Something's Down There

Very slowly, the Clamdip circled the Soucan until they were looking at the bottom. Something inside the sinking boat made a loud, screeching noise, ripping at the wood and metal, then the hulk turned completely over and exposed her barnacled underside....there, as sure as the sun sets, was a big hunk taken out of the bottom of the boat, and where it looked like it was regurgitating steel springs and cotton out of its maw, Peter had jammed the mattress. But it wasn't the mess of garbage that was sliding into the water that made the impact on Hooker.

It was those beautifully regular six-inch saw tooth marks on the top break of the wood that were clearly visible in those few instants that made Hooker feel as though a cold wind had just blown down on him from some northern ice field.

Something's down there...at least, that's what the native Caribs think, since several boats have been sunk by a mysterious creature lurking under the waves, the hulls looking like something big and nasty took a pretty good nibble on them. The more superstitious think it's a monster, maybe even something from the Bermuda triangle, but Mako...and the government agents who come visit after a cruise ship is bit...is convinced that the truth must be a little bit more mundane.

Mako Hooker is a retired CIA agent living a well-deserved quiet life in the sunny Caribbean. He's bought a nice boat, called the Clamdip , and he's hired Billy Bright, a smart aleck native to help him in his quest to spend his days fishing. Thinking that there has to be a simple explanation, (even the idea that some old mines have been shaken loose from the ocean floor) he investigates with Billy's help. Billy will soon introduce him to lovely movie heiress Judy Durante, who is mourning the recent murder of her father, and they begin a pleasant romance. She'll try to help, as will Chana Sterling, who was sent to investigate the ship, and who Mako doesn't care much for since she once shot him for no apparent reason. And things only get worse when Durante's movie company comes down to get a piece of the action...lead by a mob heavy named Tony Pallatzo, another person with whom Mako shares an ugly past...and neither Chana or Tony are willing to believe that Mako's truly retired.

This is a fine book, filled with plots and intrigues, made even better by my favorite two aspects of the book. First, the camaraderie between Billy Bright and Mako is excellent...lightly humorous interaction that helps make this read an easy and interesting experience. The second is the ominous feel to the description of what lurks below the surface, masterfully conducted to keep the reader guessing to the last page.

This book reads smooth and pleasant, a page-turner not just because you need to know what happens, but because the setting, the people, all make you want to keep going. You don't want to leave. Right now, for me, it's cold outside, and I haven't seen the sun for a week...so this escape was doubly welcome.