Swimming with the Dead: An Underwater Investigation [Paperback]

A homicide detective and the head of the Denver underwater recovery team, Hannah has the perfect credentials to find out if there's more to Michael's death then meets the eye. At first skeptical, she quickly changes her mind when a car that's been following her tries to run her down her first morning on the islands. But was it Michael's environmental policies? Or had he found something else that got him murder? Hannah's undeniable attraction to one of her top suspects only complicates matters.

This book is obviously a first novel. It doesn't have quite the polish of someone with a few more books under her belt. However, that only takes away slightly from the book. The setting is an area that the author knows and loves, and it shows. I'm ready to hop the next plane down to visit myself. The underwater scenes bring a new world to life. The plot, while a bit uneven, does progress nicely. I had my suspicions, but I only figured things out a little before Hannah did, and the climax was breath taking.

This was an enjoyable debut, and I look forward to seeing the series progress when the next book is released.

There is much to like in Swimming With The Dead. Mystery fans will find pleasure in the abundance of plausible suspects and the difficulty of deciphering the perpetrators. At the end of the book the reader can reflect back and see the subtle clues that Kathy Brandt has woven into the story--clues that seemed only innocent occurrences at the time. For scuba divers there are underwater scenes with harrowing escapes for Hannah. Sailing enthusiasts will enjoy the cruise to St. Martin. Conservationists will appreciate the description of the threats to the coral environment and the growing awareness in Hannah of its fragile nature. Best of all, there are more books to come in this series. I can't wait to find out how Hannah adapts to the warm Caribbean island milieu. Highly recommended!

The Denver police commissioner's son, Michael Duvall, was found pinned inside a submerged wreckage of a cargo ship in the British Virgin Islands. He had been living down there and was an expert diver and researcher. Hannah is sent down to investigate. When she first arrives, Chief Dunn was not too receptive. He didn't like her coming in to look over his shoulder and re-investigate Michael's death.

Slowly she is able to gain some people's respect, including Chief Dunn, and helps them get to the bottom of his death - proving it was murder and not an accident. During this time, though, Hannah finds herself in many dangerous situations, above and below the water. At first, everyone thinks they are accidents. Hannah believes they are related to Michael's death and someone not wanting the truth to be known. Eventually Chief Dunn begins to believe this to be true too.

I really enjoyed this book. It is so different from any other mysteries I've read. I am not a diver, but I found the diving portions to be so well written, I enjoyed them. I felt like I was down there with Hannah and seeing everything she saw. It was fabulous!

Hannah is a very likable character. She is a loner and thinks she wants to stay that way until she meets Peter O'Brien. He is a suspect and she has a real struggle because she is so attracted to him. This relationship really adds to the storyline.

I think Kathy has a real winning series! I have also read Dark Water Dive, the second book in the series, and loved it. I highly recommend both books.