When I saw this story had some of my favorite elements- ships, the sea and icy cold weather, I just knew it had to be a good one. Although for some reason, I went into it thinking it also had a supernatural theme to it, and it didn't, but it was damn good without it. It's all about salvaging ships and the race between two competing salvage companies to see who can first lay claim to a massive oil supertanker that's going down in the Bering Sea.

The entire book was a page turner and complete thrill ride. It will have you rooting for the underdog along the way. The ending was also very satisfying. I would love to see this on the big screen; it would make a fantastic movie!

If you have a thing for stories set on the high seas, then you'll definitely want to add this to your to-read shelf!

*I received this ARC from NetGalley & Oceanview Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

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See review at https://bookhaunt.com/2018/02/22/goliath-by-shawn-corridan/ ( )

I liked how fast paced this book was and that it grabbed my attention from the first chapter without ever letting up. It was a wild ride that forces you on this emotional roller coaster where you feel invested in the drama and tragedy of the salvage operators. I definitely gained a whole new level of respect for the people who do this in reality because it’s not for the faint-hearted.

Corridan and Waid did a wonderful job in character development so you really feel like you get to know Sonny. It reminded me a bit of LOST with the flashbacks and wanting to keep jumping back there to know what happened which of course you don’t find out til the near end. I thought the switching between perspectives could’ve used a little better flow as it seemed a little confusing at times.

I liked how descriptive the authors made their writing along with being educational so you get to learn about sea salvage operations as you’re being entertained. The depth of knowledge the authors put into this book was impressive. I think it’d make a cool movie
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**This book was reviewed for the San Francisco Book Review and Netgalley**

With Goliath, Corridan and Waid have woven a gripping novel in the style of M Crichton and the duo of D Preston and L Child. It is a story of man against man, of the deceptions we play against one another, and the wounds we inflict on one another. It is a story of man against that most implacable of adversaries- nature. Impersonal nature, in all its ferocious glory, that heeds not the tiny concerns of man.

Sonny Wade is a man down on his luck. Owner of Skeleton Salvage, Sonny and his crew have just raised a sunken trawler. When it comes time to collect payment, the trawler captain pleads for a deferment til spring. He offers two thousand dollars, all the money he has at the time. Sonny, against his better judgement, allows the trawler captain his deferment, and let's him keep the money, instead of taking the newly raised boat and selling it for scrap to collect payment.

Sonny’s decision is the final straw for his crew. They abandon him, quitting en masse. Skeleton Salvage 's death knell rang loud and clear. Following on the heels of the crew’s desertion, Sonny’s ships and home are repossessed. A lucky last-minute break comes in the form of an SOS from the Russian supertanker Bennkah.

Sonny manages to stave off repossession, and reassembled his crew. Despite the odds, Skeleton Salvage beats their competition to the great ship. What they find is a nightmare. The ship has run aground, and there is the very real prospect of crude oil spilling into the ocean. Even worse, the interior of the massive ship has been ravaged by fire. The dead litter the inside, bodies charred beyond recognition, or were found floating frozen in the sea. The Coast Guard has put out the inferno, though fires do still flare up. It's up to Sonny and his crew to secure the ship and unground her. However, a deadly storm looms on the horizon, and there's more to Bennkah than meets the eye.

This was an enjoyable, fast-paced read. It engages the attention from the start and doesn't let go. The authors did a great job of doling out tidbits of Sonny's life. I spent most of the book realllyy wanting to know what happened in his past. (You don't find out til close to the end). My only qualm were the places where we jump perspective several times in a row, sometimes paragraph to paragraph.

🎻🎻🎻🎻 Recommended, especially if you enjoy thrillers by M Crichton, D Preston, and L Child. ( )