business so her parents can retire. Her sister Erin moved home prior to the pandemic, following the end of her marriage.

Kimmy had forgotten what a small town Rocky Cape was. (Too small, actually.) And within a few days of her return, tragedy strikes: their former neighbor, Peter, was found dead in the water following the Devines’ party to celebrate their daughters. But Peter was more than just a neighbor when Kimmy and Erin were in high school.

It’s not long before Kimmy and Erin fall into their same behavior patterns from high school, and they’ve never quite escaped the gossip and secrets from that time. But in the aftermath of Peter’s death, all of the old resentments and hurts are revisited and brought into the light.

The book is told in two separate timelines: from 2005-2007, when the sisters were in high school, and 2022, when the tragedy occurs. It’s mostly narrated by Kimmy and Erin, as young women and adults.

Colleen McKeegan really captured the essence of the mid-2000s, with AOL Instant Messenger and MySpace, along with the fashion and music. But while this is billed as a mystery, it’s much more of a family drama than anything else.

The pacing of the book was really slow at times, but the epilogue is where all the big secrets are revealed, quite quickly. I wanted to like this more than I did, but it definitely had some elements I enjoyed.