Sharkwater Beach

by Tim Meyer

Beneath the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, the biggest predator on the planet hunts, craving the flesh and blood of every creature it can sink its teeth into. Detective Jill McCourty receives a phone call from her old college professor when a mangled body washes up on the shores of Sharkwater Beach. Together they must discover what stalks the waters around the private island and stop it before it reaches the mainland. But how do you stop something so enormous, something so unique that it may have existed in another time? Jill vows to make sure what happens at Sharkwater Beach, stays at Sharkwater Beach.

Genres: Horror, Fiction

180 pages, Paperback

First published May 10, 2017

About the author

Tim Meyer dwells in a dark cave near the Jersey Shore. He's an author, husband, father, podcast host, blogger, coffee connoisseur, beer enthusiast, and explorer of worlds. He writes horror, mysteries, science fiction, and thrillers, although he prefers to blur genres and let the story fall where it may.

You can follow Tim at https://timmeyerwrites.com

OR like his Facebook page here: www.facebook.com/authortimmeyer

Reviews

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a mixture between Peter Benchley's Jaws and some kind of monster tale. All ingredients there, experiments in an underwater laboratory, something escapes, a remote island, a gigantic shark. But there is more to the tale than old school shark lore. What happens to the shark? What does it give birth to? Will someone survive? What about the government's reaction and the eerie black goo... Compelling book with many shocking elements, creature horror, cryptid horror and a sinister outlook. I especially liked the passages told from the shark's mind. Great summer horror for every beach. You won't go near the water but finish the book in one sitting, believe me. Really recommended!

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Action packed shark snacking time!

A small backstory:

Detective Jill McCourty gets a phone call from an old college professor/boyfriend (Neil Pickard) as he informs her that he needs Jill to come down to Sharkwater Beach as it has been invaded by a "shark" and it is terrorizing the Gulf waters along with producing human remains.

Jill doesn't know if it is a good idea to go down there as what does she know about sharks - she pursues criminals, but to keep the lid on the invasion she decides to go anyway.

What Jill doesn't realize is that the shark is not just a normal typical shark as it is something much worse and when more bodies start to appear she wonders what she has stepped into and if she made the right decision to help Neil.

Thoughts:

This story grabbed me from the first chapter and I literally barreled through the book in about 48 hours as I read the last 40% within just about three hours. There were some twists and turns along the way, plus one major twist near the end of the book which I wasn't expecting and never saw coming. The character, Jill has some funny one-liners and quips which gave me chuckles.

The author also did a change up with a few chapters as he gave the shark "thoughts" about how it felt as it was slithering through the Gulf waters. All in all the book has tons of action as the shark lays waste to anyone or anything that gets in its way. Giving this book five "Scary Shark" stars.

For more thoughts on this review, please see my blog:
https://booknookretreat.blogspot.com/...

[Frank Errington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review copy

The story begins at S.Q.U.I.D, a subaquatic research facility that's located in international waters for a reason. What they're up to isn't exactly work they want to be scrutinized by any government.

It's not long before things go horribly wrong...

"A man wearing a shredded lab coat sprinted toward the elevator, spurts of red gushing from where his arm had previously been. His appendage had been ripped raggedly at the elbow. The scientist was panting like a dog on a hot summer day, struggling to keep his lungs full of air. He kicked up splashes of ocean water as he made for the elevator. "

Jill McCourty is on the date from hell when she gets a disturbing phone call from an old professor she once had a fling with. Next thing you know she's being forced to confront her past and is living out a nightmare of humongous proportions.

What follows isn't exactly a spoiler, after all, both the cover and the title of Tim's new book give this much away.

"The size of the tooth took up both palms. 'Big-ass shark? Is that a new species or something?' 'Didn’t come from a Great White. Their teeth are much smaller.' 'No kidding.' A Great White tooth was three inches maximum. This was almost four times that. 'If this thing is real, we’re talking Megalodon territory.'"

This is the second novel this month with a part of the story from the POV of intelligent sea creatures, the other being J.H. Moncrieff's Monsters In Our Wake. It's a fun aspect of the story and adds another dimension to what is happening and why.

The encounters with the super shark are everything you could want them to be with more than one "Oh wow!" moment.

Sharkwater Beach is pure B-movie madness. Lots of blood. Loads of fun. And wonderful B-Movie dialog...

“Okay, bozo. I’m done. Take me back. I’m getting out of here. You have more drama in your life than my grandmother’s soap operas.”

Sharkwater Beach is published by Severed Press and is available in both paperback and e-book formats. If you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited you can read it at no additional charge. Also, if you are an Amazon Prime member you can read it for FREE using the Kindle Owners Lending Library.

From the author's bio - Tim Meyer dwells in a dark cave near the Jersey Shore. He’s an author, husband, father, podcast host, blogger, coffee connoisseur, beer enthusiast, and explorer of worlds. He writes horror, mysteries, science fiction, and thrillers, although he prefers to blur genres and let the stories fall where they may. Among other titles, he’s previously published the short story collection, Worlds Between My Teeth.

[Jeremy Hepler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read most of this book while on the Texas Gulf beach, and it was a perfect read for the location. Tim paced the story well without sacrificing depth of characters or setting descriptions. I liked how he wove the different (Jill, CJ, Brinks, etc.) POV's together as the story progressed, and I especially liked the sections told from the monster shark's, aka Queen of the Sea's, POV. It added a 70's horror movie touch to the tale. I highly recommend this to anyone wanting an engaging, bloody, fun story. And I recommend you read it at a beach if possible.

[Hunter Shea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Look, if you're going to give me killer sharks and aliens, I'm all yours! Sharkwater Beach is a fun, crazy dip in dangerous waters. I had a blast reading Tim Meyer's first book with Severed Press, the place to go for thrilling sea stories. I hope there are many more to come!

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Detective Jill McCourty receives a late night phone call from her old marine biology professor, and former lover, and against her better judgment, decides to accompany him and a few students to an island in the Gulf of Mexico. He recently came across a washed ashore body, but neglects to inform authorities. He believes the mutilated body is part of something previously undiscovered...and he wants to be the first to discover it.

On Sharkwater Beach, where bull sharks migrate to feed, something much more deadly and fearsome than a Great White, or even the fabled Megalodon, has been unleashed and killing anything in its path. Over 70 feet in length, black as midnight, and teeth as large as dinner plates. But its not just a monster black shark...and the real horror is beyond belief.

Fast-paced, brutal, unrelenting, but peppered by liberal dashes of humor, SHARKWATER BEACH is the perfect horror beach read...but you may never want to go near the water again!

4 out of 5 black dorsal fins! ;-)

[Scott Neumann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow... what a lot of fun this novella was. This is my second Tim Meyers book and I'm hooked.

There is something stalking the waters off of Sharkwater Beach and three groups of strangers come together and try to survive the night. Who will survive and who wont? Read this novella to find out!

[Icy_Space_Cobwebs Join the Penguin Resistance!🐧🐧&#x1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of SHARKWATER BEACH by Tim Meyer

I loved this book! I really enjoy marine horror (probably because I'm hydrophobic LOL) and this is excellently done. Author Tim Meyer really knows how to delve deep into his characters, several of them in depth, and also fleshes out supporting characters too. We get the down-low on the good guys, the bad guys, the half-and-halves, and super hints of a megalomaniac wealthy corporate founder masterminding in the deep background. PLUS we get super horror, and it's not just scary hauntings, this is pure human-research-gone-too-far coupled with terrifying science fiction probabilities. See if this one doesn't keep you awake many nights!

[Laurel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was introduced to Tim Meyer's writing through his most recent thriller, Dead Daughters. (If you haven't read that, you need to stop what you're doing and get on that.) So, I already knew he was an excellent writer, and when I learned he had a good old fashioned shark infested gorefest, I jumped on it.

It was everything I could hope for. Sharing some of my favorite elements from my favorite shark movies, Sharkwater Beach takes a sharp left turn into uncharted waters. Meyer's writing and character building carries the day, with great pacing and lots of teeth chomping fun. Exactly the joyous distraction I was looking for.

[Paul (Life In The Slow Lane) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The skipper lay with his nob in gore
Where the scullion's axe his cheek had shore
And the scullion he was stabbed times four... Robert Louis Stevenson

This book reads like a B grade pirate/monster movie, with some scenes taken directly from Prometheus (the movie) and Jaws. The characters are okay when you look at them through the "B-Grade-Movie eye," but the romantic angst (between various characters) and it's associated dialogue made me want to chunder. It just wasn't necessary. Overall, the horror scenes save it but the monsters described near the end had me thinking of those laughable, Japanese Godzilla movies of the 50s where the monsters were actors dressed in loose-fitting rubber suits.

As scrappy as all this sounds, I kinda liked the book. Yeah, there were corny lines, plot holes, silly bits, and heaps more typos than there should have been, but as Russell Crowe once said, "Are you not entertained?" Yes Russell...I am. But not 5 stars worth.

[Frank · Rating 3 out of 5]

SHARWATER BEACH by the versatile horror writer Tim Meyer is deep ocean goodness. It's a classic sea monster tale with a twist. And every turn, when you think you know what's going on, Meyer throws a well placed curve ball.
I'm not very well read on ocean monster stories. It's tough to gauge, where this fits in. It's a touch if Jaws, maybe a hint of The Shallows and a peck of Meg. And a hint of the X Files but I won't say more than that. So yeah, I think the author was paying tribute to many sea shanties.
This didn't blow my hair back the way some of Tim Meyer's other work has but its a still solid deep sea terror novel. The author proves his versatility in the genre utilizing great characterization in everything he writes. This earns the very respectable 3 Star Mr. Frank rating. Stay wet!

[chucklesthescot · Rating 2 out of 5]

The workers at a sub Aquatic research facility 200 miles from Florida are being wiped out when their shark test subject escapes into the flooded facility and starts eating everyone it can. One of the bodies washes up on a beach and it is taken by college professor Neil to study. He calls in former student and girlfriend Jill, a detective and shows her the bug filled body and a tooth wedged in it that is bigger than a megalodon. Jill is persuaded to join his team at Sharkwater Beach to investigate the shark, while the survivors of other shark attacks and helicopter crashes end up on the same island. If they thought the shark was bad, they have no idea what is coming next.

I loved the cover for this book and hoovered up an ebook copy as I can never resist any creature feature with a shark. I did come out of it a little disappointed though. Firstly it is not a shark story really as later in the book the shark is replaced by alien monster things which I wasn't expecting but didn't greatly object to. I just want to warn other readers so they know what to expect.

Lets start with the good. I did like the idea of this genetically altered shark being used for strange purposes at the sea lab and breaking out after eating a fair number of people. I enjoyed the scenes of it attacking people and heading towards this beach. Having the shark POV didn't greatly bother me to be honest but I know it bugged other people so I thought I better mention it. It does clue you in that things are not going to be quite what you expected when you started reading the book. There were a few characters that I did like which I'll mention later. There was also a good deal of tension and horror in the second half of the book which I quite enjoyed. There were scenes which were nicely satisfying throughout but the real issue for me was the female MC and Professor Pervy.

The characters. Neil is a slimy git who likes to seduce his female students and seems to think of himself as a ladies man when he is in fact a creep. He is married but it doesn't stop him having a student girlfriend as well as trying to get back with Jill. I thought he was a cretin and hoped he would get eaten. Jill was even worse. She willingly slept with the guy when she was his student but now she has a massive chip on her shoulder about it as she quit her course because of it and became a cop instead. She has to keep sniping at Neil about the past despite claiming she has moved on which she obviously hasn't, as she freaks out when she finds out he has got married 'behind her back'. She is also rude and obnoxious to all his students who try to be nice to her as she is jealous that he is sleeping with one of them-of course Jill picks out the wrong one and is so nasty to the poor girl. The continued angst and whining from Jill drove me totally barmy and spoiled the book completely.

There were also good characters and I wish the book had centered more around the actual students rather than Neil and his love quad. I liked CJ who survived the boat attack that killed his friend, and he ends up washed ashore with a couple of survivors from an elite unit. Brinks and Gard are in a helicopter when it explodes as they go to investigate what happened at the facility, losing a friend in the process. Brinks suspects that they were all meant to die in the explosion and is determined to get to the people that sent them there. The conspiracy stuff I could take or leave personally but I did like these characters much better. They team up and go to the local bar/hotel to try and get help, as Jill's group does when things go badly wrong for them. Then the blood really starts to flow.

I have to admit that overall this was a decent plot and I did read it to the end to see what happens which would make it worth 3 stars but it was totally spoiled for me by the Neil and Jill show which had me doing the eyerolling and tutting throughout so I have to drop the rating for that. I also didn't like what happened to one of the characters near the end but I can hardly blame the author for that so it doesn't affect my rating.

2.5 stars.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect summer reading. A nice twist on the shark tale that brings on the carnage. Lots of fun!

[Mkittysamom · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the added science fiction!

As if sharks weren’t scary enough.. what if they were experimented on? In an secret lab... that suddenly... exploded..expunged debris ...? Not clear on that part. Then you have the various people around Shark Island doing various things, the cop, the professor, the fishermen.. and yeah the guys in black sent on a mission and they all wind up on Sharkwater Beach or the Island! There was some great banter, loved the MC’s retorts!

[Genevieve Plante · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is by far the worst shark book I've read yet and I'm a shark book/sea monster fanatic. I usually love the cheesy b movie stuff but this is just plain bad. The characters are bland and most are unlikable so you really don't give a shit if they die, no scratch that, you're happy when they do die. It has too many characters backstory for the part they play in the main plot, mainly filler stories because the main arc lacks so many back bone it fell apart quick and the story doesn't make sense. So... After a shark escape an underwater secret facility and destroys it, it goes on a rampage. A marine biologist finds a mangled corpse on a the beach and instead of calling the authority, he call his ex-student/lover now a cop for help. I was digging the meg vibe at first, thought it would be a huge massacre/hunt between the shark, the evil mega corp and the marine biologist but alas no. It goes in so many directions that while the pace is super fast, it drags because there's too many pov.


I thought my shark hunting action would come about when the shark decides to go land side to give birth but instead it took a turn from bad to worst and I almost stop reading there. So the shark, who isn't a shark but an alien, breach the water and beach itself to "give birth" to 3 human shark hybrid that can walk on land while dying in the process. I had to pause there and go back to the book title and description to check if I was still reading the same book(legit name check) or if my kindle had swap me another one.

Then it goes downhill from there and very quickly. We learn almost nothing about the alien like where its from and why it choose the deep water or a shark form. Only that its a black goop a bit like in the x-files or a venom symbiote that can control its host by "infecting" it. Every one dies in a minute at the resort in almost the same room except for the bitch cop who kill the remaining hybride human sharks and the bad guys/evil corp nuke the island (cause yes that subtle) to eliminate all traces of their experiment.

The only reason I finished reading was to have it count toward my challenge. It has one star just because I read it.

[Matt Hayward · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first Meyer book and I wasn't disappointed. Tim has a wonderful way with words, painting vivid scene after vivid scene, and brings his A game. I wanted a fun, entertaining read about aquatic creatures, and that's exactly what I got.

[Ami Morrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beneath the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, lurks the biggest predator the planet has ever seen. Escaped from a secret underwater lab and now out for blood, human blood. A professor finds a tooth from the giant, stuck in a body that washed ashore on the beach of a tiny island. Together with a few of his students, a cop, they try to figure out what exactly is going on in the water, before it gets to the island.

This was a unique story. Wasn't exactly what I was excepting. I was surprised by the twist or two with the shark. I would have loved to have had more info about the research lab. Lots of fun gore. It was a decent story.

[Veronica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had thought this was going to be a regular giant beast from the depths kind of story but "Sharkwater Beach" by Tim Meyer has a bit of a twist in it which I really liked.
The story starts off at an underwater research facility called SQUID where there is top secret research going on. Things go very wrong and a majestic beast that should not exist escapes and is free to rule the seas once again.
The action starts off very quickly and there is so much blood and gore to delight anyone who loves the macabre. The characters were developed very well considering that I found the book to be a light and fast read. I have to admit that I could not stand Jill's character at all. Talk about a chip on your shoulder! Mind you, she is one tough chick who is well equipped to face off against an ancient evil. My absolute favorite character has to be Brinks. He is a very well trained ex soldier who uses his skills where they are needed. At first, I did not like him but as the author fleshed out Brinks character, I grew to admire his resilience and seasoned personality. He might be working for dishonorable people but he has a sense of honor ingrained in him that nothing can change. I also found that the book ends in such a way that I can see a possibility for a sequel.
If you like deep sea monster stories especially one that is slightly different than this is the book for you.

[Bob Cantrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little strange

I got hooked on this story in the first few pages. The main character is a woman, but that was what made it interesting. Then there is the secret research center, what would a story about a giant shark be without one. The other characters were a mixed bag, but there was little depth to them. My only complaints with this book are: what did S.Q.U.I.D. stand for? Where did the shark come from and was it really a shark? Then there was the author's use of what my old English teacher would call the using of a fifty cent word when a nickel one would work. Now I did enjoy the story, it just was what was S.QU.I.D.?

[Jane Mercer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meg meets the Deep
This is an entertaining horror, it starts in an experimental underwater station, something escapes something huge and hungry.
Meanwhile investigating a body, an university professor finds a tooth too big to belong to any known species he takes a group to Sharkwater Bay to investigate and mayhem ensues
I found it an engaging read though few of the characters were likeable,( I was routing for the creatures actually ) the heroine Jill a silly woman Nick the professor unlikeable it goes on but for all that I enjoyed the book

[Tina Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scared of the water??

You will be after reading this brilliantly written book. Imagine a shark 10 times bigger than a Great White hungry and hunting. Intense and nail biting. Action packed start to finish. Twists and turns, and offspring that will scare you ..... A+.

[Geoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sharkwater Beach was a fun read. A standout in a market full of gaint shark stories.

[Pamela Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

You may think you're going to read a story about a giant killer shark, but - no. It's so much more than that. Fast-paced and fun, Sharkwater Beach takes you to places other killer shark tails have never swam before - at least not that I've read about. Really enjoyed this.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read,
Wanted a summer, shark horror book to read and this scratched that itch.
The third act had a very pleasing surprise I didn’t know I wanted in this book.
Perfect for a summer/beach vibe…

[Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* · Rating 3 out of 5]

This starts as a well done giant shark book, then turns into a mutation of shark, then turns into....well, I don't want to spoil the surprise but there's more than one villain here and it's brings science-fiction to the party.

Even the likable characters are cannon-fodder. That said, there aren't that many likeable ones. Jill as one of the mains is especially awful. At first during her awkward dinner date, I deemed her cute and quirky, but that changed as her inner bitchiness kept emerging until it took over for the rest of the book. I thought she's be a bigger character overall, and that she'd be a bigger part of the actual picture thanks to scientific interest or whatever, but again this book surprised me.

There's lots of deaths, lots of blood, and lots of good writing. It's cheesy and it fits the big animal killer monster genre with a few twists and turns along the way. FRTC

[PrestonCreed · Rating 1 out of 5]

1/5 stars. The worst character didn’t get eaten.

[Jared Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Annoying female protagonist predictably survives. No reason to care about her or her personal life, especially when she doesn't care about anyone but herself. Females and Leftist beta males may like this book. The alien sharks were boring.

[Polly P · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not for me

Was looking for something like Steve Alten's "MEG" but this was a bonkers story about alien/shark hybrids.
It started off ok but then just got pretty silly.
Disappointing.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this so much! I couldn't get past the annoying characters and lame dialogue. Also, some grammatical errors.

[Kathryn Grace Loves Horror · Rating 4 out of 5]

Odd, but a whole lot of fun.
Read my full review here: https://finalwomen.blogspot.com/2020/...