Killer Killer

by Frank May

From the back cover: The opening ribbon has just been cut at the CRI, a state-of-the-art facility off the Southern Californian coast. Designed as a refuge for retired whales and dolphins from zoos and aquariums, the CRI boasts enormous enclosures, animal enrichment programs, and ultramodern veterinary care. Visitors from the mainland can occupy their time observing the animals or exploring the on-site museum and hotel. When a maintenance diver is discovered floating lifeless in one of the sea pens, new Head of Cetacean Behavior Lee Ingram can’t shake the feeling that one of his animals may be responsible.

5-Star Review by Readers' Favorite!

Amazon Reviews:
"I felt I was always on the edge of my seat and didn’t want to put it down until I finished! Throughout, I had feelings of fear, happiness, anxiousness, relief, anger, sadness, basically it was an emotional roller coaster which is what I love in a book! You never know what’s going to happen next! Definitely a must read!"

"I loved this book. It was a very entertaining story and I found the information and individual orca experiences interesting, sad, exciting, and thought provoking. It was also really interesting getting a little insight into the lives of the orca trainers and the marine life entertainment business in general. I didn’t want to put it down once I’d started!"

"10/10, would read again. Never been into marine life but I was hooked. Hehe. There was a lot of technical info which I really enjoyed. I feel like I learned quite a bit without the story getting dry. Mystery, thrills, and humor. Plus, the characters actually had character and weren't cheesy stereotypes. I can tell much research and care was put into this. It was better than 99% of the first reads I get through Kindle."

258 pages, Paperback

Published June 27, 2021

About the author

Frank May is an author of character-driven thrillers, action, and adventure novels. His debut novel, “Killer Killer” focuses on the marine mammal display industry. He was born in Chicago Heights, Illinois and currently lives in the surrounding suburbs. Inspired by a lifelong love of the outdoors and the natural world, May began the arduous task of writing “Killer Killer” while living in London.

Currently teaching in the Chicagoland area, he tries to get writing done when he doesn’t get sidetracked doing hours of research or grading papers. In addition to writing, his hobbies include playing hockey and traveling. He can be reached at frankmayauthor@gmail.com.

Reviews

[Lisa Glad · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty good book; I don't remember where came across the title. I've always been interested in the ocean, sharks, whales, octopuses, all kinds of things.

I learned a lot about the big aquarium business and how orcas are procured, cared for, and trained, and kind of how the business works. So much still to be learned from our fellow earth creatures!

[Rebecca If Only I Could Read Faster · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book on my kindle and originally I downloaded a sample so that I could see whether I wanted to read the whole book. The beginning of this book was brilliantly written, it sucked me right in and made me desperate for more so I quickly bought the book and carried on reading. Unfortunately, the tense start was about the only tension in this book. Although it was fairly enjoyable to read, there were major parts that really didn't make sense and stretched the believability to the extreme. It was also pretty predictable, I said to someone that I hoped that one character had something happen to them, and then realised that it wasn't a hope, that I was sure that it would happen and sure enough, it did. So pretty predictable then too. There has been a lot of talk about the keeping of Orca in captivity and this book plays on that, but also manages to make the Orca bad, although in some way their behaviour is excused by their treatment, but they are still written as dark characters that were calculated and in some way, evil. I really couldn't quite work out what the author was trying to tell the reader or make us think. It is a shame that the book became so predictable as it was nearly a really good book, bt instead it got confused and missed the mark.

[Rochelle]

This was a great read! I love that it has a mixture of both facts (regarding Killer Whales) and fiction (Characters and Facilities). This writer is AMAZING! He had to have spent so much time researching, as well as creating such intriguing Characters and the location setting.
I learned so many facts about killer whales and was surprised about how interesting they are!
Once I started reading this, I could not stop reading!
The twists, turns and events kept me intrigued.
I love the Characters. Their personalities, opinions, abilities, and knowledge were a testimony to both their strengths and weaknesses.
I highly recommend this book!

[Kelly Blanchard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Killer Killer by Frank May is a chilling, thought-provoking thriller that plunges into the murky depths where science, animal behavior, and human ambition collide. Set in the newly opened Cetacean Research Institute (CRI) a state of the art refuge for retired whales and dolphins the novel hooks readers from the start with its immersive detail and eerie atmosphere.

When a maintenance diver turns up dead in one of the sea pens, Head of Cetacean Behavior Lee Ingram begins to suspect the unthinkable: that one of his animals may have been responsible. From there, Frank May masterfully balances the awe inspiring beauty of marine life with the lurking terror of what might be possible when humanity tampers too far with nature.

The tension builds steadily, weaving together ecological ethics, scientific intrigue, and pulse-pounding suspense. May creates a world that feels both wondrous and unsettling, inviting readers to question humanity’s relationship with the natural world, all while keeping them on the edge of their seats.

Award-nominated and widely praised, Killer Killer is far more than a thriller it’s a deep dive into the mysteries of the ocean, the monsters within, and the fragile boundary between fascination and fear. Fans of Michael Crichton and Peter Benchley will find themselves spellbound.

[Gene Helfman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know of three recent novels about the endangered orcas of the Pacific Coast: Barry Swanson’s 2018 “Lost Frequency,” my 2021 “Beyond the Human Realm,” and Frank May’s 2021 “Killer Killer.” Each story focuses on the plight of these magnificent organisms and the totally inappropriate practice of keeping large, active, socially-complex animals in constrained captivity. Each author takes a different approach to the contentious issue of returning captive orcas to the wild. Frank May’s engrossing, well-written treatment pivots around the brutality of capturing wild animals, of the psychological trauma they suffer in confinement, and how that trauma is later translated into interactions between captors and captives. Although May’s accurately-researched story begins with an episode worthy of Peter Benchley, most of the story is more akin to something written by Peter Matthiessen. It is less a horror story and more an eco-thriller, the brief depictions of violence justifiable under the circumstances, with no need to manufacture monsters. The characters, both human and orca, are believable, rich and clearly depicted, the conflicts gripping, and the story line complete. This was an immensely enjoyable read.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Was NOT The Thriller I Thought …

… and, I’m not particularly complaining — but, do not expect a mystery/thriller book once you open these pages. (Except for the first chapter, which is kind of misleading and detached from the rest of the book.)

Instead, what is written is more a fictional tale of orcas in “MarineWorld” … how the orcas were acquired, the back-stabbing management only interested in $$, and all of the other ugliness one can think of from recent wildlife mishaps in such amusement parks. Some nice research is portrayed, and I suspect some fictional hopes were included of what could be occurring in the Cetacean world. But, this book is really a story about orcas and mostly their captivity (or imprisonment, as an interchangeable term).

This book was interesting, mostly well written (it’s sometimes hard to know which character The Author is actually writing about), and I recommend it for an education in learning about some intelligent creatures (and I don’t mean the 2-legged humans you usually hang around with).

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Could not finish, this is bad. From a previous review, I wasn't expecting anything great, but I anticipated some interest based on location and topic. I will have to caution readers away from this-- it's bad in all the ways. The voice is unsteady and with it the pacing: the narration starts out reaching (overreaching) for thriller, which feels forced and clumsy. The narration then flips to very passive, telling. The editing missed a lot, from annoying comma errors to more major misses ("expensive" when it meant "expansive"). The main character is in charge of a major project but repeatedly presented as passive, fearful, and not respected by his coworkers. It's too much for me to fight through.

If I had to pick a reader, I'd suggest to readers who liked Jurassic Park. Hard pass from me, though.

[Clare · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was talking to a guy at a party, and he mentioned he wrote this book, so I picked up a copy and it was pretty good. The author did a great job of researching all about orca biology and behavior, and the history and practice of keeping cetaceans in captivity, and then constructing a plot around those facts. The protagonist was a privileged doofus, but he was aware of that, and his inexperience and naivete inform the plot. The villain is a despicable corporate tool, as you'd expect. There's not much mystery or suspense - its very obvious who's doing the killing - so the story is about how the hapless protagonist and his colleagues figure out what to do about it. I was entertained and learned a lot about orcas.

[Chip Greene · Rating 2 out of 5]

Being a lover of sea monster novels, and with all the reviews of this 'taut' thriller, I had to give it a go. I wish I'd given it a miss. The first chapter started out just like I wanted it to; tense, scary, I thought this was going to be good. And then the rest of the book happened. It's just the author telling us how much he knows about killer whales. One or two deaths that may or may not be caused by the whales. My god, this book was boring. I've read the backs of shampoo bottles that held my attention longer. I hate putting a book away partially read, but I couldn't wait to finish it just to relieve my conscience so I could throw it away and make room on my shelf for a better book. The characters were two dimensional and completely uninteresting and unrealistic.

[Claire Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a random purchase from a Facebook Amazon advert but I was gripped from the beginning. If you have seen the Netflix Documentary, Blackfish then the themes will be familiar. Here Frank May weaves a fictional thriller around the factual incidents with captive orcas.
An enjoyable and fast paced read leaving you contemplating the awful things humans do to wild animals & the consequences.

Looking forward to further novels from Frank May.

[Kathy Canerday (White) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating

I loved this book! I learned so much about killer whales, and the need for better conservation of them. I went to Sea World in San Diego 12 years ago, and as the whales perform. I did not realize what they may have gone through to be there. I almost feel like I know the whales in the book. Thank you so much for an interesting and informative story! Yes, I would recommend it to everyone.

[Sabrina Bright · Rating 4 out of 5]

These animals should be free!

Well, I understand this is a work of fiction. I see a lot of parallels between this and the documentary blackfish! We should not be keeping these wonderful animals in captivity, and we should definitely not be wild, capturing new ones for captivity! Orcas are very well organized and are extremely smart and live in familiar groupings. There are many different kinds of orcas, and they do not mesh well together! I highly recommend this book!

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Killer Killer was a great fast paced read that keeps you engaged in the characters and allows you to learn about these animals without coming off too educational. There was a perfect amount of detail for the orcas, locations and character interactions. I would highly recommend this read to anyone looking for an exciting and suspenseful story!

[Billie M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Orcas

WOW!!
Amazing book! I saw my first killer whale back in 1975, Vancouver BC aquarium. That experience stayed with me since. The author has written a good story backed by research. Very impressed!!