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Below the Surface
She surfaced from the depths of the sea… and was terrifyingly, inexplicably alone
Briana Devon knows her twin sister would never deliberately leave her—but when she emerges from underwater, Daria and their boat have vanished. Fighting rough waves and a fast-approaching storm, Bree doesn't have time to question:
if she wants to survive, she has to swim.
Exhausted and terrified, Bree barely makes it to a tiny barrier island, where Cole De Roca, who has also taken shelter, revives her. Bound to Cole by the harrowing experience, she turns to him as she struggles to understand what happened to her sister. What was her twin, whom she thought she knew so well, hiding? What really transpired that terrible afternoon? And what secrets lie dormant…below the surface?
Briana Devon knows her twin sister would never deliberately leave her—but when she emerges from underwater, Daria and their boat have vanished. Fighting rough waves and a fast-approaching storm, Bree doesn't have time to question:
if she wants to survive, she has to swim.
Exhausted and terrified, Bree barely makes it to a tiny barrier island, where Cole De Roca, who has also taken shelter, revives her. Bound to Cole by the harrowing experience, she turns to him as she struggles to understand what happened to her sister. What was her twin, whom she thought she knew so well, hiding? What really transpired that terrible afternoon? And what secrets lie dormant…below the surface?
394 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
127 people are currently reading
519 people want to read
About the author
Karen Harper
78 books1,498 followersA New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Karen Harper is a former college English instructor (The Ohio State University) and high school literature and writing teacher. A lifelong Ohioan, Karen and her husband Don divide their time between the midwest and the southeast, both locations she has used in her books. Besides her American settings, Karen loves the British Isles, where her Scottish and English roots run deep, and where she has set many of her historical Tudor-era mysteries and her historical novels about real and dynamic British women. Karen's books have been published in many foreign languages and she won the Mary Higgins Clark Award for 2005. Karen has given numerous talks to readers and writers across the county. Her most recent books include THE SOUTH SHORES TRILOGY (CHASING SHADOWS, DROWNING TIDES and FALLING DARKNESS.) Her latest historical is THE ROYAL NANNY. Please visit her website at www.KarenHarperAuthor and her fb page at www.facebook.com/KarenHarperAuthor
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
August 18, 2009
Not the best book, but not the worst, either. The Mira imprint does some good authors, but I wasn't impressed with this one.
The premise is pretty interesting - you come up from scuba diving & the dive boat your twin sister was piloting is gone. You're left alone at sea with a storm coming up & sharks coming around. What'll happen next?
Good premise that was sadly poorly realized. I didn't much believe in the romance between our heroine & her knight in shining armor. I didn't much believe in any of the characters, really. It's all sort of perfunctory in a written-from-a-template romance novel sort of way. I did finish it, though & I did read to the end because I wanted to find out whodunit & why. I won't read another of these, however.
The premise is pretty interesting - you come up from scuba diving & the dive boat your twin sister was piloting is gone. You're left alone at sea with a storm coming up & sharks coming around. What'll happen next?
Good premise that was sadly poorly realized. I didn't much believe in the romance between our heroine & her knight in shining armor. I didn't much believe in any of the characters, really. It's all sort of perfunctory in a written-from-a-template romance novel sort of way. I did finish it, though & I did read to the end because I wanted to find out whodunit & why. I won't read another of these, however.
January 7, 2009
Just think of one of your worst nightmares and this book opens with it...a scuba diver surfaces from the ocean to discover she has been abandoned at sea. She's alone in shark infested waters... Got chill bumps yet?
The suspense is there, but the story definitely lost some of its momentum for me as I was reading. It was a great idea and great story.
The suspense is there, but the story definitely lost some of its momentum for me as I was reading. It was a great idea and great story.
February 21, 2024
A murder mystery that involved a set of twin scuba divers, investigating the condition of ocean sea grass for environmental concerns. The plot was a good murder mystery but the development also included a fast developping romantic relationship. I found that a distraction to the plot because it was overdone in my opinion.
November 12, 2017
Below the Surface by Karen Harper follows the story of Briana Devon whose twin sister disappears during an underwater dive. The sisters are conducting a scientific experiment concerning sea grass and Briana dives to collect data while her sister Daria remains on board their boat. When the weather turns stormy, Briana surfaces only to find the boat and her sister have disappeared. While solving this mystery, Briana also begins a romance with Cole who helps her to discover the truth about her sister. Nothing earth shattering in this mystery romance, but for lovers of this genre especially those who enjoy a "tame" romance this may be the book for you.
February 18, 2017
The first couple of chapters, I didn't think I would like this at all. I thought it was going to be a mushy kind of love story. It began to develop, and by the time I finished it, I liked it. It was about twin sisters who ran a scuba diving business and one of them is killed on a suspicious boat accident. The other twin won't rest as she knows her sister wouldn't have drown. Yes, there was a love interest, but it was more interesting then mushy.
March 7, 2021
This book started out really good. Then it began to drag. The woman diver who lost her twin sister kept trying to figure out what happened to her sister and their dive boat while she was diving and her twin sister was aboard their boat with a toothache. There are clues along the way but then over and over all the suspects who "might" have had something to do with how and why this accident happened kept getting long and boring listening to her "head".
June 22, 2008
So bad. So unbelievably badly written. It was a throw-away book, and I don't throw away books lightly. Pukey.
December 4, 2024
Stars: 3 / 5
Recommendation: This was not the best book, but not worst either. At least the plot has some meat, and yes, she could reduce some pages. It was overdone and distracted a lot.
Below the Surface is the second book in the anthology book Still Water published in October of 2016 and written by Karen Harper. The stand-alone book by itself was first published in January of 2008.
Briana "Bree" Devon just makes in alive from a scuba dive in the midst of an unexpected storm in The Gulf of Mexico off South Florida. But she loses her dice boat and her twin, Daria. With help of her rescuer Cole DeRoca she sets on a mission to find what happened to her twin sister and in the process find the secrets she has been hiding.
The plot begins in 2006. And we go into underbelly of rescue and salvage world where the people not only find lost people and artifacts, but also underwater surveys helping environment stability; hull maintenance and everything that comes under the umbrella.
Author also explores supernatural element in a smaller note, specially around heightened perceptions by her heroine all due to environmental reasons. However the plot droned on a lot. Easily Harper could have reduced easily 100 or so pages. The whole chapter where Briana visits Josh Austin's in laws sugar cane land was rather lengthy and felt the characters were forcing the scene.
There is lot of mystery in the story, but along the way it started to lose momentum and get the reader a bit bored. In fact I speed read the last three chapters. Also I cant believe Briana was very forgiving at the two people who could have helped save Daria from the situation. In real life not sure someone be so forgiving. That was a little unbelievable.
This was not the best book, but not worst either. At least the plot has some meat, and yes, she could reduce some pages. It was overdone and distracted a lot.
Spoiler Alerts:
1. Book Trivia and Plot Reveals:
a. Bree's Family and friends: Their dive boats Mermaid I and Mermaids II; they own Two Mermaids Marine Search and Salvage Shop; their only employee Manuel "Manny" Salazar, his daughter Lucinda, Wife Juanita; Older sister Amelia Westcott, her husband Ben and two sons Jordan and James; Josh Austin, Florida Congressman and his wife Nicole "Nikki" Grann Austin; Mark Denton, Austin's pilot-body guard-PR guy; Dave Mangold, Bree's Civil Air Patrol friend;
b. Other characters: Carianna, Manny's other daughter, Manny's mother Grandmama Rosa; Sam Travers, the twins primary competitor in the salvage business, Bree dated his son Ted before they lost him to war; Dr. Micah Hawkins, ER doctor; Marla Sherborne, incumbent U.S. Congresswoman, having an affair with Josh's father-in-law, Cory Grann AKA King Sugar; Dom Verdugo, a Miami businessman, owns the yacht Xanadu; Guy Russell, a boater; Ric and Lance, divers working for Sam Travers; Vivian and Frank Holliman, friends of Daria, own Shells Eternal, an eco-conscious sea burial business; Seth Johnson, Daria's instructor; Pastor Wallace;
c. Cole's Boat is called Streamin' and his company is called Gulf Stream Yacht Interiors; both names after the famous Winslow Homer painting The Gulf stream. His ex-wife is Jillian.
d. Daria was seven weeks pregnant when she died.
e. Cole and Briana get married in the end and she is pregnant too.
2. Grammatical / Character / Plot / Geographical / Historical / Mythological Errors:
a. On Pg. 474, Line 17, there is an extra "soon" in the sentence.
b. On Pg. 534, the attacker of Briana calls her "Hey, Babe". But later on Pg. 639, author says that the attacker said one single word "Babe".
Recommendation: This was not the best book, but not worst either. At least the plot has some meat, and yes, she could reduce some pages. It was overdone and distracted a lot.
Below the Surface is the second book in the anthology book Still Water published in October of 2016 and written by Karen Harper. The stand-alone book by itself was first published in January of 2008.
Briana "Bree" Devon just makes in alive from a scuba dive in the midst of an unexpected storm in The Gulf of Mexico off South Florida. But she loses her dice boat and her twin, Daria. With help of her rescuer Cole DeRoca she sets on a mission to find what happened to her twin sister and in the process find the secrets she has been hiding.
The plot begins in 2006. And we go into underbelly of rescue and salvage world where the people not only find lost people and artifacts, but also underwater surveys helping environment stability; hull maintenance and everything that comes under the umbrella.
Author also explores supernatural element in a smaller note, specially around heightened perceptions by her heroine all due to environmental reasons. However the plot droned on a lot. Easily Harper could have reduced easily 100 or so pages. The whole chapter where Briana visits Josh Austin's in laws sugar cane land was rather lengthy and felt the characters were forcing the scene.
There is lot of mystery in the story, but along the way it started to lose momentum and get the reader a bit bored. In fact I speed read the last three chapters. Also I cant believe Briana was very forgiving at the two people who could have helped save Daria from the situation. In real life not sure someone be so forgiving. That was a little unbelievable.
This was not the best book, but not worst either. At least the plot has some meat, and yes, she could reduce some pages. It was overdone and distracted a lot.
Spoiler Alerts:
1. Book Trivia and Plot Reveals:
a. Bree's Family and friends: Their dive boats Mermaid I and Mermaids II; they own Two Mermaids Marine Search and Salvage Shop; their only employee Manuel "Manny" Salazar, his daughter Lucinda, Wife Juanita; Older sister Amelia Westcott, her husband Ben and two sons Jordan and James; Josh Austin, Florida Congressman and his wife Nicole "Nikki" Grann Austin; Mark Denton, Austin's pilot-body guard-PR guy; Dave Mangold, Bree's Civil Air Patrol friend;
b. Other characters: Carianna, Manny's other daughter, Manny's mother Grandmama Rosa; Sam Travers, the twins primary competitor in the salvage business, Bree dated his son Ted before they lost him to war; Dr. Micah Hawkins, ER doctor; Marla Sherborne, incumbent U.S. Congresswoman, having an affair with Josh's father-in-law, Cory Grann AKA King Sugar; Dom Verdugo, a Miami businessman, owns the yacht Xanadu; Guy Russell, a boater; Ric and Lance, divers working for Sam Travers; Vivian and Frank Holliman, friends of Daria, own Shells Eternal, an eco-conscious sea burial business; Seth Johnson, Daria's instructor; Pastor Wallace;
c. Cole's Boat is called Streamin' and his company is called Gulf Stream Yacht Interiors; both names after the famous Winslow Homer painting The Gulf stream. His ex-wife is Jillian.
d. Daria was seven weeks pregnant when she died.
e. Cole and Briana get married in the end and she is pregnant too.
2. Grammatical / Character / Plot / Geographical / Historical / Mythological Errors:
a. On Pg. 474, Line 17, there is an extra "soon" in the sentence.
b. On Pg. 534, the attacker of Briana calls her "Hey, Babe". But later on Pg. 639, author says that the attacker said one single word "Babe".
October 28, 2019
Below the Surface was an enjoyable and fast-paced read with an intriguing premise.
When Briana Devon surfaces from a dive, she discovers her twin sister Daria and their boat have vanished. Alone at sea, miles from shore, with a storm rapidly approaching, Bree needs to swim if she wants to survive. After barely making it to a tiny barrier island to ride out the storm, the last thing Cole de Roca expected to see was a woman wash ashore. Bound together by their experience, Bree and Cole work to uncover what happened to Daria. Bree knows her sister wouldn’t have just left her there, so what exactly happened? And what secrets was Daria hiding?
Bree has loved the water her entire life, so it only made sense that she would make her living on it. I enjoyed the obvious joy the water brought Bree and I liked that she had a healthy respect for the dangers it posed as well. Cole recently went through a divorce and is still trying to find his footing getting his new business off the ground. Cole is a very skeptical person which was a nice contrast to Bree who is more trusting. My main issue with their romance was that I never felt like there was a connection between them. I understand that they felt drawn together after their experience, but it didn’t seem like they had anything beyond that. I also didn’t feel like there was enough time for the relationship to deepen as much as it did as the book takes place over a very short period.
This book opens with the scene of Bree surfacing and discovering she is alone in the water. I have to say that the author did a fantastic job building the suspense during the scene and I felt Bree’s terror at being alone in the water with danger lurking nearby. Once Bree escapes the water, the book continues along at a good pace and there are very few lulls in the story. The mystery of what happened to Daria was an interesting one and I found myself becoming quite invested in finding out what happened. I did ultimately figure out what happened before the big reveal, but I thought the ending was well done with just the right amount of action.
Overall, while I didn’t love the romance in Below the Surface, I did still enjoy the book and will be checking out more from the author in the future.
When Briana Devon surfaces from a dive, she discovers her twin sister Daria and their boat have vanished. Alone at sea, miles from shore, with a storm rapidly approaching, Bree needs to swim if she wants to survive. After barely making it to a tiny barrier island to ride out the storm, the last thing Cole de Roca expected to see was a woman wash ashore. Bound together by their experience, Bree and Cole work to uncover what happened to Daria. Bree knows her sister wouldn’t have just left her there, so what exactly happened? And what secrets was Daria hiding?
Bree has loved the water her entire life, so it only made sense that she would make her living on it. I enjoyed the obvious joy the water brought Bree and I liked that she had a healthy respect for the dangers it posed as well. Cole recently went through a divorce and is still trying to find his footing getting his new business off the ground. Cole is a very skeptical person which was a nice contrast to Bree who is more trusting. My main issue with their romance was that I never felt like there was a connection between them. I understand that they felt drawn together after their experience, but it didn’t seem like they had anything beyond that. I also didn’t feel like there was enough time for the relationship to deepen as much as it did as the book takes place over a very short period.
This book opens with the scene of Bree surfacing and discovering she is alone in the water. I have to say that the author did a fantastic job building the suspense during the scene and I felt Bree’s terror at being alone in the water with danger lurking nearby. Once Bree escapes the water, the book continues along at a good pace and there are very few lulls in the story. The mystery of what happened to Daria was an interesting one and I found myself becoming quite invested in finding out what happened. I did ultimately figure out what happened before the big reveal, but I thought the ending was well done with just the right amount of action.
Overall, while I didn’t love the romance in Below the Surface, I did still enjoy the book and will be checking out more from the author in the future.
October 15, 2020
Below the Surface from Karen Harper is a deadly tale of suspense. Instantly, I was taken with the surroundings and the character's dilemma. After coming up from a dive, Bree realizes the boat with her twin sister, are gone. Plus, the dangerous storm brewing over her. Having to leave some equipment behind, Bree tries to make it to shore. But she is struck by lightening and would have drowned to her death. However, luck was on her side. The hero stepped in and came to her rescue. Cole still isn't sure if the beautiful woman he saved will live.
Bree on the other hand is a determined woman in finding her twin sister. She proves to be strong and fiercely independent. Bree isn't going to back down until her sister is found. But as they search they find more than they bargained for...and Bree may also be in just as much danger as her twin was. Overall, I loved the intense environment. The bond between sisters was well-done. I could feel the protective sides from the sisters. There was plenty of drama and enough intrigue to keep my attention throughout this book. Action-packed, Below the Surface, was a great read.
I received this copy from the publisher. This is my voluntary review.
Bree on the other hand is a determined woman in finding her twin sister. She proves to be strong and fiercely independent. Bree isn't going to back down until her sister is found. But as they search they find more than they bargained for...and Bree may also be in just as much danger as her twin was. Overall, I loved the intense environment. The bond between sisters was well-done. I could feel the protective sides from the sisters. There was plenty of drama and enough intrigue to keep my attention throughout this book. Action-packed, Below the Surface, was a great read.
I received this copy from the publisher. This is my voluntary review.
April 9, 2018
This book was a page turner, as far as the murder mystery aspect of the story. As far as character development, ehhhh... There were too many characters to keep track of, and I didn't feel chemistry between the hero and heroine, other than the author telling me they had chemistry. I wanted more romance, considering how hot they supposedly were for each other. I did still enjoy the book and read it in 2 days. I loved the ending.
September 23, 2023
You can't go wrong with a Karen Harper thriller. Below the Surface is enough to make anyone wary of scuba diving, swimming or boating in the waters of the Florida Gulf Coast. Sharks? You betcha. Wild storms? You better believe it. Bad guys? Everywhere. I lived in Florida for many years & sailed/boated for nearly as many years, so I had to read this book. I also happen to be a long-time fan of Karen Harper's books.
November 19, 2017
This book was okay but not a favorite. A woman is positive that her sisters death was not an accident so she starts investigating on her own. She happens to find her knight in shining armor when she’s in trouble which is way to cliche. Also at the end of the book there is an added story line that was just stupid. The book could have been written without it & been fine
July 8, 2025
•••Below the Surface by Heather Graham // 3 out of 5 stars •••
I cringed the first time Cole called Bree his mermaid, and I cringed until the end. The love story here was extremely dramatic and exaggerated, but the suspense plot wasn’t bad. It was written well and did what it needed to do. I’m not incredibly impressed by this book, but it kept me entertained enough.
I cringed the first time Cole called Bree his mermaid, and I cringed until the end. The love story here was extremely dramatic and exaggerated, but the suspense plot wasn’t bad. It was written well and did what it needed to do. I’m not incredibly impressed by this book, but it kept me entertained enough.
October 5, 2024
Nonstop Suspense!
This page turner was filled with twists and turns, lots of potential criminals, white collar, and all out thugs, sharks of the two legged and finned kind, all circling in for the kill! Great suspenseful mystery with a dash of romance too!
This page turner was filled with twists and turns, lots of potential criminals, white collar, and all out thugs, sharks of the two legged and finned kind, all circling in for the kill! Great suspenseful mystery with a dash of romance too!
November 12, 2017
This was another very fantastic read. A real page turner.
Just when I thought I had it all figured out, it took a U turn and did this again twice.
The result was a real shocker!!
Who knew!!
Just when I thought I had it all figured out, it took a U turn and did this again twice.
The result was a real shocker!!
Who knew!!
October 20, 2018
So many confusing secrets. A good read.
March 18, 2019
Cheesy and not interesting.
June 15, 2020
Again, a great read. June 16
October 16, 2021
Twists and turns along the way
January 12, 2024
Pinnapealne....
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 29, 2024
Great
I liked the suspense. I loved the hero. I did think that Bree took too many chances. But if you like cliffhangers, this is perfect. The plot twists are great.
I liked the suspense. I loved the hero. I did think that Bree took too many chances. But if you like cliffhangers, this is perfect. The plot twists are great.
December 14, 2024
It was a pretty silly book. And all the technical diving lingo was a bit over my head
May 11, 2022
BELOW THE SURFACE is a book that I had placed on my 'wishlist' shelf in 2009.... and finally, 12 years later, I have read it!
Briana (Bree) and her twin sister, Daria, take their dive boat out to scuba dive to check on the reef where they're performing research on the sea grass found there. When Bree surfaces, the dive boat and Daria are gone. A storm is oncoming and Bree is surrounded by sharks.
A rather terrifying beginning, to say the least. Unfortunately, that's mostly where the story fizzles out. While Bree tries to get to the bottom of what happened to Daria, she begins dating Cole, a boat maker, who is helping Briana discover the truth about her sister.
The romance is hard to believe, lacking in chemistry or any real connection. The writing style felt forced, particularly where the romance aspect was involved. I would have much preferred a mystery/suspense solely. I did find myself becoming invested in finding out what had happened to Daria, but the reveal was lacking. A second narrative to the story was added that I found to be a bit extraordinary.
Ultimately, not my favourite!
Briana (Bree) and her twin sister, Daria, take their dive boat out to scuba dive to check on the reef where they're performing research on the sea grass found there. When Bree surfaces, the dive boat and Daria are gone. A storm is oncoming and Bree is surrounded by sharks.
A rather terrifying beginning, to say the least. Unfortunately, that's mostly where the story fizzles out. While Bree tries to get to the bottom of what happened to Daria, she begins dating Cole, a boat maker, who is helping Briana discover the truth about her sister.
The romance is hard to believe, lacking in chemistry or any real connection. The writing style felt forced, particularly where the romance aspect was involved. I would have much preferred a mystery/suspense solely. I did find myself becoming invested in finding out what had happened to Daria, but the reveal was lacking. A second narrative to the story was added that I found to be a bit extraordinary.
Ultimately, not my favourite!
January 19, 2016
When scuba diver Briana Devon surfaces from the Gulf of Mexico, she expects to see her twin sister Daria and their boat waiting for her. She sees nothing but a storm quickly approaching. Briana knows Daria would never leave her at sea on her own. After barely surviving a long swim to a small barrier island and being resuscitated by local Cole De Roca, Briana is on a mission to find her missing sister. As Briana and Cole investigate Daria's disappearance, Briana comes to realize she may not have known her sister as well as she thought she did. What secrets was Daria hiding, and would someone harm Daria in order to keep those secrets from becoming known? Briana begins to fear that someone may now be after her as well.
I enjoyed this romantic suspense. The tension built up slowly at first, but midway through the book, there were quite a few twists and turns, and the list of possible suspects became longer and longer. I also really enjoyed the southwest Florida setting.
I enjoyed this romantic suspense. The tension built up slowly at first, but midway through the book, there were quite a few twists and turns, and the list of possible suspects became longer and longer. I also really enjoyed the southwest Florida setting.
June 19, 2012
This book begins with a woman floating in the ocean, her ship having left her as she was scuba diving. Her twin sister who was manning the boat is nowhere to be seen and there's a terrible thunderstorm. She is saved (of course) by a handsome guy on a sailboat and than she begins to try to figure out the mystery of her sister's disappearance. Kind of predictable. The bad guys were too set up by the author.
August 4, 2011
This felt like a twisted Sweet Valley High book written for adults. I didn't hate reading it, but it all just seemed a bit too straight-line for me.
Also, I'm embarrassed to admit it but, I found this book in the Romance section at my local public library. I think it should be removed from that section because it placed hardly any emphasis on romance and/or sex at all.
Also, I'm embarrassed to admit it but, I found this book in the Romance section at my local public library. I think it should be removed from that section because it placed hardly any emphasis on romance and/or sex at all.
August 23, 2012
This book was ok, I mean it wasn't horrible and it got me interested in the story line but the way this author portrayed a spanish accent was horrid....it was really very annoying. I also found some of the writings and grammar to be completely off and I am a stickler for good grammar in a published book. This was by far not my favorite book and I really would not recommend this to anyone.
October 17, 2012
Boring in the beginning, took a lot of force to continue it. Some of the repetition got old (ie: Sams hate & Bree knowing EVERYTHING about her sister etc). The blossoming romance didn't seem very realistic to me. Glad I finished it but probably won't recommend it. Love some of her other books though!
September 16, 2013
Not bad. But if you don't have patience, you may put the book down immediately. Predictable. Really. Karen Harper tries to introduce new suspects but I stuck with my prediction. Apparently, I was right and the thrill was gone. So... not really exciting. Information overload about scuba diving which is good. If a book was amazing, I would surely re-read it. Sadly, this isn't one of those.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews