Deep Cut

Publisher's Summary

Sometimes, the brightest corners of the world can hold the darkest shadows.

Rising steeply from the turquoise waters of the Caribbean, the Dutch island of Saba is a sleepy paradise, the mountainous slopes dotted with little red-and-white cottages and the seas teeming with life. But this little oasis has a less tranquil history, many of its inhabitants having descended from smugglers and pirates. 

Boone Fischer and Emily Durand are eager to explore their new home, but their peaceful lives are about to be shattered, as one of history's most powerful hurricanes begins to form - and, as if that weren't enough, a savage evil has made its way ashore. In this sequel to the best seller Deep Shadow, Nick Sullivan brings listeners to another fascinating corner of the world and sends them into a swirl of action and adventure.

©2019 Nick Sullivan and Wild Yonder Press (P)2019 Nick Sullivan and Wild Yonder Press

Critic Reviews

"What a great sequel to a fantastic opening shot! Boone and Emily return from Deep Shadow, but in new digs. These characters seem real to me, like close friends, as well as some new friends on the Dutch island of Saba. If this was a movie, I'd comment on great underwater scenery, but you'll have to open your inner eye, as you read it." - Wayne Stinnett, best-selling author of Fallen Out.

"With his three-dimensional action scenes, vivid characters, and his remarkably clever, page-gripping plots, Nick Sullivan joins the ranks of the best writers of Caribbean adventure." - Michael Reisig, best-selling author of The Road to Key West series.

"Finally, a story that captures the intrigue of this hard-to-explain place with just the right amount of Saba Spice. What a pleasure to read such a well-researched (or, as the locals say, "for true") book written by a real diver with attention to historical and present day details. A must read for anyone who has had the pleasure to visit. Bucket-listers, get packin'!" - Lynn Costenaro, owner of Sea Saba.

Brilliant Storytelling

I wasn’t really sure where Sullivan was going to take Boone and Emily but Deep Cut was brilliant from beginning to end. His ability to intertwine real world (beautiful) locations within the main story in both Deep Shadow and Deep Cut blows my mind. Add in his fantastic writing and combine that with his years of narrating experience and you have a fantastic book that is made for audio.

I realized quickly that without spoiling the book (and Sullivan did not do so in the synopsis) the premise will be a bit hard to explain. Just know that the book is about a massive storm is bearing down on Saba while some evil stuff going on. Both of these things require some help investigating.

I need to point out the interaction between Boone and Emily (and especially Emily’s quips) had me in stitches numerous times – especially in a book that got as dark as Deep Cut did. It was those moments of reprieve that allowed me to absolutely fly through listening to this one. It would get real serious, but then Emily or Boone (usually Emily) would say something that had me rolling and their interaction with each other was the perfect kind of relationship for me.

The overall “vibe” of Deep Cut reminded me of the island of Saba – even though there was a lot going on, everything got there in due time. The introduction, investigation, and storm took some time, but the overall feel was that everything was on that “island time”. Even though I mention that it was an intense book (and there were some dark and scary moments) everything was paced extremely well for its setting.

I will say this, Sullivan can write. Deep Shadow had me wondering if they would ever make it and Deep Cut made me realize that I need more of these characters in my life. Emily and Boone complete me in some way – and I cannot wait to figure out where they are off to next.

(I included this at the top of my full blog, but didn't want to take away from the "review" feel here: I wanted to let you know, that before getting into the book – I had watched my favorite travel couple talk about and show a lot of the walk around Saba. I didn’t think this would affect my enjoyment of the book but I was wrong. Knowing just a little bit of what it looked like (and how absolutely stunning it is) made me enjoy the story that much more. Maybe it was because I didn’t have to imagine how pretty it was – I had an image in my head. I didn’t have to Google what Saba’s runway looked like (or what a landing looked like) since I already watched a video on it. If you have 20 minutes and you’re curious (before or after reading Deep Cut) what Saba looks like - check out Kara & Nate (look for Kara & Nate Saba) on youtube.)

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Very enjoyable 2nd installment in the Deep series.

What's not to love? A gifted narrator writing for himself! I've enjoyed Nick Sullivan's narrations of other authors for years. I was very happy to see that he picked up pen and wrote for himself. The adventure makes it a fun read, but the attention to local and historical details makes this series terrific. Add to that the authors obvious personal passion for diving and the tropics.... and you just can't go wrong!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Outstanding continuation of a phenomenal storyline

Nick provides further development of Boone and Em's relationship with a crazy man following orders from .... well, just read the book! Better yet, let Nick perform ALL of the characters in perfect accent and personality - the story comes alive. I was scared, I laughed and most of all, I couldn't wait to get in the car for my commute to the airport. Note: not a fan of the 150 mile drive to the airport however, this storyline made the drive seem like an hour!

Bottom line: buy it NOW, you will not be disappointed.

danger in Paradise

love the Caribbean, love the adventure!!! still amazes me how many different characters voices can be done and recognized individually each time he naira rates a book!

A great adventure story with exceptional narration

Professional Audible narrator turned author Nick Sullivan has pulled off completing another new adventure in the “Caribbean Dive Adventure” series called “Deep Cut”. This book is his third available in audiobook format, and I can say I have had the pleasure of reviewing each of them. “Deep Cut” picks up shortly after the event of “Deep Shadow” however this one takes place on a different island from the first book. Each book in the series could be read and enjoyed as a stand-alone novel, but listening to them in order, one gets more out of the whole story. So, if this book sounds exciting, I recommend you pick up “Deep Shadow” and give it a listen first. It is difficult for me to put Mr. Sullivan’s books in a specific genre category as they all have plenty of action, adventure, emotion, mystery, romance and excitement. The author has placed this series in the “suspense” genre and I’m OK with that. If you are one who likes to sink their ears into well-researched, suspenseful, adventure-based tales, I recommend you give “Deep Cut” a listen. If you had previously enjoyed the first book in the series or are a fan of stories involving the sport of SCUBA, I know you will get even more out of this book than those who are not.

This book references a few of the events from the previous one, but as stated earlier, both could be enjoyed as stand-alone stories. In “Deep Cut” we are dropped off on the island of Saba, which is a small Caribbean island to the east of Puerto Rico. However, this new location is not all sand, sun, fun and aquamarine colored water. Not at all. As with any small community, there are tight friendships, few enemies, and way too many tourists. If I were a diver, I would think this would be a pristine location to enjoy the sport of diving. Much of what I liked in the first book continues in this one as well. Boone, one of the book’s main characters, seems to have a “Spidey sense” when it comes to people, places, and events. He is able to quickly detect and determine if events around him seem normal or abnormal. Others around him do not possess this special talent. In the second book, I would say his special talent is elevated even more, and you see that those who know him respect his gift of intuition. I additionally enjoyed the ever-present banter between Emily and Boone, through it, I was able to truly understand and enjoy their relationship. Such poking and joking between them added elements of humor and fun.

Unlike the first book where our main characters battle people in the drug trade and win, this story instead involves a form of what could only be called pure evil (a reference to the movie Time Bandits) coming ashore at the same time a major hurricane is scheduled to impact and devastate this small island; cutting it off from the rest of the world. In their new environment our main characters need to build fresh relationships with the locals, survive the forces of natures, and face one of their most challenging interactions yet. Sorry, no spoilers here. One of the things that stands out for me is the immense amount of research necessary to make a book like this feel and sound believable. Here Mr. Sullivan pulls no punches and it is clear when you listen to the book’s last chapter (afterward), here the author provides some background details and thank you messages to all those involved in making the book what it is. It is clear that a vast number of people along with the author were required to fill in the many nuances that most listeners take for granted while listening. I think this is what I enjoy most about Mr. Sullivan’s books. They seem like a well-planned and organized television series or movie. The scenes are well described, the characters are dimensional, and the interactions between characters are realistic. The story had a flow to it which changes pace as various times of action, but I always felt like it was the same flowing story. I do not recall having to suspend belief at any time while listening. To me, this is a sign of a well-crafted story.

I thought the author’s ability to weave in some island background and lore made the location feel more personal and ominous at the same time. Not only did the island have a much older history of volcanic activity but it also was a key place of pirates and thieving during its history. The book’s characters also had a purpose and drive which continued throughout the story. Even this form of evil that has plagued the island was driven and its actions and motivations felt right.

As many who have read my previous reviews know, I often do not feel the author of a book is a good fit to also be the narrator. Both roles require different skills and I often like when they are performed by separate individuals. Here, Mr. Sullivan is a well-respected and established Audible Narration who has come in to his own as an author. In this case I did not mind that the book was narrated by the author as well. The audiobook’s narration was what one expects from a professional. The audio quality was very good, the characters were all voiced well, even though the female voicing was not my favorite it was passable for being read by a male narrator. I do not recall any audio artifacts such as swallows, page turns, or inconsistent volume while listening. The various accents from British, American, islander, etc. were spot on and memorable. Mr. Sullivan enhances an already good story with exceptional narration.

For parents and younger readers, Mr. Sullivan has done a decent job of limiting both vulgarity and overt sexual subject matter. The book does include some profanity which I believe I could count the times used on my ten fingers. There are some elements containing light romance and innuendos or sexual references mostly when the two main characters were joking with one another. The one element that might make the book less suitable for younger readers is some of the graphic violence portrayed in the book. It is not over the top, but some of the actions of this new enemy are brutal and savage. I recommend this story to be targeted at more mature listeners.

In summary, you do not need to be a fan of diving to like this story. There is plenty of action, mystery, and suspense. Diving is an activity of the author as well as the book’s characters, yet in this book it is really used more as backstory components. The amount of research that went into the book is not always obvious up front, but when you learn about it in the afterwards chapter your eyes will be opened. There is adventure, humor, love, and loss all woven into one great story. I recommend you give it a listen, and when you are done, pick up any other of Mr. Sullivan’s books as you will not be disappointed. The story’s major plot lines are addressed in this book and yet the author leaves a few things hanging (not cliff hangers) allowing the adventure and story of our characters to continue another day.

Disclaimer: This audiobook was provided at no charge by the author, narrator and/or publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Loved it!

Excellent continuation of the Caribbean Dive Adventures series! Boone and Emily seem to keep finding trouble in the Caribbean! This time they have to deal with a massive hurricane bearing down on them while trying to hunt down the bad guys. I love how Sullivan describes these beautiful islands. I'd love to go diving there myself, just not during hurricane season and hopefully without any bad guys lol. Great follow up book and I'm very happy to hear there will be a book three! I can't wait to see what trouble Boone and Emily find next time. Great narration by the author! Nick Sullivan is one of the few authors that can pull it off!