Salvage

Canadian journalist Maher’s second novel (after Deadline) begins with an adventure in the Atlantic, off the coast of Nova Scotia, when Philip Scarnum, seafarer and boat restorer, spots an abandoned lobster boat, the Kelly Lynn. Scarnum risks life and limb to haul the boat back to shore as night falls. Exhausted by his labors, he falls asleep, dreaming of the big money he is sure to get as a salvage fee. Re-examining his salvage later, he discovers that the deck is covered in blood, and he finds some problematic packages of white powder—cocaine. When the Mounties turn up with the news that the body of the last man to take the Kelly Lynn out to sea has just washed up on a nearby beach, Scarnum is plunged into a deadly game of survival. He has to think fast and stay tough as he staves off the Mounties, who are all too willing to send him to jail, and do his best to avoid a gang of machine gun–toting drug lords—all the while trying to keep the pregnant girlfriend of the murdered man out of harm’s way. Maher vividly captures the East Coast, not only the wind and the tangy scent of the sea but the accents and talk of the people in Scarnum’s world—as rough and salty as the waters they sail. Stronger character development, especially for the female characters, might have helped balance this testosterone-fuelled tale, but readers looking for action will find plenty of it. [em]Agent: Chris Bucci, McDermid Agency (Canada). (Sept.) [/em]