Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
The discovery of a naked woman's body on a Fort Lauderdale, Fla., beach propels Thriller Award finalist Mayne's stellar fourth thriller featuring police diver Sloan McPherson of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Underwater Investigation Unit (after 2022's Sea Storm). Floating near the corpse is a plastic bag containing women's clothing, but there are no identifying marks. Convinced that the dead woman, eventually ID'd as Nicole Donnelly, was strangled, McPherson decides to pursue the mystery. She approaches Gwen Wylder, an obsessive police detective, who agrees to review the case file if McPherson looks into an unrelated case. Their partnership leads them to conclude that Donnelly's death was one in a series. McPherson, who's determined to get justice for Donnelly, uses unconventional means both to persuade the crotchety Wylder to assist her and to demonstrate that Donnelly had been in the water only a few hours before she was found, a significant fact in reconstructing the events leading to her murder. Mayne combines a brilliant, innovative female lead with a plausibly twisty plot. Kinsey Millhone fans will love McPherson. Agent: Erica Silverman, Trident Literary. (Feb.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
Mayne creates a world that blends the crime writing of Michael Connelly with high-tech oceanography in his "Underwater Investigation Unit" series. The follow-up to Sea Storm has Sloan McPherson, of the currently on hiatus Underwater Investigation Unit, consulting on the discovery of a body that washes ashore near Fort Lauderdale, FL. She believes it is murder, but the initial autopsy creates more questions than answers. She decides to reach out to a homicide detective on the outs with her colleagues. Gwen Wylder proves to be a real piece of work. Rude and unapologetic, Wylder might have a brilliant mind, but she begins their working relationship by having Sloan investigate some cold cases. Saying they clash in the beginning is an understatement, and it doesn't get any smoother as they work together to get answers, even at the expense of their superiors. VERDICT The series never ceases to be fascinating, making characters sink or swim as lives are on the line and the story veers in unexpected direction. Required reading for any suspense fan.--Jeff Ayers
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A naked corpse that washes ashore proves to be just the tip of a homicidal iceberg. The discovery of a dead girl with a rope around her neck on a Fort Lauderdale beach triggers a call to detective (and narrator) Sloan McPherson of the Underwater Investigation Unit. Medical examiner Josh Kaperman concludes that Nicole Donnelly was indeed strangled, but by hand, not a rope. This is the first of several inconsistencies that make Sloan suspect that the case will be complex, a hunch that's confirmed with every new twist in her investigative path. Mayne's fourth UIU thriller lands like an episode of a long-running forensic crime TV series, with a large cast of crisply depicted witnesses and supporting regulars who make cameo appearances every chapter or three. Although Scott Hughes, Sloan's sidekick in previous installments, is away in training, she finds welcome support from gritty veteran detective Gwen Wylder, the perfect partner for a case focused on women at risk. Clues emerge at a truck station that may be the scene of unsavory sexual activity; in the ocean, courtesy of an Underwater Robotic Vehicle; through a trio of thugs Sloan nicknames Silver Teeth, Brio, and Half Face; and from a charismatic cult leader. The plot comes together like the proverbial puzzle, each juicy piece adding a bit to a disturbing big picture. A savvy police procedural that executes a familiar formula with panache. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
