Fatal Waters by Iris Moss

In Fatal Waters, Autumn Knight, a marine biologist, finds her ex-fiancé, Cory Perkins floating in the large aquarium. It's very strange because he supposedly died in a diving accident in Hawaii months before. This time she actually sees him die...in her arms, but not before he utters a cryptic message.

She travels to Hawaii to at the request of a collector, Boris Zolo. Unbeknownst to Autumn, Boris suspects she is involved in the theft of some rare seashells and a gigantic pearl worth $45 million. As Autumn tries to figure out Cory's message, she does a little investigating. She better watch her back, though, because the situation is about to get very dangerous.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It has everything a good mystery needs. It's well written, well thought out, and has plenty of interesting suspects and red herrings. The story also includes plenty of intrigue, danger and suspense. While I'm not sure this book qualifies to be a true cozy mystery (what is the real definition anyway?), it certainly reads like one. There's no extreme violence, foul language or sex in this delightful mystery. Iris Moss has carefully crafted this one so that there's no need for gratuitous characters or "action" scenes. I particularly enjoyed the ending where she nicely ties up all of the loose ends and reveals the culprit. Sometimes I figure out the mystery myself, but in this case, I did not see it coming.

I admit that I mixed up a few of the minor characters a few times. I just couldn't keep track of who was who. Also, a few of the side stories confused me, but it all mad sense in the end.

Moss included some extremely interesting information about sea life and Hawaii. She undoubtedly drew upon her own experience and knowledge as a collector of marine life to write this book. It really was fascinating.

Recommended for mystery fans. I'd love to read another book by Iris Moss.

For more information about the book and the author, Iris Moss, please visit the Outskirt Press website.