Lieutenant Danielle "Dan" Lewis has been with the Special Investigation Branch of the Royal Navy for 18 years, most recently with the Crimes Involving Loss of Life Division, also known--to her distaste--as the Kill Squad. She's obstinate, she's a loner, she has the balls to request green tea at the officers' mess. She's also deeply troubled since her go-it-alone style almost got her killed and made her an outcast within the naval community.
Dan is in Portsmouth, waiting for a new assignment. Several days earlier, Tenacity, a nuclear hunter-killer submarine, docked with Stewart Walker aboard. That evening his wife, Cheryl, was beaten, raped and murdered. He was informed Monday morning; Tuesday evening he was found hanging in the engine rooms. Since Tenacity is due to sail again in four days, the sub's commanding officer wants the investigation wrapped up before departure. But when the sailing date is moved up, the investigation barely begun, there is one, and only one, berth available. If the inquiry is to continue, either Dan or Granger can leave with the sub. Dan takes on the challenge with trepidation, desperate to find Cheryl Walker's killer.
In his debut novel, J.S. Law has crafted thrilling suspense in a setting that offers many opportunities for confined, oppressive menace. He has also created a compelling character in Dan Lewis. She is headstrong, she is relentless, she is tough to befriend, but she is undeniably brave. Law ends Tenacity with a perfect segue into a sequel. It can't come too soon. --Marilyn Dahl, editor, Shelf Awareness for Readers