Dead Low Tide is an iconic early thriller from John D. MacDonald, the mastermind behind Cape Fear and the Travis McGee novels.
On the coast of Florida, a working stiff is wrongfully accused of murdering his boss - and must outwit one of MacDonald's signature villains to save his life. A college graduate and amateur fisherman, Andy McClintock is stuck toiling in the office of a construction company. But when Andy tries to quit, his boss offers him a promotion and a raise - and then promptly kills himself with a harpoon gun. At least, that's what it looks like, until the police rule it homicide - with the murder weapon belonging to Andy. The harpoon gun had been stolen out of Andy's garage, and the boss's wife makes the outrageous claim that she and Andy were having an affair. He's been set up. To clear his name, he'll have to find the real killer. But Andy soon discovers that he's up against more than a two-bit thief - he's been targeted by absolute evil, a monster with no compassion for his fellow man.