A Wall Street Journal bestseller.
For a police diver in Florida, solving a cold-case mystery brings a serial killer out of hiding in a deep, dark thriller by the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Naturalist.
Sloan McPherson and the Underwater Investigation Unit have discovered a van at the bottom of a murky Florida pond. Sealed inside the watery tomb are the bodies of four teenagers … inside the watery tomb are the bodies of four teenagers who disappeared thirty years ago after leaving a rock concert. To authorities, it looks like a tragic accident. To Sloan, it looks like murder. Every piece of evidence is starting to connect to a string of cold case vanishings throughout Florida. Clue by clue, Sloan navigates the warm, dark waters where natural predators feed, knowing that the most dangerous one is still above the surface—nesting and dormant.
But when a fresh young kill is found in the Everglades, Sloan fears that her investigation has reawakened a monster. How can she catch someone who’s a genius at hiding in plain sight? By acting as prey. The dangerous gambit is working—only too well. She’s being lured into a deception of the madman’s own design. Has Sloan set a trap for a serial killer? Or has he set one for her?
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BLACK CORAL (Underwater Investigation Unit Book #2) by Andrew Mayne is an exciting second book in the UIU series. All the main characters are realistically imagined and Mr. Mayne hooks you with a story that is an intense, intricately plotted criminal investigation. I have added this series to my “must read immediately” list of books when published.
Sloan McPherson of the UIU is called in to retrieve a body from a submerged car. While avoiding one of Florida’s most infamous alligators, she discovers a van also in the pond. Many vehicles end up discarded in Florida’s waterways, but Sloan has a “feeling” about the van and wants to investigate it. Sealed inside are the remains of four teenagers, assumed runaways, thirty years previously. Law enforcement considers it a tragic accident, but Sloan is not satisfied.
A serial killer has been hunting and killing with impunity in southern Florida for over 30 years. Will Sloan be the next victim?
Absolutely fantastic read!
Sloan is a complex character and a strong protagonist. I liked that Mr. Mayne added Hughes to the UIU to add balance and a voice of reason/caution to some of Sloan’s more impulsive decisions, but he does not interfere with her determination and search for justice for the dead. All the characters, good and evil, add to the believability of the investigation and add depth to the overall story without detracting from the pace of the plot.
Mr. Mayne’s storytelling pulls you in from page one and continues to weave all the dialogue and investigations into a tale that keeps the reader intrigued and turning the pages until the ultimate resolution.
I highly recommend this addition to the series, the entire series and this author!
Book #2 in the Underwater Investigative Unit (UIU) set in the canals, swamps, and other waters in the state of FL. Sloan, along with her boss, George and new team member Hughes are on the move once again. The mystery begins in a canal pond and heads off to the swamps later on. If you like cops, bad guys, adventures, and some family thrown in, you will like these books by Mr. Mayne. There is one more in this series I haven’t read an am looking forward to catching up again with the UIU group in Sea Storm! Thanks for the good read.
She wasn’t in the water for this, but when Sloan McPherson discovers a van at the bottom of Pond 65, she knows there’s more to it than just an abandonment. When the bodies of four missing teens are found inside, she begins to wonder if it’s murder. What she doesn’t realize is that the killer might still be out there, tracking and killing those who least expect it. What’s the Underwater Investigation Unit going to do? Hand over the case or investigate it themselves?
Sloan McPherson is one of the most self-aware characters I’ve come across. She does stupid things and while she sometimes blames it on her pirate father, she almost always owns up to her idiocy. I adore this, because it means that she has the potential to not make those mistakes again. Her relationship with her daughter, Jackie, is great as well. She tries to be the best mom she can, even when she flops, and I think Jackie knows it, too. Overall, Sloan is tough, smart, and willing to take chances, even if they’re going to get her into trouble in the long run. She makes for an interesting and complex character and is the reason why I was so eager to get my hands on this book.
In this novel, Sloan gets a new partner named Scott Hughes. I always worry when a new person is introduced because they either suddenly become a love interest or an antagonist. Thankfully, Hughes is neither. He’s former Navy who came from another department to join the UIU with Sloan and George Solar, their boss. He’s funny, he’s smart, and he’s very loyal to Sloan and her case. I’d almost want to see them become love interests but the fact that Hughes is happily married, and Sloan is happily… something… with Run gives me reason to be content with them just being work buddies. However, they have a great chemistry and I loved how they worked together.
The uniqueness of an Underwater Investigation Unit is what initially drew me to this series. Growing up in the desert, the Everglades, ponds, and canals of Florida are something I know nothing about. Never mind the gators! Also, the team of Sloan and George, now featuring Scott Hughes, is great. They have a wonderful working relationship, even if Sloan was wary of him at first. Engrossing, complicated cases mixed with an intriguing cast of characters and I’m sold. Now, I’m anxiously awaiting to see where the UIU goes next.
Black Coral by Andrew Mayne is an addictive fast-moving ride with lots of action. I literally did not want to put this book down.
Will Sloan’s instincts help her find the serial killer, or will the UIU be forced to close its doors for good?
Sloan McPherson
In this second installment, we see more of Sloan’s instinct and a bit more of her personality. I love the way she thinks of the victims as someone’s child and not just a corpse. However, my favorite thing about Sloan is the way she doesn’t take crap from men.
When Sloan is underwater, she is the best. She has years of training that allow her to know her limitations (ya right) and what may happen next. Sloan works well with Hughes, the new addition to the UIU. Seriously, Sloan has this wickedly smart mind that sees things that other people dismiss.
The Mystery
Sloan finds an old van in a pond where another vehicle crashed. When she finally gets to look into it, they find four missing teenagers from the 1990s. The van is tagged as an accident even though the evidence doesn’t completely point in that direction. However, the UIU is onto another case, except Sloan can’t get the kids in the van out of her mind. After a bit of investigation, it is thought that a serial killer is still actively killing people in southern Florida. A task force that includes the FBI and local law enforcement agencies is looking for the killer.
The task force tags the wrong person, and the UIU knows this and sets out to find the right one. Before all of that, you have to read the part about the alligator lair that Sloan investigates. Oh, and the guide who helps them find the burial site is so cool. I love his alligator trick.
Five Stars
This book is amazing. The characters, location, the mystery, the underwater scenes are all top-notch. My rating for Black Coral by Andrew Mayne is five stars, and I recommend this to all thriller readers out there. Honestly, I loved everything about this story. Check it out.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Black Coral by Andrew Mayne.
Until the next time,
~Jen
If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out BaronessBookTrove.com.
Love thrillers? Love sharks and gators? You’ve got to try this one! This series follows an underwater investigation unit in Florida! You’ll be turning pages late into the night…
Mayne is a genius and this is no exception.
From revolutionary fun to common mass market, it’s a damn shame.
Look, this was still ok but, if you’ve read one hunt for a woman-killing-serial-killer book you’ve read them all. The side cases of the New River Bandits were more entertaining.
What’s still fresh is Sloan’s perspective as an archeologist and master diver. If this series can get back into the water it will be smooth sailing.
Andrew Mayne has done it again with his enthralling latest book, Black Coral. The second in the Underwater Investigation Unit series set in Florida, this mile-a-minute, police-procedural, stands quite well on its own.
The series features Detective Sloan McPherson, a young, smart, and sassy bad-ass who is simply delightful! Her boss, George Solar, and ex-Navy dive partner, Calvin Scott Hughes are great secondary characters. The team has their work cut out for them. Their unit is only six months old and if Janet Marquez, chief investigator of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), has her way, the new unit will be eliminated and their budget returned to her organization.
When Sloan dives to pull the body out of a car that crashed into Pond 65, hangout to the biggest alligators in the state, she notices a white van buried in the muck. When the van is retrieved, the bodies of four teenagers, missing for thirty years, are found inside. FDLE considers it a tragic accident and the end to a long cold case. Sloan thinks it’s murder, and takes steps to prove it.
The more she investigates, the more ties she finds to other missing person cases. Were they murdered as well? Is the murderer still active? How many victims does this serial killer have? With predators (human and amphibian) all around her, Sloan fights her way through to a very satisfying conclusion.
This is an engrossing and well written novel with wonderful characters and realistic plots, sub-plots and scenes. It’s also one heck of a fun read! I highly recommend you add it to your TBR pile.
My sincere thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer who graciously allowed me to read an early copy of the book which is scheduled to be published on 2/16/21. All opinions stated here are strictly my own.
“Once upon a time, you could outrun your sins…”
Sloan McPherson is the daughter of a pirate…no, not the eye patch wearing kind, but the diving in the deep blue sea and other watery locales for lost artifacts and buried treasure kind. Sloan’s background has made her a perfect detective for the Florida Underwater Investigation Unit (UIU).
Called to a scene of a car submerged in a pond known to house the infamous Big Bill. Big Bill is a 13-foot alligator that the local authorities want no part of, so Sloan’s crew work with Fish and Wildlife to try to keep track of the monster in order keep him away from the crash site while Sloan dives to retrieve the body or bodies before it’s dinner time for Big Bill. But Sloan gets more than she bargained for in this dive…in addition to the wreckage she was sent to salvage, Sloan discovers a van that has become a crypt. Held within the doors of this watery coffin are the bodies of four teenagers that went missing 30 years ago.
Now Sloan can’t stop the nagging voice telling her this is more than just another accident…that this is the work of a serial killer that has only become more evolved over time. Throwing caution to the wind, Sloan and the UIU follow the clues of the past to hunt down this madman before he strikes again…
Black Coral is my first read by author Andrew Mayne, and it won’t be my last! I’m still reeling from that heart racing ending, and so ready to go back and read the first in this series. Please note that while this is book 2, 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 this novel in their hands! Wish I could give more than 5 stars! 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. **
Another Heart-Stopping Thriller for the Detective Sloan McPherson
The heroine, Detective Sloan McPherson, arrives at the scene where a vehicle went in a small lake. She was on call for law enforcement diver support. Her job here was to recover the body in a submerged vehicle. She recognizes this location and asks if this is Pond 65. Pod 65 is a popular spot for alligators, especially for Big Bill, a 1,000 pounds and 13 feet apex predator. Of course, Big Bill makes an appearance during the recovery operations. As Sloan evades Big Bill, she swims headfirst into a sunken SUV. When she makes it to shore sans Big Bill, her gut tells her that the body just pulled from the lake wasn’t the only one in this lake. I was hooked from this point on.
The main storyline is jammed packed with action with intervals of inter law enforcement agency squabbles and detective work on competing investigations on multiple murders and yacht equipment thieves. All of these aspects are mixed into an engaging story with adequate twists and turns in each of the above aspects. I wanted to continue to read this novel late into the night.
In this novel, a new character is introduced. A new hire for the Underwater Investigation Unit (UIU) Scott Hughes is a former Navy diver with local police experience. Sloan believes he was added to counterbalance her adventurous underwater activity, not an unreasonable assumption.
The B-storyline is as rich as the first novel in the series. There is a little less on her father but more detail with Run, Sloan’s boyfriend and father to her daughter, and the daughter, Jackie. For Scott, his character goes from supporting to a contributing member of the UIU; much is learned about him and his relationship with his wife and daughter. These storylines increased my enjoyment in reading this novel.
There are not any graphic intimate scenes. There are murders with a serial murderer, but almost all violence is described after the fact so it is not as edgy. There is low but definite level of foul language. These aspects never rose to noticeable level for me. As this is the second book in the series, I found all references to events in the first book were adequately explained so this book could be read before the first novel in this series.
There is one aspect that some readers may find objectionable. Even Sloan states that her diving has many bad habits that are deeply ingrained in her. I read one review on the author’s first novel that diving was just implausible to downright dangerous. My thoughts are that this is not true crime, and I am reading this novel for entertainment. These questionable scenes increased my heartrate and intensified my thrill in the action. I see these as pluses and not minuses.
Overall, this novel is a great summer read as it sure kept my interest through to the end. I am eagerly waiting for the next novel in the series. I rate this novel with five stars.
I have received a free e-book version of this novel through NetGalley from Thomas & Mercer with an expectation for an honest, unbiased review. I wish to thank Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read and review this novel early.
This is book two in the series. This one doesn’t have quite as much action as the first one. It had a good mystery, I thought the ending was a bit rushed. I still enjoyed the book and look forward to the next one.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy
Andrew Mayne has an incredible way with words. He expertly places each word with a calculated purpose that paints a vivid picture without verbal posturing. If textbooks were written by Andrew Mayne, students would enjoy reading and retain information better. He has all the talent of Koontz and King without the verbal tangents that make a 300 page book 600 pages. I am riveted to a Mayne book and lose all sense of time and space as I am brought front and center into the story. I am such a fan of his books that I will read out of my genre (Station Breaker series) just to read his written word.
This is the second book in the Underwater Investigations Unit series. In this series we are in the mind of a scuba diving treasure hunter turned criminal investigator. Like all of Mayne’s characters, we are not being told what Sloan McPhearson is seeing or doing. We are Sloan McPhearson; sensing, feeling, and putting puzzle pieces together through thought.
The UIU consists of George Solar (head of the UIU), Sloan McPhearson, and Calvin “Scott” Hughes (newest member of the UIU). The UIU is called in to assist on a recovery dive. While in a free dive (without scuba tank), McPhearson finds another vehicle. During this free dive, McPhearson finds herself in a situation that jeopardizes her 7 minutes of underwater air causing the air in my personal lungs to restrict and tighten. The tension and anxiety that builds through this experience is palpable until her mind leads us through a logical, but no less remarkable, escape.
McPhearson shows us how this second vehicle is more that a vehicle dump with logic is so simple it could be easily overlooked. That is what makes McPhearson such a strong and believable character, her mind sees facts and details that a normal mind would skim over as unimportant. She is neither submissive nor aggressive, but honest and forthright; sometimes to a fault. She is not perfect, that is why we have her boss, George Solar, to keep her grounded. He reads a room, assesses the situation and cleverly acts accordingly. He is brilliant, calculating and intentional. Hughes is everyone who ever wanted to grow up and do the right thing. He is the person who believes doing the right thing is always the choice, even under pressure of losing respect among peers. Joining the UIU he gets to be a part of doing the right thing in a unit that shares the same principles. Without Solar, the unit would be an explosive vigilante. Solar shows us how and why certain procedures need to appear on the outside while obtaining one’s ultimate goal in the end.
I recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of crime stories or who loves problem solving or puzzles. I was almost giddy when I caught an important detail before the author revealed it. I am so grateful to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for allowing me an advanced copy of this book.
Black Coral (Underwater Investigation Unit #2) by Andrew Mayne is another Sloan McPherson mystery that is fast-paced and I love her character! Sloan who is a member of the newly organized UIU team is called to the scene of an accident to help secure a tow line onto a submerged vehicle.
While underwater, Sloan discovers a different van that had been submerged for years. Later when she convinces chief of investigations for the FDLE that the van needed to be brought out of the lake to check for bodies, a thirty-year-old mystery leads to the discovery of a serial killer. Sloan is fearless in the presence of large gators, murky water, and an elusive killer. Although sometimes Sloan is very impulsive, she has a determination to find the truth and solve the reasons for the four teenagers dying in a submerged van. She soon links other deaths to this same killer. No spoiler, but the method by which the victims are easily taken by the killer is shocking!
I like the new character in the team, Hughes! I am looking forward to new adventures in this series by Andrew Mayne.
Publication Date: February 16, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
A great follow-up to Book 1 (which I did read)! I was hooked from the beginning and since I do enjoy serial killer mysteries, this was right up my alley. As a Florida native and current resident, I love to read books that take place in my home state. I really like the whole idea of the underwater Investigative unit and look forward to seeing how this department grows and it’s relationship with other law enforcement agencies.
Looking forward to Book 3!
Thank you #netgalley and #thomasandmercer for the eARC.
Exciting well-plotted adventure for diver & underwater investigator, Sloan McPherson
Awesome audio book plenty of action and suspense. Love this series.
I’ve enjoyed all the books in the series so far, looking forward to more!
One of my biggest pet peeves is when a “thriller” novel doesn’t “thrill” me. And that unfortunately was the case with this novel. I never got a sense of urgency with anything that was going on (even when these were scenes that were of importance to the plot). I also never felt a connection to the characters, especially Sloan. I get it – she’s one heck of an investigator, but she’s also just… annoying. I especially hated her inner monologue, I can read the dialog between characters (or the little things that were nuanced but not mentioned outright) and draw my own conclusions. I don’t need to hear her opinion on every little thing.
I also felt as though things happened a little too easily for her and the team. They stumble on a scene and somehow despite it having happened over 30 years ago, they are able to determine certain aspects of it? And then not only connect it to other crimes, but find the location of a burial ground? And mostly on the word of an addict? I would have liked to have seen more investigating and less having things seemingly handed to them.
Even the ending didn’t have the OH MY GOODNESS impact on me that I am sure the author intended. Instead, by that point I was just kind of like “oh okay”.
All things considered, I think this author has a lot of potential. And I know this book will appeal to others in a way it didn’t to me. But I doubt that I will continue on with this series.
DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.