Marine scientist Dr. Meredith Cavallo is working temporarily as a dive master out of Key Largo, Florida, while awaiting a research assignment in Alaska. Mer enjoys her work in the Florida Keys and the people there. However, when a night charter dive on the Spiegel Grove shipwreck goes horribly wrong, she starts questioning her expertise. In saving one diver, Mer failed to assist Ishmael Styx, the arrogant leader of Spirited Divers Paranormal Scuba Team, who then disappears. This makes Mer the prime suspect in his death, even though his dive team believes the Spiegel Spirit ghost got him.

When they can't locate Ishmael's body, the local detective is suspicious that something is not right about his disappearance. But an even bigger mystery is who he really was, since the ID he left behind is fake.

As a scientist, Mer has an analytical mind, but she's having difficulty seeing the situation clearly. And it doesn't help that the behavior of some of the people involved is very baffling. Selkie, a man from Mer's past who is now her neighbor and landlord, offers his help. But all her poking around upsets the detective, who warns her to stay out of his investigation. When Mer's life is threatened, and another death occurs, she realizes more than her reputation is at stake. Now, it's even more imperative that the truth be discovered before the killer strikes again.

Using her experiences and expertise of more than two decades in law enforcement, Micki Browning expertly creates an electrifying mystery with her debut thriller ADRIFT. As a diver who lives in the Florida Keys, Browning's visual narrative is so precise, I could almost see the waves, hear the ocean and feel the hot sun and humidity of the Keys. There were many times when I was literally holding my breath during the chilling dive sequences, then gasping for air when it was safe to do so. The high level of suspense is maintained throughout ADRIFT, and the realistic characters add even more dimension to the exciting plot. I am delighted that ADRIFT is the first book in a new series, as I look forward to reading more escapades by this dynamic heroine and her unique friends. (Yes, Mer was offered the research position in Alaska, but lucky for us, she turned it down.)