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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
Well Plotted Suspense!!!!!, 14 May 2004
Forget that Mickey Spillane wrote this novel, and forget that you have ever read about Mike Hammer . . . because this is not a Mike Hammer story. If you are willing to do those things, you have an enjoyable story ahead of you.Many people forget or never knew that Mickey Spillane helped write Captain Marvel and Captain America comic books before launching his Mike Hammer books. To me, Something's Down There harkens back to those origins. Mako Hooker is a retired lethal operative for the Company. Now he spends his days kicking back on his vintage fishing boat and trying to keep his mate, Billy Bright, from calling him "Suh." They fish to eat what they catch, and generally enjoy a Miller Lite or two as they do. Billy's gradually introducing Mako to the delights of island cuisine in the process. This tranquility is broken when many local fishing boats are sunk by something large that "eats" through the bottom of their hulls. Life gets even more complicated when former colleagues from the Company arrive to find out more about what's going on. Chana Sterling in particular is not welcome, having once shot Mako. Then, leftover mines start showing up on the beach. But there's a positive side. Billy's helped arrange for Mako to meet a beautiful heiress, Judy Durant, and Mako's soon smitten. But Judy comes with complications too. Her father was killed mysteriously, and her father's former partners run the family businesses without any say-so from her. One of the CEOs is a man Mako recognizes as a Brooklyn mobster, Tony Pallatzo, who Mako knows to be a bad guy. Mako's soon watching his back. One of the great parts of the story is that the suspense builds remarkably as more and more discoveries are made about the "eater." You'll find yourself gripped by the suspense as you wonder about the "eater" and what will happen next. I cannot remember another book about the sea with this much suspense since Jaws. The book does have some weaknesses though. Mr. Spillane makes too rapid transitions within and into new scenes from time to time, and I found myself having to reread sections to figure out what was going on. In other places, he spends a little too much time having the Company people flex their bureaucratic muscles for one another. The plot itself is a refreshing and interesting one with twists that I didn't expect. If I were only rating the book on the plot, I would have given the story five stars. I hope that Mr. Spillane will give us more of Mako and Billy in the future. He's got a winner here!
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