What do you think?
Rate this book
Swimming with Manatees
When a young woman washes ashore in Crystal Cove, Detective Ava Martinez is drawn into a case that refuses to stay simple. April Seagram should not have drowned — not with a life vest strapped to her chest, not with propeller wounds marking her skin, and not with boot prints leading into the mangroves. Someone wanted her gone.
Ava’s search for answers leads her to BioSphere, a marine‑biotech company whose polished public image hides a darker agenda. As she follows the trail of falsified permits, stolen research, and quiet threats, Crystal Cove’s tranquil coastline reveals a corruption willing to poison ecosystems and silence anyone who gets too close.
Then Ava’s partner is murdered, and the investigation becomes personal.
Haunted by loss and driven by conscience, Ava pushes deeper into a world where power bends the truth and the cost of speaking up can be fatal. In a town shaped by tides and secrets, she must decide how much she’s willing to sacrifice to expose what lies beneath the surface.
Swimming with Manatees is an atmospheric eco‑thriller set along Florida’s fragile coastline — a story of corruption, grief, and the quiet courage required to confront the forces that thrive in silence.
Ava’s search for answers leads her to BioSphere, a marine‑biotech company whose polished public image hides a darker agenda. As she follows the trail of falsified permits, stolen research, and quiet threats, Crystal Cove’s tranquil coastline reveals a corruption willing to poison ecosystems and silence anyone who gets too close.
Then Ava’s partner is murdered, and the investigation becomes personal.
Haunted by loss and driven by conscience, Ava pushes deeper into a world where power bends the truth and the cost of speaking up can be fatal. In a town shaped by tides and secrets, she must decide how much she’s willing to sacrifice to expose what lies beneath the surface.
Swimming with Manatees is an atmospheric eco‑thriller set along Florida’s fragile coastline — a story of corruption, grief, and the quiet courage required to confront the forces that thrive in silence.
- GenresMystery
378 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 31, 2025
About the author
Bill Bennett
5 books19 followers2026 Eric Hoffer Grand Prize Shortlist Winner
A retired military officer, a licensed attorney, and a global IT executive. In retirement, I lean into the rhythms that matter most: vinyl spinning, the roar of a college or professional football crowd, a German Shepherd at my side, and the laughter of friends and family filling the Florida air. I usher at local concert venues not just for the music, but for the stories unfolding in every seat. I regularly visit my son in West Palm Beach and enjoy a tremendous life with my wife.
To learn more about his writing, visit his website at www.billbenn.com
https://x.com/billbennx
https://www.facebook.com/billbennbooks/
https://www.instagram.com/martinezmys...
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/bill-...
A retired military officer, a licensed attorney, and a global IT executive. In retirement, I lean into the rhythms that matter most: vinyl spinning, the roar of a college or professional football crowd, a German Shepherd at my side, and the laughter of friends and family filling the Florida air. I usher at local concert venues not just for the music, but for the stories unfolding in every seat. I regularly visit my son in West Palm Beach and enjoy a tremendous life with my wife.
To learn more about his writing, visit his website at www.billbenn.com
https://x.com/billbennx
https://www.facebook.com/billbennbooks/
https://www.instagram.com/martinezmys...
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/bill-...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
April 6, 2026
[Update April 06]
So now I think I need a Manatee Funnel Cake!
This eco-thriller, focusing on justice and redemption, was a great read. I’m always drawn to books where the characters face decisions that could cost them, and I read to see how they handle the decision-making process. I also love it when secrets pop up in the narrative…and this one is full of them.
“That’s the thing about secrets. Some are born of guilt. Some of grief. And some - some are just habits people never unlearn.”
I loved the word play on ‘Crystal’ cove; things are not crystal clear here. In fact, rather than clarity, things just get hidden.
I’m enjoying this series.
========================
The cover grabbed my attention and the mystery kept me turning pages!
⭐ REVIEW TO FOLLOW ⭐
So now I think I need a Manatee Funnel Cake!
This eco-thriller, focusing on justice and redemption, was a great read. I’m always drawn to books where the characters face decisions that could cost them, and I read to see how they handle the decision-making process. I also love it when secrets pop up in the narrative…and this one is full of them.
“That’s the thing about secrets. Some are born of guilt. Some of grief. And some - some are just habits people never unlearn.”
I loved the word play on ‘Crystal’ cove; things are not crystal clear here. In fact, rather than clarity, things just get hidden.
I’m enjoying this series.
========================
The cover grabbed my attention and the mystery kept me turning pages!
⭐ REVIEW TO FOLLOW ⭐
April 17, 2026
This story is set in Crystal Cove where there is a manatee refuge. It starts with the murder of a young woman who works with the manatee refuge. Our main character is Ava Martinez who is a police detective. She is striving to find the killer and to determine why she was killed. Before long there is another killing. The further she investigates, the more she questions who she can clear as not being part of the situation. There are very few she trusts which makes it difficult to solve the crimes. She is dealing with corporate espionage, renegade motorcycle club, people ignoring the restrictions of manatee habitat, and corrupt public officials. Who is part of the conspiracy and who will be killed next?
There are many cross threads and breaks in the trail for her to finally get to the root of the conspiracy.
If you like multiple interconnected murders, this story is for you.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
There are many cross threads and breaks in the trail for her to finally get to the root of the conspiracy.
If you like multiple interconnected murders, this story is for you.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
June 26, 2026
Getting the bad guys!
I really enjoyed this book, the investigations and truth coming together and the crooked people that caused it all. I love the manatees and hope to see them someday. Thank you for a really good read. Now I want more about them, and I look forward to more of this author's books.
I really enjoyed this book, the investigations and truth coming together and the crooked people that caused it all. I love the manatees and hope to see them someday. Thank you for a really good read. Now I want more about them, and I look forward to more of this author's books.
June 18, 2026
Filled with great characters and many secrets. Quite the adventure. Interested to see what happens with Ava next.
July 13, 2026
I enjoyed this murder mystery. It has lots of drama and I did not see the ending coming. Not the murders identity, but how the ending came about. It was different that most mysteries and I really enjoyed it.
March 14, 2026
What a Talent!
I collect colourful phrases. Have done so for years. So was delighted to read my first Bill Bennett. This author is goldmine of phrasing that commands the language to jump through aesthetic hoops. More, please!!!
I collect colourful phrases. Have done so for years. So was delighted to read my first Bill Bennett. This author is goldmine of phrasing that commands the language to jump through aesthetic hoops. More, please!!!
February 18, 2026
Martinez Mysteries:
THE WATER REMEMBERS, Prequel - Okay, I'm hooked. Just enough information on these eleven pages to know I'm in for a good series. Source: The Author. 4*
SWIMMING WITH MANATEES, #1, Audiobook and eBook
- I like the writing style of this author. The story lines are immersing, the characters interesting, and the investigations intriguing. Narration is by Virtual Voice, not a favorite of mine since it lacks emotions and proper pronunciations. Source: LibraryThing, My Kindle, Audible, and BookFunnel libraries. 4*
THE WATER REMEMBERS, Prequel - Okay, I'm hooked. Just enough information on these eleven pages to know I'm in for a good series. Source: The Author. 4*
SWIMMING WITH MANATEES, #1, Audiobook and eBook
- I like the writing style of this author. The story lines are immersing, the characters interesting, and the investigations intriguing. Narration is by Virtual Voice, not a favorite of mine since it lacks emotions and proper pronunciations. Source: LibraryThing, My Kindle, Audible, and BookFunnel libraries. 4*
January 10, 2026
This is clearly a passion project of Bill Bennett, an independent author.
I would like to thank NetGalley for the advanced digital copy to read and review.
I was initially attracted by the title and attractive cover, as well as the Florida setting. I do love a Florida setting. In addition, I did hope to finish this in 2025 as part of my water theme, but I got... Water logged with books, so here we are in January.
We're given the Story of Ava Martinez, a tough and savvy detective who is somewhat new to the force she's working on in the Everglades area of Florida. This case is personal, because in a small town, almost everyone knows everyone.
Readers experience multiple points of view as they read and unravel the mystery of who killed multiple people, and why. The author brings in current uses and interest in marine life as a source of new medical treatments, and was able to hold my attention with some action scenes interspersed with cerebral sleuthing.
The book is written with a heavy heavy noir style which many descriptions ending in a comparison. This is an area which Bennett excels. It was repetitive, but I did enjoy reading the prose which took me right into the nostalgic feel of Noir novels and films from days gone by.
That said, I did not fall in love with any of the characters- I could see how the author attempted to cobble in a backstory - especially for Ava Martinez, but unique as her backstory was, it didn't seem to really influence her current character or do anything to make her seem more real. I found her partner to be much more interesting, and that partner perishes early on!
The mystery of the murders revolves around a fascinating plot of the possibility of new biologics for disease treatment.
I did think that it was a bold move for this male author to chose to create a female main character with a very specifically Hispanic/Latina name. To his credit ( or discredit?) the only thing female or Hispanic/Latina about this character is the name. I feel like the book could have had a male main character with the name of John Smith and it would have felt the same.
So is this a book for everyone? I suspect there are readers out there who will find this to be a good read. Unraveling the mystery was quite fun, and I enjoyed the description of the Everglades. Other readers may find it a bit difficult to follow, and to be somewhat tedious with heavy prose.
I would like to thank NetGalley for the advanced digital copy to read and review.
I was initially attracted by the title and attractive cover, as well as the Florida setting. I do love a Florida setting. In addition, I did hope to finish this in 2025 as part of my water theme, but I got... Water logged with books, so here we are in January.
We're given the Story of Ava Martinez, a tough and savvy detective who is somewhat new to the force she's working on in the Everglades area of Florida. This case is personal, because in a small town, almost everyone knows everyone.
Readers experience multiple points of view as they read and unravel the mystery of who killed multiple people, and why. The author brings in current uses and interest in marine life as a source of new medical treatments, and was able to hold my attention with some action scenes interspersed with cerebral sleuthing.
The book is written with a heavy heavy noir style which many descriptions ending in a comparison. This is an area which Bennett excels. It was repetitive, but I did enjoy reading the prose which took me right into the nostalgic feel of Noir novels and films from days gone by.
That said, I did not fall in love with any of the characters- I could see how the author attempted to cobble in a backstory - especially for Ava Martinez, but unique as her backstory was, it didn't seem to really influence her current character or do anything to make her seem more real. I found her partner to be much more interesting, and that partner perishes early on!
The mystery of the murders revolves around a fascinating plot of the possibility of new biologics for disease treatment.
I did think that it was a bold move for this male author to chose to create a female main character with a very specifically Hispanic/Latina name. To his credit ( or discredit?) the only thing female or Hispanic/Latina about this character is the name. I feel like the book could have had a male main character with the name of John Smith and it would have felt the same.
So is this a book for everyone? I suspect there are readers out there who will find this to be a good read. Unraveling the mystery was quite fun, and I enjoyed the description of the Everglades. Other readers may find it a bit difficult to follow, and to be somewhat tedious with heavy prose.
July 11, 2026
Detective Ava Martinez has returned to small-town Florida after a painful experience in a big city police force. But the town of Crystal Cove, for all its beauty, is plagued by greed and conspiracies worse than any she has known before. She investigates one murder, which soon turns to another, then another, even the murder of her beloved partner, as she tries to unveil what is happening in Crystal Cove.
I really, really wanted to like this book. It had a powerful environmental and anti-corporation message that I would have, all things being equal, really gotten behind. Unfortunately, this book was a hard read almost from page one. The author seemed almost obsessed with writing a gritty, noir style, drowning in word play, idioms and heavy-handed metaphors. Some of the metaphors were decent, but there were so many that the tolerable ones were drowned by the flood of unneeded ones, not to mention all the crappy ones. Practically every other page had a variant on 'it wasn't an A, it was a B" ("it wasn't a warning, it was a threat" - "quiet in Crystal Cove was never peace. It was a prelude" - "Someone wasn’t hiding the truth. They were baiting it" - "The name wasn’t just a code. It was a fuse"). to the point where it felt like the writer was obsessed with this combination.
The story was a slog to get through. It was a consistent pattern of mope, go nowhere investigation, artificially shocking murder, then repeat. I could accurately predict when another murder was going to happen just based on how long the book had been crawling around with nothing happening. And the editing was AWFUL. Besides the comically overdone and redundant prose, the story itself had clearly been spewed out and then never checked for even the most superficial of accuracy! Repeatedly Ava and her allies followed up someone or something suspicious that had NEVER been mentioned before. Around chapter 20 a reporter is murdered for getting too close to exposing the evil corporation. About seven chapters later (just when the action is starting to get dull again) the EXACT SAME REPORTER is murdered AGAIN. Somehow the author put in two separate death scenes of the same character and NOBODY NOTICED.
Like I said, I want to be backing up the author's condemnation of murderous, profit-obsessed corporations, but the depiction of this corporation is so bad it feels like satire. The corporation has found a sponge that might be a miraculously effective antibiotic, and then they do illegal testings on it; and then, rather than bringing in big money and lawyers, they decide to murder a series of people to cover up... WHY? It's just research - not lethal toxic waste or wholesale manatee slaughter, it's just research, why do they feel that murder is the best way to cloak this banal research? And what kind of sinister black ops group do they bring in to do their dirty work? A meth-dealing motorcycle gang that is almost comically incompetent! It's hard to be caught up by suspense, or outraged by corporate corruption, when the corporate villains are are so grossly inept.
On top of everything else, this book just felt long. So many things were repeated, and so much of the "investigation" was just brooding, or talking about complex chemical compounds that ultimately proved irrelevant. If this book had been edited properly, and SHORT, it could have been four stars. As it is, it was a painful read I would recommend for no one.
I really, really wanted to like this book. It had a powerful environmental and anti-corporation message that I would have, all things being equal, really gotten behind. Unfortunately, this book was a hard read almost from page one. The author seemed almost obsessed with writing a gritty, noir style, drowning in word play, idioms and heavy-handed metaphors. Some of the metaphors were decent, but there were so many that the tolerable ones were drowned by the flood of unneeded ones, not to mention all the crappy ones. Practically every other page had a variant on 'it wasn't an A, it was a B" ("it wasn't a warning, it was a threat" - "quiet in Crystal Cove was never peace. It was a prelude" - "Someone wasn’t hiding the truth. They were baiting it" - "The name wasn’t just a code. It was a fuse"). to the point where it felt like the writer was obsessed with this combination.
The story was a slog to get through. It was a consistent pattern of mope, go nowhere investigation, artificially shocking murder, then repeat. I could accurately predict when another murder was going to happen just based on how long the book had been crawling around with nothing happening. And the editing was AWFUL. Besides the comically overdone and redundant prose, the story itself had clearly been spewed out and then never checked for even the most superficial of accuracy! Repeatedly Ava and her allies followed up someone or something suspicious that had NEVER been mentioned before. Around chapter 20 a reporter is murdered for getting too close to exposing the evil corporation. About seven chapters later (just when the action is starting to get dull again) the EXACT SAME REPORTER is murdered AGAIN. Somehow the author put in two separate death scenes of the same character and NOBODY NOTICED.
Like I said, I want to be backing up the author's condemnation of murderous, profit-obsessed corporations, but the depiction of this corporation is so bad it feels like satire. The corporation has found a sponge that might be a miraculously effective antibiotic, and then they do illegal testings on it; and then, rather than bringing in big money and lawyers, they decide to murder a series of people to cover up... WHY? It's just research - not lethal toxic waste or wholesale manatee slaughter, it's just research, why do they feel that murder is the best way to cloak this banal research? And what kind of sinister black ops group do they bring in to do their dirty work? A meth-dealing motorcycle gang that is almost comically incompetent! It's hard to be caught up by suspense, or outraged by corporate corruption, when the corporate villains are are so grossly inept.
On top of everything else, this book just felt long. So many things were repeated, and so much of the "investigation" was just brooding, or talking about complex chemical compounds that ultimately proved irrelevant. If this book had been edited properly, and SHORT, it could have been four stars. As it is, it was a painful read I would recommend for no one.
January 24, 2026
A murder mystery that feels like it crawled out of the Florida wetlands itself, humid and alive and impossible to shake off.
Detective Ava Martinez arrives in Crystal Cove hoping to escape her past, only to find herself drowning in a conspiracy that reaches from the town's sun-bleached boardwalk all the way to corporate boardrooms. When bodies start appearing in the pristine waters of a manatee sanctuary, Ava discovers that nothing in this sleepy coastal town is as innocent as it seems.
The setting becomes a character itself, with the manatee preserve serving as both sanctuary and crime scene in a way that's haunting and beautiful.
Ava Martinez is a protagonist worth rooting for. She's damaged but determined, bringing depth from her Minneapolis backstory that adds real weight to her investigation. Her relationships—particularly with her partner Dan and later with Rick—feel authentic and emotionally earned.
The mystery itself is genuinely complex without being convoluted. Bennett weaves together pharmaceutical corruption, small-town politics, and organized crime in a way that kept me second-guessing until the end. The BioSphere conspiracy feels ripped from real headlines about corporate environmental crimes.
The pacing occasionally drags in the middle sections and many of the subplots could have been trimmed without losing impact. There was also a lot of details that were unnecessary to the story.
Detective Ava Martinez arrives in Crystal Cove hoping to escape her past, only to find herself drowning in a conspiracy that reaches from the town's sun-bleached boardwalk all the way to corporate boardrooms. When bodies start appearing in the pristine waters of a manatee sanctuary, Ava discovers that nothing in this sleepy coastal town is as innocent as it seems.
The setting becomes a character itself, with the manatee preserve serving as both sanctuary and crime scene in a way that's haunting and beautiful.
Ava Martinez is a protagonist worth rooting for. She's damaged but determined, bringing depth from her Minneapolis backstory that adds real weight to her investigation. Her relationships—particularly with her partner Dan and later with Rick—feel authentic and emotionally earned.
The mystery itself is genuinely complex without being convoluted. Bennett weaves together pharmaceutical corruption, small-town politics, and organized crime in a way that kept me second-guessing until the end. The BioSphere conspiracy feels ripped from real headlines about corporate environmental crimes.
The pacing occasionally drags in the middle sections and many of the subplots could have been trimmed without losing impact. There was also a lot of details that were unnecessary to the story.
May 16, 2026
Swimming with Manatees by Bill Bennett combines environmental issues with a compelling mystery to create a well-written and extremely interesting tale that kept my interest throughout. This is definitely not your average mystery novel. The pacing is steady, the story is more character than action driven with most of the action occurring behind the scenes so to speak, and this may put off many readers of mysteries/thrillers. In fact, reading other reviewers, it seems like this is a book you’ll either love or dislike. I fall squarely in the first group
But what makes this novel unique and well worth the read is the prose which is often lyrical especially when describing the setting and the characters who are well-drawn, each with individual and easily relatable personalities. That is not to say that there is no suspense to this novel because there is plenty but underneath it, is a comment on justice and the important and fragile relationship between humans and nature. This is the first book I have read by this author but it won’t be the last. For anyone looking for a unique and intelligent mystery coupled with beautiful prose and a defence of the environment, I can’t recommend this novel highly enough.
But what makes this novel unique and well worth the read is the prose which is often lyrical especially when describing the setting and the characters who are well-drawn, each with individual and easily relatable personalities. That is not to say that there is no suspense to this novel because there is plenty but underneath it, is a comment on justice and the important and fragile relationship between humans and nature. This is the first book I have read by this author but it won’t be the last. For anyone looking for a unique and intelligent mystery coupled with beautiful prose and a defence of the environment, I can’t recommend this novel highly enough.
July 10, 2026
I received an ARC through "Booksirens" and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
The story begins with Ava in Crystal City working as a detective after leaving Minn. A report for the discovery of a body takes Ava to a location where Manatees are at. April, the victim is working with an institute dedicated to helping them. Evidence that is available for finding the killer is scarce. Shortly thereafter, another body is discovered with no ID. Later a 3rd killing happens which turns out to be Ava's partner Dan, now it is all hands on deck. As Ava, now working with Grady is pulling all stops in her quest for finding who is doing the killing.
Read along and learn what information she discovers and who is also assisting her. Discover what dangers those around her have to avoid and what is the final piece of the puzzle which presents her with the answer. The details presented keep the reader involved and guessing right till the end.
The ending fills in most of the blanks. This is definitely a book well worth reading, don't miss out!
The story begins with Ava in Crystal City working as a detective after leaving Minn. A report for the discovery of a body takes Ava to a location where Manatees are at. April, the victim is working with an institute dedicated to helping them. Evidence that is available for finding the killer is scarce. Shortly thereafter, another body is discovered with no ID. Later a 3rd killing happens which turns out to be Ava's partner Dan, now it is all hands on deck. As Ava, now working with Grady is pulling all stops in her quest for finding who is doing the killing.
Read along and learn what information she discovers and who is also assisting her. Discover what dangers those around her have to avoid and what is the final piece of the puzzle which presents her with the answer. The details presented keep the reader involved and guessing right till the end.
The ending fills in most of the blanks. This is definitely a book well worth reading, don't miss out!
February 6, 2026
I received an advance copy of this book. Thank you
I have to be honest; 3 stars is generous. I really wanted to like this book, the main character, the setting all had such potential, but boy did it fall short. It did not take long to realize this book needs some serious editing/rewriting. It was very repetitive, a sentence/phrase would appear and within the same paragraph or next, it would appear again, over and over. Also, there were a lot of inconsistency; for example, Ava, the main character, is taking a phone call in her car, within that same paragraph she's looking at her timeline board at the station or her home. Dead bodies are piling up, a pharmaceutical is clearly the bad guy, but why. Initially I thought they were trying to steal the next miracle drug that another company had developed, but that wasn't developed, nor was what they were after. Some of the other characters, while interesting, were confusing, good guys/bad guys, why are they players?
I have to be honest; 3 stars is generous. I really wanted to like this book, the main character, the setting all had such potential, but boy did it fall short. It did not take long to realize this book needs some serious editing/rewriting. It was very repetitive, a sentence/phrase would appear and within the same paragraph or next, it would appear again, over and over. Also, there were a lot of inconsistency; for example, Ava, the main character, is taking a phone call in her car, within that same paragraph she's looking at her timeline board at the station or her home. Dead bodies are piling up, a pharmaceutical is clearly the bad guy, but why. Initially I thought they were trying to steal the next miracle drug that another company had developed, but that wasn't developed, nor was what they were after. Some of the other characters, while interesting, were confusing, good guys/bad guys, why are they players?
December 16, 2025
Swimming with Manatees isn’t the kind of mystery that rushes you from twist to twist. It takes its time, and that actually worked for me. Ava Martinez feels like a detective shaped by loss, not just by the job, and her persistence made the investigation feel personal rather than procedural. The environmental storyline felt grounded and quietly unsettling, especially the sense of how easily truth can be buried when money and convenience are involved. As a reader from the Boozy Book Club, I appreciated the emotional weight behind the crime it’s a reflective, somber read that stays with you more for how it feels than how loudly it shocks.
December 12, 2025
Swimming with Manatees pulled me in right from the opening scene. What starts as a simple drowning quickly becomes a much deeper mystery involving environmental sabotage and small-town secrets. Detective Ava Martinez is easy to root for, determined, grieving, and unwilling to back down even when the case turns personal.
I really enjoyed the mix of atmospheric coastal setting, emotional depth, and steady suspense. The supporting characters add a lot of heart, and the environmental angle gives the story real weight without feeling heavy-handed.
I really enjoyed the mix of atmospheric coastal setting, emotional depth, and steady suspense. The supporting characters add a lot of heart, and the environmental angle gives the story real weight without feeling heavy-handed.
May 26, 2026
What I Did Like:
+The setting has potential. This is an interesting police department that also has to deal with and be aware of protected animals. That’s interesting.
+The case has potential. The players and the case are original and interesting.
Who Should Read This One:
-Unfortunately, as it is, we can’t recommend this one.
My Rating: 1 Star
This one needs serious editing before we can recommend it.
For Full Review: https://alltherightreads.com/2026/05/...
+The setting has potential. This is an interesting police department that also has to deal with and be aware of protected animals. That’s interesting.
+The case has potential. The players and the case are original and interesting.
Who Should Read This One:
-Unfortunately, as it is, we can’t recommend this one.
My Rating: 1 Star
This one needs serious editing before we can recommend it.
For Full Review: https://alltherightreads.com/2026/05/...
January 7, 2026
This has great potential
I truly dislike leaving poor reviews but I cannot recommend this book. It has great potential and the writer seems to be developing a unique voice with some amazingly vivid descriptive passages and nearly poetic prose. However, it's in need of a major edit. There are timeline discrepancies and repetitions. Overall, the book is very disjointed and difficult to read.
I truly dislike leaving poor reviews but I cannot recommend this book. It has great potential and the writer seems to be developing a unique voice with some amazingly vivid descriptive passages and nearly poetic prose. However, it's in need of a major edit. There are timeline discrepancies and repetitions. Overall, the book is very disjointed and difficult to read.
February 18, 2026
The death of a young woman by drowning is suspicious so she is called in to investigate. The case is far more complicated than anyone expected and her partner is killed as she keeps digging through the clues. She has to be careful she is not the next victim. See if she can find the truth
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and a great thriller
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and a great thriller
June 13, 2026
A hard read
I try never to give up on a book once started but this one took some finishing. The storyline seemed to jump about and the prose held too many metaphors and similes. I'm sure with a good edit this could be a really engaging book. The plot line is interesting and if the story just followed the correct timeline it would have been a better read.
I try never to give up on a book once started but this one took some finishing. The storyline seemed to jump about and the prose held too many metaphors and similes. I'm sure with a good edit this could be a really engaging book. The plot line is interesting and if the story just followed the correct timeline it would have been a better read.
February 1, 2026
I received this book as an Early Reviewers giveaway through Library Thing. My apologies to the author for not being able to review in full, but unfortunately I didn’t manage to get very far before realising that this book wasn’t for me.
November 12, 2025
Swimming with Manatees is a novel that doesn’t just linger—it echoes. Bill Bennett weaves a spellbinding tapestry of environmental suspense and human vulnerability, crafting a story that is as urgent as it is intimate. With prose that glides effortlessly between lyrical and grounded, Bennett draws readers into Florida’s coastal estuaries, where secrets drift beneath the surface and memory is as fluid as tide.
What truly distinguishes this novel is its ensemble cast. Each character pulses with emotional complexity and personal agency, their voices distinct yet harmoniously interwoven. The dialogue is crisp, authentic, and often quietly devastating. Bennett’s gift for atmosphere is undeniable—his settings are immersive, tactile, and tinged with melancholy, evoking both the beauty and fragility of the natural world.
Bennett’s lived experience—his background in law, military service, and environmental advocacy—infuses the narrative with rare credibility and moral weight. This isn’t just a suspenseful read; it’s a meditation on justice, legacy, and the delicate interdependence between humanity and habitat.
For readers who crave upmarket fiction with emotional resonance, narrative tension, and a whisper of romance, Swimming with Manatees is a triumph. It’s the kind of novel that leaves you changed—quietly, profoundly, and permanently.
What truly distinguishes this novel is its ensemble cast. Each character pulses with emotional complexity and personal agency, their voices distinct yet harmoniously interwoven. The dialogue is crisp, authentic, and often quietly devastating. Bennett’s gift for atmosphere is undeniable—his settings are immersive, tactile, and tinged with melancholy, evoking both the beauty and fragility of the natural world.
Bennett’s lived experience—his background in law, military service, and environmental advocacy—infuses the narrative with rare credibility and moral weight. This isn’t just a suspenseful read; it’s a meditation on justice, legacy, and the delicate interdependence between humanity and habitat.
For readers who crave upmarket fiction with emotional resonance, narrative tension, and a whisper of romance, Swimming with Manatees is a triumph. It’s the kind of novel that leaves you changed—quietly, profoundly, and permanently.
February 5, 2026
I found this book to be an average, but enjoyable murder mystery. The protagonist, Ava, is well developed and the Florida settings are described beautifully.
July 4, 2026
The story was interesting but was lost in the scattered telling. You couldn't follow the story because the rambling changes within each chapter.
August 15, 2026
Interesting Book
It had a strong female character that did mot back down and she went against stronger men and she kept moving towards the truth,
It had a strong female character that did mot back down and she went against stronger men and she kept moving towards the truth,
December 28, 2025
Swimming with Manatees stayed with me more for how it felt than for how fast it moved the mystery is unfolded in a quiet, almost heavy way, and the Florida setting carries a sense of tension that never really lets up. I liked that the story didn’t rush to explain everything.there’s a lot of silence, grief, and unease woven into the investigation.Ava comes across as someone worn down but unwilling to look away, and that stubbornness made the stakes feel personal. I found it to be a reflective, somber read, less about shock and more about what people are willing to ignore until they can’t anymore.
March 8, 2026
I love a good mystery, but this was not it for me. I found the story very confusing and and hard to follow. I did not think that Dectective Eva was very well developed. I couldn't find anything about her to connect with. She's single minded, and supposedly grieving, but I just didn't feel it from her. She seemed very cold. Bodies drop left and right, but, again, they are people that have no real backstory, so it was really hard to care about them. The book is described as a Eco-thiller, but there was nothing thrilling about this book. I was only a third of the way through the book, and I couln't wait for it to be over. By I time I got to the end of the book, I wasn't really sure what the real crime was. Stealing research, off the book shipments of 'what'? It's never really clear.
The over descriptive prose gets sooo repetitive. Every sunset was "bleeding orange" and every location smelled of "salt and oil".
I will not be reading anymore from this series.
I thank BillBenn Books for the copy that I received through Library Thing's Early Reviewer
The over descriptive prose gets sooo repetitive. Every sunset was "bleeding orange" and every location smelled of "salt and oil".
I will not be reading anymore from this series.
I thank BillBenn Books for the copy that I received through Library Thing's Early Reviewer
March 18, 2026
DNF - I thought that what I read of this book was a disappointing read. I was optimistic that a revised and updated work would read okay but this story was definitely not for me, I quit after five chapters. The warning signs were on the first page when I read that "Ava knew how to read faces, and one of them was lying. Someone here knew what the river had tried to hide". Yet no person is identified.
January 6, 2026
I truly dislike leaving poor reviews but I cannot recommend this book. It has great potential and the writer seems to be developing a unique voice with some amazingly vivid descriptive passages and nearly poetic prose. However, it's in need of a major edit. There are timeline discrepancies and repetitions. Overall, the book is very disjointed and difficult to read.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews