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The winter job as mate aboard a charter boat in the Florida Keys was going to be a financial boon for fisherman-diver and private detective Aristotle "Soc" Socarides. But The Fates who spin the threads of destiny had woven Soc's life into a tapestry of their own design.Soc may have to sell his own boat, the Thalassa II, to avoid a family break-up that could jeopardize the Socarides frozen Greek food business. The last thing he needs is to find himself in the sights of an international crime syndicate after he plays Good Samaritan to his secretive pal John Flagg. On top of that, old war buddy and Provincetown fisherman Joe Bones has netted an ancient trident he suspects may have broken off a statue on the bottom of Cape Cod Bay, and he wants Soc to prove his theory. It seems like the perfect set-up. Soc can go into hiding in the artsy old fishing village and at the same time, repay Joe for saving his life in combat. The task looks straightforward: see what lies below the surface of the bay. But it doesn't take long before Soc is swimming in a sea of troubles with the water level on the rise. He'll need the help of a gentle giant named Tinkerbelle to solve the bizarre murder of an expert on Alexander the Great while he seeks the truth behind a legendary treasure at the center of a feud going back thousands of years. He'll meet an antiquities connoisseur who came off second best in an encounter with Medusa. He'll be intrigued by the wealthy collector's mysterious assistant, whose beauty is surpassed by her deviousness. And he'll lead a chase through the rolling dunes, join in a battle on the high seas and play hide and seek on a whale watch boat. But before he can claw a safe foothold in the sandy shores of Cape Cod, Soc must learn a hard lesson: never disturb the slumber of Poseidon, the bad-tempered God in the Sea. WWW. PAUL KEMPRECOS.COM

"Absorbing . . . Soc is an appealing, witty protagonist . . . and the Cape Cod locale is rendered with panache in this fast-paced enjoyable yarn."-Publisher's Weekly UNDERWATER UNDERHANDEDNESS . . . A simple missing-persons case: Find Frederick Walther's beautiful young daughter, who disappeared after a love affair turned sour. Simple, that is, until Leslie Walther's lover turns up dead in a fishy place-the seal pool at the Woods Hole aquarium. Part-time fisherman-part-time private eye "Soc" Socarides finds the highly loathsome Tom Drake had a number of acquaintances, business rivals, ex-lovers, and an ex-wife-all with reason to want him dead. Soc's investigation turns up so many knotted threads he could make a fishnet: a long-lost German U-boat, a cutting-edge underwater vehicle, corporate espionage, a shady munitions dealer, and a CIA spook from Soc's distant past. Soc hopes the net will snare a murderer. But if he makes one wrong move, it could drag him down to a cold, wet, silent grave. "Former newsman Kemprecos delivers the where, why, what, when, and finally who in a whodunit strengthened by gritty dialogue and assured depictions of suspenseful dives."-Boston Herald

"Absorbing....Soc is an appealing, witty protagonist..and the Cape Cod locale is rendered with panache in this face-paced enjoyable yarn." -Publisher's WeeklyLife's a Beach-Until Murder Rolls in With the Tide A 50-million-dollar salvage operation. An expert diver dead at the bottom of the sea. An elegant mermaid in a black Porsche-and an open invitation to dip into the troubled waters of her marriage. Cape Cod's Aristotle "Soc" Socarides, part-time fisherman, part-time private eye, is swimming with the sharks. Only problem is, he's the bait...and blood is beginning to boil to the surface. Soc didn't think he could get in much deeper, but he'd better think again. A family debt of honor comes due-a debt only he can settle-plunging him into the middle of a lethal search for buried treasure. Now Soc's about to discover how deadly the Cape's currents can be. Snarled in a net of smuggling, treachery, and revenge, he's finding out that no matter how far down you go, nothing's harder to salvage than the truth. "Absolutely the best private-eye mystery I've read. I can't wait for the next one."-Bestselling Author, Clive Cussler

"What a character. Aristotle Socarides is a diver, a fisherman, and a PI who just can't seem to stay out of trouble. He's the brainchild of a genius-Paul Kemprecos-who knows a thing or two about writing action and adventure. I bow to the master and urge all of you to read this latest installment in a first rate series." -Steve Berry, New York Times and #1 Internationally Bestselling Author The shiny new charter fishing boat financed with family money was supposed to launch a bright new career for Cape Cod fisherman, diver, and private investigator Aristotle "Soc" Socarides. But when the slip of a beer-oiled tongue brings the ire of a Russian KGB mogul down on his head, Soc finds himself drowning in a sea of troubles. As he looks for a foothold on the sandy shores of Nantucket Island, Soc discovers more than he ever bargained for: a deranged homicide suspect who thinks he's Captain Ahab and Soc is his first mate Starbuck; a high-seas case of murder and cannibalism that still stirs up emotions; a Cold War secret; a missing whaling artifact with a bloody history; and cutting-edge underwater technology with deadly potential. As he gropes his way through the Nantucket fog that shrouds the lonely moors and beaches, Soc will soon discover that "the little, grey lady of the sea," has a dark side the tourists never view, and that a single misstep can be fatal. "Paul Kemprecos has crafted another winner! THE GREY LADY's dogged and irreverent private investigator Aristotle 'Soc' Socarides is a blast to spend time with, and the story's clever twists and turns will have you rocketing through the pages until the very end. Don't miss it!"-Boyd Morrison, New York Times Bestselling Author

"Kemprecos....writes sharp, readable prose and certainly knows how to paint a portrait of the Boston/Cape Cod environs."-BooklistFor Aristotle "Soc" Socarides, diver, Cape Cod fisherman, and sometime private investigator, summer on Quanset Beach can have its irritations. The throngs of pushy tourists who converge on the town turn everyday events like parking and finding a seat at a bar into headaches, and the heat and humidity make fishing expeditions grueling tests of endurance. Still, for all his griping, this is home, and Soc likes it. Likes it, that is, until the day horrible screams shatter Quanset Beach's calm. A swimmer is attacked and killed by a mysterious aquatic predator, his body viciously disfigured in a way that is unlike anything ever seen. The town goes into a state of complete panic, and when another swimmer is mutilated, and bodies start coming ashore, Soc knows there is no time to lose. Time is something Soc already has little of, though, for he has agreed to help beleaguered Tillie Talbot, the owner of the Quanset Beach Sailing Camp for children. The camp is set on prime waterfront real estate, and Tillie has repeatedly fought off aggressive developers looking to buy. But now sinister forces are at work to bankrupt Tillie and make her sell-forces that, Soc learns, have ominous levels of power in local and state government. And, as if Soc didn't have enough to think about, his mother coerces him into trying to shake some sense into his cousin Alex, a spoiled young punk who has started running with a particularly nasty crowd. Add to that a messed-up love life and you have all the ingredients for a thoroughly rotten time. And then John Flagg shows up in Quanset, and Soc knows that things are about to go from rotten to surreal. A sinewy ex-commando with ice in his veins and a wicked mean streak, Flagg is an old friend who does odd, unsavory jobs for the CIA, and his sudden interest in the Quanset Beach attacks is definitely not a good sign. Other groups in Quanset are interested in the attacks as well, and some of them make the CIA look like Cub Scouts. As usual, Soc is in completely over his head; one false step on his part could jeopardize national security at its highest level and cause him to be very dead. So much for a quiet summer.

"A brilliant mystery that combines suspense with exciting adventure. Intriguing plot twists from beginning to end, shrouded under genuine history."-Clive Cussler, New York Times Bestselling Author on "The Emerald Scepter" When robotics engineer and ex-Navy SEAL Matinicus "Matt" Hawkins gets a call asking him to survey a shipwreck off thecoast of Spain, he jumps at the chance to dive on what may be an intact Minoan vessel, a discovery long considered the Holy Grail of underwater archeology. The find could rip the covers off the mysterious civilization that flourished thousands of years ago on the island of Crete. But as he descends in his submersible to the ocean bottom with Greek archeologist Kalliste Kalchis, Hawkins soon learns that an invisible No Trespassing sign has been posted on the wreck and violators will be killed. Sinister forces quickly make it clear they will do anything to retrieve the ancient translating device he brings up from the deep. Realizing he is in over his head in more ways than one, Hawkins pulls together the team that backed him up in Afghanistan on the search for an emerald scepter: ex-wife Abby, who heads a global logistics corporation; Navy SEAL comrade and security expert Calvin Hayes, and Molly Sutherland, a computer whiz with a chip on her shoulder. Hawkins will need all the help he can get as he finds himself in the sights of the Way of the Axe, a bloody cult that will do anything to keep its existence secret. Complicating his investigation are the machinations of a bizarre cast of characters: Viktor Salazar, the CEO of a rapacious mineral corporation who's conspiring to destroy a promising new technology that could wean the world off of fossil fuels. Leonidas, the shape-shifting killer who can change his identity, and allegiances, with the swiftness of a chameleon. Lily Porter, the glamorous producer of an oddball reality show, who is not what she seems. Even with back-up from his friends, Hawkins will have to use every mental and physical resource at his command to escape from the clone-like men in black with the blue-painted scalps, figure out how to get into a castle to rescue Kalliste from her long-fated death in the labyrinth, and outwit the monster guardian of the maze known as the Minotaur.

Three centuries after the pilgrims set foot on Plymouth Rock, some Indians are still on the warpath. So when a workman is tomahawked to death at the replica of a three-hundred-year-old Pilgrim village, suspicion falls on Joe Quint, the Native American activist whose threats to hammer Plymouth Rock into gravel have cast him in the spotlight. The murder case seems open and shut until Cape Cod fisherman-diver-detective Aristotle "Soc" Socarides is asked to investigate by John Flagg, his Vietnam comrade turned CIA spook. With millions in Indian casino gambling profits at stake, Soc soon finds himself betting his life in a high-risk game that could end with a single roll of the dice. Soc must run the gauntlet between a federal agent with blood in his eye and the militant Indian Warrior Society, dive into the deadly waters of a mysterious underwater cavern, expose a trade in illegal Native American artifacts, and rescue a kidnapped hostage."Absolutely the best private-eye mystery I've read. I can't wait for the next one."-New York Times Bestselling Author, Clive Cussler

"A brilliant mystery that combines suspense with exciting adventure. Intriguing plot twists from beginning to end shrouded under genuine history."-Clive Cussler, New York Times bestselling author of "Zero Hour" Something bad happened to Matinicus "Matt" Hawkins in Afghanistan. The ex-SEAL was grievously wounded in an ambush that killed men under his command and almost ended his life. When he pushed for an investigation, he was kicked out of the Navy with a psychiatric discharge. The doctors put his shattered leg back together, but the bitterness destroyed his marriage. Five years later, Hawkins is jerked out of his tranquil life as a designer of undersea robots. A super-secret government group wants him to go back to Afghanistan on a strange and dangerous mission. A Georgetown University historian has unearthed evidence that could lead to the fabulous treasure of Prester John, a legendary Christian ruler of an eastern empire. The historian has disappeared, and the government wants Hawkins to track down the treasure as a matter of national security. The centerpiece of the trove, an emerald-encrusted gold scepter, is the linchpin in the Prophet's Necklace, code-name for a plot that is intended to kill more people than the attack on the Twin Towers and rally others to the terrorist cause. Hawkins sees his mission to foil the plot as an opportunity to search for answers. He pulls together an eclectic team that includes his ex-wife, a former comrade-in-arms and a mentally unstable computer whiz. Backed by his unlikely team, Hawkins will travel thousands of miles and hundreds of years on an amazing time-space odyssey. He'll face off against a cold-blooded killer. Probe the underwater secrets of an ancient tomb. Navigate the treacherous stands of an unimaginable conspiracy. And in the process, will discover that there are treasures even more valuable than gold. "The perfect speculative thriller, offering up a seasoned blend of legend and folklore mixed brilliantly with actual historical fact. James Rollins and Clive Cussler have nothing on Paul Kemprecos who has been and continues to be a master of the form and then some. There's a reason why Kemprecos is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and it's all on display here."-Jon Land, USA Today bestselling author of "Pandora's Temple"

"Kemprecos....writes sharp, readable prose and certainly knows how to paint a portrait of the Boston/Cape Cod environs."-Booklist Aristotle Plato ("Soc") Socarides has got a business card as unusual as his name: he's a private investigator, a diver, and a fisherman operating out of Cape Cod. But he's definitely got the perfect resume when the owners of a marine park desperately need someone to prove that a suspect is innocent of murder-the suspect being Rocky, a ten-ton killer whale who's the park's star attraction. Soc goes undercover as an employee at the Oceanus Aquatic Park, which has been closed to the public since the death of animal trainer Eddy Byron. Picketed by animal rights groups and beset by sensationalist publicity, Oceanus no longer looks so attractive to the Japanese conglomerate that's been eager to buy it. Soc's employer's, the owners of the park, want him to quickly clear the whale of suspicion, get to the bottom of why Eddy Byron died, and help convince the Japanese to close the deal. Easier said than done. Eddy Byron turns out to have been an unpleasant fellow, a heavy drinker who used outdated and cruel methods to train his animals. When another former employee dies hours before a scheduled meeting with Soc, it becomes evident that if Rocky's the killer, he's got a two-legged assistant on land. With a beautiful dolphin trainer assisting him in the water and out, Soc learns a few lessons-some quite painful-about the creatures of the sea and the people who care for them.

"SHARK BAIT is storytelling at its level best, the very definition of what a great read is all about, certain to take a bite out of the competition for the best beach book of the year."-Jon Land, USA Today bestselling author of the MURDER SHE WROTE series Cape Cod has become the world's hotspot for the Great White shark. In growing numbers, scores of the fearsome predators patrol local waters to hunt for their favorite prey among the crowded seal colonies. But, unlike JAWS, where a shark terrorized an island community, the beasts that have flocked to the shores of the world-renowned summer resort have been good for business. The spotter planes, shark warning pennants, beach closings, and occasional seal kills have created an air of excitement rather than fear. At least, that is, until Kirk Munson is found dead in Cape Cod Bay, and the suspected killer is a Great White named Emma. Part-time P.I. Aristotle "Soc" Socarides has been too busy trying to keep his charter fishing business afloat while attempting to avert a family crisis to pay much attention to all the shark fuss. But when he and his faithful old pickup truck become collateral damage in what should have been a routine oyster poaching case, he takes Munson's place steering a boat for a film crew shooting a movie based on the legend of the reputed witch, Goody Hallett, and the notorious pirate, Sam Bellamy. As if things aren't complicated enough, an old flame wants Soc to prove Emma is innocent. And a fading movie star Soc has admired for years requests his help dealing with a gang of murderous thugs acting under the orders of an international war criminal. It doesn't take long for Soc to find himself swimming in dangerous waters, where he learns the hard way that the most dangerous 'sharks' are the two-legged species.

"Kemprecos....writes sharp, readable prose and certainly knows how to paint a portrait of the Boston/Cape Cod environs."-Booklist Off the coast of Cape Cod, a Japanese bluefin tuna buyer is found dead on another man's boat, a harpoon shot through his chest. The dead man's grandfather, a Japanese fishing tycoon, seeks out part-time private investigator Aristotle "Soc" Socarides to find those responsible for his grandson's death. Soc is desirable because he's also a part-time fisherman; because the man also knows that Soc is deeply in need of funds to repair his dilapidated fishing boat, he knows Soc'll accept. Soc can't shake an uneasy feeling about the way the old Japanese man found him and the way he persuaded Soc to take the job: "It was almost as if he knew me better than I knew myself." This realization should trigger a warning light in Soc's head. Maybe it does. But now Soc is curious. And he still needs the money. What starts out as a simple inquiry into a young man's death to secure the peace of mind of an old man mushrooms into an excavation of the bluefin-fishing community. As Paul Kemprecos's Shamus Award-winning p.i. is about to find out, it is a small, close-knit but competitive group, where the fact that a single tuna has a ten- to twenty-thousand-dollar price tag may inspire men to do evil.

From #1 NYTs bestseller, Paul Kemprecos: For art historian Abi Vickers, the windswept cottage overlooking Cape Cod Bay is the ideal refuge until she discovers a WWII secret in an Edward Hopper sketch, unleashing dangerous forces.