FOAM

Cassandra “Cass” Lee, a surfer by day and a freelance journalist by night, finds herself entangled in a conspiracy in Puerto Rico in Senick’s thriller.

When Bradley Cunningham, Cass’ boyfriend of six months, asks her to leave her beloved North Carolinian beach town to live with him in Halifax, Nova Scotia, she’s ready to go with the flow. But once they arrive, nothing is as she expected—especially Bradley, who’s clearly keeping secrets from her about the pharmaceutical job that’s taken over his life. Just after they make a plan to get married, Bradley dies in a suspicious car accident. Cass escapes to her personal paradise, Puerto Rico, to process the loss, and soon finds a new job waiting tables. She makes new friends and finds a new love interest, Mario, who continuously helps her to test her limits, leading her to the story of her career: a legendary sunken treasure underneath an island where “the drugs…are as notorious as the pirates.” But as tragedies mount and foul play is suspected, Cass’ investigative journalism skills take over. Senick’s portrait of a grieving woman is beautifully backlit by a vivid portrayal of the beach town of Rincón, Puerto Rico. The author never portrays Cass as one who sees things through rose-colored glasses, so readers get the opportunity to feel completely present in her first-person perspective; indeed, they’ll smell the setting’s salty, spiced air every time she steps outside. It’s a complex and involving story with multiple plotlines that makes for a perfect beach read. Some aspects aren’t given as much care as others—such as Bradley’s demise—but the end result is still satisfying. As one character notes, “Laughter and tears are [an] ancient healing balm,” and Senick provides plenty of both in these pages.

A fast-paced, lively read, set against a suspenseful Caribbean backdrop.