FAR FROM THE SHALLOWS: TERRY SHAMES' PERILOUS WATERS

It's always exciting when a solid writer switches to a new kind of book. It's like getting the freshness from a work by a new author wIth the practiced craft of an experienced hand. Terry Shames known for her small town Central Texas series, literally hits new terrain with Perilous Waters.

She starts with a lead very far from her geriatric police chief Samuel Craddock with Jessie Madison, a dive instructor who blames her highly dysfunctional family for washing out of the FBI's dive program. When her friend Shelley gets a free trip to a resort in Trophy Cay, she goes along. She meets up with Johnny Durand, a boat captain, moving a catamaran for a client. Shames builds a great community of people who work for the rich who move through the world of their employers without actually living in it.

Johnny takes Jessie out on a romantic voyage that becomes interrupted when three men board the catamaran. They want something Johnny won't give up. They kill him and Jessie escapes, making an arduous journey back to the resort. When she gets there, Shelley is gone. To survive and get justice, she'll have to get off island and deal with the titled waters.

Terry understands these kinds of books live or die by their protagonists. She gives Jessie both a likable personality and damaged history. She has to execute her special set of skills to both take care of the bad guys and face her flaws and that history.

Some may find it surprising to find Terry Shames diving (sorry) into a new subgenre, It's shouldn't be a surprise she pulled it off. She proves she understands the obstacles and paces to put her heroine through. She always knew how to create a character who connects us to the story. Pelious Waters affirms Terry Shames is an author you can follow anywhere.