Deadly Depths by John F Dobbyn

320 Pages
Publisher: Oceanview Publishing
Release Date: August 1, 2023

Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Action, Adventure

Matthew Shane was notified that his mentor is dead and the circumstances lead investigators to suicide. Matthew does not believe it. He starts his own investigation that takes him around the world. Holmes was part of a secret group called the Monkey’s Paws. They each have a clue to an elusive Aztec artifact. The members are dying. Could it be one that of the Paws does not want to share?

The story is fast paced, the characters are developed, and it is written in the first-person point of view. This book is full of pirates and hidden treasure. What is not to like about that? I must admit I was drawn to the book cover. It reminded of Pirates of the Caribbean and did not disappoint. If you like action adventure stories, you will enjoy reading this book.

A good old fashioned treasure hunt, adventure and conspiracy read, with an interesting historical back story.
Matthew Shane, ex intelligence officer, is now a Professor of Law. His closest friend and mentor is found dead in his university office, a suspected suicide, according to the Police force. Matthew finds enough ambiguities in this scenario to convince himself to find out the truth.
These clues lead to members of a secret society, called The Monkey Paws, who have recently come across a map showing the location of lost pirate treasure. There are five members in this group, and they are gradually being killed for what they know. Is this to protect said treasure, or is someone else intent upon finding it for themselves?
I found the plot not too convoluted, like a jigsaw puzzle, clues gradually fall into place. There are clear thoughts and decisions taken, characters are introduced for a reason, they explain what they know and remain for a while, you start to care for them and are fearful of what might befall them. There is honesty and integrity shown, alongside loyalty to friends.
I particularly liked the introduction of a notebook, an interesting way of conveying historical actions taken in 1671, that are not acceptable today. The history of slavery and the native people, known as the Maroons, the pirate Captain Henry Morgan and his exploits undertaken with Royal permission using letters of Marque, searching for treasure that they plunder to fill up Royal coffers. There are detailed descriptions of these atrocities that show a regard and deference to this historical period. A trail of death follows all who try to find and keep this fabled item, who can Matthew trust? It doesn’t feel like a history lesson, it’s not dull or dry, but fast paced, with page turning thrills. Who doesn’t love a treasure hunt?
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers Oceanview, for my digital copy, freely given in exchange for my honest opinion. A five star read.
I will post reviews to Goodreads and Amazon UK.

Murder, buccaneers and a treasure hunt provide a story for anyone with a sense of adventure who just wants to get lost in the chase. Matthew Shane was a law professor whose closest friend , Professor Holmes, taught archaeology. At a conference in Cairo, Holmes and four associates came into possession of parchments containing clues to the location of a treasure belonging to the Aztecs. When Holmes is murdered it is set up to look like a suicide. A note left for Shane leads him to the group, dubbed the Monkey’s Paw. A second member is murdered in Louisiana followed by an attempt on a third member in Montreal.

Dylan Llewelyn went to sea in 1672. He sailed with Captain Morgan and was present at the battle to conquer Panama City. The ship that he eventually commanded was sunk by the Spanish. One of the parchments leads Shane to the sunken ship and Dylan’s log, sealed and preserved in a chest. It details the promise that Morgan made to an Aztec leader to protect their treasure, hidden in Jamaica. Shane’s promise to Holmes’ widow to find his murderer has him following Morgan’s trail, but the killer is still out there and will kill again to succeed in his quest. Battles at sea, travels to Canada, France, Barbados and a final confrontation in the mountains of Jamaica provide an exciting story with a brief look at Jamaica’s history of slavery. The story moves quickly and will keep you entertained to the end. I would like to thank NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing for providing this book for my review.

DNF. I don't know John F. Dobbyn but this book reads as if he is a terrific Caribbean history buff who decided to write a fanciful mystery. It's pretty awful storytelling with too much plotting and not enough mystery. Not a bit believable.

Deadly Depths by John F. Dobbyn is a very highly recommended action/adventure thriller.

Matthew Shane is a law professor in Salem, Massachusetts, when his mentor and friend, Archeology Professor Barrington Holmes, is found murdered in his office. His death is made to look like a suicide, but the truth soon becomes clear. Matthew promises his widow to find the truth and the murderer. This requires looking into a group of four other notable archaeologists who along with Holmes, called their alliance “The Monkey’s Paw society.” They all had one of five clues that purported to show the way to a valuable historical artifact and it appears someone is targeting the members for death.

While Matthew is currently a law professor, he formerly practiced criminal law and was an Intelligence officer in the Air Force, so he brings some observational skills, insight, and abilities in the search for the professor's killer. I rather loved the fact that he often gave credit to God in the narrative. The direction of the search and the novel changes and goes global part way through the novel, which ups the tension and suspense with several breathe-taking scenes.

Deadly Depths is an action-packed hold-on-to-your-hat thrill ride of a novel. I was engrossed in the action from start to finish. Yes, you most certainly need to suspend your disbelief while reading. I will admit to three moments of dramatic eye rolling, perhaps a few more dramatic sighs, but I wasn't about to set the novel aside. This is the kind of global action/adventure novel meant to provide pure reading pleasure while escaping reality and I was full-in for the armchair adventure. 4.5 rounded up
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Oceanview Publishing via NetGalley.
The review will be published on Barnes & Noble, Google Books, Edelweiss, and Amazon.

I went into this book with zero expectations. At first, I sort of felt it was a ripoff of Pirates of the Caribbean- all that was missing was Jack Sparrow. However, the tone changed and it became a wild treasure hunt 400 years in the making. I have not read any of the prior books in this series but it is not necessary to enjoy this book. The story kept me captivated and I found myself looking forward to picking up the book after a long day. I wanted to know what happened so badly I even read it on my lunch breaks at work! It's definitely an adventure. Some of it was a little far fetched but it was still a fun plot to get lost in. Highly recommend if you like treasure hunting books. The protagonist was quite endearing, I can see why he is a recurring character.

I received a complimentary ARC copy of Deadly Depths by John F. Dobbyn from Net Galley and Oceanview Publishing in order to read and give an honest review.
…I enjoyed this fast paced high-action mystery which combines a historical back story and archaeological quest in author John Dobbyn’s international thriller…
New to this author I have to say I enjoyed this fast paced high-action mystery which combines a historical back story and archaeological quest in author John Dobbyn’s international thriller. Deadly Depths begins with the death of Archaeologist Barrington “Barry” Holmes, from what looks like a routine suicide. When Matthew Shane, a law professor and former Army intelligence officer, who looked to Holmes as a mentor and best friend, knows in his heart his friend would not commit suicide. When is finally convinces himself, to follow his gut he makes a promise to Holmes’ widow to find the killer. As he digs into his friend’s life, he uncovers a letter addressed from Holmes to Matthew which leads him to learn of Holmes’ involvement in a secret group known as the Monkey’s Paw. Made up of five archaeologists tasked with discovering unusual artifacts and splitting both the fame and fortune that come with that he knows he must investigate. The more Matthew investigates the more he uncovers deadly Obeah magic, Pirates, historical clues, a hidden artifact, and betrayal, more than he could ever have imagined. Travelling from Louisiana to Marseille, Canada to Jamaica the closer he comes to unravelling the clues the more bodies hit the floor. The story seamlessly jumps back in time, blending several historical events including the history of the enslaved Jamaicans referred to as Maroons, real-life Welsh Privateer Henry Morgan, and the devastation of the Aztecs at the hands of the Spanish in the 1600s with a complex well-written thrill ride of a plot. The plot features interesting well-rounded characters all reminiscent of the vibes from stories such as Indiana Jones, Mission Impossible and Treasure Island. My one complaint would be it felt a bit testosterone heavy, it would have been interesting to see a female archaeologist amongst the group. All in All, an enjoyable read that will give authors such as Steve Berry, Dan Brown, and James Rollins healthy competition.

I received a complimentary electronic ARC of this excellent thriller from Netgalley via Ocenaview Publishing (Thank you, Faith Matson!). Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read Deadly Depths of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. I am pleased to add John F. Dobbyn to my favorite authors and to recommend his work to friends and family. This is a novel to keep you up all night.

Professor Barrington Holmes has been for years the father figure in Matthew Shane's life, through college, law school, years as an Air Force Intelligence Unit Investigator, and into Matthew's life as a fellow professor at Hawthorne University law school. And Professor Holmes is found dead at his desk at school, his wrist sliced open, by the cleaning staff at 6 am on a school day. One thing Matthew is certain of - the police are wrong. This was NOT a suicide. But he will certainly have to prove it. And the search must begin with the other members of the Monkey's Paws group of archeologists. It is a journey that will take him all over the world. But answers he will find, for himself, and for Professor Holme's wife, Mary.

American mystery writer John F Dobbyn’s latest standalone novel, Deadly Depths is an action-adventure tale. When his mentor, an archaeology professor is found dead in his office, law professor Matthew Shane decides to investigate. He discovers there was a group of archaeologists known as ‘The Monkey Paws’ searching for a priceless artifact. His search for the truth takes Matthew around the world, placing himself and others in danger, as the body count rises. From its opening scenes, the fast-paced narrative, across multiple countries and cultures, including a historic flashback to pirate Captain Henry Morgan, makes for a thrilling priceless artifact escapade. Although an all too familiar troupe, this is an engaging romp of a tale with a four stars action tale read rating. With thanks to Oceanview Publishing and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own, freely given and without inducement.

A truly rip-roaring old fashioned adventure, One that you do need to suspend belief really to enjoy, but that takes nothing away from it. The story flashed past and it was really well written zooming from one exciting location to another. Matthew made a brilliant hero in the mould of Indiana Jones in his hey day. It would make a great film. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me access to this great story. I hope it does really well on its release.

I received an ARC through "NetGalley" and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

The story begins with Matt being called to the college where he teaches and discovering the body of a professor who had been his mentor. The initial findings was that it was a suicide. Matt after surveying the scene told Mac, the lead detective and a friend of Matt, that this was a murder and explained his reasoning. After leaving the college, he went to see the professor's wife and tell her that he believed the death was murder and he was going to find out who was responsible.

Matt's search took him to many locations and he discovered facts that led him to visiting another location. The biggest thing he learned that there were 5 individuals who were known as "The Monkey Paws". As Matt learned on his quest, there was a curse regarding a certain item that this group went looking for in Jamica. The curse foretold of death for the participants. The 1st one to die was the professor and the 2nd party who died was taken to the hospital and Matt had a chance to talk with him before he passed. Matt journey next led him to Canada where he was told that the 3rd party had died as well. Here he was able to learn a lot more background information. Matt was not done with his traveling as he was contacted to provide assistance on a scuba dive. The item that they were looking for dated back to the time when the pirates operated in the Carribean. Matt faced a major obstacle in the dive but was able to overcome it.

The next trips that wound up going on eventually led him to providing the answer Matt wanted. To learn how the results of the scuba dive ultimately provided the key, what locations Matt went to and the people he got to meet and how they provided assistance and what the quest really was all about, then you need to read this book. You won't be disappointed.

Deadly Depths is an interesting and fairly fast-paced novel of intrigue. The main character must solve the mystery of his friend's death - ruled a suicide- when the man would never commit such an act. The clues lead the main character all over the world as he delves into something that has been hidden for hundreds of years.

The connection to the mesoamerican culture was very interesting. The culture and descriptions were well done. I appreciated the intricate story line and interesting characters.

That said, I had trouble getting into the story. It took me several chapters before I connected with the characters at all. The ending also seemed pretty rushed with not a lot of lead-up to what happened between some of the characters. (I don't want to give any spoilers.)

Still, Deadly Depths is an interesting read and worth the time. I would recommend this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a copy of the book. All opinions are mine. #NetGalley #DeadlyDepths

Matthew Shane is a close friend to Professor Holmes and when he is fo7nd dead Matthew must take on the mission to find out what really happened and why. This will take him to many parts of the world where his life will be complicated and in danger.

Who were The Monkey’s Paw and what were they searching for?

Fast paced novel with lots of twists and turns. Who can be trusted and how many will die before we discover the truth?

Very entertaining so enjoy.

When Matthew Shane learned that his archeology professor and mentor, Barrington Holmes, committed suicide, Matthew was certain that the cause of death was a mistake. Matthew then made it a point to insert himself into the investigation. After all, Matthew was a former investigator for the Air Force Intelligence Unit.

During the course of the investigation, clues and evidence began to immerge that pointed toward a conspiracy. A conspiracy involving occult rituals and practices. And as Matthew would soon find out, everything would lead to a treasure steeped in legends and lore.

I really enjoyed Deadly Depths. The novel reminded me of the Dirk Pitt series by Clive Cussler. The pacing was slow at the start, but it took off late in the beginning of the novel.

There were a number of characters and I found it worthwhile to use the highlight feature on my e-reader to help navigate the various identities of the players involved in the narrative.

The plot is somewhat complex in that there are multiple murders, questionable motives, with a throwback story built in to add context to the narrative.

Overall, Deadly Depths is a must read for fans of Clive Cussler as well as Dan Brown. Four enjoyable stars.

I received a DRC from Oceanview Publishing through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

I received a free ARC ebook of Deadly Depths from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Former intelligence officer turned law professor Matthew Shayne is stunned when his friend and mentor is found dead, a suspected suicide. Matthew quickly determines that the archeology professor was murdered and will leave no stone unturned to bring the murderer to justice.

What follows is an adventure tale reminiscent of Clive Cussler's Dirk Pitt. Matthew's skills as a diver, negotiator, and true friend come in handy in this globe trotting adventure.

You need to suspend your skepticism if you want to enjoy this over the top thriller featuring former U.S. Air Force intelligence officer, Matthew Shane, now professor at Hawthorne University Law School in Massachusetts. As easy a job as one can have till his friend archeology professor Barrington Holmes was found dead in his office of what is believe to be a suicide. To avoid a scandal Matthew is asked by the university’s president to investigate. But a note left behind suggests that Holmes may have been murdered by a shadowy organisation called the Monkey’s Paw Society, a 5 member secret society bent on locating some kind of pirate treasure.....Matt sets out to find who they are and what is their end game......and the hunt is on...

The search for answer and the hidden treasure turned out to be a very complicated adventure: a professor dodging assassins, bombs, an ancient curse stretching back to the days of colonial conquest, piracy on the high seas and slave trade. One by one society members are losing their lives. ...what is happening?

While Matt’s quest takes him to beautiful and diverse locations: New Orleans, Montreal, Marseille and Jamaica we are into never ending suspense, very exciting. We have a large sidebar into Captain Henry Morgan sea activities which I took to be a bit long to read although on its own is very interesting as well as were the breath taking account of some famous privateers exploits and the Spanish Conquistadors. The depiction of history was active and very interesting. How true the descriptions were, probably not all of them, but told in a captivating manner nevertheless from start to finish. I mind never wavered I stay tuned till the conclusion.

The third person narrative is very well done and dynamic. The dialogue in some way seems outdated and too formal reflects well in this kind of story. We have a plot that is very imaginative and mostly entertaining. I would categorize “Deadly Deaths” as a mix between an Indiana Jones adventure and James Bond life style: fine dining, lots of money and beautiful girl....what is not to like.

I just finished this book and I really enjoyed it very much. It’s about a notable archaeologists close to finding some priceless artifacts but winds up dead. Matthew Shane, who was a student of this archaeologists, and a very close friend vows to find his murderer. He is a law professor in Salem, Massachusetts, and he enjoyed a very rewarding mentorship with Professor Barrington Holmes who is the archaeologists. So when Professor Holmes is found dead in his office in the police determine it a suicide, something doesn’t sit right with Matthew, and he is determined to find the cause of the professors death, and bring closure to his wife, Mary. Matthew, soon learns that the professor belonged to a group of other archaeologists, and they called themselves the monkeys paw, and they were somehow entangled in an expedition to find an unknown object of historical and financial value to the Aztecs. each member was given a piece of instructions on how to find this object and there’s five of these men, some of the men encountered death and in horrific twisted fate before the group could reunite to find this object, so Matthew joins forces with the remaining members he wind up going on a global wild goose chase that puts him on adventures of peril and develops-friendships and a new woman in his life all to solve the mystery of Professor Holmes death and to find this artifact if it is real.
Mathew is a character you definitely get behind and route for, he’s smart, honest, and adventurous. Fast paced, great writing and I didn’t want it to end. Definitely pick this one up.

The apparent suicide of Matthew Shane’s mentor is the beginning of a world-spanning adventure for him. Matthew knows that it was murder, even if no one believes him at first. To find the killer, he will need to follow the track of a mysterious group called “The Monkey’s Paw” and find all the clues that might take him to a priceless object. In this hunt he will find allies and foes, and it won’t always be clear who is who. I was deceived on many counts, so I enjoyed the misdirection. The plot is entertaining and follows a breakneck pace, so this is a very fast read. I wasn’t too interested in the transcript of a document telling the story of a 16th century pirate, reproduced in its entirety in the middle of the novel, and that broke the rhythm and sounded anachronistic (not to nitpick but Google tells me that the word “barman” is from the 19th century, and it is frequently used here). Still, I was completely invested in Matthew’s quest and enjoyed all the locales that he visits. This is a great read for anyone looking for popcorn fiction. It’s exciting and hard to put down.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#Oceanview Publishing!

I read about 20% of this book and found it to be very repetative in the structure of the sentences. I do not like to read the same sentences in the next paragraph. I had high hopes for this one as I love Tomb Raider and National Treasure stories. This just fell flat for me and did not keep my interest.

A briskly paced, quick read that blends the amateur sleuth genre with the archaeological thriller genre and kind of ends up being neither. I picked the book based on the title and cover, only for there to be one very brief underwater scene. Mr. Shane is an intriuging new character, Air Force Intelligence investigator-turned-lawyer-turned-professor, but his background played little part in the story except to justify his diving abilities and tendency to personally investigating murders and at acting as a hostage negotiator. In future books, I would like to see these elements come more into play- especially since it's hinted he did intelligence work in Afghanistan, which would likely push the book more into the thriller genre, like Clive Cussler, but I feel that would help the book have a more clearly defined identity.