Riptide by Chad Robichaux and Jack Stewart

Riptide by Chad Robichaux and Jack Stewart
Series: Silent Horizons Series
Publisher: Tyndale Fiction on May 12, 2026

REVIEW BY STACI TROILO

If secret cabals, political machinations, and clandestine off-book missions in various locations around the world spark your interest, you’ll want to read this novel. Authors Chad Robichaux and Jack Stewart—each with impressive records of service to their country—penned a fast-paced thriller that’s equal parts heart-racing action and heart-breaking sacrifice.

This is the second book in the Silent Horizons series. I did not read the first, and though there were times I sensed a history I’d missed, I was never lost or confused. You can easily read this as a standalone or entry point to the complete saga. 

After suffering a crippling flashback during a training exercise, Foster Quinn’s untimely PTSD-induced panic attack is hidden from his team by an enigmatic billionaire who offers him a job. Better still, a purpose. Foster embarks on a mission that takes him to various locales from the balmy Caribbean waters to the brisk Canadian forest to find answers and stop corruption before more innocent lives are lost simply to further inflate the excessive wealth of the corrupt and powerful elite.

Other than Foster’s benefactor/mentor, he has or makes few allies. The people who step up all have similar histories and allegiances. Then again, the same can be said of the people who betray him. This novel paints a painful picture of the forces at work behind the scenes, where money talks and everyone has an agenda.

There’s an interesting comparison to be made between Foster’s service family and his actual family. He’s constantly torn between a sense of duty and obligation to the former and a sense of love and commitment to the latter. His emotional war to balance the two—or choose between them—was every bit as interesting as the war he waged against “all enemies, foreign and domestic” (one of his mantras as well as his guiding principle).

To say the Christian message is subtle is an understatement. There’s little mention of God and prayer. Foster’s faith is more often implied than expressed. 

If he had been at home in Virginia Beach, he would have already slipped out into the darkness and made his way to the shed in their backyard to retrieve his longboard. Reaching for a closeness with God while straddling the surfboard had long been his favorite morning routine. 

But he felt like there was more than three thousand miles standing in the way.

Riptide—Chad Robichaux and Jack Stewart

No readers will have to worry about being beat over the head with it. It’s not preachy at all.

There are some scenes of explicit violence. The graphic nature seems appropriate for the novel and didn’t bother me in the slightest. There were, however, a few things that stole from my enjoyment of the story… things that might be positives for other readers. 

1. The description was incredibly detailed, particularly regarding weapons and modes of transportation. Experts will appreciate the accuracy and attention to detail. I found it intimidating and a little distracting. 
2. I like it when the title of the book is in the text itself. A single use makes a big impact. This book used “riptide” so much, it lost its poignancy and in fact started to stand out as a negative.
3. At times, it felt like the authors couldn’t decide what Foster’s motivation was. The thing that propelled him into action initially was superseded by someone who needed rescuing. That became the driving factor until he was removed from that situation, then he basically forgot about it. It went from being something important to a distant memory. Maybe that’s how this kind of operator has to compartmentalize things and adds to the realism of the story, but I found it a little jarring.

My minor concerns aside, the book is quite enjoyable and a very easy read. I not only recommend it but also look forward to reading the first and any subsequent books in the series. This was an easy and solid four fish from me.

Finally, the dedication is incredibly poignant and important. It moved me more than the story itself. Please don’t skip it.

_{I read Riptide through NetGalley.}