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Loading... Cold Blood, Hot Sea (Mara Tusconi Mystery Series)by Charlene D'Avanzo
None No current Talk conversations about this book.  Vicki_Weisfeld | Jun 20, 2016 |  no reviews | add a review
"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 ofEaarth "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 ofFloat A thrilling contribution to the new wave of cli-fi hitting the shelves,Cold Blood, Hot Seapits climate change scientists against big energy conspirators. When a colleague is killed aboard the research vesselIntrepid, 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 educatorCharlene D'Avanzostudied 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 Seais her first novel. No library descriptions found. |
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 Google Books — Loading...GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)813.54Literature English (North America) American fiction 20th Century 1945-1999LC ClassificationRatingAverage: (3.33)
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Wikipedia in English
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The story holds several key points of friction. First, between Mara and an aquaculture startup corporation up the Maine coast a short distance, which she believes may be fudging its data—anathema for any reputable scientist. And, second, between her fellow climate researchers and an apparently well funded cadre of climate change deniers who increasingly resort to spying, sabotage, and threats of physical violence. She has her personal issues as well: she gets seasick easily and she’s a behind-the-scenes player, deathly afraid of public speaking. At the same time, she’s trying to persuade Maine lobstermen that her research isn’t the threat, but the underlying changes in sea temperatures that could jeopardize their livelihoods.
As the novel begins, Mara and other MOI researchers head out to sea on their ship Intrepid to launch huge data-gathering buoys that will reveal ocean temperature trends. The buoy of her friend and colleague Harvey (a woman) goes into the water without incident. Because Mara is seasick, she turns the launch of her buoy over to Peter Riley, a young MOI PhD. Something goes disastrously wrong with the winch, the buoy slips, and fatally injures Peter.
An old MOI hand advises Mara to investigate Peter’s death on her own, secretly. She says the organization’s administrators may try to cover up any problems, in order not to scare off potential funders. Thus amateur sleuth Mara starts on a bit of a whirlwind of plot-driven activity.
D’Avanzo gives Mara a large cast of potential allies and antagonists, almost too many to flesh out in sufficient detail. Partly because the novel is told strictly from Mara’s point of view, we don’t get to know these other characters in very well. Stronger characters would create more unpredictability in the outcome and make me more invested in it.
When the opportunity arises for Mara to play a more prominent role in the climate change debate, she must weigh the risks of harassment along with the opportunities to make a vital contribution, and her personal strengths against her fears. (