Leonard Riker is the big city cop who has recently transferred to a small coastal town with a chip on his shoulder and raging alcoholism. Allison Metzler is the rookie cop with political connections and a heart of gold. These two must put aside their differences to save the coastal community and its influx of tourists from a giant thresher shark.

I struggled with Thresher for the first two thirds of it and contemplated on more than one occasion putting it down, never to be attempted again. During this, the two main characters were unlikeable for different reasons, the plot moved slowly and the writing slowed it down further with repetitive information, telling rather than showing and convoluted sentences.

Things did improve as the end drew near but it was too little too late and, while many of the flaws from earlier in the novel abated, there was still far too much telling rather than showing. Even down to the fact that we are given detailed accounts of the shark’s thoughts. Most of which could be summed up into “this is a threat or food, I’ma go bite it”. There’s something to be learned from how little of the shark we see in Jaws that should be applied to books like Thresher.

I’m all for flawed characters, but it’s difficult to find anything likeable or sympathetic about a character who is made out to be a cruel, drunken bully no matter how much their tragic past is then shoved down your throat. While that character may then redeem themselves later, the reader is still left with distaste over the way they have acted. That was my experience with Thresher’s leading male.

If a monster novel is going to be a written version of a b-grade monster movie and lack technical strength, it should be outlandish and ridiculously enjoyable. Unfortunately, Thresher didn't pull this off either and seemed to take itself far too seriously for the end result.

With some tighter editing and steadier character development, Thresher could have been an enjoyable shark thriller with a new take on the genre. As it stands though, the pace is more whale shark than thresher shark and lacks bite just as much.

Rating: 2.5/5

This book got off to a fantastic, knicker gripping start. A Coastguard helicopter attempts to rescue a yacht and its crew after it runs into trouble off the east coast of the USA during a hurricane. Amid the rescue operation the titular beastie makes its dramatic debut and what follows is a story about a Florida community besieged by a shark that is far bigger and more aggressive than nature intended.

After the incredibly dramatic beginning the action slows considerably while the characters are introduced and their backgrounds fleshed out. Some of the exposition was a little unnecessary in my opinion and it goes on a bit too long before the pace picks up again. I also found the dialogue rather clunky and cliched at times and the editing is patchy. But despite those minor moans and groans I actually quite liked this book. Okay, the characters are somewhat stereotypical and the story's resemblance to Jaws cannot be denied, but I have to say that the action sequences are very good, with some decent suspense, and it was refreshing to have a killer shark that is not a great white. A pretty good read for Jaws and B movie fans that also adds one or two fresh ideas to the genre. Highly entertaining fishy hokum with a pretty good ending.

I read shark books religiously, so I am extremely picky when it comes to them. This book was okay but not my favorite. I felt the plot and the characters were pretty typical for this kind of story, but I will say that I did enjoy it as a whole, just not something I will be thinking of once I have put it down.

"In the aftermath of a hurricane, a series of strange events plague the coastal waters off Florida. People go into the water and never return. Corpses of killer whales drift ashore, ravaged from enormous bite marks. A fishing trawler is found adrift, with a mysterious gash in its hull.
Transferred to the coastal town of Merit, police officer Leonard Riker uncovers the horrible reality of an enormous Thresher shark lurking off the coast. Forty feet in length, it has taken a territorial claim to the waters near the town harbor. Armed with three-inch teeth, a scythe-like caudal fin, and unmatched aggression, the beast seeks to kill anything sharing the waters."

Thresher: A Deep Sea Thriller by Michael Cole. Published by Severed Press in July 2018. I received a Kindle version of Thresher from Netgalley in exchange for an honest and fair review.

Is it possible to get a high octane adrenaline rush from just reading a book? Yes. Yes, it is. Thresher is just that sort of book. Shortly after beginning, the story explodes into action. And it never stops! I was pleasantly surprised to find myself hanging on every sentence, mouth hanging open, waiting to see what was going to happen next. I read a lot of the sea creature books put out by Severed Press, and this one is right up there at the top. Each chapter the tension (and your adrenaline) would ramp up even higher. Just when you have 5% more to read, and you think the shark has been dealt with, BAM! More action! More Adrenaline! Explosions! Boats sinking! People getting tossed around! Chaos, confusion, everyone swimming for their lives! Once I started reading, I had a hard time putting it down. Had a very modern action pulp feel to it. I loved every min of it.

The characters are some classic archetypes we know and love. The heavy-drinking cop and the partner that cares. The police chief who wants to do the right thing but his hands are tied because of a power tripping mayor who wants to keep everything hushed up. A real nasty trio, brought in to attempt to kill the shark. The scientist who is trying to help. The bribe-able newspaper man who just wants a cut of the cash. Even though we have seen these types before, the chemistry between the main characters is palpable and I really hope we see more of these characters in the future (more on that later). I can’t mention characters without mentioning the shark! A great big ol’ Thresher shark! Like I said earlier, I read a lot of Severed Press books, which are predominantly filled with sea creature / shark titles. I can’t get enough of them. I will read all the shark books. The shark in this book really stands out because you don’t often see a Thresher shark in the staring role like this! Normally it is the Megalodon or the Great Whites that get the spotlight. And that is for any shark title, not just the books coming from Severed Press. So, as a shark lover, I thought it was really cool getting to see a different kind of shark like this! Really spiced things up and gave us a view of something different while still getting our shark fiction fix.

I don’t want to say too much about the plot, because I don’t want to give away any big spoilers, but I will say that it’s not just your average Thresher shark. I really liked the twist the story gives us about how the Thresher shark ended up so huge and aggressive. It was a pretty interesting turn that I was not suspecting. The epilogue – again, I can’t say much without ruining it. SORRY! – was jaw dropping and I really, really hope we see the author follow this up in another book. It would even make a great series with the same cast. I really hope Mr. Cole doesn’t leave us hanging with that very last page of the book! 😮

Thresher: A Deep Sea Thriller was another highly entertaining title from Severed Press. This novel is sure to get your adrenaline pumping the whole time you are reading. A nice cast of characters that would be fun to see in a series. This novel packs in the action and never slows down. A very entertaining book that other shark fiction and or action lovers will enjoy.

This is my first Michale Cole book and I’m glad I gave it a try. I like these kind of books, full of adventure and excitement.

The story is absolutely plausible and it has sharks in it. I love sharks. And this one is a nasty piece of work.

The characters are likable even if I had trouble sympathizing with Riker first. Riker is an alcoholic and has serious issues. He ends up in a sleepy beach town where hardly anything happens. Until something does. He hates being there. And than he gets stuck with a new partner. Their interactions are funny and we get to know them a little and their motives. But obviously that is not the point. The point is the shark.
The parts which are written from the shark’s POV are the best.

Not the best book ive ever read. But was still good fun and enjoyable to read. Had a good plot that is like many movies these days, so was good to read rather than watch.

Another fun filled, deep sea adventure from Michael Cole!!

I just finished another book from this author and immediately dived into this one. I actually enjoyed this a lot more than Creature from the Crevasse, and I think it's because the plot was plausible and the fact it's a shark!.

The plot was fast paced and exciting. I liked how we learned about what happened the Thresher. I liked that there was a little more science in the facts surrounding the Thresher's disposition, and I especially liked that this had more action with the shark than the authors previous work. It made for a faster and more entertaining read!

The characters were quite cliched, but likable. Riker is a deeply flawed character, and I couldn't help but root for him!! I enjoyed the dynamics between Riker and his new partner as well, and enjoyed the interactions between them.

In all, this was a good read. I'm not a fan of the open water, and this just made me respect it more. Sharks are beautiful creatures, but they are scary and deadly, and reading about the Thresher here just made them even scarier!! I'm delighted the author went with a different shark than a great white one, it made for a far more interesting read. I'm hoping for a sequel because that ending left me with hopes of one!! A fun, entertaining and quick read!!

Great book and I read it during Shark Week which is perfect. Riker is a police officer who feels like he has lost everything and is drinking himself to death. Allison Metzler is a rookie cop with problems of her own. Allison is placed with Riker to be oriented to police work. He hates it and she hates the way he treats her. It starts with killer whales being killed and twenty feet long grouper attacking people. Rumors of a big shark in the waters close to home are being spread. It couldn't be that big,or could it? A forty foot Thresher shark is unheard of until it almost gets Allison and Riker while on harbor patrol. The vice mayor has her own agenda and brings in The Trio, a family of unscrupulous shark hunters to kill the shark. The shark gets blown up and it's dead, no reason to worry but Riker has a problem believing it until he sees the body. What is causing these animals to be so big and what is the mayor's involvement? Loved this book and the writing style. If you liked jaws, you will love this book. I received this book from Net Galley and BooksGoSocial for a honest review and no compensation otherwise.

Thersher 3.25⭐️
An accident a terrible accident causing a ship to sink in the middle of the ocean. Helicopters are airlifting passengers off but its going to take time. With blood spilled and chaos spreading when a shark is in view everyone needs to just try and stay calm.

⭐️ The writing is beautiful. We are immediately submerged into the world and the accident. We see the chaos after the inital hit and then things start to go wrong and more wrong and it was gripping. Becuase you know a shark is coming and i hate sharks. Like fear them with a passion but this sounded so good.

-.25 It lacked the drama and action that a thriller needs.

+.25 He did an excellent job of briging the tension right away but he lost the energy and power almost immediately.

⭐️ Briging the fear to the reader within the first chapter we have blood being spilled and a shark is in sight.

-.5 We are drawn in to the action right away but then we get a step back and it was dull. I was so drawn in and then la de dah...


⭐️ when the action was present it had me drawn into the story completely. It just took a while and were few and far between.

-.5 saying that everything was good, crime was low, kids were smiling is just saying everything is about to go to hell in their perfect little world.

-.5 One problem I came across was that the whole book is in italics. Which makes it difficult to read. I dont mind italics for flashbacks but the entire book, that hurt my brain.

Thank you so much to booksgosocial via netgalley for sending me an ARC copy of Thersher- by Michael Cole. This will be released on July 8, 2018.
All opinions are my own.

Another shark story with some twists. Some stereotypes exist through the story. There is the alcoholic cop, Riker, and his caring partner. An acting mayor on a power trip. A police chief from a crime infested city looking for a peaceful retirement. There is also a pair of marine biologists. A hurricane and an accident with a secret government project create a colossal thresher shark. The thresher that is usually small and does not interact with man; here man's tinkering with nature creates something unforeseen. Suddenly the shark attacks anything it senses in water either as food or as a potential threat.  The acting mayor does not want the boat race the town is hosting threatened in any way and the best way to keep things under wraps is with bad guys. There are a few similarities with Jaws, and the Chief and Riker are both from the city of Alton (perhaps a tip to author Steve Alten).

The characters are pretty simple, and the dialog isn't the best. It's easy to see who the good and bad guys are and there are really no surprises characterwise. Using a thresher shark instead of a great white is a nice change. As with most shark books, there is a little bit of science, not much, and some environmental concerns. This book, however, is more of a creature book. It reads like a good B movie would play and not meant for the reader to think too hard about the plot. It is intended to be enjoyed, and it succeeds in being entertaining.

An updated JAWS retake

This was an enjoyable giant monster shark redo. Coastal town in Florida plus National Sailing competition plus ambitious acting mayor plus an out of control monster thresher shark. Sound rather familiar?

This was a fun read in spite of some clunky language at times. It had some good character development of the two main characters - a rookie female cop and her mentor, a veteran cop with lots of personal issues.

There were no huge surprises in this story but if you were a fan of the old creature feature movies, you should enjoy this.

I received this book from BooksGoSocial through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.

I read this book in honor of shark week! I’m a huge fan of “shark attack fiction” (Jaws, Meg, etc) and was really looking forward to this book, however i had some trouble getting through it. There’s a lot of exposition and unnecessary dialogue and the author could have used an editor to help trim a lot (A LOT) of fat. The shark attack scenes are actually told from the POV of the shark, which eliminated all of the suspense and terror (the opening coast guard rescue scene would have been so much more terrifying without the shark POV sections). The characters were over-the-top cliches (exasperated chief of police, the asshole police detective with a heart, the nervous rookie cop). Unfortunately, I can’t recommend this one, but it’s a favorite genre of mine, so i would be open to sampling other books from this author in the future.