Black Coral

By: Jamie Steinberg

Not only is Andrew Mayne an incredible illusionist, but he’s an immensely talented writer. His latest book Black Coral is a follow up to his previous book The Girl Beneath the Sea where we continue following South Florida Underwater Investigation Unit Detective Sloan McPherson. In the latest iteration she has her hands full with two cases at one time. Of course, this #girlboss can handle it, but one case in particular has her focus and she’ll stop at nothing to put the bad guy behind bars.

Sloan McPherson has been called in to help the police do another dive. She’s able to avoid gator Big Bill, but while down in the pond she locates a van that has seemingly been in there for years. After poking boss George Solar about it, he convinces the police to drag it out. What they discover is a decades old murder of four teenagers that were presumed runaways. Consumed by her investigation, Sloan uncovers a dormant murder that may have been rustled into resurfacing.

Mayne does a fabulous job at fascinating readers with Sloan’s guts and determination. He also succeeds at softening her at moments where she is with her daughter and she becomes just another concerned mother. Albeit one who knows the darker side of life all too well. It’s these dichotomies that make Black Coral so fascinating. It is also that dark side that enchants making this book a voracious read that you won’t want to put down.

I highly recommend reading Black Coral. While you don’t have to have read The Girl Beneath the Sea prior, it is probably a good idea just so you get a full view of Sloan’s past and what it took to get her to the UIU and what makes its faux existence so vital to the storyline in Black Coral. I will say there is just one mystery that remains after reading this book…Why hasn’t this been made into a movie or series yet?