Calder White is a merman. Not the Disney kind. When he’s not living in the warm waters of the Bahamas he’s being called back to his home of the cold, clean waters of Lake Superior where his sisters, otherwise known as murderous mermaids, live.
To survive, Calder and his sisters prey on humans to absorb their positive energy. It’s instinctual and impossible to resist. Except for Calder. He finds a kind of warped satisfaction out of holding off as long as possible – battling the strong urge to kill. Though he’s done it before – how could he not?
This time, though, Calder cannot deny the pull to target their next victim. Revenge is practically part of mermaid DNA and the man they blame for their mother’s death, Jason Hancock, is back in the Lake Superior area. That’s something they cannot ignore. In fact, they don’t want to.
Because Hancock is fearful of the water, Calder’s sisters decide that Calder must be the one to lure him to them. He’s to gain his trust by getting close to the family – via his eldest daughter Lily. For the first time, though, his good looks and charm aren’t having the desired effect, especially as Lily’s suspicions have her wondering about her grandfather’s stories about “monsters” in the lake.
And he finds that he’s caring way more about Lily than he’s supposed to.
But his mermaid sister’s won’t put up with him screwing up the plan…
Lies Beneath has a super creepy beginning and carries that ever-present vibe through the whole novel. Calder’s introduced as a distinctive male lead character that has an undeniable bloodthirsty streak that desperately needs the tiny bit of empathy he displays soon to make him easier to follow.
I adore mythology. Here the mythology behind Calder and his disturbing sisters’ actions and intents are dark and mysterious – which I loved!!! Lies Beneath is hypnotic, spooky, and powerful – the pages were flying as I read it all in ONE NIGHT! I literally “soaked it up”. Mermaid humor, you see.
Anne Greenwood Brown created some sizzling chemistry here, witty humor, and nail-biting suspense. It kind of had a feel of horror occasionally, but the romance and splash of humor helped to lighten the heavy intensity, without lifting it entirely.
I was fully invested in Lies Beneath and was really held hostage by the story – that’s why I must read Deep Betrayal, the sequel, ASAP!!!
What with Lies Beneath and Jackson Pearce’s Fathomless, I’ll never look at mermaids the same way again!
How about you?
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