Wow! It had been some time since I read a book in five hours, I simply couldn’t put it down. Each chapters leads to the other in a perfect way. The characters are engaging, interesting and deep, and it was easy to connect with them. The plot is fast-pace and the idea of crime thriller under the water is not only innovative but also amazing.

This book is a fun twist on old-school detective novels and sets itself up nicely for many sequels - all of which I can't wait to read.

Older, male retired cop partners with a young, scrappy, junior sort-of cop to solve a crime that neither of them is technically supposed to be solving. Great. Add in a drug cartel, under water treasure and a tropical storm and you've got a high-stakes thriller on your hands!

Andrew mayne cannot write a bad book! I love that he is writing a new series. This is a five star book. Lots of action and well developed characters.

The Girl Beneath the Sea (Underwater Investigation Unit Book #1) by Andrew Mayne is the start of a new suspense/thriller series featuring a female law enforcement diver. This book has everything I look for in a thriller: a strong protagonist, realistic fast-paced action and continual escalating threats with surprise twists and turns. This book also has the added intensity of being set in the world of professional divers in south Florida.

Sloan McPherson comes from a long line of scandalous smugglers and treasure hunters, but she has chosen the path of law enforcement. She is an auxiliary officer who dives for evidence recovery to pay her way through school working towards her PhD. and to support herself and young daughter.

She surfaces from a dive, looking for archeological artifacts, to discover the recently murdered body of a childhood acquaintance. The former family ties set up Sloan to be considered a suspect.

As Sloan tries to find out what really happened, she finds herself entangled in a plot that involves dirty public officials, secret government agencies and a ruthless cartel with only one ally; the cop who put her uncle in prison.

This is a new-to-me author who blew me away. I was completely immersed in all the action and intrigue even though I have never scuba dived in my life. All the descriptions made me feel as though I was right there under water with Sloan while never slowing the pace and they never felt like a lecture or info dump.

Sloan is a protagonist that I hope to follow for quite a while. She is intelligent, determined and strong, has an intense need for justice no matter what and is a loving and protective mom. I am also hoping that Run will play a bigger part in her life. This is the first book in the Underwater Investigations Unit (UIU) series and I am looking forward to seeing what investigations Sloan and George Solar get involved in in future books.

I highly recommend this new book and thriller series and I cannot wait for more!

First, a caveat in full disclosure: I met Andrew Mayne when he was a young magician, and we struck up a friendship based on, among other things, the fact that we both wanted to be writers. Flash forward a couple decades after we lost touch, and one of us has written some fifty (?!) books, while the other one of us is a boring lawyer. (Le sigh.) Despite his tremendous success and hugely prolific body of work, I have decided to like Andrew anyway, and I finally got the chance to read one of his books. And damned if it isn't fantastic!

I wasn't sure how I would like the "underwater investigation" aspect of this book, since I'm not particularly interested in deep sea diving, but Mayne is such a great writer that he makes you invested. The plot is a cool one: while deep sea diving alone (which you aren't supposed to do), our heroine Sloan witnesses a dead body being dumped in the water. From then on the plot is packed with action.

Mayne really excels at both plot and dialogue. As a former prosecutor who has been around a lot of cops, one of my pet peeves is when books try too hard at witty hardboiled cop banter and it just doesn't sound realistic. Andrew doesn't have that problem. He's either been hanging out with cops, or is able to get right inside their heads, because his dialogue is spot on and fantastic. Similarly, Sloan is a tough and likable heroine without overdoing the “I’m a tough broad” schtick. She is genuinely cool and strong and the kind of person you’d like to befriend.

4.5 stars. Congrats to Andrew Mayne on a great book and thanks to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and the author for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

5 star review:

Holy crap! A female police evidence recovery diver when does that ever happen as a female lead in a story? I love it! And the story starts instead of finding evidence, she happens to BE underwater when a body is dropped. The assassin rifles through her car and finds her license. He knows who she is. Now she's being watched by the killer and is racing against a nasty drug cartel. One problem, there is someone she can trust. But see she comes from a family with some big Secrets, her family has a little drug-running of their own. And the person that she can trust busted her uncle. The person she can trust is a DEA agent.

Sloan is one kick-ass character. I love her, she has so many issues and problems of her own that is just wonderful to watch her plow through them. Her and her family are one mixed up mess. I love learning about the police diving and how it helps cases. The storyline is fast-paced and exciting, the characters are well-developed and interesting and I cannot wait to see the next installment of the series and follow along with Sloan and her merry men. What a wild ride!

I would like to thank Andrew Mayne, Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for fair and honest review.

Let me start by saying that I went and pre-ordered the next book in the Underwater Investigations Unit (UIU) series immediately after finishing this book. This book was simply fun to read, combining elements of suspense, mystery, and even endearing moments into a brilliant whole. Sloan McPherson is a badass police diver, recruited to mainly recover evidence and the occasional body from Florida waters. When she goes on a personal dive one day and surfaces to find a recently deceased body floating nearby, she’s immersed into a world of suspicion, police corruption, deadly cartel players, and, ultimately, a search for money and evidence to keep her and her family safe and ensure the fallout doesn’t land on her. Joined by George Solar, the possibly-crooked ex-cop who locked up her uncle, Sloan attempts to outwit and out-dive her adversaries.

The fast pace of this book begins as soon as Sloan surfaces and finds the nearby body, and doesn’t relent until the very end. Basically, you’re on an adrenaline-fueled thrill ride, accompanying Sloan in her life-or-death pursuit. I felt like I was along for this ride with her, and the suspense and constant action kept me riveted. To be honest, I often felt like I was reading an episode of CSI: Miami, in the best way. The cast of characters all bring something to the table, and are each so well-developed that you can’t help but be drawn to them. This is especially true for Sloan, who balances tough police-diver with fearful mama bear admirably. The addition of Solar as the gruff teacher is excellent, and balances Sloan perfectly. Their partnership is fun, although you are kept wondering exactly what Solar stands to gain from working with Sloan for quite some time. As events unfold, however, this duo makes perfect sense.

The writing here is to the point, but sometimes allows for more in-depth explorations of the diving aspect, providing glimpses into Sloan’s underwater world. This is very well done, even if I wanted more description of her time underwater. Aside from that, the action is nonstop, and you are pulled along with Sloan as she battles vicious and merciless foes. A few reviews have mentioned the language used in the book. Honestly, I didn’t even notice it, so I don’t feel like it detracts from the reading experience at all. It likely just enhances the thrill aspect of the story.

To sum this up simply, just grab this book. It is so worth a read, and makes for an enjoyable diversion into someone else’s world. I highly recommend it, and anxiously await the next in the series.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC to review!*
So I've read Andrew Mayne's The Naturalist, and while I thought it was a bit repetitive and I didn't love the narrator, I was interested in checking out his newer works. All I saw for this book was "Florida" and "police diver" and I automatically requested this one and I'm so glad I did!
This thriller follows Sloan McPherson, a police diver in Florida, who comes across a body while diving in a canal. This all happens in the first chapter, so between that and a kickass narrator, I was hooked. There are so many twists and turns and we get to see Sloan's relationship with her daughter's father and with her dad, which I thought were written well. All the diving and water scenes were done beautifully and for someone who grew up in Florida, it was easy to picture myself in all the scenes. That being said if you have any fear of water or thalassophobia, I would stay away from this one, unless you want to turn it into a horror novel for yourself. This was also definitely a detective/police thriller, and while it did have many things making it unique, I don't know if it's enough to change your mind if you aren't usually into those.
I ate this book up, however, and I will be picking up the next one in the series and maybe whatever Mayne writes next, depending on synopsis!

What a unique angle for a crime book. Sloan McPherson is a police diver that dives looking for anything from contraband to bodies. While diving one day she discovers a dead body was left while she was underwater. She is immediately a suspect and works to solve the case.

This books has a strong female protagonist and the unique diving angle. It was suspenseful and solid.

"The Girl Beneath the Sea" introduces us to Sloan McPherson - underwater diver, Mom, and cop! One day while out diving she finds the unthinkable - a body. Sloan gets involved in trying to solve the mystery of what happened and why. A motley crew of characters help her along the way, introducing us to a drug cartel, pirates, Sloan's criminal Uncle, and the cop who put him away in jail. What could go wrong? This is an action packed and fast paced novel that was hard to put down. I'm looking forward to the next book in this series to continue reading about these memorable characters and the beauitful shores of Florida!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I do not typically read crime thrillers such as this, but I think the amount of research and thought that went into is appreciated! I really wasn't sure what was going to happen next, and those are the best types of books! Thank you for this gem.

Sloan McPherson is a police officer diver in which she recovers evidence that is underwater. On an off-duty dive, a recently killed body is dumped just above Sloan as she is underwater. Sloan’s family has a criminal background and she doesn’t necessarily get the respect or benefit of the doubt when it comes to being a police officer. Colleagues think Sloan had something to do with the murder and she goes on an investigation to clear her name. Then she realizes she’s being followed and she doesn’t know who to trust. What ensues is a fast-paced thriller full of fight scenes, family drama, untrusting cops, and a twisted plot.

I really enjoyed this book. I typically enjoy police procedural thrillers and I liked that this focused on a recovery diver. The main character holds her own in a job that is dominated by men and the fight scenes are impressive. The plot involved a family background of criminal activity and I liked how it all tied together.

<i>The Girl Beneath the Sea</i> is a murder mystery that gives us thrilling ride through the underwater world of crime. The protagonist is Sloan McPherson, a tough underwater recovery specialist for the police, who is always trying to put her shady family history behind her so she can gain the respect she deserves. This is the first book in the Underwater Investigation Unit series by the prolific author, magician, illusion designer, and filmmaker Andrew Mayne.

Sloan McPherson is making a dive to recover some artifacts for her graduate supervisor when she hears a splash above her. She surfaces quickly thinking she is about to be attacked by some underwater creature. What she discovers instead is a dead body. Worse than that she discovers that the killer has taken her wallet and knows where she lives. Being the first on the scene also makes her a suspect with the police force she works for. The body is linked to a violent drug cartel that seems to think McPherson has some object they want. And then a crooked cop who put her uncle in jail seems to be following her. Because everyone associated with the missing object is dead, Sloan must do her own investigating to solve the mystery before she makes the hit list.

The story itself is fast paced and full of action. Situating the story in and around the water is a unique perspective and the reader learns a lot about working in this environment. When everyone converges on the missing piece of technology at the same time the action really builds and Andrew Mayne show a real mastery of building the suspense.

I did find the character development too shallow. We learn a lot about Sloan McPherson but all of the other characters play minor roles. I like to see more background development in books so that I can better understand the context as the story unfolds. Side stories about the other characters also adds variety and interest. For examples of this one can look to Louise Penny’s Inspector Gamache series where all the neighbors have secrets that unfold as the murder mystery proceeds. Penny does an excellent job of helping you develop a kinship with many characters who are only otherwise peripheral and thus she rounds out the story and develops unexpected twists and turns. On the other hand, <i>The Girl Beneath the Sea</i> is narrowly focused on the crime only and the story is relatively straight forward.

I recommend this book to people who like action packed murder mysteries but it does lack character development. I give it a 3 on 5. I want to thank NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing me with a digital copy of the novel in exchange for a fair review

I'm always in for a good detective thriller, and I admit that I was sold as soon as I saw the Florida police diver angle. It sounded like a mix of CSI Miami and one of my favorite action thriller series Lori Anderson, especially with the treasure hunter and diver angle as well as the promise of a kickass female main character. And I definitely liked what I found! The Girl Beneath The Sea turned out to be exactly the thrilling and exhilarating dose of action and detective thriller I didn't even know I was craving until I started reading it.

I love that it's not just your average detective thriller. Not only is the main character Sloan McPherson a police diver and not a detective, but her father is a treasure hunter and her uncle is actually currently in jail. Talk about a colorful background for a colorful character who without doubt kicks ass! Sloan is very easy to connect to and I really liked both her attitude and her resourcefulness in general. She is not an official cop perse, and mostly lended out to help other police forces when an expert diver is needed. This gives the story an unique and very entertaining angle indeed... And when faced with danger, Sloan is not scared to take things in her own hands either and investigate unofficially. This whole premise makes for some very entertaining and action-packed reading!

I loved both the diving and treasure hunt angle, and especially just how big of a role both played in the plot as a whole. These elements give the story an unique touch and the Miami setting definitely helps setting the right tone for this extremely fast and sharp action thriller. I also liked how the diving element is incorporated not only through the fact that Sloan is a police diver and we see her at work, but also through her father and his treasure hunts as well as later on in the plot as it evolves. This isn't just your plain detective case and things are bound to get very wet and perilous indeed! Especially towards the ending as the tension and danger are about to explode... Definitely make sure to brace yourself for a thrilling ride that doesn't even give you room to breathe until you are desperate to come up for air.

The plot itself is entertaining, action-packed and basically a mix of a detective and action thriller with that mafia vibe and a hint of a conspiracy plot thrown in as a bonus. It has that lighting fast CSI Miami vibe and plenty of threats and action around every corner... It has plot twists in store for you as well, although the main focus is mainly on the action itself and Sloan trying to solve the case and save their lives. If you like your thrillers fast and dangerous, you will be in for a treat with this first book of a new series!

In a new series, Florida police diver Sloan McPherson finds the body of a woman she knew in a murky canal and Sloan becomes a person of interest in the investigation. With both her colleagues on the police force and the real killer stalking her, Sloan has never felt so alone. She’s forced to turn to the DEA agent that got her uncle locked up for help because he’s the only one she can trust. A little more romance in this entry than in Mayne’s other books

I have read a lot of books in my life but this one was the first to feature a police diver as a main character. This made the book more enjoyable because I learned a lot about diving tactics while also following the story of a missing submarine full of drug money. Sloan McPherson is a part time police diver in Florida. While she is diving to look for fossils she finds a dead body instead. Soon mysterious people are tracking her movements and threatening her family. Her only ally is George Solar, a retired DEA agent who thinks Sloan has gotten involved in a wide reaching government conspiracy. The story builds to a climax that builds nicely to a potential sequel. I look forward to book two.

This was such a great read that kept me intrigued and glued to the book. The writing style was great and the characters and plot were well developed. The story was unique in that I've never read about a police diver before and it was interesting (in a good way). If you like your thrillers full of intrigue, mystery, plot twists, and you're on the edge of your seat while reading, then pick this one up now!!! You will not be disappointed. I suggest going in blind to really be immersed in the novel.

A female police body diver, treasure hunters, government corruption, and even a tropical storms adds up to lots of action, mystery, and excitement. I found this to be an enjoyable, well-written, and fast-paced read and I am looking forward to more books in this series.


Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

What an exciting, action-packed, whirlwind, gripping roller coaster meets snorkeling ride I had! And the best part of it: we got a new unit named “UIU”: LEGAL PIRATES! Hurray! Ship ahoy! A crime thriller takes place under the sea! This is original concept and get ready to dive in after wearing your swimming gears!

We have the coolest duo: Solar& McPherson. We’re introduced with them at this first journey and first mission of them and I hope we may read more adventures in near future because I haven’t had so much fun lately and this book was as entertaining as watching your favorite action movies.

The author juggles up too many dangerous and heart throbbing subjects including drug smuggling, treasure hunting, cartels, corrupted officers, rotten institutions, competing agencies. In the beginning part: go-to diver police officer Sloane McPherson coming from crooked family ( uncle is in the prison from drug smuggling, father is retired from his famous treasure hunting days.), also mother of lovely little girl finds herself in the middle of the chaos because during her last dive somebody threw a corpse into the water: a woman from her past! And the killer stole her driver license so they know where she lives and even her coworkers give her suspicious looks because of her family history.

The worst part is at the crime scene she meets legendary DEA Agent- now police consultant Sloan who put her uncle behind the bars. She spent her years to hate this man and now he is the only one believes in her innocence and help her getting out of the mess she found herself into.

There are so many action scenes and Sloan’s straightforward, brave, tough, kickass, risk taker attributes and her entertaining inner monologues during the most dangerous and suffocating situations were humorous. And Solar, cool as cucumber, observer, great thinker, strategist and also fair, loyal characteristics help Sloan to be clear from trouble. They are the weirdest, coolest and definitely most enjoyable duo I’ve lately read.

I cut only one star because after a few chapters later I felt like I was overloaded with extreme action scenes and my heart pounded so fast that I couldn’t take no more. But I’m still happy that government gave green light to another case of UIU and I’m looking forward to see more Sloan and Solar adventures (let’s not forget Sloan’s family members: her dad, her devoted criminal uncle, smart daughter Jackie and her ex, supporting longtime boyfriend Run) This is my first waltz with Andrew Mayne’s creative writing but I’m %100 sure, it won’t be the last one!

Overall: Action induced, exciting, fast paced thriller with truly likable characters! I highly recommend to the genre lovers.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Thomas &Mercer for sharing this incredible ARC with me in exchange my honest review.

I’ve read all of Andrew Mayne’s book and enjoyed them immensely. One reason I like them is that his lead protagonists are not the usual suspects - detectives, PIs, journalists or ex special forces. Instead we’ve had a computational biologist and a magician, from a long line of magicians, who also happens to be an FBI agent. This book introduces a new character, Sloan McPherson, of the semi-criminal, treasure hunting McPhersons. She is a police officer who specialises in underwater salvage (guns and so on) and body retrievals. I have to admit it took me a while to warm to Sloan and to get into the story. But then, once we were introduced to whole zany cast of characters, it took off and I was fully on board.

Sloan is also doing a PhD in archaeology and her supervisor is keen for her to explore a certain deeper hole in the Florida canals for potential artefacts. Sloan finds more than she bargained for - no artefacts but one dead body is the tally. So that was the splash she heard! It seems the young woman, whose throat was cut was thrown in while Sloan was underwater. Was that deliberate? The victim is soon identified as Stacey Miller, someone Sloan knew as a teenager years ago.. From then on she seems to be target of legitimate and not so legitimate operators who think she knows something about a shady lawyer’s missing millions and incriminating documents. Well she doesn’t, but after a few close shaves she soon realises that finding said funds and documents may be the only way she can stay alive.

Her ragtag team hatch a preposterous plan to find what everyone is looking for and have some pretty exciting adventures at sea and underwater as they try to evade the bad guys. What it lacked in realism it made up in the fun factor. Mayne’s books are always fun to read. 3.5 stars rounded up.