Mike Monahan

I've had this book on my Kindle for years, and I decided it was time to read it. There was certainly more to the story than just a killer barracuda on the loose. The middle part of the story, when things were happening and the story was moving forward, held my interest. In the beginning, things moved a little slow, partly due to reasons mentioned in my next paragraph. Near the end of the story, there was so much chaos that I started to lose interest and I realized that I didn’t really care what happened to the characters. I think there was just too much happening at the end. It wasn’t that it was confusing to follow, but rather that I could no longer suspend my disbelief that so many things could all go wrong at once. Also, the events in the story turned into such a gigantic mess of problems that I quit caring about whether everything turned out well for the majority of the characters. Once I quit caring, it was hard to push through to the end.

There were quite a few errors in the book, and the writing was sometimes awkward. For example, there were a couple paragraphs where a character would give a monologue spelling out his plans to somebody in great detail. This needed to be broken up a bit with dialogue, or not be in spoken form at all. Or perhaps better yet, they could have been left out altogether and we could have simply seen how things played out as a result of those unspoken plans. I’m not usually one to complain about too many details in a book, but I thought the detective’s trip to his vacation destination was covered in way too much detail. I kept thinking that it read like a “trip report” that you might read on a vacation forum where people come back after their trip and report everything they did and saw from the moment they left their home. I remember reading a couple such trip reports once when I was looking for info on a trip I was planning, and I was bored to tears by them. They included the minutest details such as what everybody on the trip ate for each meal and descriptions of their interactions with every employee they encountered even if nothing particularly interesting happened. That was sort of what the travel portions in the beginning of this book reminded me of.… (altro)

The Ultimate Beach Read!

Barracuda is an engaging, fast-paced, fun and exciting thriller that is part detective novel, part Jaws, and part adventure story. The main story takes place in Bikini Atoll, part of the Marshall Islands, and the book begins with a history lesson on this South Pacific paradise that was occupied by various foreign powers in the past, including the Japanese, and then used as a nuclear testing ground back for the U.S. military in the 1940s. Two nuclear bombs were detonated in the lagoon sinking battleships and tons of other military vessels, and this history sets the stage for the events that occur in the story. It was a very interesting history lesson & I quickly found myself on Google Earth checking the region out. Barracuda is also populated by a lively cast of characters, and the main character, a scuba-diving NYPD homicide detective, Micko, is so well developed and alive that he seems like a real person. The author, who I believe shares the protagonist’s background, did a great job in creating a charming, likable, and dynamic character that I would love to see starring in another adventure.

Barracuda is rich with detail, and gives you a great sense of place, both in New York and in Bikini Atoll. You can easily picture events as they are happening, and the story draws you in immediately. Micko is recovering from a gunshot wound that has done physical and emotional damage. His once fierce confidence is shaken so he is encouraged to take a holiday to help the healing process along. Instead of relaxation he finds himself in the center of a maelstrom of criminal and other unusual activity in this tiny, out of the way place. There are multiple competing players and bad guys in the book, including members of the Russian and Japanese mafia, but the most deadly is actually a mutant Barracuda that has been the ravenous innkeeper on a sunken aircraft carrier in the lagoon. Events in the story quickly escalate into murder and mayhem both above and below the water line. There are deep scars of all kinds resulting from the region’s history and the powerful bombs that wreaked havoc on the once pristine atoll.

I found myself rapidly turning the pages in this book and I recommend it for anyone who is a scuba-enthusiast, or is interested in the history of the area, or likes thrillers and adventure novels, or enjoys a detective story – Barracuda has all of that. It really is the ultimate beach read, though it may make your next scuba dive a little more nerve-wracking. It is fun and entertaining at times, yet scary and horrifying at others. It also packs a unique twist in that you see certain events from the Barracuda’s point of view. Nature has been messed with, and the consequences are severe.

Grab a copy of Barracuda and prepare to be entertained!

Rai Aren, co-author of the adventure novel Secret of the Sands… (altro)

This book had its good points and its bad points. Thankfully the story line tilted more towards the good side.

Being an ex-diver I appreciated the constant references on dive gear and procedures. Would a non-diver understand them? For the most part yes, although there were certain areas where it heavily counted for the reader to know his stuff, and if he didn’t, he would more than likely read over the descriptions.

In terms of the story line, the barracuda part was great. Was definitely eerie and you would see this creature in your mind as you were reading it. The only part that bothered me about it, is that the creatures name was “It”. Seeing as how that is a common word used in sentences, it was sometimes confusing to know if you were talking about “It” or if the author was just saying “it” (especially in the beginning of a sentence).

The Russians vs The Japanese Mob story line, was ok. It brought another level to the book, but at times I wanted the book to drop them and just focus on the Barracuda. Mike Monahan did manage to bridge the two story lines together, but it seemed a bit forced. Micko just happened to land on an island with a beast AND mob activity? How much bad luck can happen to someone on vacation?

In terms of the writing in this book, the sentences were a bit fragmented and stilted as if each thought needed its own sentence. If was more evident in some parts than others, but would have read better if it was cleaned up all around.

The last line of the book read “The end…or is it?” I would be curious to read how the author evolves in his next book and where he takes the story of the Barracuda.… (altro)