DRAGGED DOWN DEEP

In Okon’s novel, a scientist searches for an elusive, ferocious mermaid who he believes killed his father years before.

Logan Osbourne, at nearly 30 years old, is a cryptozoologist. He scours the world for cryptids—legendary creatures that have never been proven to exist, like dragons and chupacabras. Because cryptozoology is a pseudoscience, Logan and his colleagues, including his best friend Elliot Sheppard, get little respect or funding. But Logan himself has seen a cryptid in the flesh—two decades ago, when he was on a boat with his scientist father in the Hampton Bays. George Osbourne had been obsessed with proving that mermaids are real, and on that particular day, a monstrous, fishlike creature popped up and pulled George into the water while his horrified 9-year-old son watched. Now, an old friend from the Hamptons, Penny Swanson, calls Logan with news of disappearances in Minatuck, the Long Island town where Logan grew up and his father vanished. There have been odd sightings, as well; it that seems whatever grabbed George is still in the area and snatching locals, including Penny’s twin brother Rory. With Elliot in tow, Logan travels to Minatuck and looks into the disappearances and unexplained mutilations of some animals. The townspeople seem reluctant to divulge anything, particularly the chief of Minatuck’s private police force; this town, which Elliot bluntly dubs “plain old creepy,” definitely has something lurking under the surface. While Logan would like to “legitimize” mermaids, he’s more intent upon saving his former hometown from a murderous creature.

Okon’s suspenseful tale moves with impressive speed, beginning with Logan’s lengthy but riveting search for the thunderbird of Indigenous folklore; he hunts for information in Mexico with a wary cabbie and later scales an Arizona mountain. At the same time, the author ably develops his curious characters: George spiraled after his wife (and Logan’s mom) suddenly left them; Logan’s ex-girlfriend Aimee Dupres, who works for a deep-pocketed corporation, is his cryptozoology rival; and both Penny and a childhood bully (who targeted Logan and Rory) are Minatuck police officers. Minatuck itself is shrouded in a brooding atmosphere—certain locals seem to be hiding something, and dark-suited strangers show up in the present day as well as in Logan’s past. Knowing that a vicious aquatic monster can strike at any moment (especially when the hero is actively seeking it) makes any scene near water relentlessly chilling: “The inky blackness surrounded him. Fronds and seagrass undulated like ghosts in the currents. Logan shined a flashlight through the murky depths. His skin prickled with the awareness he was not alone.” That intensity increases even more in the final act as Logan gets closer to finding his quarry and, in the process, uncovers more than one surprise. While this novel is a solid standalone story, the worthy denouement leaves room for a sequel or a spinoff.

This white-knuckled creature feature delivers the goods.