Customer Reviews

Below the Surface

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I guess if you don't mind those things, you'll love this book. I personally could not finish it. I got to the last couple chapters and sai to myself, "Do I really want to cart this book on my cruise and finish it?" Answer: "It's not worth the effort."

Daria and Briana (Bree) Devon own Two Mermaids Marine Search and Salvage Shop in Turtle Bay, Florida which they operate along with Manual (Manny) Salazar. Daria and Briana have been asked by the Clear the Gulf Commission to keep an eye on some pollutant-endangered sea grass and marine life. Bree was taking pictures underwater while her sister remained in the boat. The water became murkier as a storm was coming up to Bree surfaces to find both the "Mermaid II", their boat, gone and Daria as well. The waves are bad but being only four miles out and not too far from a small island, Bree has to swim for it so she goes underwater first using up all her air in her tank and then sheds tank, weight belt, camera and strobe light. Thunder and lightning begin and even as she begins to reach an island accompanied by bull sharks a blast of something hits Bree and she screams and blacks out.

Cole De Roca was out sailing when he takes shelter on a small island and beaches his boat. He hears the scream and goes along the beach to find Briana whom he met once is face down and unconscious. Cole uses his radio to call the Coast Guard but is forced back into the water with Bree on his boat to get her to land and a hospital.

Why did Daria and their boat disappear? How do all the politicians and rivals, friends and relatives such as Daria and Bree's older sister Amelia fit into this mystery?

Exciting story but a few minor plot holes. Recommended.

I agree with the other reviewer that said it wasn't worth finishing. I kept trying to get into it - but the plot and dialogue were so awful I just couldn't finish. Just not a good book.

This is my first book to read of Karen Harper. I loved it! It had just the right amount of suspense. It had just the right number of characters and enough information about each character to get to know them enough. Easy to follow. I also like the fact that she didn't put anyt sex scenes in the book - it gave it so much more class. I love stories about the beach, water, Florida, etc., and I had a hard time putting it down. I almost felt like I was there.

Just finished this very boring dull book. I have read a couple of her books and after each I wonder why I wasted my time. This plot certainly has a good story line but the author has wooden cardboard characters and she drags the story out. Very little romance between Bree and Cole. Save your money, I wish I had!

Well, the story starts out with a bang: a scuba diver surfaces only to find the dive boat is gone and a storm is coming on (not to mention sharks).

After that, the novel seems to unfold unevenly, the plotting is a bit loose, and the characters as written leave a lot to be desired. In fact, if I had not known Ms. Harper had written other books, I'd have thought this was a first novel. The writing--by which I mean her simple mechanics--is error-ridden. Why an editor didn't find them, I haven't a clue.

It became an effort to finish the book, and I will not buy another of her novels.

I am a big fan of Karen Harper and this latest book was

terrific. Suspense, romance and lots of "Who Done It."

Ordered this book in the middle of May for a vacation over 3 weeks later, they told me my book would not be here until after I left for vacation, I then sent them an email stating I ordered this book to bring on vacation and it did finally arive a day or two before I left. I had ordered another book from a different company on the same day and I had received that book 2 weeks earlier.

The beginning of this book was pretty exciting with the woman stranded in the ocean during a lightning storm. The scuba theme was interesting but soon I was continually annoyed with the repetitiveness of the author's writing & the weakness of the main characters (I found them too hokey). I also noticed a lot more errors in the text than I'm used to seeing, which isn't usually a big deal to me but it just added to my impatience with this book. The concept of the twin sister/best friend having a secret life was very interesting but overall there were too many holes in the plot for the book to be worth reading to me. A lot of the material in the book could have been left out while other concepts should have been expanded on. I found the inside flap of the book much more promising than any of the actual reading. I was most disappointed that the "romance" in this so called romantic suspense novel didn't sizzle so much as it fizzled between Briana & Cole. Sure they ended up together in the end but there was not much in the way of romance throughout the book. I doubt I will bother to read any other books by this Author.

Just think of one of your worst nightmares and this book opens with it...a scuba diver surfaces from the ocean to discover she has been abandoned at sea. She's alone in shark infested waters... Got chill bumps yet?

The suspense is there, but the story definitely lost some of its momentum for me as I was reading. It was a great idea and great story.