A boat trip to a quiet, pristine cove nestled in a peninsula just east of Pyke Island leads to an unwelcome discovery. The property around the cove was once considered an ideal place for a shorefront campground, but bankruptcy led to the property being abandoned. Then the squatters moved in, and the good neighbors of Des Isle, an exclusive summer community, tried everything in their power to remove them. All that happened years ago and was resolved when the squatters left voluntarily.

Or did they? Under the cove’s placid surface, a mystery lies on the gravel and sand bottom waiting to be snagged. Not surprisingly, Del Corriveau and friends find it and raise the ghosts, some dead, some very much alive, still keeping their secrets.

This third entry in the Pyke Island Mystery Series continues the narrative readers have come to expect-- unique characters, surprising twists, a slice of Downeast geology--all interlaced with humor.

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The summer season on Pyke Island typically kicks off with a traditional Fourth of July celebration for both local residents and the many tourists who come to sample a little taste of Downeast Maine. But it’s no picnic for Del Corriveau after she finds human skeletal remains in a remote area of Granite Coast Park in a slab cave with more than one secret.

What begins as research into a granite peak instead uncovers a mountain of lies, betrayal, and revenge. Del and friends, Ty and Marco, find themselves caught in the crossfire of an old feud between longtime island neighbors. Meanwhile, their friendship is strained by a new kind of rivalry and rescue is far from certain.

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The quiet of the winter season on Pyke Island is shattered twice on the same night in early January. A man desperate to get off the island kidnaps Del Corriveau and leaves her unconscious in an empty summer cottage. A Hollywood producer disappears from his vacation home, known as Black Ledges, in an act of violence.

How are the crimes connected? What is Black Ledges hiding?

Caught up in the police investigation, Del's suspended lifestyle is blown away by a blizzard of suspicion, threats, lies, and regrets. Del must use some unusual knowledge and uncommon skills to uncover the truth.

Winter on Pyke Island is not just a setting but key to uncovering what happened. The extreme tides and unpredictable weather play a role. Interwoven throughout the mystery are glimpses of modern island life: lobster fishing, clamming, community suppers. 

A winter thaw uncovers a body answering some questions but asking new ones. Like tracking shoeprints in the snow, evidence is unearthed, criminals are hunted down—leading to a confrontation and a heart-stopping rescue. These are the bones and muscle that move the story, but the heart of the A Fickle Tide is how everyone is changed by it. 

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Moe Claire

lives and writes in Downeast Maine. 

"The only thing I relish more than writing mysteries about this part of Maine is actually living here. My writing desk overlooks Frenchman Bay and Mount Desert Island. It is a view I've seen for many years and yet I never tire of it. Every day the water, sky, wind, and tides dance together in unique and often magical ways."

"I've been drawn to these shores as much by the people as by the beauty of the landscape. Mainers are independent, resilient, creative, droll in their humor, and proud of their history. I am fortunate to be able to call many of them friends."

Retired from a career in computer science, Moe Claire describes herself as a insatiable reader and a lifelong learner who is fascinated by all things science (particularly geology). When not writing, she teaches literature courses, enjoys summer and winter in Acadia National Park, and volunteers for several local non-profits. She and her husband have explored Downeast Maine islands and harbors in their old Cape Dory cruiser but are currently between boats.