Barracuda is an engaging, fast-paced, fun and exciting thriller that is part detective novel, part Jaws, and part adventure story. The main story takes place in Bikini Atoll, part of the Marshall Islands, and the book begins with a history lesson on this South Pacific paradise that was occupied by various foreign powers in the past, including the Japanese, and then used as a nuclear testing ground back for the U.S. military in the 1940s. Two nuclear bombs were detonated in the lagoon sinking battleships and tons of other military vessels, and this history sets the stage for the events that occur in the story. It was a very interesting history lesson & I quickly found myself on Google Earth checking the region out. Barracuda is also populated by a lively cast of characters, and the main character, a scuba-diving NYPD homicide detective, Micko, is so well developed and alive that he seems like a real person. The author, who I believe shares the protagonist's background, did a great job in creating a charming, likable, and dynamic character that I would love to see starring in another adventure.
Barracuda is rich with detail, and gives you a great sense of place, both in New York and in Bikini Atoll. You can easily picture events as they are happening, and the story draws you in immediately. Micko is recovering from a gunshot wound that has done physical and emotional damage. His once fierce confidence is shaken so he is encouraged to take a holiday to help the healing process along. Instead of relaxation he finds himself in the center of a maelstrom of criminal and other unusual activity in this tiny, out of the way place. There are multiple competing players and bad guys in the book, including members of the Russian and Japanese mafia, but the most deadly is actually a mutant Barracuda that has been the ravenous innkeeper on a sunken aircraft carrier in the lagoon. Events in the story quickly escalate into murder and mayhem both above and below the water line. There are deep scars of all kinds resulting from the region's history and the powerful bombs that wreaked havoc on the once pristine atoll.
I found myself rapidly turning the pages in this book and I recommend it for anyone who is a scuba-enthusiast, or is interested in the history of the area, or likes thrillers and adventure novels, or enjoys a detective story - Barracuda has all of that. It really is the ultimate beach read, though it may make your next scuba dive a little more nerve-wracking. It is fun and entertaining at times, yet scary and horrifying at others. It also packs a unique twist in that you see certain events from the Barracuda's point of view. Nature has been messed with, and the consequences are severe.
Grab a copy of Barracuda and prepare to be entertained!
Rai Aren, co-author of the adventure novel Secret of the Sands
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Top reviews from other countries
L. Phillips
A story as long and thin as the creature at it's centre!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 7, 2016