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Devil Sharks
A pleasure cruise in Paradise leads to a group of friends to a shark-infested Hell...
When Alex Simmons is invited to a college reunion in the Hawaiian Islands aboard the private yacht of his old pal Harry Curtis, he is not sure what to expect. The two men had a falling-out years ago over the suicide of one of their friends. Could this be Harry's way of making amends? Or is something more sinister in store?
The crew sets sail and arrives at Orchid Atoll, the site of a deserted former Coast Guard station. But they are far from alone. Out here, three hundred miles from civilization, Alex and his friends are about to encounter two very different brands of evil--one human, the other with fins--unlike anything they could have possibly imagined. They have entered a place where there's no law, no mercy... and no way out.
When Alex Simmons is invited to a college reunion in the Hawaiian Islands aboard the private yacht of his old pal Harry Curtis, he is not sure what to expect. The two men had a falling-out years ago over the suicide of one of their friends. Could this be Harry's way of making amends? Or is something more sinister in store?
The crew sets sail and arrives at Orchid Atoll, the site of a deserted former Coast Guard station. But they are far from alone. Out here, three hundred miles from civilization, Alex and his friends are about to encounter two very different brands of evil--one human, the other with fins--unlike anything they could have possibly imagined. They have entered a place where there's no law, no mercy... and no way out.
296 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 26, 2018
11 people are currently reading
158 people want to read
About the author
Chris Jameson
3 books19 followersChris Jameson has been a bouncer, a liquor retailer, an assistant hockey coach, a drama teacher, and an office drone. Summers on Cape Cod have given him a healthy respect for ocean predators. He lives near the coast of Massachusetts, but doesn’t spend a lot of time in the water. He is the author of Shark Island.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
June 8, 2018
Alright everyone raise your hand if you’ve ever watched cheesy horror movies…. *hand goes up* Reading Devil Sharks by Chris Jameson I really felt like I’ve seen or read this story before, I mean I’ve even seen all the Sharknados just for something different done with some killer sharks and a few laughs. Devil Sharks felt very much like one of those made for TV horror movies that not only the sharks are dangerous but other nefarious elements out in the middle of nowhereland.
Alex Simmons and his wife are invited to the Hawaiian Islands to go out on a luxury yacht for a college reunion and who could turn that down even if the person hosting wasn’t your favorite? And of course even though Hawaii is exceptionally beautiful the host has to find an out of the way private spot to steer the yacht where no one else can come to their aid once the doo doo hits the fan.
Cue the campy horror music or simply play the theme from Jaws as of course things do not go well for our partiers. Insert an unknown bad guy mumbling about the “Devil Sharks” in his native language and some other dangers and tada, presto chango you have a lot of blood and scary stuff to ramp up the intensity for more ominous music to be played.
Not a bad read at all but as I mentioned it’s not overly original either, just turn on the Syfy network during Shark Week and you’ll see my meaning. I honestly did not mind at all though diving into this somewhat campy good old fashion horror for a couple of hours and think most fans of this genre would enjoy it.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more review please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
Alex Simmons and his wife are invited to the Hawaiian Islands to go out on a luxury yacht for a college reunion and who could turn that down even if the person hosting wasn’t your favorite? And of course even though Hawaii is exceptionally beautiful the host has to find an out of the way private spot to steer the yacht where no one else can come to their aid once the doo doo hits the fan.
Cue the campy horror music or simply play the theme from Jaws as of course things do not go well for our partiers. Insert an unknown bad guy mumbling about the “Devil Sharks” in his native language and some other dangers and tada, presto chango you have a lot of blood and scary stuff to ramp up the intensity for more ominous music to be played.
Not a bad read at all but as I mentioned it’s not overly original either, just turn on the Syfy network during Shark Week and you’ll see my meaning. I honestly did not mind at all though diving into this somewhat campy good old fashion horror for a couple of hours and think most fans of this genre would enjoy it.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more review please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
July 30, 2019
review to come!
June 26, 2018
3 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2018/06/25/...
I rate Devil Sharks a solid 3 stars—nothing more and nothing less. Though I didn’t really think it was as good as Chris Jameson’s previous shark thriller Shark Island, if you’re looking for the book equivalent of a cheesy creature feature or the type of B-movie horror flick you’d catch on Syfy, then this will do the trick nicely.
When Alex Simmons was in college, he and his group of friends were as thick as thieves—or they were, until one of them took their own life. After the suicide, nothing was the same again, and a bitter rift also formed between Alex and Harry Curtis, the most complicated of them all.
Now, a decade later, Harry appears to want to make amends. A financier who has done very well for himself since graduation, out of the blue he invites Alex and the rest of the gang to an all-expenses paid trip to Hawaii where Harry owns a vacation property as well a hundred-foot luxury sailing yacht called the Kid Galahad. An innocent college reunion, the invitation claims, where old friends can come together again and spend a week in paradise. Despite his doubts that Harry has changed, Alex reluctantly accepts, and soon he and his wife Sami are jetting off to Honolulu to meet up with the others.
The next day, all ten of them—including the six surviving members of the original college crew, a few of their spouses, and the first mate of the Kid Galahad—set sail for a perfect day on the water. Then, Harry surprises them with even more news. In the middle of the ocean hundreds of miles from anything is a small island called Orchid Atoll, the site of an old defunct Coast Guard station where Harry’s dad used to be stationed. Harry wants to make a personal pilgrimage there to pay his respects, and the others, touched by his story, agree to go along. Once there, however, the group discover that the station is not as abandoned as they thought. Shell casings and maps of illicit trading routes point to the presence of drug smugglers, and soon, paradise turns to hell as Alex and his friends become trapped in a nightmare full of man-eating sharks and pirates.
Like I said, Devil Sharks was an overall solid and fun read, though I do have a few quibbles. For one thing, I did not think that the story was as well put-together as Shark Island. I always hate to make comparisons to an author’s previous works, but in this case it’s a little hard not to, since both are ocean-bound thrillers dealing with the theme of killer sharks. Whereas the plot of Shark Island followed a logical progression of events, Devil Sharks seemed to lack a sort of cohesion, with multiple story threads that seem to hit dead ends or trail off with no resolution. There’s also not enough detail explaining the rivalry between Alex and Harry, or enough focus the latter’s ultimate reasons for inviting them all out to Hawaii especially given the way his motives were questioned again and again by the former.
There’s also a lot of death, as you’d expect. I don’t really have a problem with this by itself, since horrible and gory demises are par for the course when it comes to books like Devil Sharks. What irked me, however, were the number of stupid deaths. Again and again, the author would build up a character only to kill them off abruptly as soon as he or she was starting to become interesting, seemingly for no other reason than “just because”. It felt like such a waste. Recall what I wrote about Shark Island and why I thought it was such a great read because of how sympathetic the characters were; I actually cared about them before they were all consigned to their watery, shark-infested graves. In contrast, I felt nothing of the sort for the people here, and quite honestly, it was hard to care when any of them died. Most of them were shallowly written, underdeveloped, and unlikeable to boot. Part of this was due to the sheer number of characters, and I feel the story would’ve worked just as well, if not better, with fewer of them to keep track of.
But of course, if you’re just in it for the shark action—like I was—you’re probably not going to care too much about any of the novel’s shortcomings. In this context, they truly are minor annoyances that overall shouldn’t take too much away from the bloody, brutal, intensive shark feeding frenzy this book was intended to deliver. At the very least, it succeeded in its goal, and hence I would recommend Devil Sharks (and to a greater extent, Shark Island) if you’re looking for some over-the-top and campy creature horror this summer.
I rate Devil Sharks a solid 3 stars—nothing more and nothing less. Though I didn’t really think it was as good as Chris Jameson’s previous shark thriller Shark Island, if you’re looking for the book equivalent of a cheesy creature feature or the type of B-movie horror flick you’d catch on Syfy, then this will do the trick nicely.
When Alex Simmons was in college, he and his group of friends were as thick as thieves—or they were, until one of them took their own life. After the suicide, nothing was the same again, and a bitter rift also formed between Alex and Harry Curtis, the most complicated of them all.
Now, a decade later, Harry appears to want to make amends. A financier who has done very well for himself since graduation, out of the blue he invites Alex and the rest of the gang to an all-expenses paid trip to Hawaii where Harry owns a vacation property as well a hundred-foot luxury sailing yacht called the Kid Galahad. An innocent college reunion, the invitation claims, where old friends can come together again and spend a week in paradise. Despite his doubts that Harry has changed, Alex reluctantly accepts, and soon he and his wife Sami are jetting off to Honolulu to meet up with the others.
The next day, all ten of them—including the six surviving members of the original college crew, a few of their spouses, and the first mate of the Kid Galahad—set sail for a perfect day on the water. Then, Harry surprises them with even more news. In the middle of the ocean hundreds of miles from anything is a small island called Orchid Atoll, the site of an old defunct Coast Guard station where Harry’s dad used to be stationed. Harry wants to make a personal pilgrimage there to pay his respects, and the others, touched by his story, agree to go along. Once there, however, the group discover that the station is not as abandoned as they thought. Shell casings and maps of illicit trading routes point to the presence of drug smugglers, and soon, paradise turns to hell as Alex and his friends become trapped in a nightmare full of man-eating sharks and pirates.
Like I said, Devil Sharks was an overall solid and fun read, though I do have a few quibbles. For one thing, I did not think that the story was as well put-together as Shark Island. I always hate to make comparisons to an author’s previous works, but in this case it’s a little hard not to, since both are ocean-bound thrillers dealing with the theme of killer sharks. Whereas the plot of Shark Island followed a logical progression of events, Devil Sharks seemed to lack a sort of cohesion, with multiple story threads that seem to hit dead ends or trail off with no resolution. There’s also not enough detail explaining the rivalry between Alex and Harry, or enough focus the latter’s ultimate reasons for inviting them all out to Hawaii especially given the way his motives were questioned again and again by the former.
There’s also a lot of death, as you’d expect. I don’t really have a problem with this by itself, since horrible and gory demises are par for the course when it comes to books like Devil Sharks. What irked me, however, were the number of stupid deaths. Again and again, the author would build up a character only to kill them off abruptly as soon as he or she was starting to become interesting, seemingly for no other reason than “just because”. It felt like such a waste. Recall what I wrote about Shark Island and why I thought it was such a great read because of how sympathetic the characters were; I actually cared about them before they were all consigned to their watery, shark-infested graves. In contrast, I felt nothing of the sort for the people here, and quite honestly, it was hard to care when any of them died. Most of them were shallowly written, underdeveloped, and unlikeable to boot. Part of this was due to the sheer number of characters, and I feel the story would’ve worked just as well, if not better, with fewer of them to keep track of.
But of course, if you’re just in it for the shark action—like I was—you’re probably not going to care too much about any of the novel’s shortcomings. In this context, they truly are minor annoyances that overall shouldn’t take too much away from the bloody, brutal, intensive shark feeding frenzy this book was intended to deliver. At the very least, it succeeded in its goal, and hence I would recommend Devil Sharks (and to a greater extent, Shark Island) if you’re looking for some over-the-top and campy creature horror this summer.
October 28, 2020
Alex and his wife, Sami, are on their way to paradise for a reunion with Alex’s friends from university. Harry, who Alex has a complicated history with, has invited them to spend a week on board his 100 foot luxury sailing yacht. All expenses paid!
This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. The ocean is crystal clear, the weather is gorgeous and the alcohol is flowing. Except it’s not all smooth sailing aboard the Kid Galahad. They’re hundreds of miles from civilisation, sharks are circling and a not so merry band of pirates have made their acquaintance. What could go wrong?
Plenty, it turns out. It isn’t very long before their laughter turns to screams and the only thing flowing freely is blood.
There is some time spent in the beginning setting up who’s who but it quickly all goes to hell. With a body count in the double digits, the tension is fairly consistent for over half of the book.
I initially took note of everyone’s occupation and personality so I could try to figure out who had the best odds of making it through the book with their flesh intact. It didn’t really seem to matter though as most of the characters are now in the process of being digested.
My only disappointment was the pirates. They had so much potential, but once they’d successfully ramped up the danger level for our group of friends they essentially disappeared. It was easy to forget they were even part of the story when the final battle for survival was taking place. The sharks well and truly made up for them though.
While this is my first Chris Jameson shark read, it will not be the last. Shark Island and Shark Beach are going to be bloodying up my imagination in the near future.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this book. I’m rounding up from 4.5 stars.
Blog - https://schizanthusnerd.com
This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. The ocean is crystal clear, the weather is gorgeous and the alcohol is flowing. Except it’s not all smooth sailing aboard the Kid Galahad. They’re hundreds of miles from civilisation, sharks are circling and a not so merry band of pirates have made their acquaintance. What could go wrong?
Plenty, it turns out. It isn’t very long before their laughter turns to screams and the only thing flowing freely is blood.
Something bumped his thigh, nudged him hard, and then he felt razor teeth clamp down and rip his flesh, felt himself dragged and twisted, and he screamed as he went under for a second time.Some of my favourite movies are B grade delights where humans find themselves knocked off the top of the food chain. It turns out that reading about especially bitey sharks is just as much bloody fun, although I definitely want to see this book made into a movie.
There is some time spent in the beginning setting up who’s who but it quickly all goes to hell. With a body count in the double digits, the tension is fairly consistent for over half of the book.
I initially took note of everyone’s occupation and personality so I could try to figure out who had the best odds of making it through the book with their flesh intact. It didn’t really seem to matter though as most of the characters are now in the process of being digested.
My only disappointment was the pirates. They had so much potential, but once they’d successfully ramped up the danger level for our group of friends they essentially disappeared. It was easy to forget they were even part of the story when the final battle for survival was taking place. The sharks well and truly made up for them though.
“What do you know about sharks?”These sharks are relentless so there’s little chance your favourite character will survive. The person I most wanted to survive died and the person whose gruesome death I was looking forward to the most survived.
Alex cocked his head. “Mainly that I don’t want to be in the water with them.”
While this is my first Chris Jameson shark read, it will not be the last. Shark Island and Shark Beach are going to be bloodying up my imagination in the near future.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this book. I’m rounding up from 4.5 stars.
Blog - https://schizanthusnerd.com
June 26, 2018
Just when you thought it was safe to go for a swim, Chris Jameson returns with another shark themed horror standalone following last year's release of Shark Island. Packed with plenty of summertime thrills, Devil Sharks would be a perfect beach-read if only Jameson didn't make you deathly afraid of being so close to the water.
Here, a group of now-distant college buddies meet up in Hawaii for a reunion. Invited by their former classmate Harry, now an uber-rich businessman, the group and their spouses expect to enjoy a few days of sun and surf aboard a luxury sailing yacht. After visiting the abandoned Coast Guard station where Harry's father once served, the group find themselves adrift off an atoll and at the mercy of drug runners using the old building as a base. Surrounding the atoll are sharks - sharks the pirates have been routinely feeding humans to, and who have since developed a lust for the taste of landlubbers.
Devil Sharks is, first and foremost, a work of survival horror. Things get off to a bit of a slow start as Jameson lays the groundwork on who his characters are and explores their relationships to one another, but once this book kicks into high gear, good lord this sucker is frenetic.
Jameson takes our cast, a wonderfully diverse group fronted by Alex and his wife Sammi, and puts them into one deathly encounter after another. As I said, this is a book about survival, and Jameson puts a ton of obstacles in the cast's way. Much like the pirates, Jameson is a take-no-prisoners type of author, and Devil Sharks takes some shockingly bleak turns. I will say, though, that I was a tiny bit disappointed by the somewhat ancillary nature of the pirates, but I get what the author was going for with them. They're certainly capable and loathsome antagonists, but ones that exist largely as a plot device to kick the story's central hook into focus.
Devil Sharks is not a Die Hard riff of Alex versus hardcore killers - although I thought for a moment that's where Jameson was headed - but a story of your common Everyman characters against the impossible odds of hungry, man-eating sharks. We're here for the sharks, first and foremost, and the pirates are a way of getting us there, even if their presence makes the story feel slightly unbalanced as a whole. While some of the story threads are left unresolved (but hey, c'est la vie!), their purpose in serving the plot is largely secondary; they're an appetizer to the main course. Devil Sharks is, naturally, all about the sharks - that's what we're here for! We want the threatening promise of fins in the water and lots of toothy shark carnage! And hoo boy, Jameson doesn't play any games on that front. In fact, Jameson proves to be just as bloodthirsty and merciless as his oceanic apex predators. Things get brutal quick.
The last half of Devil Sharks is absolutely fraught with tension and horrifying encounters. Once the action gets going, this book is impossible to set aside and I spent much of this book with my stomach churning like the frothy blood-red waters Jameson continually chummed. If you're looking for some wonderfully grisly and violent encounters with killer chondrichthyes, Devil Sharks viciously and unrelentingly delivers. Grab a beer and a blanket and hit up the beach with this one, but maybe take a moment to consider how badly you want to go for a swim and wonder, if only for a second or two, if you might become fish food.
[Note: I received an advanced copy of this title from the publisher, St. Martin's, via NetGalley.]
Here, a group of now-distant college buddies meet up in Hawaii for a reunion. Invited by their former classmate Harry, now an uber-rich businessman, the group and their spouses expect to enjoy a few days of sun and surf aboard a luxury sailing yacht. After visiting the abandoned Coast Guard station where Harry's father once served, the group find themselves adrift off an atoll and at the mercy of drug runners using the old building as a base. Surrounding the atoll are sharks - sharks the pirates have been routinely feeding humans to, and who have since developed a lust for the taste of landlubbers.
Devil Sharks is, first and foremost, a work of survival horror. Things get off to a bit of a slow start as Jameson lays the groundwork on who his characters are and explores their relationships to one another, but once this book kicks into high gear, good lord this sucker is frenetic.
Jameson takes our cast, a wonderfully diverse group fronted by Alex and his wife Sammi, and puts them into one deathly encounter after another. As I said, this is a book about survival, and Jameson puts a ton of obstacles in the cast's way. Much like the pirates, Jameson is a take-no-prisoners type of author, and Devil Sharks takes some shockingly bleak turns. I will say, though, that I was a tiny bit disappointed by the somewhat ancillary nature of the pirates, but I get what the author was going for with them. They're certainly capable and loathsome antagonists, but ones that exist largely as a plot device to kick the story's central hook into focus.
Devil Sharks is not a Die Hard riff of Alex versus hardcore killers - although I thought for a moment that's where Jameson was headed - but a story of your common Everyman characters against the impossible odds of hungry, man-eating sharks. We're here for the sharks, first and foremost, and the pirates are a way of getting us there, even if their presence makes the story feel slightly unbalanced as a whole. While some of the story threads are left unresolved (but hey, c'est la vie!), their purpose in serving the plot is largely secondary; they're an appetizer to the main course. Devil Sharks is, naturally, all about the sharks - that's what we're here for! We want the threatening promise of fins in the water and lots of toothy shark carnage! And hoo boy, Jameson doesn't play any games on that front. In fact, Jameson proves to be just as bloodthirsty and merciless as his oceanic apex predators. Things get brutal quick.
The last half of Devil Sharks is absolutely fraught with tension and horrifying encounters. Once the action gets going, this book is impossible to set aside and I spent much of this book with my stomach churning like the frothy blood-red waters Jameson continually chummed. If you're looking for some wonderfully grisly and violent encounters with killer chondrichthyes, Devil Sharks viciously and unrelentingly delivers. Grab a beer and a blanket and hit up the beach with this one, but maybe take a moment to consider how badly you want to go for a swim and wonder, if only for a second or two, if you might become fish food.
[Note: I received an advanced copy of this title from the publisher, St. Martin's, via NetGalley.]
July 31, 2021
Its about what you expect from a book called “ Devil Sharks” . It is pulpy fun with a high body count. It plays out similar to one of the better Sci-Fi channel shark movies. I try not to be to critical about books like this but one thing that bothered me ( and maybe I missed it ) is the author never tells you what type of Sharks are terrorizing our protagonists .
April 28, 2022
This is a fun page-turner with a pleasantly diverse cast of interesting characters who are stranded on an island in the Pacific being menaced by an army of ravenous sharks. There are pirates (or criminals, anyway), who really should have learned by now that there are some things that man was not meant to screw around with/at/to, who have trained the sharks to dispose of their enemies, but it backfires on them, and the sharks are angry and hungry and determined... In the meantime, there's a college reunion gone awry with a vengeful billionaire and a shipload of his former chums (get it?!) who should have stayed at home. It's a really well-written thriller for shark fans and would make a terrific popcorn muncher of a movie. This one was my favorite of the three Jameson shark titles.
Sometimes the circumstance of reading a book influences the enjoyment of it. A few years ago, I learned that Christopher Golden, one of my favorite authors, had written a trio of shark books under the pseudonym Chris Jameson. I decided that they'd be the perfect thing to take on the upcoming Florida vacation, so I bought copies and put them on my suitcase and waited for the day to arrive... and then Covid hit and the trip was cancelled and I looked at my trio of unread Golden books every morning for a couple of years sitting in the closet. I was tempted, but I held out... A couple of weeks ago the rescheduled day finally arrived and we were off. I read Shark Island, Shark Beach, and Devil Sharks over the course of a few days, sipping my morning coffee from my Sharknado mug next to Tampa Bay in St. Pete, lounging under my umbrella by the Gulf at Ft. DeSoto beach, and once even on the condominium dock while a (very small) hammerhead shark cruised around beneath me. Yea for happy endings!
Sometimes the circumstance of reading a book influences the enjoyment of it. A few years ago, I learned that Christopher Golden, one of my favorite authors, had written a trio of shark books under the pseudonym Chris Jameson. I decided that they'd be the perfect thing to take on the upcoming Florida vacation, so I bought copies and put them on my suitcase and waited for the day to arrive... and then Covid hit and the trip was cancelled and I looked at my trio of unread Golden books every morning for a couple of years sitting in the closet. I was tempted, but I held out... A couple of weeks ago the rescheduled day finally arrived and we were off. I read Shark Island, Shark Beach, and Devil Sharks over the course of a few days, sipping my morning coffee from my Sharknado mug next to Tampa Bay in St. Pete, lounging under my umbrella by the Gulf at Ft. DeSoto beach, and once even on the condominium dock while a (very small) hammerhead shark cruised around beneath me. Yea for happy endings!
July 24, 2021
Wow!! Such a surprising find at the Dollar Store. I did not expect it to be as good as as it was. What’s to fear more, man or shark? This novel made you fear both, graphic, brutal, tense, very good easy read for the summer time.
July 29, 2019
The beginning was very slow, but once the sharks started eating people it was pretty intense. Brutal AF. Looking forward to reading Shark Beach later this week.
June 26, 2025
This one just didn't work for me. It should have. The plot was there with the mixing in of the strained friendship group and modern day pirates. But the cast of characters felt flat and hollow. And while normally I am all in for an unlikeable, I was just so annoyed and ready for to go. The ending was decent. Overall just an OK read.
June 24, 2018
A pleasure reunion boat trip goes terribly wrong and ends up a literal fight to the death between people and sharks. A bit slow at the beginning but the last 1/3 moves at a rapid, violent finish.
Thanks to St. Martins Press for this early copy:)
Thanks to St. Martins Press for this early copy:)
February 2, 2019
At college, Alex and his friends were as close as any friends could be until Derek killed himself. It was Harry's reaction, blaming Derek for his selfish actions and having no sympathy that led to the breakup of the group with Alex in particularly reacting badly to Harry's words. Now Harry wants to make amends to his former friends by inviting them and their partners to a reunion cruise on his boat in Hawaii. Alex is reluctant but feels he has to go to bring closure to everything that happened but doesn't know that an ongoing feud with Harry is going to be the least of his problems.
The cruise begins with tension between the friends because of the past and Alex is determined not to forgive Harry, which makes me wonder why he went on the cruise. I guess a free holiday was enough to tempt him. He does agree that Harry can take the ship on a detour to an atoll where Harry's dead father served at a Coast Guard station. It is when they explore the atoll buildings that they come across a delirious dying man who attacks and badly injures Gabe, the one man who can captain the ship. With the possibility of being stranded with nobody able to pilot the boat or use the radio, things are difficult. When the deadly sharks appear, some are trapped on the atoll unable to get back to the boat, while others are stuck on the boat seeking a way to call for help and rescue their friends. It is then that they are paid a visit from the people that Isko barely escaped from.
I previously loved Shark Island by the author, which is also a stand-alone adventure and this book was a solid enough read but not as good. I do give credit for the stunning covers on both books and the upcoming Shark Beach. They are visually stunning! My issue was not really with the story, which I liked with the sharks and the bad guys to deal with. For me it was not greatly liking the MC and his ongoing vendetta with Harry.
I kind of felt that Alex was a really petty kind of guy. Yes what Harry said at the time was horrible but no doubt he was acting out of shock and grief for Derek's death and feeling angry in his own mind that Derek in some way didn't care enough for his friends to reach out to them for help, instead taking 'the easy way out'. I think Harry was hurt by this and if Alex and his friends had just talked it through, they could have got past it all without falling out about it. After all, everyone reacts to grief in different ways. Now that Harry is trying to make it up to Alex, Alex is still holding that grudge and taking every chance to have a go at Harry. I didn't much like Alex to be honest. It boils over between them again later when Harry doesn't want the violent man brought aboard the ship and Alex takes the chance to fight with him about that, leading to tragedy.
Isko and his friends crossed the wrong man and are all thrown into the water with the sharks. He is badly hurt and feverish, but manages to crawl onto the atoll and take shelter. When Harry's group find him, he lashes out thinking they are sent to finish him off, leading to Gabe's injury and a world of trouble for everyone on the boat. His story was interesting and collides nicely with the cruise story. Dev's shark fear means he refuses to leave the atoll when the sharks first appear and his partner Alliyah reluctantly has to stay with them, even though their relationship is on the verge of collapse. With a storm coming, the atoll is not the place that she wants to be and the others on the boat are frustrated at the thought of rescuing or leaving them, if they can get the boat operational.
There were lots of relationship sub plots in the book. Dev and Alliyah's relationship was falling apart over the behaviour of both of them and I found them really annoying. Dev's attitude on the atoll was frustrating and I wanted to hit him. Luisa was self obsessed and I was frequently annoyed by the way she demanded all the attention and wanted every man to lust after her. She got worse as the book went on. The fued was quite annoying and the more interesting characters were pretty neglected in favour of idiots. I found the shark plot a lot more interesting that who was sleeping with who and who had been with who in the past. I felt that this angst in the group did take away from the shark drama in the book. It was a decent read but not as good as the first one but I still look forward to his third shark book.
The cruise begins with tension between the friends because of the past and Alex is determined not to forgive Harry, which makes me wonder why he went on the cruise. I guess a free holiday was enough to tempt him. He does agree that Harry can take the ship on a detour to an atoll where Harry's dead father served at a Coast Guard station. It is when they explore the atoll buildings that they come across a delirious dying man who attacks and badly injures Gabe, the one man who can captain the ship. With the possibility of being stranded with nobody able to pilot the boat or use the radio, things are difficult. When the deadly sharks appear, some are trapped on the atoll unable to get back to the boat, while others are stuck on the boat seeking a way to call for help and rescue their friends. It is then that they are paid a visit from the people that Isko barely escaped from.
I previously loved Shark Island by the author, which is also a stand-alone adventure and this book was a solid enough read but not as good. I do give credit for the stunning covers on both books and the upcoming Shark Beach. They are visually stunning! My issue was not really with the story, which I liked with the sharks and the bad guys to deal with. For me it was not greatly liking the MC and his ongoing vendetta with Harry.
I kind of felt that Alex was a really petty kind of guy. Yes what Harry said at the time was horrible but no doubt he was acting out of shock and grief for Derek's death and feeling angry in his own mind that Derek in some way didn't care enough for his friends to reach out to them for help, instead taking 'the easy way out'. I think Harry was hurt by this and if Alex and his friends had just talked it through, they could have got past it all without falling out about it. After all, everyone reacts to grief in different ways. Now that Harry is trying to make it up to Alex, Alex is still holding that grudge and taking every chance to have a go at Harry. I didn't much like Alex to be honest. It boils over between them again later when Harry doesn't want the violent man brought aboard the ship and Alex takes the chance to fight with him about that, leading to tragedy.
Isko and his friends crossed the wrong man and are all thrown into the water with the sharks. He is badly hurt and feverish, but manages to crawl onto the atoll and take shelter. When Harry's group find him, he lashes out thinking they are sent to finish him off, leading to Gabe's injury and a world of trouble for everyone on the boat. His story was interesting and collides nicely with the cruise story. Dev's shark fear means he refuses to leave the atoll when the sharks first appear and his partner Alliyah reluctantly has to stay with them, even though their relationship is on the verge of collapse. With a storm coming, the atoll is not the place that she wants to be and the others on the boat are frustrated at the thought of rescuing or leaving them, if they can get the boat operational.
There were lots of relationship sub plots in the book. Dev and Alliyah's relationship was falling apart over the behaviour of both of them and I found them really annoying. Dev's attitude on the atoll was frustrating and I wanted to hit him. Luisa was self obsessed and I was frequently annoyed by the way she demanded all the attention and wanted every man to lust after her. She got worse as the book went on. The fued was quite annoying and the more interesting characters were pretty neglected in favour of idiots. I found the shark plot a lot more interesting that who was sleeping with who and who had been with who in the past. I felt that this angst in the group did take away from the shark drama in the book. It was a decent read but not as good as the first one but I still look forward to his third shark book.
July 27, 2019
What was supposed to have been a pleasure cruise in paradise soon led into shark-infested hell. Chris Jameson writes excellent shark filled summer thrillers. In this, his second, a group of friends reunite after 10 years to sail the Hawaiian Islands. They soon run afoul a group of smugglers. Now they are trapped between cold blooded killers above water as well as below while fighting their own internal fears. Jameson’s storytelling keeping you on the edge of your seat through the entire novel.
August 5, 2019
Okay, so...not as strong as his first in my opinion but still very enjoyable. Once again Jameson creates a well-rounded, diverse set of characters, a lot of whom you really like and some of whom you won't be too sad over if they become shark bait. The sharks don't have as large a role in this novel as they did in Shark Island but it's still a page-turner for sure. I'm so glad I picked up Shark Island two years ago (two years ago?!) because these are well-written, fun, fast-paced, sharktastic books. I'm excited to read his third, Shark Beach, but am wondering if I should wait until Shark Week next year and turn this into some kind of tradition...
April 4, 2022
Spoilers? Maybe...
Flew through this book yesterday. It was exactly what I imagined it to be : ).
If you are at all fascinated with Shark Week, Sharknado, The Meg or Into the Storm-- this book is for you.
Sweet title
Intriguing cover
Obvious plot line
Pirates
A group of old college friends
Sharks, but not as many as I would have thought. I was expecting some beyond the realm of reality shark action, which wasn't there. I wanted sharks climbing onto the boat, no longer requiring water to survive, hunting their prey in slow motion.
Read it on a cold and somewhat rainy Sunday. SHOULD have read it on the beach, on a hot summer day, to fully indulge in the visualization of what goes down. Now that would have added to the reading experience!
Flew through this book yesterday. It was exactly what I imagined it to be : ).
If you are at all fascinated with Shark Week, Sharknado, The Meg or Into the Storm-- this book is for you.
Sweet title
Intriguing cover
Obvious plot line
Pirates
A group of old college friends
Sharks, but not as many as I would have thought. I was expecting some beyond the realm of reality shark action, which wasn't there. I wanted sharks climbing onto the boat, no longer requiring water to survive, hunting their prey in slow motion.
Read it on a cold and somewhat rainy Sunday. SHOULD have read it on the beach, on a hot summer day, to fully indulge in the visualization of what goes down. Now that would have added to the reading experience!
April 22, 2021
I loved this book. Its a perfect shark story, exactly what I hoped for. Just like a good, suspenseful shark movie. Not cheesy like Sharknado, though I do get a kick out of those too.
Easy read. People go berserk in their own ways under pressure. Characters were natural enough to me; no goody-two-shoed writing. Has the right amount of swearing, fighting, suspense, and the sense where people get eaten weren't over the top descriptive gore.
I liked that the author seemed to have an understanding of people but didn't have to kill the audience with emotional insight.
A lot of action; not much filler. Loved that part.
Cant wait to read the next Chris Jameson shark story!
Easy read. People go berserk in their own ways under pressure. Characters were natural enough to me; no goody-two-shoed writing. Has the right amount of swearing, fighting, suspense, and the sense where people get eaten weren't over the top descriptive gore.
I liked that the author seemed to have an understanding of people but didn't have to kill the audience with emotional insight.
A lot of action; not much filler. Loved that part.
Cant wait to read the next Chris Jameson shark story!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 17, 2020
While this did fit the bill for a Shark Week read, I did not find it as entertaining as Shark Island. There were things I didn't enjoy and things I questioned in this story. This book, like the other, includes several shark attack scenes and will not be for everyone. Looking forward to reading Shark Beach next year during Shark Week.
February 27, 2018
Fast-moving, thrilling action-adventure story. The author's descriptive abilities are excellent; I often felt like I was right there with Alex and Sami and the others, fighting for my life. I would have liked a little more backstory; the thing that made Alex and Harry not be friends seemed a little light to me.
Still, though, a good read, perfect for a lazy afternoon.
*free copy from NetGalley*
Still, though, a good read, perfect for a lazy afternoon.
*free copy from NetGalley*
August 13, 2020
Pretty good Shark Story for Shark Week! I thought it was entertaining, but the ending felt chopped off, and I had to imagine what happened to characters, which I don’t mind in some books but not in a gory blood filled shark eating fest. I like that it made sense and made me care enough about certain characters so I wasn’t sad when they were eaten and yet also to see who survived! It was a mystery college reunion gone wrong with sharks and pirates and oh yea a creepy island!
June 23, 2018
Pirates, sharks, every person for themselves- NOT a beach book for the faint of heart! This is a page turner. It's not the smartest book I've read this summer nor are the characters the most engaging, but it's definitely entertaining. I'd say it would make a good movie except, well, some of the scenes might be.....THanks to Netgalley for the ARC.
June 23, 2020
This book was great - up until the ending. The ending was pretty lackluster and reminiscent of a choose your own adventure book. That said - the sharks were, as always with Jameson's books, awesome. I love the cheesyness of these books, really I do. There's something so very satisfying about them. Ending aside, this one was a lot of fun and so very over the top.
May 27, 2018
It's good for what it is -- a story about a group of people being taken out by sharks and pirates. The writing is good overall, though there were plot choices that seemed a bit unnecessary and the ending was kind of unresolved. I appreciated the diverse cast of characters, however.
July 25, 2018
Passable thriller that really doesnt capture the thrills of Jameson's previous book on sharks, Shark Island. This one just is quite unfocused - and confused on what it wants to really make the point on. Only good thing is its quite fast-paced
April 9, 2019
Suspenseful sea monster story!
Devil Sharks by Chris Jameson is a suspenseful sea monster story! It is very well written with well developed characters and a clever premise. If you enjoy shark attack tales, I highly recommend this book!
Devil Sharks by Chris Jameson is a suspenseful sea monster story! It is very well written with well developed characters and a clever premise. If you enjoy shark attack tales, I highly recommend this book!
March 14, 2020
A great summer read, Friends meet for a once in a lifetime trip , board a yacht and sail to a desolate island , what could happen? Pirates, sharks they have been fed humans, a fast read and enlightening , will keep you out of the water.
October 19, 2020
Was going into this one with a little "MEG" expectations(lotta shark fun) turns out the sharks are back ground characters rarely showing up at all, more evil people 90% cool scary sharks 10%. So overall a little disappointed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 22, 2024
Not my typical book, but a fast read and alot of thrilling parts. So much death. I was hoping a couple of characters would make it but alas that was not to be. If you like cheesy Sci fi movies, this book is for you.
August 7, 2018
This book was a real corn dog. Good food, good fish, good fun. Dig it.
August 12, 2019
Really fun and engaging read. I couldn’t put the book down, especially through the 2nd half!
June 14, 2021
Not nearly shark forward enough. More shark!
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