Twelve Mile Bank

A.J. Bailey Adventure #1

by Nicholas Harvey

AJ Bailey runs a dive boat on the island of Grand Cayman, the Mecca of Caribbean SCUBA diving. As a young girl in England she was captivated by a story her Navy veteran grandfather had kept secret since 1945. Now, armed with nothing more than her grandfather's tale and an adventurous spirit, she's plunged into a duel against a wealthy Argentinian treasure hunter to find a piece of history lost to the sea for over seventy years.
Twelve Mile Bank brings history together with an exhilarating story set in the gorgeous waters surrounding the Cayman Islands.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Adventure, Suspense, Action, Ebooks

276 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 30, 2017

About the author

A USA Today bestselling author, Nicholas Harvey's life has been anything but ordinary. Race car driver, motorsports professional, adventure traveller, divemaster, and since 2020, a full-time novelist. Raised in England, Nick has dual UK and US citizenship and now lives nomadically wherever he and his amazing wife, Cheryl, choose to land for a few months. He is the author of the Nora Sommer Suspense, Kat Cromwell Mystery, and AJ Bailey Adventure series, as well as multiple collaborations.

Find out more info and join his newsletter at www.HarveyBooks.com

Reviews

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Riveting Read! Was thrilled to get my hands on Nick's first book and could barely put it down long enough to have dinner! Extremely well written, loved the story line and all of the amazing details that brought everything to life! Can't recommend it enough and am stoked that this is a series.

I'm pleased to know the author and have interviewed him about this book - you can read it on my website here - https://travelbloggers.ca/2017/12/18/...

[Jennifer M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who hasn’t thought about being able to live and work on a Caribbean island at some point? I know I am not the only one. I enjoyed the setting, the people, the search, the diving, and even the bad guys. This is my first Nicholas Harvey novel but certainly won’t be my last.

[Brooke || FindingMyFavoriteBook · Rating 5 out of 5]

GENRE: Fiction

SETTING: Grand Cayman

PLOT: Dive Boat operator, AJ Bailey, is running a successful dive company in Grand Cayman. But she’s also dreamed of finding the sunken U-boat off the coast that her Grandfather once told her about...

When another shipwreck operation catches wind of the possible location, the race is on to find and identify the submarine. For while this other company is only concerned about the money, AJ is concerned about preserving the history.

OPINION: This book was AWESOME! I could NOT put it down and I’m sure my family got tired of me raving during our trip to Cayman, when I read this! As a scuba diver, I appreciated the accurate description that Harvey gave and I loved the back and forth between current day and 1940’s. Several of the dive spots that Harvey mentioned are ones I have grown up diving. And until reading this, I had no idea that Twelve Mile Bank is an ACTUAL location off Grand Cayman - considered to be the 4th Cayman Island! Now, I’ve got a whole new dive spot to add to my bucket list. If you are a diver - or you love maritime war history - or even if you love a good treasure hunt, this book is for you! A perfect beach read!!!

STAR RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

[Nancy Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

Loaded with filler

If all of the tedious details of scuba diving - I didn't sign up for a course!!! -were removed, roughly 2/3 of the pages would remain. If the disjointed backstory was then pared down and organized properly, only about 1/3 would remain.

And in the remainder, the hackneyed heroine -rushes -in - when - she -
knows- she- shouldn't part and the details of the perilous situation that results (naturally) cover many pages. On top of that, it was only because of a foolish mistake on her part that she determined to be even more foolhardy.

Also, even though the writer provides tedious details about diving, reefs, and fish, his character depiction and development is downright skimpy.

The one high note is that the main story idea is interesting. Unfortunately, the writer's poor execution diminishes the story instead of enhancing it.

[Kirk Jockell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grab yourself a copy and dive in (pun intended). Twelve Mile Bank, book #1 in the AJ Bailey Adventure Series, will pull you in from chapter one and keep you in the chair until you are finished. The story is well told and crafted. I found the use of shifting timelines superbly incorporated in the tale's development and pace of the story.

I should also confess that I am “not” a diver. And that is okay. You need not be a diving enthusiast to enjoy the story. However, if you are like me, you might find yourself on Google researching dive classes. Don’t tell my wife, though. She would kill me.
Nice work, Mr. Harvey. I’ve already ordered book #2.

[Karen Kearns · Rating 5 out of 5]

LESSONS ON LOCATING A LOST WW2 UBOAT

1. A tale told, first person, by a WW2 British and survivor who was involved in the rescue of a survivor of a UBOAT off the coast of Grand Cayman.
2. Have the tale retold many times to the British granddaughter of the WW2 survivor, who grows up to become a Divemaster/Instructor living on Grand Cayman.
3. Insert a recently demised local fisherman’s chart of his secret fishing holes.
4. Then bring on the surviving son of a high ranking Nazi soldier who was instrumental in stashing gold bullion in a German UBoat prior to the end of WW2 and cutting orders to send the UBoat into the Caribbean Sea to be sunk.

This has been a very suspenseful book that kept me glued to the pages through to the last sentence of the Epilogue.

[Cathy Church · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is Nicholas' first book in a series of adventures around the Cayman Islands. It is not elegantly written or even well punctuated, but it is a fun adventure story. There is full devotion to the fast moving plot rather than intricate character development or beautifully worded ideas. It is a book to read on the plane while heading for the Cayman Islands where I live. I would rateit as a good adventure story, with adequate suspense and outcome. It is not on the level of Clive Cussler, but then very few books are.

[Danny Alderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An edge of your seat novel!

AJ is literally up to her neck in water and trouble as she, along with her good friends, Reg and Thomas, search for an old sunken German submarine. The bad guys try to kill her by stealing her boat while she's diving alone in hopes she'll either die of hypothermia in the cool nighttime water temps or become fish fodder for the nighttime scavengers...sharks!I

I stayed on the edge of my seat through this book! Hope you enjoy it as well!

[Jackson Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I willstate that am a former submariner who served on Diesel submarines and nuclear subs during my 21 years in the Navy. I am also a qualified scuba diver although at age 70 I have not dived in over 20 years. That having been said this author really knows the subject he writes about and does not let too much detail get in the way of good story and page turning plot. Recommended

[VELMA JOHNSON · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great first novel.

My son suggested I read this book as he had read it and was sure I would like it. I was impressed with not only the author’s knowledge of the island but also the history that he included in the book. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes adventure and history.

[John Vocale · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Grand Cayman adventure that has all the ingredients for a fine series. Adventure, intrigue, good guys and gals, bad guys, Nazis (they would be the bad guys), a missing u-boat and a girl with a rebellious tattoo. Bring them all to a boil, stir them up and you are left with a delectable starter.

[Kathrine Aasen · Rating 1 out of 5]

According to my Kindle I gave up at 15%read.
The story hadn't really began. So far I had been introduced to the characters in a manner completely lacking in ways of tickling my curiosity.
I also found the dialogs stilted.

[Cindy B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing, exciting plot and twists with interesting characters. Betrayal, murder, romance, and robbery on the high seas - what more can you ask for? Oh! It’s well narrated and written. Some WWII history interwoven. No skips or missing sections.

[Shelley Millsap · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating

Good combination of diving, history, and adventure. I wanted to hear more about the exploration and recovery from the wreck.

[Penelope · Rating 4 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed :D Twelve Mile Bank (book#1 in the AJ Bailey series by Nicholas Harvey) an adventure novel based in the Caribbean waters surrounding the Grand Cayman island. This book kept my interest. I nearly read it in one setting, pushing ahead to see what would happen with AJ/FMC, a Cayman island dive operator, as she inadvertently puts herself in the path of merciless killers.

AJ Bailey and Reg Moore/MMC, her mentor and friend, have been splitting their time between taking tourists diving and searching for a lost WWII U-boat AJ believes may have sunk years ago a fair distance off the coast. AJ and Reg haven’t felt rushed in their search until a ruthless salvage diver arrives with a wealthy backer, a crew, and a boat full of deep diving gear, radar & sonar scanning equipment - everything necessary to strip a wreck quickly. Suddenly, it’s become a race against time, and in this race the losers may die.

The author effectively weaves historical events with present day ramifications flawlessly into the telling of the story. I do recommend Twelve Mile Bank to readers looking for an exciting, page-turning novel; for those who enjoy action-adventure novels; historical wartime fiction; and for those who scuba dive or who enjoy reading adventures and mysteries about scuba diving. Clive Cussler fans (which I am) will undoubtedly enjoy Twelve Mile Bank. It was a pleasure to read about diving and have it so accurately portrayed. Twelve Mile Bank was a very enjoyable read!

Reader Cautions - This is a “nearly” Clean novel.
Profanity - less than 10 times.
Sex - brief mention of past relationships (off-scene) and current possibilities (less than a PG-13 movie, IMO). Twelve Mile Bank is an adventure mystery. The emphasis is on the action and the solving of the mystery.
Violence - not graphic; past murders mentioned briefly, main characters attacked by antagonists. WWII war crimes discussed briefly. IMO, Twelve Mike Bank is appropriate for all readers 16 and older unless they would be offended by the aforementioned.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twelve Mile Bank was a fun adventure story. AJ is an easy to like character and it was a joy to follow her around on this action-packed tale. Her friend and diving mentor, Reg, enjoy their job of taking tourists out diving among the coral reefs. AJ is really good at her job and several tourists return yearly just to dive with her. I liked that the story showed her working with a variety of clients, from kids to the retired.

There’s flashes of past events sprinkled throughout the story. These reveal a German submarine and how she came to rest among the reefs of the Cayman islands. I felt these bits were really well written and I kinda wanted a whole companion story focusing on these (mostly) young lads who are caught up in a war they didn’t want.

AJ and Reg come across a wreck and they are very anxious to get it registered. There are some unsavory characters around known for swooping in and stealing wrecks from other treasure hunters. Now AJ battles the clock to get the wreck registered properly. This added a delicious tension to the story.

The story ramps up the suspense as AJ heads off on her own. Yet there is betrayal, Mother Nature, curious sharks, and more for her to contend with. It was all very exciting! But then the story oddly ends in a non-climax. Yes, we get resolution on everything but there was no real confrontation with the unscrupulous characters nor the exhilaration of bringing the wreck (or it’s contents) to the light of day. 4/5 stars.

The Narration: Kim Bretton was a great pick for this story. I loved her various accents for the characters, keeping them all unique. Her male characters sound like men and her little kid voices are spot on. Bretton did a great job of capturing AJ’s feelings and her performance really added to the action and suspense. There were no tech issues with this recording. 5/5 stars.

I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Nicholas Harvey. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

[Shadallark]

I have marked this review as containing spoilers as the review is for my own reference. If you want to know what the book is like and if you will like it, read it. I have not provided a star rating for the book as, regardless of what I think or don’t think, I am sure the author did a good job and should not be punished by my rating system. Typically I will rate books I think are five stars (I can see myself reading multiple times again; or it affected me deeply) or four stars (I am glad I read it, even if it was not amazing all the way through). Anything else I usually will not rate as I feel no need to negatively impact a book’s star rating just because it was not my kind of book.

I came to this book after reading five or six of the books in the Deep series. I tried out the book because AJ and a few other characters made some cross over appearances in that series.

I liked the descriptions of SCUBA diving presented in the book. I am not a deep water diver, deepest dive so far is 25.1 metres (82 feet) so all of the very deep diving done in the book, including taking a family with kids so deep, just seemed odd and out of place to me. I am sure there are many great reasons to dive so deep, occasionally; it just seems like an unnecessary risk to do frequently when there is so much to see in less than 25 metres of water.

The explanations about and dives with Lionfish were great to read. More people need to know about this invasive species so it can be controlled.

The story about the submarine, the submarine’s crew, and AJ’s grandfather were very well done. It was just the storyline taking part in the present that did not resonate with me. Just too much sinister vibe with no clear understanding of how AJ or her friends would be able to handle it, I guess

Overall a good book, not sure yet if I will keep reading this series.

[Rosemary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twelve Mile Bank - a review by Rosemary Kenny

AJ Bailey is a divemaster with her own charter business, Mermaid Divers, in the Grand Cayman islands.

When her dive-ship's captain, Thomas, seeks her help in cleaning up his late Uncle Henry's fishing boat, what does AJ find hidden on board?
What does her mentor 'Uncle' Reg tell her about his charter-boat hire?

Reg soon regrets taking on this deep-sea exploration job, especially when it seems they may target him, for AJ's knowledge of the scuttled WWII U-Boat's whereabouts. He's worried that the unscrupulous Renfro and his men, will stop at nothing, to recover something hidden within it.
How does Mac try to charm AJ into giving him info,
and when does she realise what he's really like?

An epic, minutely detailed novel, that fills in the actual WWII history of the time, the start of AJ's interest in finding/preserving wrecks and the minutiae of diving regulations, limitations etc, which may or may not enhance your reading experience, of Nicholas Harvey's Twelve Mile Bank. The novel has a slow build throughout, with an 'HEA' of sorts, which you might also enjoy.

Why not try this intriguing tale of relic-hunting, diving and complex relationships, (which reminded me of the Jacqueline Bissett/Nick Nolte film, The Deep, to be honest), for yourself?
It makes a good start to the series, as a standalone, or to whet your appetite for Book 2!

[Lloyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good adventure/mystery novel. The adventure part takes place in the Cayman Islands. It involves a missing sunken wreck in the Caribbean Sea supposedly with a treasure of gold aboard. The mystery part is who and how will our main characters be thwarted in their attempt to discover the sunken wreck; not for gold but for historical preservation. This is the first story in a series of adventures by the main character, Ms. A.J. Bailey, a 20 something owner of a recreational diving business named Mermaid Divers. The business caters to tourists visiting the Cayman Islands who want a recreational diving excursion for a few hours. They dive on nearby reefs and well-known sunken wrecks The plot is realistic, the characters are well defined and their behavior and actions are very reasonable given their motivations. The author provides an unanticipated twist that really alters the readers view of the developing situation. The story does slow down at times as very technical data about the dangers of diving and potentially getting the “bends” is described. I know nothing about diving and safety procedures and precautions, nor to I plan to engage in such activities. These details were given to enhance the suspense and the danger surrounding some of the dives made by Ms. Bailey. I understand the author’s reasons for giving all that detail, I just thought the same suspense could be achieved with less detail and more action by the characters.

[Theboymallett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a gripping first novel from Nicholas Harvey, drawing together his passion for the beautiful Cayman Islands and his knowledge of WWII history

The novel is set in the present day but delves back in time to 1945 as the last acts of Second World War unfold. The two are linked together through a story told to the main character, AJ Bailey, by her ex-Royal Navy grandfather - a sombre tale about a single German submariner who is rescued from the Caribbean Sea in the aftermath of a terrible storm, just as the war draws to a close
As the novel progresses, we switch back and forth between the events of 1945 and 2017 as a dangerous race to uncover the truth about what exactly happened that night develops

The plot is both plausible and well-conceived and the story builds to an enthralling climax, keeping you entertained right to the last page. Along the way there is a great plot twist concerning the nature of the U-Boat mission and, despite her enviable lifestyle, it is impossible not to warm to lead character AJ Bailey

Highly recommended !

[Rachael Ashak-Benson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full of surprises! AJ’s a strong, feisty heroine!

Fabulous start to this series - which combines 3 time periods seamlessly into one book.
Even if you are not, “a history person,” you’ll still enjoy this story as it’s all written in a modern, approachable way.
Nothing stuffy or textbook about it! Just great storytelling.
The character development is done so well that characters not even playing an active part in the story - who other author’s would be apt to just breeze over - are also included in depth of description. In particular AJ’s parents.
An enthralling story jam packed full of truly unique action sequences, sinister bad guys, a gorgeous locale the author had no trouble bringing to life, good guys to root for, & at least for me - tons of fresh information (the facts regarding lion fish, that I actually took upon myself to research even further, were incredibly interesting!).
An intriguing story on all accounts.
On to Book 2!…

[Jean Mayo · Rating 1 out of 5]

******** Review contains spoilers ********


Simply awful.

Using the absolute, mind-numbing stupidity of the heroine as the main plot vehicle is not a good look. I really REALLY wanted to like this book. Exotic island location, a historical mystery to be solved, scuba diving, a wrecked U-boat, more scuba diving. It had a lot of potential that was basically just squandered.

Seriously, NO self-respecting divemaster (without a death wish) would not only go on a dangerous dive alone but go out alone on a boat to perform such a dive. Absolutely ridiculous and not believable. I managed to finish, but rolled my eyes the entire time. It basically turned into a predictable "Perils of Pauline" scenario. Book stopped abruptly and everything was lazily wrapped up in the epilogue .

So disappointed. I guess I won't be reading the other 17 books in the series.

[Jeff Benham · Rating 5 out of 5]

New author for me, so thank you to John Cunningham for the intro. Any Nicholas Harvey fans that haven't read Cunningham now have a new author too. This takes place in 3 different time periods. In 1945, near the end of the war, some Germans scuttled a U boat containing gold, in a spot where they could come back for it, in the Caribbean. They never got the chance as a storm took all their lives. All but one and he was picked up by AJ Bailey's grandfather. In 1997 8 year old AJ listens intently while her grandfather tells the story of the U boat. In 2017, the time has come for her to find the boat, but she is not the only one. Somehow, some others know about it and they will do whatever it takes to get it. Very good story!

[Mark Hall Speights · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an avid scuba diver I enjoyed this story and actually trembled at sections when the diving or the diving situation went wrong. The author knows his diving. This was an easy read and I went through it easily on an overseas flight. The writing felt like it was geared toward teens or young adults. The good guys were squeaky clean and the bad guys were cartoonishly bad with their evil grins, awful comments and an insistence on telling the characters how bad they could be. Just when the tension was at its high point it was quickly resolved and the entire story just seemed to end too quickly and neatly after. I would have liked a bit more.

[Robert Theodorson · Rating 3 out of 5]

SCUBA Divers and people who have visited the Cayman Islands will appreciate and enjoy this book much more than others. Nostalgia may be the wrong word, but you will start daydreaming about the activities and locations the characters do and go to in Twelve Mile Bank.

AJ Bailey is a somewhat interesting character, I'm intrigued to see where this series goes.

There were some cringey parts of this book however. Trying to read the German navy guy and the Caymanian bureaucrat's dialogue made me want to put down the book. Harvey should have edited out the "ze's" and stereotypical Caribbean accent (I and I been in Babylon too long !).

Quick, easy read with an exciting ending.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story but sometimes the grammar errors were distracting. A couple of chapters between the grandfather & young AJ were a bit of a stretch but overall, the book was an enjoyable read. I would have given it a 4.5 rating if I was able but to gain a 5-star rating, it would have to compare to other books that better deserve such a rating. However, I will continue reading the series as I love the scuba diving, wrecks, and underwater scents. Hopefully the author has hired an editor for them so the flow will be much better. Regardless, it is a book that I would recommend for anyone who is an underwater enthusiast.

[Richard Swimm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Predictable and Preachy

Decent story line. Yet, the plot was simple and predictable. The historical perspective was helpful for plot support but was a little lengthy. When I can figure out what’s going to happen, the plot is simply too obvious.

I really don’t like authors to preach at me. Reading is an escape and should be entertaining rather than the overbearing opinion of an author. Yes, protect the reefs and respect the undersea world. But don’t rail against the economic contribution of the cruise industry to Grand Cayman. The contrived climax of the plot was simply over the top.

[Marc Steiner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid adventure

Harvey uses every narrative trick to keep the characters from having to over explain the technical details of diving and the background setup on establishing the wreck which is appreciated.

This got four stars from me due to a lack of character depth on the bad guys - they were just mean and nasty and some predictable turns from them. While AJ Bailey is given plenty of back story and her diving adventures are thrilling and fun, she got away with making too many bad judgement calls without much penalty.

I plan to try another of the her adventures in the future with high hopes.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read all the Nora Sommers spinoffs from this series, and two books in this series , i decided to start from the beginning, and i am so glad i did. Harvey has created a wonderful heroine and cast of characters in idyllic Grand Cayman. In this first book he weaves a wonderful mystery /adventure about a lost German U boat and the attempts to recover it and what was on board. The story goes back and forth between what happened in 1945 and the present. A perfect thriler and first book in the series about AJ Bailey, a delightful young woman who you really begin to care about. I am on book two of the series now.

[Skip · Rating 3 out of 5]

An adventure story, set in the Cayman Islands. AJ is a tomboy/divemaster, without any family and few friends; she has been searching for years to find a WWII German U-boat, based on a story she heard from her grandfather, whose patrol boat rescued the sole survivor of the submarine, which was scuttled by its crew for later recovery of Nazi gold. The Argentinian son of escaped Nazis, who have built a successful vineyard, believes he is entitled to the plunder, and hires a mercenary salvage guy to locate the U-boat, which has been missing for 70+ years. AJ's advantage that some survived means the boat is not in the deep, deep seas, but in shallower waters. Too much scuba diving for me.