Barracuda has it all - A cop on vacation to a paradise-like resort, Russian Mafia, Japanese Yakuza, murder, money laundering, mayhem, and lots of excitement! Oh yeah - there is this humongous barracuda spawned from the radiated waters of the Bikini Atoll...

Mike O'Shaunghnessy is a NYPD officer recuperating from an on the job injury. He is offered a ridiculously cheap diving trip to the Bikini Atoll - Great resort, clear waters, great diving - now that's a vacation!

But it turns out this is no vacation - Micko, as Mike is called, falls into a money laundering scheme, and finds there is this mutant huge barracuda that is eating everything in sight - smaller fish, boats, people...

Micko uses his street smarts and cop radar to figure out what needs to be done. The action becomes non-stop - wild fight scenes and amazing diving scenes - it is clear Monahan is an ex-cop and master diver - the actions are accurately described and beautifully handled.

But the star of the show is 'It' - the big bad barracuda! It is BFITO - big fish in the ocean! and means to keep it that way! It attacks everything in sight and has a survival instinct that is uncanny.

There are a lot of great scenes - a liaison between Micko and a Russian baddie, Tanya, is hilarious - worth the price of the book just to experience that scene. Stunning underwater scenes that put you right there next to the diver.

This book would be a super movie - Of course it would be compared with Jaws, but it is a most different battle between man and beast.

Fun, espionage, romance, sex, tension, violence etc - a great recipe for an excellent read.

Monahan's expertise being an ex-cop, and a master diver add to the action of the book. It is a great read. Realistic diving experiences, the beauty of the ocean paired with the terror of a monster. Excellent!

The new edition of Barracuda will be released in August. It is worth waiting for!!

ellen george

Barracuda by Mike Monahan, ISBN 978-1-4196-8402-9, BookSurge, review by ellen george