I enjoyed this story. It is the third in a series and I had not read the other two. It does read as a stand-alone but the other stories are referenced often and it’d probably be a better experience to read them first.

The book is well executed and I loved the sections with diving and marine life. At times the story was slow but overall it’s a good read. 3.5 stars rounded up.

Thank you to NetGalley for the copy in exchange for my honest review.

Dead Men’s Silence by James Lindholm is another great Chris Black adventure story. Marine Biologist Chris Black is asked to go help out on a research cruise in the world famous Galápagos Islands off the coast of Ecuador. When their vessel is taken by pirates, Chris and Mac must work together to rescue the research students and university crew as the authorities wait for a ransom demand. Full of adventure and information about the marine life and biodiversity of the islands, this is another fun story for fans of outdoor adventure books. Quick read with relatable characters.

The book starts out slowly and quickly picks up in the second half. The characters were well developed.

I chose this book because it sounded like an adventure about diving and maybe some treasure hunting but what I found as I began to read was a lot of senseless violence. This is not something I choose to read. While the ecological concerns were interesting and the story may have been a good plot, I was turned off by the violence and killing. I chose not to continue reading the book.

Dead Men's Silence is a pretty solid mystery; a perfect mix of deep-sea adventures and a Jack Reacher-ish hero saving the hostages from the bad guys.

The story starts on a slow note but picks up pace halfway through. The kidnapping of the researchers does not happen until the second half of the story (we do have the kidnapping of an American family in the first half of the story). The pacing felt a little unbalanced -A slow start in the first half but fast-forward mode in the second half. The details on deep-sea diving is no doubt, one of the best features of this book.

Character portrayal is good and the mystery is well developed. The twist in the second half of the story was totally unexpected - this has something to do with the bad guys. I certainly did not see this coming!

Overall, Dead Men's Silence is an engrossing and interesting read. I am looking forward to reading more of Chris Black's adventures.

264 pages

4 and 1 / 2 stars

Marine Biologist Chris Black takes on a voyage with assorted international college students to the Galapagos Islands to study the marine life there. Not only does the team run into self-styled ecological protestors (for this group can't tell a scientific expedition from destructive actions), but also pirates.

I appreciate that there is a brief discussion among the major characters in the book about why people feel that have to become pirates.

This book is thoughtful, educational and action-packed. I will definitely look forward to reading more of the Chris Black adventures.

This book is very well written and plotted. I truly enjoyed the marine biological aspects of the story. I found all of the tech equipment very interesting. I like to read books that teach the reader something while also being entertained. This is just my kind of book. I have not read James Lindholm's Chris Black novels before, but I will certainly rectify that now.

I want to thank NetGalley and CamCat Publishing/CamCat Books for forwarding to me a copy of this great book for me to read, enjoy and review.

Dead Men’s Silence is another action-packed Dr. Chris Black adventure (3rd in the series) that brings the reader face-to-face not only with eco-terrorism but also with modern day piracy in the wild west of the international oceans. Dr. Black has been tasked with assisting a CMEx (Monterey Center for Marine Exploration) international student research project in the Galapagos Islands where the adventure begins. Along with the action we are treated to insights about some the incredible sea life of the area. Another treat for the reader – a must read for anyone interested in adventure and marine biology!