Dangerous Depths Reviews

TOP PICK!  Rating: Fantastic ½

White-hot writing, a charismatic heroine and crackling tension flawlessly merge in Brandt’s latest Underwater Investigation.   Plus, her crisp depiction of the British Virgin Islands lends lush atmosphere to this suspenseful story.

Police diver Hannah Sampson is smart, skillful and independent. But her independence makes things difficult when her best friend is seriously injured in a boat fire.  Hannah’s the only person on the island who believes the fire was a murder attempt.  Clues lead to dead ends, but Hannah knows she’s onto something.  Threats against her own life reinforce her gut instinct and push her toward a risky resolution.

This richly plotted mystery is as satisfying as finding buried treasure.

--the Romantic Times Book Club Magazine

Dangerous Depths

Beginning in Swimming With the Dead, and then Dark Water Dive, Brandt introduced Hannah Sampson, an independent and spunky heroine who, not coincidentally, hails from Colorado.  Her special talents, aside from a quick, sometimes raw wit and a bull-dog-like curiosity, include diving.
While the storylines in Brandt's books are compelling and the plots, filled with murder, pending murder and intrigue, keep the pages turning, it's really her special gift for atmosphere that has kept me reading.
Her latest book, Dangerous Depths, is no exception. I will say that Brandt continues to grow as a writer and her heroine, Hannah Sampson, emerges as a more fully developed and complex character. And, as much as I like Sampson, I enjoy the descriptions of the British Virgin Islands even more, particularly the detailed evocations of diving that can almost make you taste the regulator in your mouth.

--Springs Magazine

Hannah Sampson, a homicide investigator who has relocated from the States to the British Virgin Islands, awakens aboard her houseboat late one night to the sound of an explosion. Making her way up onto her deck, she is horrified to see that the Caribbe, home of her best friend, Elyse Henry is fully engulfed in flames. Disregarding her own safety, Hannah is in the midst of a desperate attempt to save Elyse when a second explosion spreads burning fuel over the water’s surface. She manages to drag Elyse out of the water, and rushes her to the local hospital. Elyse has sustained severe head injuries; the doctors can’t tell Hannah if her friend will recover. Back at the bay, Hannah does what she does best. She begins to treat the area as a crime scene. The next morning, her dive partner arrives, followed closely by a couple of men from the police department. Hannah begins by investigating the remains of the Caribbe, now resting on the bottom of the bay. On the face of it, the explosions look like an accident caused by a leaky gas stove that ignited the propane. However, the dock owner just serviced the entire boat and swears that there was nothing wrong with the stove. Elyse was the only local employee of the London-based Society of Ocean Conservation. She never backs away from a confrontation when it comes to protecting the natural beauty around her. But would someone make an attempt on her life over something like that? With Elyse still lying unconscious and helpless in the hospital, Hannah first has to convince the Chief of Police that this was a crime; then apprehend the would-be killer. The third novel in this engaging series begins, literally, with a bang. The reader is instantly drawn in and experiences events right along with Hannah. For new readers, the author provides pertinent background information as necessary, blending it naturally with the rest of the narrative. Those readers who have been with Hannah since the beginning (SWIMMING WITH THE DEAD, and DARK WATER DIVE) will be pleased to see several familiar places. As always, the author writes about the gorgeous area of the British Virgin Islands in such an evocative way that you’ll feel like you’ve had a vacation, complete with underwater investigations, without leaving your favorite armchair. The mystery is compelling and involving, and all the characters are complex and realistic. I’m already eager for the next installment in this great series.

Reviewed by Deborah Hern

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