Sea Storm by Andrew Mayne—A "Thriller" in Disguise

In another foray to my library’s “New Books” section, I picked up the thriller Sea Storm by Andrew Mayne. What I did not realize was the fact that this book is the third in the Underwater Investigative Unit series, so I simply read it as a standalone book. My perspective on the series may be limited, but I did not feel that lacking context significantly hampered my experience.

 

Sea Storm begins as our protagonist Sloan McPherson and her work partner Hughes approach a cruise vessel which is emanating smoke. It does not take them long to recognize this as an intentional bombing—but the FBI’s claims of ecoterrorism don’t fully add up. Clues including a hidden compartment, a knocked-out crewman, and an unconventional bombing approach likely to cause environmental harm all point to ulterior motives… As McPherson and Hughes search for answers, they’ll be faced with gun-toting goons, elaborate traps, and shadowy bureaucratic interference.

 

Mayne does a wonderful job of hooking readers in with an action-packed opening as our heroes try to save people from a sinking ship. Furthermore, the opening does a good job of establishing our protagonist McPherson as headstrong and quick-thinking in a tight spot. Her characterization as an investigator driven by instinct combined with deductive reasoning makes for an engaging character to follow through all her misadventures. McPherson is a remarkably active character who keeps the plot moving by diving headfirst into action. She is constantly escaping bombs, shootouts, and assassination attempts, making this thriller more James Bond than Rear Window.

 

The clear focus on action and plot in Sea Storm is a double-edged sword. While McPherson is consistently engaging, the side characters have much less to offer. Most notably, her daughter Jackie and husband Run have very little characterization or role in the story. An early scene detailing a family dinner is one of the weakest points of the novel—the conversation is constantly interrupted by Sloan’s internal thoughts about how her work distances from her family, a topic that is never followed through on.

 

Mayne spends a lot of time in McPherson’s head, specifically to describe many of the complex seafaring and law enforcement skills at play. I personally appreciated the underwater adventures of our protagonist and the ensuing descriptions, but this may be too explanation-heavy for some readers. Thankfully, these explanations are toned down for the many frenetic action scenes. Even with the emphasis on action, the novel’s mystery component maintains momentum and intrigue—when one door explodes, a forgotten one opens.

 

In conclusion, Sea Storm was a fun and accessible action romp, especially considering it is the third in a series. I would liken it to the Mission Impossible films—a good source of entertainment, but lacking layers of depth. Topics such as balancing family and work, as well as corruption and negligence in law enforcement are alluded to but never explored in-depth. While I personally look for more depth in my thrillers, I nonetheless enjoyed the action and mystery on offer enough to make it to the finish line.