[Review] Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown

“I hadn’t killed anyone all winter, and I have to say I felt pretty good about that.”

Calder and his sisters live in the cold, clear waters of Lake Superior and they're out for revenge on Jason Hancock, a man they blame for the death of their mother.  Hancock has a fear of the water, so to lure him in, Calder sets out to seduce Hancock’s daughter, Lily.  The plan should be easy enough to execute considering Calder’s experience with charming unsuspecting girls, but then he falls in love with Lily just when she starts to become suspicious of creatures in the water; and just as his sisters begin to lose their patience with him.

Lies Beneath introduces a deadly mermaid - the kind that preys on humans, draining them of their energy until they’re lifeless beings, and then leaving them in the depths of the sea never to be found again. These mermaids and mermen are beautiful, they are masters of charm and manipulation, and while many are born to this life, many—like Calder—are made.  Vampires of the sea, perhaps?

Maybe...

Or not.  Anyway...

Lies Beneath had a slow start for me.  I kept waiting for that moment when it becomes impossible to put this book down.  Unfortunately that moment didn't come until I was nearing the end of the book, but it did come nonetheless.  I also didn't expect to like Calder at all - he was an excellent villain, along with his sisters - but the more I learned about him, the more I wanted him to find redemption.

There isn’t a lot of action in this story, but the author does a wonderful job with the main characters - Calder’s sisters had me thoroughly CREEPED out.  I wanted to spend more time with THEM.  Lily is strange, but spunky – she definitely falls into the “well-rounded” category thanks to her conversations with Calder and from his stalker-ish ways (Seriously! Hiding your nakedness behind a bush while you spy on a girl is weird no matter what species you are).

I think having the story told from Calder’s point-of-view was the best way to tell it, but I do wish there were a few chapters from Lily.  She has such a strong personality and she didn’t fall for Calder’s charm right away, but then she does a complete 180 and, suddenly, she’s the one chasing him.

Despite some of the issues I had, the ending gives me hope for the second book so I do plan on continuing the series.  I'm hoping that more information will be given about the merpeople, their history, and maybe a few more details about how they're created.  The sequel, Water Lily, will be told from Lily Hancock’s point of view.

Lies Beneath will be published on June 12, 2012.

eBook provided by the publisher via NetGalley