Shark Beach

by Chris Jameson

A dream getaway is about to turn into a living nightmare. . .Rick and Corinne Scully and their kids have visited Florida’s Captiva Island many times. This year, they’ve brought along their best friends, who can’t wait to finally experience the place the Scullys call Paradise on Earth.But this vacation is turning out to be a lot different than planned. The Scullys never expected the rowdy college spring-breakers renting the house next door, or a hurricane that would sweep through the Gulf Coast, or the century-old shipwreck that washed up on the shore. They never knew about the military research being done at a nearby marine institute—and the test subjects that escaped during the hurricane. In the aftermath of the storm, the Scullys and their friends will try to salvage what’s left of their time at the beach. They believe it’s safe to go back in the water. . .but they’re dead wrong.

Genres: Horror, Fiction

308 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 28, 2019

About the author

Chris 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.

Reviews

[Dennis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, I think I have to keep an eye on this Chris Jameson guy. This was a tremendously enjoyable read.

We find ourselves on Florida’s Captiva Island where two couples and their three kids as well as a group of college spring-breakers are vacationing.
Little do they know that in the nearby marine institute some scientists are tinkering with the brains of great white sharks, trying to turn them into controllable killing machines for the military.
When a hurricane is sweeping through the Gulf Coast the island gets evacuated. But in the ensuing chaos some people are left behind. And some not quite ordinary, and pretty angry sharks make it into the Gulf.

Jameson takes this pretty typical creature feature premise and turns it into a suspenseful book that isn’t quite so silly at all.

First of all, he’s really taking his time to properly introduce us to the characters and give us a feel for their respective motivations. They are not just a couple of meatballs ready to be chomped on. Instead we end up with a diverse cast that contains a lot of likeable characters and also some that are trying to take advantage of the chaotic situation, some that are simply assholes and some that are only trying to do their jobs amidst all the chaos.

It takes quite some time before the sharks really come into play. And by that point the author will have put his characters into places and situations that they reached through a natural progression of events, but that are now turning into nightmare situations with no easy way out.

They end up in the shark lab, on a burglar's boat, in a sinking ship wreck out of the American Civil War that got washed ashore when the hurricane hit, in mangrove trees, on the open sea, and so on.

Some of the characters will turn out to be quite heroic, others will be paralyzed by fear and some will just be plain unlucky. And there will also be some that do stupid things and pay the price for it.

In short, in spite of the silly premise the book feels real, sort of, or at the very least believable. And the characters do so as well. Which leads to a very supenseful read, since I liked quite a few of these people and of course not everybody is gonna make it out of this alive.

This was great fun and the only thing missing for me were a couple more detailed descriptions of the sharks and also a little more variety in their behavior. But I liked that they weren’t described as senseless killing machines by nature, as they so often are in these books, and that the characters frequently pointed this out as well.

Oh, and I love little nine-year-old Kelsey. Great kid!

Very good book!

4.5 stars

[karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

shark week reading continues!

[Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shark week!

Yeah, I got roped, or rather, netted, into this little toothy holiday. What better way to enjoy the sun, with or without the water, than with our little predator buddies! No, no, I'm not talking about your droogs from the hood. I'm talking about REAL SHARKS! The kind that jumps out of a page and nom-nom your brain.

I admit I lost a few IQ points reading this, but THAT'S OKAY. We're not really meant to take away anything special back with us from this little family getaway except that ADVERSITY BRINGS FAMILIES BACK TOGETHER.

Awww!

All told, however, and despite the fact that this novel was fast-paced and solid for all the things it does, it still isn't all that special. Fun, yes. Groundbreaking? No. Not at all. Seriously. But it was still entertaining. You could say it is exactly what the bloodthirsty doctor with a few extra rows of teeth ordered. He got his license from the University of Instinctville, but I'm not complaining.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun page-turner with a pleasantly diverse cast of interesting characters who are stranded on an island off the Florida coast being menaced by an army of ravenous sharks. The scientists, who really should have learned by now that there are some things that man was not meant to screw around with/at/to, have messed with the sharks in order to use them as weapons or spies (and you know that never goes well), but it backfires on them just when a huge storm is approaching, and they're stranded on an island, and the sharks are angry and hungry and determined... There are tourists vacationing next to a house of rowdy partying students and the well-meaning security guard sets the sharks free and it's all downhill from there... Several of the characters have the same names as familiar horror writers, which is amusing: the security guard is Maurice Broadus, there's a Randall (one of Christopher Golden's best-known pseudonyms) and a Hautala, etc. It's a really well-written thriller for shark fans. Bring your own tartar sauce.
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!

[Mogsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2019/05/27/...

When it comes to books, most readers have a guilty pleasure read or particular genres they go to for pure escapism, and for me, it’s books like Shark Beach. Sometimes you just have to say screw it and indulge in a little fun every once in a while, whether it be a trashy romance, the fripperies of an angsty teen drama, or in my case, bloody shark porn. And what I like most about Chris Jameson’s shark books is that they somehow manage to perfectly straddle that fine line between the believable and the completely ludicrous.

Still, compared to the author’s previous books Shark Island and Devil Sharks, Shark Beach arguably does take things a little bit over the top, what with the secret government labs and genetically engineered sharks modified to have heightened aggression levels which are then inevitably unleashed upon the unsuspecting public. The story takes place on dreamy Captiva Island, located in Florida just offshore in the Gulf of Mexico. Because of its isolation and small size, it’s the perfect destination for tourists desiring a tropical vacation away from all the hustle and bustle, but of course, as the book starts with the news that a monster hurricane about to hit the gulf, the mood on the island is anything but peaceful.

Typical of most thrillers, Shark Beach bounces between a number of POVs, but its main focus is the Scully family—Rick and Corinne and their daughters Emma and Kelsey—along with their friends Matti and Jenn Hautala and their son Jesse. The two families have been close for years, with their kids practically having grown up as siblings, but only this spring have they all finally managed to get together to rent a vacation home on Captiva. As frequent visitors to the island, the Scullys are excited to show their friends what they love about the place, though that elation is somewhat dampened by Rick and Corrine’s troubled marriage, not to mention the looming threat of Hurricane Juliet, which may or may not make landfall in Florida. The governor has thus far only issued a voluntary evacuation order, which many vacationers are choosing to ignore for now, including the Scullys, the Hautalas, and the rowdy spring breakers in the beach house next door.

In the midst of all this uncertainty, the staff at a clandestine maritime research facility on neighboring Sanibel Island are doing their own fretting and prepping, taking steps to protect their top-secret work and the valuable contents in their massive state-of-the-art aquarium tanks. In case the hurricane does hit, they’ll need backup power and security on-site to make sure nothing will go wrong. They did not, however, consider the possibility that a security breach would occur within—a mistake that would later prove costly in both blood and human lives.

Like Jameson’s other shark novels, there’s plenty of shark action and all the horror and thrills you could hope for. After the missteps in Devil Sharks, I was also glad to see that Shark Beach returned to a more character-focused approach. As a result of the narrative limiting the number of people we followed, as well as the beefing up of relationship and personality development, I felt I was better able to engage with the characters and actually cared whether they survived or ended up being shark food.

Which brings me to the tension in this one, which was insane. Several times I practically had to restrain myself from committing the reader’s sin of skipping to the end of a page or chapter just to find out what happens in order to get some quick relief from the terror and suspense. In a word, the pacing and intensity of Shark Beach was relentless. Between the chaos of the hurricane and the awful dread of being out on the water, you could never predict what would happen or trust that anyone would be safe. Ironically, despite the ridiculous premise involving weaponized sharks, I also experienced a fear reading this one that I didn’t with Shark Island or Devil Sharks, probably because the others featured scenarios I felt far removed from. But at the center of this novel is an average family doing what all average families do when they are taking a beach vacation, which mostly involves being out on the water. In recent years, we’ve also witnessed the magnitude of destruction that powerful hurricanes can do to the area. In the blink of an eye, a sudden force of nature can turn paradise into a nightmare, and for some reason, the situation in the novel just felt too real for me. Needless to say, I don’t think I’ll be swimming in the ocean or getting into any small boats in the foreseeable future.

My only criticism is that the ending felt too abrupt. Jameson did a great job with characters in this one, but I also wished he had carried some of the ideas a little further. For example, what was the conflict that caused the falling out between Marianna, Simone, and Nadia? The story touched lightly upon this, but the question was never answered. And what happened to the relationship between the Scullys and the Hautalas in the end, given all that happened to the two families? Again, we are only left to speculate. I just think that if an author’s going to build up these little dramas, we should get some of them resolved.

Still, if you’re looking for your shark fiction fix this summer, these books can’t be beat when it comes to campy good fun. I hope Chris Jameson will keep them coming!

[Michael Hicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, Chris Jameson returns with another summertime shark-themed beach read that’ll scare the mankini off you.

Shark Beach follows a pair of vacationing families, the Scully’s and the Hautala’s, as they contend with the college kids partying their summer break away next door. Although Rick Scully is none too happy with the much younger Rashad flirting with his wife, Corrine, he’s soon going to find himself in far more troubling waters. Little do the gang know, there’s a research facility not too far away, one that’s been experimenting with sharks for the military. The goal is to turn nature’s most fearsome underwater predator into a controllable weapon using some nifty electronic implants to rejigger a shark’s brain to make it even more fearsome and violent. Sounds like a brilliant idea, right? What could possibly go wrong? Well, as it just so happens, there’s a category two hurricane about to make landfall, and that’s going to be the least of everyone’s worries.

While much of the first half of the book is aimed at getting readers familiar with the characters and giving us just enough of a reason to care when things get chompy later, Jameson keeps the tension and conflict high. Interpersonal drama abounds as Rick and Corrine grapple with personal issues and question whether or not their marriage will last much longer. The elder Scully child, meanwhile, is starting to crush hard on the Hautala’s boy, Jesse, who she’s known her whole life and makes for some funny/uncomfortable scenes here and there. I did appreciate Jameson eschewing the stereotypical over-the-top party hardy brand of college breakers, opting instead to make them more subdued and real, rather than toxic male frat boys and dimwitted sorority sisters you’re quick to hate and eager to see bleed. Throughout all the character building — and there are an awful lot of characters here, so some are better defined and more memorable than others — Jameson keeps an eye on the action. The hurricane’s landfall is every bit as chaotic as you could want and provides a good bit of natural horror oomph while we wait for the shark action to kick into high gear.

And, man, once those sharks get loose…good lord. The last half of Shark Beach is like mainlining all of Shark Week simultaneously in one sitting. If you’ve read Jameson’s prior two shark horror books, you know what to expect. If you haven’t, well then, buckle up! The nature of the research institute’s shark experiments requires a lot of test subjects, so instead of just one or two hungry and vicious apexes Jameson floods the shores of Captiva Island with thirty brain-damaged, jacked-up, out of control monsters that make Jaws look like a goldfish. It. Is. Glorious! There’s all kinds of mayhem, dismembering, and toothy shark attack goodness as the families and college kids try to salvage what’s left of their island retreat and enjoy their vacation, blissfully ignorant of what’s waiting for them in the water. And thanks to Jameson’s character work, you actually kind of give a crap about some of these characters meeting their atrocious ends. Some of the principals here are relateable and human enough that you can’t help but feel sympathy for them as they find themselves trapped and hopelessly out of luck.

Shark Beach is perfect summer escapist fun. I really can’t think of anything to complain about, and it hit all the right notes for me. It’s the kind of book that knows exactly what it needs to be, carries absolutely no pretensions otherwise, and delivers the goods the whole way through. I went into it wanting little more than an enjoyable, pulpy genre read with a spate of truly awful, gory shark attacks and, hot damn, I got it. I got it in spades. Shark Beach delivered! I found myself wincing more than a few times at the breathless brutality that unfolded, and I’m pretty sure I don’t need to go an ocean beach vacation anytime soon. Hell, I’m even side-eyeing freshwater beach vacations just to be on the safe side.

[chucklesthescot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rick and Corinne invite their friends Jenn and Matti on a shared family holiday with their kids, renting a beach villa on a beautiful island. Next door, the villa is occupied by a group of college kids looking for a different kind of Spring Break. When the hurricane warning comes, it is a decision on whether to evacuate or hunker down until it passes, and the two groups end up being stranded through circumstances. At the nearby research clinic, a security guard comes up with the idea of releasing the test sharks so they can escape their tortured life but he has no idea what he could be about to unleash.

Rick and Corinne are going through a difficult time in their marriage which isn't helped when Corinne's bit of innocent flirting with Rashad, a college student in the other villa causes an enraged Rick to start getting into fights. With the hurricane coming in, the police have more important things to deal with, especially when the island tourists mostly ignore the voluntary evacuation order to stubbornly continue their vacation. It is only when the mandatory evacuation order is issued that people finally take notice. A boat accident at the bridge exit then stops the majority from leaving and they have to stay and weather the storm. Jenn and Matti are uncomfortable to see the problems their friends are having, when their own marriage is a happy one.

At the Institute, security guard Maurice hates what is being done to the sharks, as he himself has a rescue dog. All non essential staff are being evacuated before Hurricane Juliet arrives but Maurice decides to stay and hatches a crazy plan to release the sharks. When the storm actually hits he quickly sees that his idea is dumb and dangerous but is it too late to stop it? Lennox is tired of his wife and their life together and decides he wants to start a new life in Seattle. To get some cash together he decides to use the cover of the storm to rob the rich houses that have already been evacuated. Local cop Agnes has her hands full of tourists that refused to evacuate and are now complaining that they are stuck on the island. She faces her own difficulties as the island floods and she is forced to seek shelter to save herself. Her colleagues are about to be given the news about the escape of the test sharks to spoil their day.

I enjoyed the first part of the book which sets the scene for the coming storm. It has that tension as we watch who is doing what and the storm gradually gets closer. You can feel the frustration of the police that the tourists stubbornly stay until the last possible minute and cause a bottleneck to get off the island. There is then the disaster at the bridge and the panic of the people being forced to stay. We get our MCs trying to get to the bridge, mixed up with the bad plans of Lennox and Maurice, which keeps the story moving along at pace along with the problems that the police are having to deal with.

The real fun comes of course when the sharks make heir escape from the Institute and enter the sea. Their aggression has been dialed up by the stupidity of Maurice and they are very hungry. Tourists that are trying to make the best of things in the aftermath of the storm are starting to return to the water. Rick, Matti, Kelsey and Jesse are going on a boat trip unaware that it belongs to Lennox who is making a final bit of money before he flees. Kevin and Tyler are taking a canoe trip in the mangroves while Emma, Rashad and Marianne explore a beached wreck that is about to be dragged back out to sea. Nadia and Simone decide to hire some equipment for an octane packed day of fun. Corinne and Jenn are going to be stuck on the beach as events unfold and everyone is going to have an encounter with the sharks in the hours to come.

I loved all the different stories that were going on as the sharks started to feed on the tourists. It ramped up the interest and tension that began with the storm and took it to a whole other level. There was so much of interest happening. I very much enjoyed the mangrove adventure that Kevin and Tyler had to endure. I spent my time with Rashad yelling at them for their stupidity as it became clear what kind of trouble they were getting into but it was fun to read their part of the story. I could imagine how helpless Corinne felt watching her child drift out to sea and realise that there were deadly sharks waiting to feed on Emma. The one character that annoyed me was Rick-his petty jealousy with Rashad, his poor relationships with his family and his desire to always do what he wanted-but it was a mild irritation that never spoiled the story.

I really enjoyed this book, in the same way that I did with Shark Island and I really hope there are more shark tales to come from the author!

[B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I must admit, I would have enjoyed it more if this book took itself slightly less seriously - I just learned of this author and with a blurb like this one, I was hoping that it would really pile on the cheese. Government modified sharks? Yes, please. That being said, it was still a wonderfully enjoyable little book, though there was a lot of build up for very little climax. I would have loved more in terms of the action sequences and a stronger resolution, but for what it is - it's great. It was wonderful escapism during this whole mess.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

The third book in his Shark series (although the other two are unrelated), the fast paced and gripping novel follows two families on vacation on the idyllic southwest Florida gulf coast island of Captiva. As they settle in to a much needed vacation, despite tensions between one of the couples and the next door group of college aged spring breakers, something much more troubling is about to happen.

A marine research institute funded by the government and military has been interested in experimentation with controlling shark behavior and aggression. Of course, this is all kinds of bad news, and as a hurricane barrels down on Sanibel/Captiva, those who are stranded post storm due to a bridge accident have no idea that the storm damage is the least of their worries.

What's most impressive about this novel (the author name is a pseudonym for a well known bestselling author...and no, it ain't James Patterson!) is that he perfectly captures the setting and landmarks of Captiva. He's actually BEEN there and as someone who grew up in that region and has visited Captiva numerous times, this made SHARK BEACH that much more enjoyable.

Highly recommended, especially for fans of Jaws and other shark centered horror thrillers.

[Di · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked this up for Shark Week. I have enjoyed this author's previous two books for prior year Shark Week reading and I enjoyed this one as well. I think Shark Island is still my favorite of the three, then Devil Sharks, then this one. There were more unlikable characters in this installment and I just didn't enjoy how it all played out. It was still a very entertaining read for Shark Week and now that I've read all of this author's books, I'll need to find something else to read for Shark Week next year.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome for a beach read, though it was a pool and deck read for me personally.
Enough characters and emotion to make it engaging, enough shark attacks to make it exciting.

[Erika *and her little dog too* · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have this really irrational fear of sharks--of the ocean in general, really--so of course, it makes perfect sense that I would seek out books like this one. Ever since I read Meg, I've been on this mission to find really good, stress-inducing "ocean horror" (it's my new guilty pleasure), and Shark Beach nailed it. The Scullys' vacation to Captiva, Florida quickly turns into a nightmare when a hurricane and a well-meaning (albeit misguided) animal-rights activist unleash nearly three dozen behaviorally-modified sharks into the wild. It's gruesome and terrifying and tense, and I loved it.

[J.C. Ferguson · Rating 1 out of 5]

I finished the book, but I'm not quite sure why. It could have used a good editor, starting with the fact that "Spring Break" doesn't happen in hurricane season. There were too many characters and too much head hopping. The finish didn't wrap up the story. There wasn't much plot. The first half was all about the hurricane and the second half was a bunch of shark attacks. The only thing that tied the two halves together was the release of the sharks during the hurricane and the thief who stole from houses during the storm was the captain of the boat in the second half. Oh yes, the author did kill off several of the characters in the second part that we met in the first.

I guess I kept reading to find out who was going to survive.

[Catherine Croy · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are looking for a book that requires very little thought but is very entertaining, this is it. It is exactly what you would expect.

[Fred Rayworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

In some ways, Shark Beach was an improvement over Devil Sharks. While it was more of a creature feature, it was still mostly another character study that dragged through the first half of the book. Things didn’t start getting good until the second half.

The other thing was the writing. While mostly solid third-person limited, in this installment, the author went into several bouts of serious head-hopping which jarred me out of the story. There were particular places, especially in the second half where he head-hopped all over the place. It almost spoiled the fun.

On the other hand, there was a lot more icky bug than in his previous effort, a lot higher body count, and once things got going, a lot less pondering one’s navel to deal with. I was able to mostly forgive his literary bent. However, the first half wasn’t looking all that good as he developed the characters, which I still didn’t really care about all that much. With so many of them, and some set up to be eaten later on, I still wasn’t sure who to root for, except the kids.

Overall though, for an icky bug, which is extremely rare to find in the bookstores, I was happy to be able to indulge. The only other one I’ve seen lately looked good until I opened it and saw it was written in present tense, which I find unreadable. Shark Beach, on the other hand was solid past-tense and very readable. I’m glad the author made the cut and got into the bookstore. I certainly wish him the best. Recommended.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

Potboiler. An author or artist creating a work to pay the bills. Yes not every novel is a work of deep thought or redeeming qualities but...this novel smacks of a wine and pot session. Cannot or even believe I could write a novel, so admiration for someone that does. It was a shock that some of the characters die and that kept me reading but the novel, after finishing, had nothing else. Altering the brains of sharks has been written about before,as well as movies,Deep Blue, comes to mind. Good flick. Potboiler novel just keeps coming up for this reader. Later. Keep Reading.

[Candice · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my second read from Chris Jameson and it delivered on entertainment. The character development and attention to detail with each sub story line is great. I appreciate taking the time to get to know characters a bit before they get bit.
The sheer chaos of Mother Nature, insane scientists, military involvement, people with issues, activists with good intentions, and opportunists smash together in a great shark story. It's fun, scary, completely plausible while also being implausible. Have fun with this one!

[Paul McBride · Rating 4 out of 5]

I usually save these type of books for summer, but I had it and was tired of looking at the snow.
What’s not to love, about these types of books. The characters you don’t like usually get eaten, although the author kills of a few semi likable ones as well. Throw in a hurricane and the fact the the sharks have been altered by the military to be used as even greater killing machines and you have a great beach or poolside book, or in my case, a watching it snow book.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I'm in love with you, Mr. Jameson. This book helped feed my shark obsession, which happens few and far between because there just isn't enough fiction about sharks out there. I thought it was great and would have given it 5 stars if you hadn't killed off the good guy and let the a-hole live.

[McKenna Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of fun in a horror, man-eating-genetically-modified-sharks-are-eating-people kind of way. The characters seemed like real people, cool to see the whole range of characters portrayed. Finished in a couple hours, but maybe I shouldn't have read it right before bed lol. Definitely gonna check out his other stuff.

[Monica Albright · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm giving this one 4.5 stars! I enjoyed it. It's a quick read for the summer. Although not necessarily a "beach read" due to the subject matter. Given the time, I could have finished it in one day. But I treated myself with this book as my lunch half-hour reward. And it motivated me to walk away from my desk and read for 30 minutes daily.

[Philip Kahn-Pauli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolute trash but damn if it wasn't perfect beach reading trash. I loved it. The literary equivalent of a summer popcorn/scream fest movie. BUT just clever enough play with the obligatory tropes of the genre to justify it's place in the world. I want more. Thanks!

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t read many books like this but I watch a lot of shark movies. This book is better than all the shark movies I have seen. The author did a great job on character development and I liked all the different settings of the shark encounters.

[Paige Turner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad. Not great, but not bad. A decent shark fiction.

[Jan Davis · Rating 2 out of 5]

The characters were pretty well developed, but the story arcs were not. To make it worse, the ending of each arc was rushed and felt unfinished.

[Paul Wood · Rating 3 out of 5]

Low-key entertaining... a bit long in the tooth by the time the real action kicks in.

[Matt Holland · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was not a good shark book.

[Allan · Rating 3 out of 5]

First half was a snoozer, 2nd half was good fun.

[Rachel Spang · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like deep blue sea then you will like this book.

[Kirstie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up cause I had a good time reading it