Mara Tusconi Oceanography Mystery Series – Charlene D’Avanzo
Updated to post the second in this oceanography mystery series, Demon Spirit, Devil Sea, which is out in May 2017. I had the pleasure of reading an advanced copy of the novel. I wrote:
The novel opens readers’ eyes to a beautiful, mysterious, and threatened rainforest as a climate change crime is investigated by marine biologist Mara Tusconi, who readers will want to see more of in the future. D’Avanzo has written an enchanting tale from an ancient corner of the Earth. Demon Spirit, Devil Sea is a mysterious, fast-paced novel that immerses reader smack dab into the wild.
We are thrilled that our colleague Charlene D’Avanzo’s first climate novel is now published. Charlene has crossed paths with us often, including her selected submission in a short story writing contest that was later published in the anthology Winds of Change: Short Stories about Our Climate, our interview with her as part of the “Women Working in Nature and the Arts” series, and, later, as moderator of our Eco-fiction newsgroup.
Cold Blood, Hot Sea pits climate change scientists against big energy conspirators. When a colleague is killed aboard the research vessel Intrepid, oceanographer Mara Tusconi believes it’s no accident. As she investigates, Mara becomes entangled in a scheme involving powerful energy executives with much to lose if her department colleagues continue their climate change research. Mara’s career—and life—is on the line, threatened by intrigue as big and dark as the ocean.
Marine ecologist and award–winning environmental educator Charlene D’Avanzo studied the New England coast for forty years. As a scientist, D’Avanzo sees firsthand the effects of climate change, and as a college professor, she knows the importance of storytelling in bringing ideas to life. Today she uses mysteries to immerse readers in Maine waters’ stunning beauty and grave threats. An avid sea kayaker, D’Avanzo lives in Yarmouth, Maine. Cold Blood, Hot Sea is her first novel.
The newest novel out in the series is Secrets Haunt the Lobsters’ Sea. See the author’s website for more. The book is scheduled to come out in June 2018.
When a lobsterman’s body is found under Gordy’s aquaculture raft, Mara Tusconi’s cousin Gordy is the number one suspect. But to investigate, Mara must visit Macomek Island, Maine’s wild-wild west where lobstermen practice their own rule of law.
Goodreads Reviews
3.8 rating based on 71 ratings (all editions)
ISBN-10: 1937226611
ISBN-13: 9781937226619
Goodreads: 27135207
Author(s): Publisher: Torrey House Press
Published: 6/7/2016
"Charlene D'Avanzo is a marine ecologist who has written a first crime novel that makes her scientific specialty exciting… The central character, Mara Tusconi, is a Maine oceanographer who thinks there's something fishy (pardon the pun) about the death of a colleague on board a research ship."
— THE TORONTO STAR
"When it comes to research vessels, labs and scientific protocols, [D'Avanzo] knows her stuff…the action scenes are genuinely thrilling page–turners…the Down East setting is, of course, a plus."
— PORTLAND PRESS HERALD
"Cold Blood, Hot Sea showcases the effects of climate change on a particular industry, presenting a range of opinions and attitudes, [and conveys] a global problem on a personal level. Cold Blood, Hot Sea will make for great beach reading, but it also has meat on its bones, with rich characterizations and an intriguing mystery at its core."
— FOREWORD REVIEWS
"An oceanographer fears she was the target of an accident at sea that kills one of her colleagues. Are climate change doubters at work?…[Cold Blood, Hot Sea combines] niche material about Maine life and oceanography."
— KIRKUS REVIEWS
"[A] whirlwind of plot–driven activity."
— CRIME FICTION LOVER
"The central premise is a new one, and forms an excellent basis for the mayhem and dramatic situations we demand in our murder mysteries. Five out of five stars."
— ATLANTIC COASTAL KAYAKER
"Sleuths will have to figure out who done it, but the real crime is the backdrop here: the endless heating of a fragile planet."
—BILL MCKIBBEN, author of Eaarth
"Cold Blood, Hot Sea is a cli–fi mystery that both entertains and bores deep into the heart of the issues. The author knows her science, too."
—DAN BLOOM, editor, The Cli–Fi Report
"Artfully mixing scientific detail with her characters' personal struggles, Charlene D'Avanzo creates a tense story that makes it clear: When profits are favored over health of the planet, we are all at risk."
—JOEANN HART, author of Float
A thrilling contribution to the new wave of cli-fi hitting the shelves, Cold Blood, Hot Sea pits climate change scientists against big energy conspirators. When a colleague is killed aboard the research vessel Intrepid, oceanographer Mara Tusconi believes it's no accident. As she investigates, Mara becomes entangled in a scheme involving powerful energy executives with much to lose if her department colleagues continue their climate change research. Mara's career—and life—is on the line, threatened by intrigue as big and dark as the ocean.
Marine ecologist and award–winning environmental educator Charlene D'Avanzo studied the New England coast for forty years. As a scientist, D'Avanzo sees firsthand the effects of climate change, and as a college professor, she knows the importance of storytelling in bringing ideas to life. Today she uses mysteries to immerse readers in Maine waters' stunning beauty and grave threats. An avid sea kayaker, D'Avanzo lives in Yarmouth, Maine. Cold Blood, Hot Sea is her first novel.