Wednesday, February 22, 2023

Sea Castle by Andrew Mayne

 
First Lines: A crescent moon casting glimmers of light onto the rolling waves of the ocean would normally be a relaxing sight to me. But not tonight.
 
Even though the Underwater Investigation Unit has been disbanded, Sloan McPherson still wears a swimsuit under her clothes when she's on call. It's a good thing for this particular call-out, as a young woman's body has washed up on a beach near Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Against the common consensus, Sloan thinks the young woman was murdered, and she goes to Miami homicide detective Gwen Wylder for help. 
 
Wylder is known for being wicked smart, manipulative, and a tyrant, and she demands something in return from Sloan for her help: Sloan's fresh insight into seemingly unrelated cold cases. As loose ends from the old cases begin to come together, another woman disappears. Sloan and Gwen are certain she's the newest link in a deadly chain leading to a serial killer trolling the Florida coast. 
 
But the deeper these two go, the stranger the case gets...
 
~
 
I've been enjoying Andrew Mayne's Underwater Investigation Unit series immensely, and Sea Castle is the best one yet. Through police diver Sloan McPherson, Mayne has been instrumental in changing my rather antiquated view of mothers in dangerous professions, and once the scales were removed from my eyes, my enjoyment of these compelling stories grew-- especially when Sloan began tempering her tendency to leap into danger without thinking with some good, old-fashioned common sense. It's been a pleasure to watch Sloan grow as she gains experience. She's truly gifted in searching for clues and putting them together, and if you're in a life-or-death situation, she's the type of person you want on your side.

With the Underwater Investigation Unit disbanded and its members working in other divisions, Sloan finds herself working for a boss who hates her. When she doesn't agree with everyone else that the young woman found on the beach died accidentally, her search for help leads her to one of the more interesting characters I've read in quite some time. Gwen Wylder is a gifted homicide detective whose talent and unstoppable determination have made her a pariah. No one wants to work with her, and spreading rumors about her level of sanity and her work ethic seems to be a favorite pastime of her fellow officers. After years of working in this toxic environment, it's no wonder that Gwen is extremely paranoid, bitter, and manipulative. Sloan herself has raised more than a few eyebrows (and doubts) in her short career, and she's used to being considered the crazy one. Pairing her with Gwen Wylder on the hunt for a serial killer really tests how much she's matured in her job.
 
When someone says, "A lot of this is Gwentuition and Sloanology," I had to laugh. These two have their own ways of doing things, and it was a delight watching them learn to work together-- Sloan especially since, for the first time, she's the one reining in someone else instead of someone doing that to her.
 
This fast-paced story kept me guessing, and the identity of the serial killer really surprised me-- something that doesn't happen very often. Although everything is tied up by book's end, it does end on a cliffhanger that makes me wish that the next book in this series were available now. Bring it on!

Sea Castle by Andrew Mayne
eISBN: 9781662506420
Thomas & Mercer © 2023
eBook, 312 pages

Thriller, #4 Underwater Investigation Unit mystery
Rating: A+
Source: Net Galley

14 comments:

  1. I've got the first in this series on my Kindle as I like reading crime stories with, shall we say, 'dangerous occupation or hobby' settings... such as Nevada Barr's Blind Descent which pushed every one of my buttons. I'm sort of hoping this series will do something similar.

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    1. It just might, Cath-- and I'm right there with you on Blind Descent. I think that's the first book I ever read where I tried to read it with both eyes shut! LOL

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    2. I agree about the Nevada Barr book. I keep thinking I need to reread that one. Love the 'both eyes shut' aspect.

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    3. You wouldn't believe how badly I wanted Anna to get out of that cave!!!

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  2. You highlight something I always enjoy in a high-quality series, Cathy: the evolution of the main character. When the main character grows and changes over time, that character is all the more real and appealing. And Sloan is definitely an interesting character!

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    1. She certainly is, but then I would say that since she aided in my own evolution!

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  3. An A+ means that this book is good. I have never ventured into seaworld, and I think to do so could be scary. I'll have to think about whether I can venture into that realm. Good review.

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    1. Actually, Sloan is very seldom in the water in this one.

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  4. I remember in your reviews of earlier books in this series how you weren't too sure about Sloan's tendency to take unnecessary risks. Glad to hear she has matured - I love when that happens in a series. So many unique things about this series - Underwater Investigation Unit, the unit disbanded and Sloan's tendency to always be ready to hit the water and the new boss she has to work with. I'm not surprised you rated it highly!

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    1. I also loved how I hadn't deduced the bad guy's identity. That's always a plus!

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  5. I'm intrigued by the whole Underwater Investigation Unit. And both Sloan and Gwen sound like very fun characters.

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    1. Actually... Gwen was a bit scary, but watching the dynamics between them was a lot of fun.

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  6. I'm not familiar with this series, but, based on your review, I think I need to become familiar.

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    1. This series is perfect when I'm looking for something a bit more escapist.

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