A missing diver. Alligators. Sinkholes. Mummified bodies. Florida has it all.

The previously disbanded Florida Underwater Investigation Unit has just reformed, and are immediately called to an unusual scene. A coroner’s van had picked up two bodies believed to be victims of a serial killer, but veered into a body of water that just happened to be an alligator breeding ground. Sloan McPherson and her partner Scott Hughes arrive, as does their boss George Solar, to assist in getting the bodies out of the water before important forensic evidence is lost (or they get eaten). Scott deploys his latest ROV Nemo to get the vehicle winched up, but an alligator mistakes it for a turtle and tries to eat it. Someone, it seems, will have to dive in to get the job done, and Sloan volunteers. So begins a fast-paced mystery filled with the unique flora, fauna and waterways of Florida as well as the many quirky, colorful characters who call it home. When the retrieval of the van ends up with blows exchanged between Scott and someone from the US Army Corps of Engineers, Solar advises his two investigators to take some time off to let the political waters settle. When Sloan hears that a well regarded and highly experienced diver named Fred Stafford, who also happens to be a friend of her dad’s and someone who taught her a great deal about diving, is missing, she decides to ask around. Fred’s girlfriend is very concerned, but the group of cave divers with whom Fred had been doing a good deal of diving recently do not seem as worried. The Dive Rats, as they are known, are chalking it up to Fred’s wanderer lifestyle. Sloan and Scott do a little poking around, and what they find concerns them. When Fred’s truck turns up abandoned near a remote body of water formed by a sinkhole, and a few pieces of Fred’s equipment are found at the bottom of its underwater caverns Sloan fears the worst. But why would a diver as experienced as Fred make such a dive alone and without proper safeguards? What secrets had Fred been keeping, and what ventures had he undertaken? Connections to a retired gangster, a shuttered home for rehabilitating wayward boys gambling debts, and the discovery of a mummified body thousands of years old add up to a lot of questions and few actual clues. Sloan, her fellow UIU investigators, and Solar’s network of retired but knowledgeable contacts across the state are determined to get to the bottom of Fred’s disappearance….but they would be wise to remember that alligators are not the only dangerous creatures lurking in the wilds of Florida.
As I found when reading previous installments of the Sloan McPherson/UIU series, author Andrew Mayne packs a lot of fascinating lore about Florida’s history, vivid descriptions of the areas which the investigators explore both above and below the water, and the sometimes crazy but always colorful characters who call Florida home into Dark Dive. Sloan is smart and gutsy, lives up to her family’s reputation for modern-day adventuring, and is starting to think she needs to dial back a little bit to save her daughter and partner from their continual worries on her behalf. The crew of the UIU continues to expand and develop, and are a fascinating group in and of themselves. The story starts out with a bang, and doesn’t really slow down. There are plenty of red herrings and potential suspects, and more than a few underwater thrills (for the record, I will personally never explore the idea of trudging through snake-infested woods to go diving in bodies of waters where alligators might be waiting for a snack), and surprises along the way in store for readers. I didn’t want to put the book down….if you enjoy Clive Cussler, Carl Hiassen, and Edna Buchanan you should give this series a try (you won’t regret it!). My thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercier for granting me access to an advanced reader’s copy of this addictive adventure in return for my honest review.

There is a lot going on in this novel about the exploits of an underwater diving team — search for a missing person, casino gambling and huge debt, a mass grave with bodies, a 13,000 year old mummified body, etc. I found some humor in the novel (“alligators one, robots zero “) and (if factual) a talking and thinking robot capable of doing amazing things. However, I found the book overly long and not particularly interesting.
I thank NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for the opportunity to read and review this novel prior to publication.

I love the UIU series. I have to say this was my least favorite of the series. I didn't really care for the storyline. Worth the read - yes. Would I recommend this book - yes BUT would definitely recommend reading the series in order. If not, you might go away underwhelmed with this latest one.

Looking forward to seeing what the UIU investigates next.

Thank you #netgalley and #thomasandmercer for the eARC.

In Dark Dive, Sloan’s Underwater Investigation Unit is back. On their first day, Sloan must dive into an alligator-filled pond to retrieve a coroner’s van. Sloan is having some panic attacks about some dives and needs to figure out what is triggering them. When a fellow diver and mentor goes missing, the search is on. Is there more to this than a possible diving accident? Just who is the fellow and what was he up to? As always, the story is full of intrigue and thrills with a needed touch of humor. This is one of my favorite series and Dark Dive is a good addition.
Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC.

Mystery/Thriller

Another adrenaline spiking, heart-pounding, intelligent thriller from Andrew Mayne!

I love this series! The main cast of characters - Sloan, Scott, George and now Gwen are a match made in fiction heaven.

The novel begins with Sloan getting called to help retrieve bodies from a van that has crashed in the water. These are bodies that were on the way to the lab for forensic testing in a serial killer case. The problem with this particular body of water is that there are a number of alligators in this pond and its mating season. The story explodes from there.

Sloan's next task is to look into a missing person. He is a family friend and fellow diver, and no one has seen or heard from him in about a week. While investigating, Sloan turns up all kinds of irreconcilable data and makes a few discoveries. I won't spoil it here, but one of the discoveries creates a very interesting backstory for the missing diver.

The investigation causes Sloan to investigate some remote parts of central Florida. The author then gets to reveal some interesting facts and history about the state and the creation of underwater caves. Mayne also gets to geek out on some new robotic technology that gets used in the case.

It was a stellar novel - so, why only 4*? I have to say that I was disappointed with the ending a bit. It's still great, but the author didn't do anything with the side story about the missing diver's background. This background story plays a huge role, and it feels unfinished. I, also, think that the "whodunnit" and the ensuing finale went very quickly and so it also felt incomplete. I'm still a huge fan of this series and Andrew Mayne and will continue to read everything he writes. His novels are just so smart!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC of this novel.

“You are the best and the worst, Gwen.”
“It’s what I call life balance,”

I believe that having my diving certification draws me into these books. Now, I’d never ever want to go diving with alligators or crocodiles in the water, I’m fascinated and addicted to this series. So many twists and turns. But I love to see the growth and changes with the characters. I also want to and at the same time not want to dive in the Everglades of Florida. Another great book, and can’t wait for more.

Thank goodness for NetGalley, as I have become addicted to Andrew Maynes writing this year.

First, a huge thank you goes to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve been checking NetGalley to see if this has been added to the site every week since I finished the first 4 books in the series. It was definitely worth the wait. I loved that we got to see a bit more back story with each of the characters, and I love the personality that the daughter has started to grow.

When does #6 come out?

Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer for sharing the advanced copy of the next installment in this series. It was another entertaining entry in the life of Sloan and the Underwater Diving Unit. I thought this was a bit better than the previous book, in fact addressing some of the things I questioned in that installment. This one is less about Sloan’s family, and finds her starting to question her future career with the UIU. Definitely recommended for fans of the series.

This is the fifth book featuring the Underwater Investigation Unit and this time the mystery involves a missing person, sinkholes and a mummified body. Sloane McPherson and her team are back after the events of the last book disbanded the UIU. They investigate the disappearance of Fred Stafford, a family friend of Sloane's who no one has seen for weeks. During the investigation they find a storage locker under Fred's name that contains a mummy that dates back thousands of years. Sloane also finds a map of various sinkholes around Florida. The more they discover, the stranger the case becomes. I enjoyed the characters, especially the friendship between Sloane and her partner Scott Hughes. The case wasn't the most exciting of the series, but it was still a solid entry. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Dark Dive by Andrew Mayne is atmospheric and a bit creepy. Searching for a missing diver takes a Florida detective on a deep-diving adventure. The book is part of a series, but this story can be read as a standalone book.

I liked the characters and felt they were well-developed and three-dimensional. Their actions were realistic and appropriate. Sloan is a great character, and her family is fun to read about.

I may go back and read the previous books in this series. I will read more by this author and in this series. The story was intriguing, the characters were likable, and the writing was engaging.

#DarkDiveAThriller #NetGalley @AmazonPub

I love this series and set of characters. I find the series interesting and engaging and well plotted and love the setting. They can read as stand alone also.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review the book

I really love this series and those book was no exception to the really well written story. I enjoy all the characters and how they all have their own things going on. The mystery we always see solved was an interesting one this time. I love how the beginning mystery was cleared up in the end. Really cool history lesson I would say lol. I do wish there was more about the farm and how everything took place but overall a really good book.

Another great book in the Underwater Investigation Unit series by Andrew Mayne. I finished the book in 2 days, I couldn't put it down it was so good.

Dark Dive by Andrew Mayne – 5 Stars
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
ISBN: 9781662506451

As always, Andrew Mayne blends crime solving and science, so, I become a little smarter while being entertained.
Great characters make a story great and there are plenty of fascinating ones here. Sloan is daring, courageous, and smart. Her family is loving and a bit quirky. Her team is supportive and close knit. There is a group of people who dive into sink hole for fun.
The plot has a recent cold case and an ancient one, exciting action, history and geology of Florida and a missing person.
Two things stood out for me. One, what AI can do to assist in underwater investigation. The other, the vivid description of the remote areas of Florida that are filled with wildlife and huge interconnecting sinkholes.
The Underwater Investigation Unit series is my favorite of Andrew Mayne’s series and this one is the best.

Reviewer: Nancy

BIG thanks to both Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of Dark Dive. This book is #5 in the Underwater Investigation Unit series and the expected publication date is March 12, 2024

After the Underwater Investigation Unit’s disbandment, public outcry ushers Sloan McPherson and her partner, former navy diver Scott Hughes, back into the depths of crime solving.

Back into the depths is right! Longtime family friend Fred Stafford has disappeared. He's left his truck, gambling debts, his association with a treasure-hunting band of underwater cavern junkies called the Dive Rats, and an astonishing discovery in his storage shed.

I found Dark Dive to be utterly fascinating. I learned so much about AI! I also loved the wee glimpse of Theo Cray. I hope this series NEVER ends!

I love this series and this newest book takes twisty to a new level. Although I could never do underwater diving it is still fun to read about. The same great primary characters are here plus a newer member of the UIU team (whip smart and takes no gruff) all lead us on another manhunt, gators everywhere. Don't skip the opening chapter just because it seems odd; it's important to the plot.

Thank you, NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the copy of Dark Dive by Andrew Mayne. I really enjoy books by this author so I jumped at the chance to read this because I knew it would be well-written. The story was really good but it took me until the investigation actually started to really love it. I really liked how science /AI was a big part of the book even though I didn't always understand it. Sloane is one of the best main characters ever and I love stories about her family. Read this book if you love great writing, good characters and an intriguing story. This can be read as a standalone but I suggest you read the whole series.