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Reviewed by Gaius Konstantine for Readers' Favorite
“The truth was usually bulletproof, but people looking for it rarely were.” The interesting thing about truth is that it comes at a cost. In Blood Tide: A Harbor Noir Thriller by Daniel P. Douglas, this cost can be steep. Set in Los Angeles in 1950, the story follows Jack Morrison, a former cop turned private investigator, as he sits in a greasy spoon diner, sipping coffee and smoking. His life takes a turn when he learns that an old war buddy, now a city councilman, has been found murdered. Jack suspects something sinister is afoot and there is a cover-up, so he decides to dig deeper. With helpful insights from Maggie, the waitress, he uncovers a heroin ring intertwined with police corruption on a staggering scale. As Jack strives to bring the culprits to justice for his fallen friend, he realizes that survival may be more important than solving the case.
Blood Tide by Daniel P. Douglas doesn't mince words or waste time. Even though it is a short tale, I was surprised by the amount of information it contained. The plot follows a classic cops-and-robbers narrative where most of the cops are the bad guys. It explores strong themes of corruption versus those who refuse to participate in it. Although the story is brief, the limited number of characters allows for more detailed development than one might expect. The pacing is lightning-fast and satisfying, but it is the author's writing style that truly deserves the most praise. Douglas's mastery of 1940s-50s noir is impressive, and as I read it, I wondered if the manuscript had been locked in a time vault for decades. Overall, it is an excellent example of a gritty crime tale that deserves to be expanded into something more.
