I received this book from the Thomas & Mercer via Netgalley for a review. Another excellent read from Andrew Mayne. Well paced thriller to keep you on the edge of your seat

When I saw that #AndrewMayne had a new book I immediately requested it. I have loved all of his books and he has not let me down yet. When I was granted my request for an ARC I was so excited, so thank you to #netgalley. I set aside my evening, curled up on the couch and settled in to read.

This was a fun, easy, adventure. I kept the pages turning into the night.

I liked that this was part of a series. I have gotten to know the characters, so it's always fun to re-visit them.
I liked that this was a quick, easy,reading escape. No thought required - just sit back and enjoy.
I liked the writing style - I can always just picture the action in any of his books.
I liked the story - it was really interesting, and made me think about cruise ships and how much is really smuggled on them. It made me think about some of the super rich people in our country and how dirty some of them really are.

So what didn't I like?
This was my least favorite of his books. I still truly enjoyed it but not as much as his previous ones. and certainly not as much as his Naturalist series (which are amazing)
I would not say he was phoning it in, and the plot was really unusual and fun. However, I didnt feel the same connection to the characters that I usually do. I felt like this was more focused on the action than the people. And the people in his books is what I usually appreciate the most.

If you have read his previous books, you will really like this one, so please pick it up. However, if you have not read his books yet - do yourself a favor and start with his first books in the Naturalist series and work your way forward - you will enjoy this book much more if you already have a connection to the characters.

My opinion was not influenced by the fact that I received a free #ARC.

This is a marvelous formula thriller from a very talented and stunningly productive writer, the third installment in his undersea investigations series. It's carefully tuned to its casual audience, producing a startling threat of danger to its heroine every twenty or thirty pages. A single mother, she's a young woman of great resourcefulness and bravery, an admirable fantasy model for her core readership.
For me -not a member of that demographic- reading this compelling story was a matter of admiration from afar, particularly of the writer's skill at narration.. I remain a big fan, but to a greater extent an admirer of the author's earlier 'Naturalist' series.. Still, this book is hard to put down, and it's a marvel in another sense too, a prominent example of an independent author succeeding grandly without a big-time NY publisher to work with.

This book can be read as a standalone, but why would you want to miss out on the other adventures? Sloan is back and better than ever with the UIU ready to attack problems with her own unique flair.

I really like this series. That being said, this one stretched my imagination a bit too far. Just a few books ago, Sloan McPherson was diving in canals looking for bodies. Now, she's flying across the country dealing with international crime. She's smart, she's capable but the climb seems a little too rapid.

A cruise ship is bombed. A man gets blown up on his boat. A body is found in a culvert. The book is well written, this all comes together. I can't tell you anymore about the crime because that is a big spoiler that you won't know about until halfway through the book. It works.

Great characters and storyline! Kept me interested and excited to see what happened next! Honestly wish the story had been longer and more involved.

As usual, Andrew Mayne pens a great book in as few pages as possible. How he manages develop characters as well as he does in so few pages is the real mystery in this book. This book doesn’t fail to bring the reader to some beautiful locales and reveal some of the author’s most interesting characters. It would be fascinating to see what would happen if sufficient space were devoted to allowing him to flesh out these characters in greater detail.

Sea Storm is the third in the Underwater Investigation Unit series and it finds the team going against a powerful opponent who is willing to do whatever it takes to keep his secrets from getting out in the open. Sloane McPherson and her team respond to a cruise ship disaster and help to rescue passengers and crew. Afterwards, they investigate and find that the cause of the damage to the ship is not a simple explosion. While the FBI blames ecoterrorists the UIU digs deeper, discovering a smuggling operation that could threaten national security. The book blends humor and suspense well while also educating the reader about diving techniques. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

My thanks to Thomas and Mercer, Andrew Maybe and Netgalley.
I mostly adore these books. Underwater investigative unit. UIU. Love these three some!
This book? Maybe not so much. It was less underwater and more "other." .
I'm never happy when it comes down to money, secret service government stuff.
So, I'm giving this book a hard pass. It was fine, but it missed the mark as far as I'm concerned.

The third book in Andrew Mayne’s Underwater Investigation Unit has the unit on the hunt for the saboteurs of a cruise ship off the coast of Florida. There are no fatalities - but an interesting note is found indicating more events to come. Concerned with the slow pace of the investigation, a clue has Sloan traveling to California for more information. An encounter on the island of Catalina sends Sloan back East with startling information. Along the way, Sloan begins reevaluating some of her past and current actions coming to the realization that she is beginning to “grow up”. Non-stop action with an evolving female protagonist.

4.5 Stars

“We all have a dark side…some of us are just better at keeping it at a distance.”

If you are new to the Underwater Investigation Unit series, allow me to introduce you to Sloan McPherson. Sloan is the daughter of a pirate, and not the Captain Jack Sparrow kind. Everyone whispers about the McPherson family, who are either known for their talents of diving in the deep blue sea for lost artifacts and buried treasure or being drug smugglers. Determined to make a name for herself not tainted, Sloan becomes a law enforcement official and detective for the Florida Underwater Investigation Unit (UIU). But even the best of divers can find themselves in way over their head…

Called to a scene of a luxury cruise ship that has apparently become a target of an ecoterrorist, Sloan and her motley crew quickly sense this is something more than just an irate “tree hugger”. Someone is covering up something major and once again, Sloan can’t stop the nagging voice telling her the clues are pointing them in the wrong direction. But will Sloan’s “leap before you look” mentality cost her everything she’s worked so hard to achieve…could this be the case that takes it all away…including her life…

Andrew Mayne and this series is quickly becoming one of my favs! Please note that while this is book 3, it is written to be standalone. The cast of characters in the UIU play so well against each other, and Sloan’s snarky inner monologue is fun-tastic! If Netflix is looking for a new series/movie to pick up, I hope someone puts these books in their hands! Loved and highly recommend!




**I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. **

Thank you Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the arc of this book. I have read three other books by Andrew Mayne and enjoyed them. This book was no exception because the writing was engaging and I liked the characters! The story kind of dragged after the initial excitement, even though I loved the underwater scenes. I wasn't thrilled with the conclusion, it felt like a letdown. If you like the investigation, the chase, you will love this book. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4