I highly recommend, I enjoyed this very much. I was a bit puzzled by how it starts out but it is all explained later in the story. I don’t know much about diving and can’t imagine the scenarios they have to go through but the ones described here are pretty intense. I would have liked to know who Fred really is but alas it didn’t reveal that. The story makes it plain that there is a group of people who are the only suspects but it is impossible to tell who the killer is till the very end. The book has lots of tension and action, but it be Nile crocodile never shows up. #DarkDive #NetGalley

Andrew Mayne always gets five stars from me because his books never disappoint. With the perfect mixture of thrills and pop-science, his plots are impossible to put down. With four previous volumes in this series, we already know Sloan and Hughes, their families, and teammates. Their chemistry shines in the dialogues, and it’s fascinating to see how divers explore the depths of oceans and, in this case, sinkholes. This time, there is also possible cryptozoology, and delicious creepiness. One scene in particular, with Sloan and Hughes diving in the twilight, really made my skin crawl. As usual, the short chapters keep adding to the tension, the twists are (mostly) unexpected and the last chapters so suspenseful that I could not stop reading. Pure fun!
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#Thomas & Mercer.

In this thrilling book by a bestselling author, Sloan McPherson, a detective from Florida, gets back into solving crimes after her Underwater Investigation Unit disbands. Sloan, along with her partner Scott Hughes, faces a personal case involving the disappearance of a family friend named Fred Stafford.

As Sloan digs into Stafford's disappearance, she finds some puzzling clues, like an abandoned truck near a strange hole in the ground and surprising discoveries that challenge what she thought she knew about Fred. His gambling debts, connections to a group of underwater treasure hunters called the Dive Rats, and a mysterious find in his storage shed make the case even more mysterious.

Sloan's investigation uncovers a mix of elements, including an old unsolved case in Florida, local beliefs, and a surprising conspiracy. Trying to figure out what happened to Stafford becomes a journey into the unknown, dragging Sloan into a world of buried secrets and unexpected challenges.

The story cleverly combines suspense, historical mysteries, and local legends, keeping us interested until the very end. As Sloan deals with this puzzling mystery, the book explores the complexities of human relationships and the lasting impact of the past. A great read for those who love thrilling stories and mysteries set in the fascinating landscapes of Florida.

I just reviewed Dark Dive by Andrew Mayne. #DarkDiveAThriller #NetGalley

I’ve been a fan of the Underwater Investigative Unit series, but this one didn’t work quite as well for me. The Unit has been re-assembled, and Gwen is now working for them. I enjoy the team and their interaction.
This time, it’s an old family friend of Sloane’s who has gone missing. He’s also an expert diver. But he seems to have had quite a few secrets in his past. And when they find a prehistoric mummified body in his storage unit, well, let’s just say it really strained credibility. Although I’ll give Mayne credit for sneaking in some facts about the ancient history of the region.
There was one point in the book when I felt like one of the side plots was borrowed a little too heavily from another recent book. And it didn’t really add to the main storyline.
This is a good series for folks that like entertaining thrillers and aren’t concerned with believability. It’s a thrill a minute with very little downtime. Sloane isn’t known for walking away from risky endeavors. But things are catching up with her and she’s beginning to think about a life beyond always jumping into the unknown.
This could work as a stand-alone.
My thanks to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for an advance copy of this book.

I like this series of a dive police unit and the crimes in Florida that they solve. This one involves a diver who is missing and the search involves antiquities in the form of a mummy. The cave diving is suspenseful and interesting. A couple of seemingly unresolved developments in the search, but a face paced easy to read mystery.

Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley

"Dark Dive" follows a Florida police diver as she investigates the mysterious disappearance of a longtime diving friend. It's the fifth book in a popular series but very readable as a standalone.

From uncharted sinkholes and unmarked graves to dangerous wildlife and menacing conmen, there's a lot going on in this book. While the plot felt convoluted at times, the author skillfully builds suspense and brings Florida's surroundings and characters to life.

Overall, this is a fun read. Check it out if you're looking for an underwater twist on the cop thriller genre.

Thank you Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for sending me an advance copy of this book for review consideration.

"Swim out until you can't see land and then drop down deep to where there is nothing you've ever known." (Jessica Graham)

Sloan McPherson does that on a daily basis. She's part of the Florida Underwater Investigation Unit that pursues crimes in the depths of the ocean and in the expanses of local rivers and ponds. Sloan combines her daredevil nature with plenty of smarts. She's also in the pursuit of a PhD while balancing motherhood and a relationship with Run.

But before erecting statues and composing songs in her honor, Sloan is the first one to tell you that diving to the depths can be a crap shoot with the odds against you at any moment. It's in her blood. Her father is a deep sea treasure hunter and Sloan could practically swim before she could walk.

Dark Dive is one of the best in this series. Don't hesitate when seeing the #5. It reads perfectly as a standalone. (But once you dive into these waters, you'll be hooked. Oh, yeah.) The storyline in this one becomes personal. Fred Stafford, a renowned diver and family friend, is missing. His truck has been found in the Ocala Forest near a series of bottomless sink holes. Stafford has been known for his daring personality. Yet, he has never been out of sight this long.

Andrew Mayne is one of my favorite authors. He writes. He crafts stroylines imbued with such high interest and such sharp-witted intelligence. There's always a challenge with Sloan. Mayne knows the intricacies of land and the immediate dangers within the watery depths. We'll meet up with intrusive Nile crocodiles, unexpected dead bodies of the present and the past, and a bevy of hidden secrets floating to the surface. While other novels have you treading water, this one goes deep.......really, really deep. Check it out.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Thomas & Mercer and to the talented Andrew Mayne for the opportunity.

I love this series and enjoyed Dark Dive even more than the previous books in the UIU series. I love the relationships, the action, as well as the shorter chapters that keep you reading just...one...more. Sloan is a fantastic lead and I love the interactions with Jackie, Run, and her co-workers, Hughes and George. I love how Sloan is written as somewhat reckless, yet smart. Not just a younger woman bumbling about in a police investigation and getting into trouble. And come on, who doesn't love giant alligators.

I cannot wait to keep reading this series!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC I received in exchange for my honest review.

This is book 5 in the series Underwater Investigation Unit. This series has everything you want in a police procedure, mystery with the extra bonus of underwater investigation. I have to like the main characters and this series doesn't disappoint. Sloan is a female 'cop' diver. She and her team are looking for a missing diver. There is a lot in these books, this one has to be my favorite, it grabbed me and off I went until I finished this in one day. Housework, etc be damned. Thank you for allowing me to read an advanced copy. Looking forward to book #6

*Spoiler*
I very much enjoyed this book. While it did take awhile to get into it to the point where I didn’t want to put it down, it was still very engaging. The plot twist was well thought out and kept me guessing until the end. The only thing I wish was explained more was what happened at the farm.

Dark Dive: A Thriller is the fifth installment in the gripping Underwater Investigation Unit series by acclaimed author Andrew Mayne. Set in the depths of the ocean, this thrilling novel follows the exploits of a team of divers and investigators as they unravel a complex web of mystery and suspense. The novel seamlessly combines heart-pounding action with intricate plot twists, keeping readers on the edge of their seats until the very last page.
Mayne's vivid descriptions and meticulous attention to detail immerse readers in the breathtaking underwater world, making them feel as if they are part of the investigation team. The characters are well-developed and relatable, adding depth and authenticity to the story. With its fast-paced narrative and spine-tingling suspense, Dark Dive is a must-read for fans of the thriller genre.

Dark Dive begins with a crime scene that requires the help of Florida’s UIU (Underwater Investigation Unit). After a massive alligator takes a chomp on their remotely operated underwater robot, Sloan McPherson, diver for UIU, volunteers to brave the water herself. A dangerous dive that doesn’t go as planned.
Their next assignment, a missing person case. Fred Stafford’s girlfriend reported him as missing for a week. Fred is a well known diving instructor in Florida and extreme technical diver from all over. Sloan knows Fred as a family friend, one who’s had some wild dives with her father. She is expecting to find that he’s off on another job or drinking a beer in Bermuda. As Sloan and her partner, Scott Hughes, investigate further, they are led to an excursion with a group called the dive rats, uncharted sinkholes, underwater caves, creepy swamps with dangerous creatures, a con artist, an abandoned boys home and more directions than they could’ve ever expected.
This was a very interesting read. As someone who doesn’t know much about diving, I enjoyed the way the story added just enough information to understand how and why divers utilize the equipment and the procedures they need to follow. I also found the details on the underwater robots pretty interesting. The story had a good flow and plenty of believable turns. I would definitely read another book from Andrew Mayne.
This would appeal to those who love a good mystery and appreciate a good plot that doesn’t cut corners.
Thank you Thomas & Mercer for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley.

Another fast-paced thriller with Sloan McPherson leading the charge for the newly reopened UIU while investigating the strange death of a diver with archaeological implications. Looking forward to Sloan’s next adventure, possibly as a federal agent. I received an ARC from NetGalley, and the opinions expressed are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC for review!

I love the Underwater Investigation Unit series, and I just caught up on books 3 and 4. I'm glad that this installment goes back into the water when McPherson investigates the disappearance of a famous local diver. There were twists and turns with the case, and she works with a great team that's expanded to include Wylder. I enjoyed how the team is incorporating robotics and AI into their searches and cases. The ending made it out that there is another case coming our way, so I can't wait to read more!

Twists and turns. This story starts with a rather routine case, but branches out to go in different directions until it ends somewhere totally unexpected. I did not see where the story was going until the end. I love this series. Sloane and the UIU team are well developed, work well together and the interactions between them feel real. The Florida location is perfect and the diving sequences make for an interesting and different feel from a lot of mysteries. I highly recommend this book and want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy for an honest review.

Maybe is one of my favorite writers. Science education and action, with fantastic protagonists. Unfortunately, this is the first I've read in this series, and apparently there are four more.
I'm this story, there's a missing diver, and the search is on. There are explanations of diving, and I got a little claustrophobic during some of the more tense moments in dangerous underground locations, but I actually felt a little scared during the great descriptions when they had to dive in an area with lots of wild Florida animals.
And I like how you don't need to read his other books to jump into a new one.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

4.5/5

This is definitely one of my favorites in the series.
Sloan McPherson and Scott Hughes are at it again. The story has everything in it from artifacts from old Florida being found to murder. The book is fast paced and I didn’t want to put it down.

Definitely one of my favorite series to read!

This is a good mystery/thriller about underwater investigations by specially trained Scuba divers. Set in Florida in and around, not the Atlantic or the Gulf, but various sinkholes—some of them ancient—located within the state’s interior, it contains lots of very good research and information about a variety of subjects, including but not limited to alligators, crocodiles, anacondas, pythons, professional and amateur diving, Florida’s ancient history and geology, as well as sinkholes and what they can contain.. The characters are interesting. The settings are well described. While it’s a “who done it,” I didn’t find the central mystery to be all that compelling. especially since we never really get to meet, and thus become involved with, the victim. But author Andrew Mayne created some very tense scenes, especially underwater, that kept me on the edge of my seat. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

My thanks to NetGalley, author Andrew Mayne, and publisher Thomas and Mercer for providing me with a complimentary ARC. The foregoing is my independent opinion.

Release Date: March 2024

I'm a sucker for Andrew Mayne's writing and the Sloan McPherson storyline. There hasn't been a book yet in this series that I haven't loved. This book is no different. I devoured this book.

Andrews writing always makes reading this storyline with several moving parts easier to read and enjoy. I'm not one for difficult storylines, but Andrew always makes a more than simple storyline so easy to follow. Not just to follow but fall into full force. Like Sloan, I dive straight into every book and never look back until I come up for air at the end.

I honestly couldn't love these characters more. Solar is like the surly older man with authority before he even asserts himself. Hughes is the best partner a girl could ask for. Always there to anticipate what she needs even without her saying so.

This storyline definitely kept me engaged with who everyone new was and their connection to everything. There wasn't a better way for this to be written.

I hope that you will take a chance and read this!

Thank you to Netgalley for the complimentary copy. All opinions are my own, honest and voluntary.

friendship, friends, investigation, action-adventure, snarky, law-enforcement, missing-persons, recovery-diver, family-dynamics, procedural, thriller, suspense, unputdownable, sinkholes, Florida, conspiracy, multiple-murder, due-diligence, cave-diving, archaeology, historical-research, crime-fiction*****

Sloan McPherson of the dispersed Underwater Investigation Unit is skilled in all forms of diving but having a bit of trouble with the panics after a recent job. She is decidedly law enforcement an tied into a rather large number of Florida and Federal alphabet agencies. This time a fellow diver (a civilian) has vanished and the task of locating him gets more convoluted as the book goes on.
This is not as long as a Cussler novel, but the research info that frequently arises is every bit as evidence of a thorough knowledge of things maritime and bits of archaeological nature. LOVED IT!
I requested and received a free EARC from Thomas & Mercer via NetGalley. Thank you!