Riptide

Riptide, the fifth Jake Lassiter novel, finds the Miami defense attorney and former NFL linebacker chasing a beautiful woman and stolen bonds from South Florida to Maui. Levine writes his legal thrillers with the breezy confidence of someone who has worked both sides of the courtroom, and Riptide delivers action, dark humor, and tropical atmosphere in the Carl Hiaasen vein — morally complicated characters making entertaining decisions for the wrong reasons in beautiful locations.

Luke Daniels narrates with the masculine wit and loose energy the Jake Lassiter series requires. His delivery captures the character's self-deprecating charm and the plot's escalating absurdity without allowing either to undercut the story's genuine stakes. At just over ten hours it reads like a beach book translated faithfully into audio, which may be exactly the intended effect.