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Jessie Madison joins an FBI dive mission in the Mediterranean, where she encounters deadly threats and dangerous secrets.

After a spine-chilling summer in The Bahamas, Jessie Madison jumps at the chance to join the FBI Underwater Search and Evidence Response Team. Seven elite divers are trying to reach a World War II plane stranded at the bottom of the sea, close to the stunning Aeolian Islands north of Sicily. But the mission isn’t going to plan . . .

A series of increasingly terrifying incidents is rattling the team, and worse is yet to come. Is someone in the group trying to sabotage the operation? Why is the plane so important after eighty years? As Jessie uncovers disturbing secrets around the mission, her survival skills face the ultimate challenge.

A heart-racing thriller set in stunning Sicily, featuring a fearless female diver who faces danger and chilling secrets underwater, this addictive beach read is perfect for fans of Lucy Clarke and Sara Ochs.

239 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 1, 2025

6 people are currently reading
43 people want to read

About the author

Terry Shames

19 books276 followers
Terry Shames is the award-winning, best-selling author of eleven Samuel Craddock mysteries. Her first book, A Killing at Cotton Hill won the Macavity Award for Best First novel Her books have been shortlisted for the Strand Critics Award, Lefty awards, and won the RT Reviews Critics award. The eleventh in the series, The Troubling Death of Maddy Benson, October, 2024, was an Amazon Editor's Pick and won a starred review in Library Journal.

In 2024, she debuted the Jessie Madison thriller series, with Perilous Waters. In March, 2025, she published Out of Control, a suspense novel.

Terry is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and International Thriller Writers.

She lives in Southern California with her husband, her dog Monty and her cat Max.
For more visit her website at www.Terryshames.com.

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
Profile Image for Megan.
324 reviews
June 25, 2025
ARC:
DNF: Chapter 10 - 31%
The writing isn't bad i was just bored and the writing was too descriptive, but some people would love a book like this. I just couldn't connect to it.
Profile Image for Abibliofob.
1,600 reviews103 followers
March 6, 2025
Deep Dive is the second adventure with Jessie Madison, a woman who was forced out from the FBI academy and went to the Bahamas to teach diving. After those thrilling events in the last book she gets an offer to join the FBI Underwater Search and Evidence Response Team. The mission is to salvage something from a downed German plane in the ocean outside of Sicily. But not all is what it seems. I found the book well written and like the first one I liked the characters. I have followed Terry Shames for a number of years now and I love her Samuel Craddock stories. This new series is nothing like that but it's still good. I can really recommend this series and the second book hits the shelves on July 1st 2025. Go get it. I must thank Netgalley and Severn House for letting me read this advance copy.
10 reviews
June 10, 2025
Deep Dive is a gripping underwater thriller full of suspense, danger, and mystery. Jessie Madison, a former FBI trainee, is thrown into a high-stakes dive mission off the coast of Sicily, where a WWII wreck and a team full of secrets raise the tension with every chapter. The vivid Mediterranean setting, fast-paced plot, and strong, smart lead made this an engaging and immersive read from start to finish. I loved the mix of action, character depth, and intrigue.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC early!
Profile Image for Summer.
191 reviews5 followers
June 6, 2025
Thank you Netgalley and Severn House for the ARC.

I didn’t read the first book before this one and I wish I paid attention to that before I started because it would have helped me like this book a little more than I did. I think it would have helped me with the connection to Jess as a character as well.

I thought the author did appropriate research with relation to the historical moments mentioned in the book.
This one is a bit of a slow burn and some moments just felt like filler or dragged out unnecessarily but it had a lot of good moments as well.

If you’re into underwater investigations and a strong female lead you will like this one.
Profile Image for Heather Fineisen.
1,393 reviews119 followers
June 22, 2025
3.5 I am often drawn to storylines involving crime and diving. This is the first one in this this series so I get to go back in time and read the first one. As a rookie on an assignment with elite members of the FBI diving unit, the main character pushes to extreme limits as there is someone sabotaging the mission. All of the divers are securing an old plane that may have Nazi secrets. A couple of curve balls are thrown out and the ending is completely abrupt. But overall its a solid read with details about diving to keep your interest.

Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley
Profile Image for Tori Miranda.
94 reviews3 followers
April 10, 2025
Deep Dive by Terry Shames

Thank you Netgalley and Severn House for my eARC!

Jessie Madison is a deep-sea diver, who was recently discharged from the FBI academy for being impulsive and reckless. She travels to The Bahamas to get away from her life and her problems, only to find herself in a dangerous situation. Her quick thinking and heroic acts in a tough situation allow her the opportunity of a lifetime: a chance to redeem herself with the FBI.

Jessie is asked to join an FBI USERT dive team on a top-secret mission off the coast of Italy. Her joining the team is of the utmost importance and she must leave immediately. Jessie joins seven elite divers trying to recover information from a World War II plane stranded at more than 100ft deep in the sea. As soon as Jessie meets everyone, she senses a lot of tension between them because the mission is not going smoothly. Jessie is perceptive and can tell each one of the team members is hiding something and she is determined to find out what is going on.

Shames sets the scene perfectly on the stunning Aeolian Islands allowing suspense and tension to build with each chapter. This story made me crave getting my dive license despite the dangerous situations the divers endured. I recommend this book if you love the water and shocking twists that will keep you engaged until the very last page!
Profile Image for John Lansing.
Author 9 books296 followers
July 24, 2025
In her latest novel, Deep Dive, Terry Shames writes a heart-pounding thriller with cinematic deep-diving, and underwater scenes that are edgy, dangerous, and keep the readers turning pages.
Her protagonist, Jessie Madison is an intelligent, powerful, young woman who’s an extremely talented diver with a strong ethos. She’s the newbie on the FBI’s Search and Rescue Team, but not FBI trained. Jessie was hired because one of their divers had a life-threatening, deep-water accident that took him off the job.
Jessie’s thrust into a tight knit group that adds to her personal turmoil. She’s on a mission to fulfill her dreams of becoming an FBI diver. The team questions her ability, their lives depend on her diving chops. Jessie’s undeterred. She’s a fighter who’s willing to take chances, and prove herself worthy of being a trusted member of the team.
Strange events begin taking place on the small ship that acts as their dive base. It looks as if someone might be trying to sabotage their mission. Jessie’s analytical mind kicks in and she won’t stop until she solves the mystery of who’s trying to put the mission, the team, and her own life in lethal jeopardy.
Terry Shames’ nuanced plotting, compelling characters, and terrifying action is a recipe for a great thriller. Jessie Madison is the kind of protagonist who could fill a movie theatre. She’s that good.


14 reviews
April 25, 2025
Terry Shames delivers another masterclass in small-town crime fiction with Deep Dive. From the very first page, the atmosphere is thick with tension, secrets, and the kind of slow-burn suspense that only a seasoned storyteller can pull off.

The plot is tightly woven, full of emotional depth and unexpected turns, and it tackles issues that feel both timely and personal without ever losing the classic whodunit thread. Shames has a unique gift for capturing the nuance of rural communities - their warmth, their darkness, and the unspoken rules that bind everything together.

Deep Dive doesn't just entertain - it immerses. It's the kind of novel you think about long after finishing the last page, not just for the twists, but for the truths it reveals. A standout entry in an already stellar series.
Profile Image for Maureen Timerman.
3,240 reviews491 followers
May 8, 2025
Jessie Madison has been given another chance at her dream job with the FBI, and she is quickly whisked away to an Island off Sicily.
Can you imagine taking a job, that you really don't know much about? Well, Jessie is doing that, she is a "need to know", also a newbie, and a quick replacement for an injured diver.
As this story unfolded, you quickly don't know whom to trust, there seems to be two sides to each of the individuals she is now working with.
The more we get into the story, I had an idea whom was causing the problems, but then I was led another way. Then there were more serious injuries, so whom was it?
What a job the author did of keeping me guessing, and it is almost to the end we find out, or do we?
I'll be looking for more reads by Terry Shames!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Severn House, and was not required to give a positive review.
Profile Image for Robert Rotstein.
Author 9 books120 followers
September 13, 2025
In this riveting mystery/thriller, ace deep-sea diver and erstwhile FBI recruit Jesse Madison is back, now as part of a team trying to recover a World War II airplane that has for decades teetered on a cliff deep beneath the Aeolian Sea. As Jesse carries out her mission and uncovers the darkest of secrets, she must brave not only life-threatening underwater currents and killer sharks but perhaps also a far more dangerous predator—a human who’ll go to any lengths to sabotage the FBI’s mission. Told via Terry Shames’s always crisp and compelling prose and sharp eye for detail, character, and setting, DEEP DIVE is not to be missed! Highly recommended!
1,063 reviews4 followers
March 30, 2025
My favorite genre of book – an ocean-based thriller! Jessie Madison, a former FBI trainee, gets the opportunity of a lifetime, a chance to redeem herself in the eyes of the FBI and qualify for a position on an FBI USERT dive team. Tasked with joining a team in the Mediterranean on a top-secret dive mission, Jessie is a great protagonist, and I can only hope for more books featuring this badass diver! I received an ARC from NetGalley, and the opinions expressed are my own.
Profile Image for Lauren T Dickens Downey.
63 reviews1 follower
June 29, 2025
Book 2 is even better than book one!! The second installment sees Jessie called to help in Italy on a dive recovery mission. But she’s being kept in the dark by her new team mates and must figure out who to trust in the midst of multiple sabotage attempt and conflicting information. Terry did an amazing job with the settings and the accuracy of the diving information. It was intriguing and suspenseful and even educational at some spots. Truly a wonderful read and I cannot wait for the next one.
Profile Image for Taryn.
51 reviews1 follower
June 26, 2025
Deep Dive
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
By Terry Shames
Publishing date: July 1, 2025

Thank you to netgalley for this arc. I am so grateful I got to read this book before the publishing date! A thriller about an underwater FBI diving mission in the Mediterranean? Sign me up! Jessie Madison and some other elite divers go on a mission to a sunken World War ll plane. As Jessie embarks on this mission she is met with secrets, deceits and foul play. I loved this thriller! It was a very quick page turner and I did not want to put it down until I was done! I highly recommend if you like action, thrillers, and suspenseful reads! I am looking forward to reading more Terry Shames books!
Profile Image for Clare O'Beara.
Author 25 books371 followers
November 13, 2025
Join the FBI Underwater Search and Evidence Response Team as they dive a WW2 wreck off Sicily, on the edge of an abyss. Get that prickling feeling that someone is sabotaging the mission. And try to stay alive.
Technical dive matters and building tension make this an excellent read. I had not come across the first in this series, but I'll definitely be looking out for more by the author.
I read an e-ARC from Fresh Fiction. This is an unbiased review.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews

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