Shark's Instinct

Shark Santoyo Crime Series #1

by Bethany Maines

Fresh out of prison and fresh out of luck, twenty-something Shark wants back into The Organization. But when Geier, the mob boss with a cruel sense of humor, sends Shark to the suburbs to find out who’s been skimming his take, Shark realizes he’s going to need more than his gun and an attitude to succeed. With the clock ticking, Shark accepts the help of the mysterious teenage fixer, Peregrine Hays, and embarks on a scheme that could line his pockets, land him the girl and cement his reputation with the gang—if he makes it out alive.

168 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2017

About the author

Bethany Maines, a native of Tacoma WA, is the award-winning author of action adventure tales that focus on women who know when to apply lipstick and when to apply a foot to someone’s hind end. When she’s not traveling to exotic lands, or kicking some serious butt with her black belt in karate, she can be found chasing after her daughter, or glued to the computer working on her next novel.

FB: www.facebook.com/AuthorBethanyMaines
INSTA: @AuthorBethanyMaines
TWIT: @BethanyMaines
WEB: www.bethanymaines.com

Reviews

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shark may not be your typical mob guy, but the recently released ex-con has a lot of time to make up for, so when he was given an assignment in the suburbs, Shark was determined to make the best of a bad situation. To find out who is skimming from the take, Shark enlists some unconventional methods and Peregrine Hays, teen fixer may be his most potent weapon in his arsenal. Could this be the beginning of a very successful relationship between colleagues or will there be something more?

Witty, clever and filled with some fascinating characters, SHARK’S INSTINCT is far from your typical mob style mystery! Bethany Maines has created a fun read with attitude and a collection of characters are sharp, a little daring and most likely more than they appear to be on first glance.

Peregrine steals the show with her ability to be what the situation needed, her connections and her secret heart of gold. Shark plays off her perfectly as the guy trying to make a buck, a name and a position for himself in the mob, but is he really mob material?

If anyone can pull this job off, it’s Peregrine and Shark is smart enough to know it. A fun read filled with more anti-heroes than heroes, but, hey, ya gotta love em! I'm coming back for more from this author and these characters!

I received a complimentary copy!

Series: Shark Santoya Crime - Book 1
Publisher: Blue Zephyr Press (September 26, 2017)
Publication Date: September 26, 2017
Genre: Crime Fiction
Print Length: 170 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com

[Jennifer Brass · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was excited when I found out I won a signed copy from good reads giveaways. The author sent a note and a book mark with a code for a free kindle book! It was like getting two free books. The kindle book, "An unseen current" will be my next read thanks to Ms. Maines. Basically in this book something happened in Sharks past and now he is lower on the totem pole than he was. He has been given a job to do in a place he isn't happy being. While shark is an interesting character, I feel like I have read or seen characters that are similar. I really like the character Peregrine, she seems like an original character and had me guessing if she was good or just pretending to be good to get closer to Shark. She reminds me a little of harlequin (aka Harley Quinzel aka jokers girlfriend in batmam) but as a teenager and a do-gooder, or at least that is the gist. I guess it is her randomness, her unpredictably, her ability to change how others perceive her by changing her dress/clothes, her makeup and her coordination. Throughout the book, I felt she was more than what she seemed and I was right and wrong. 😉 I am glad she will be a reoccurring character in the future books. I look foward to possibly read the next book when it comes out. The characters aren't all flushed out, at least that is what I felt. Maybe that is on purpose and we will learn more as the series progresses. The book is thin but captivating and I enjoyed the story. Most crime books I read are more. . . I guess I would say they are more sophisticated but than they are also more drawn out. Overal, I am happy I resad the book and do not in the least bit feel I wasted my time, nor was there a moment when I felt like I didn't want to finish reading it. I would recommend this book, I enjoyed the plot and two main characters.

[Ronald Keeler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shark’s Instinct by Bethany Maines is Book One in The Shark Santoyo Crime Series. I note this because I like to start reading a series with Book One; I just never seem to succeed. The novel has helpful Chapters named by dates, so readers know when a backstory is about to happen. The entire novel takes place between 09 October and 21 October. After Chapter Monday—October 16, we have Chapter Two Weeks Ago which is in turn followed by Chapter Tuesday, October 17. We also have Chapter Thursday, October 19 followed by Chapter Five Years Ago followed by Chapter Thursday, October 19. A table of contents can be informative and not boring.

Shark is a twenty-five-year-old (approximate) ex-convict. It wasn’t that he wanted to be a criminal, but he got involved with a beautiful woman who loved the good life which meant having money. When the two conspired to steal from her uncle, plans went wrong, police arrived, the lovely Francesca blamed everything on Shark, and he went to jail. Francesca went to another country with a man even richer than her uncle. Now out of prison and facing a future with no meaningful legitimate employment, Shark wanted back in the “game.”

There are many rival gangs in this 170-page novel. There are the street drug gangs and the next-level-up gangs that controlled and moved money. At the management level, Big Paulie was collecting money and not sending the required money to the next level, run by Geier. Paulie was skimming profits for his own retirement account. Shark saw an opportunity and promised Geier that he would recover the money from Big Paulie and Geier accepted the offer with a zero-tolerance consequence should Shark fail. So far, this is a straightforward find-my-money deal.

Shark has a couple of trusted associates who possess requisite skills such as safe cracking and strong-arm intimidation and feels confident he and his crew can do the job. Suddenly, a teenage looking girl approaches Shark. She is not working at Shark’s level; she wants to eliminate a drug rival so that she can establish her own power base. At least that is how things appear to Shark. Peri is a high school criminal savant and is known to her friends as a fixer. If anyone is bullied or blackmailed, Peri, known as the “Godmother,” is the person to go to.

It should go without saying that Shark is incredibly handsome, and Peri is incredibly beautiful, attractive, cute, and streetwise far beyond her years. This is a fast-moving, interesting, fast-paced story with lots of insider gangster dialogue. There is an obvious conflict as Shark and Peri try to avoid romantic involvement with each other. Fans of action will like the well-described fight scenes. This is a YA novel on steroids. There is no gratuitous sexual language or even unnecessary violence. I think that is remarkable in a novel of violence in the drug trade. I give this novel five Amazon stars in its genre. Don’t compare it to literary classics, but it is a very good story. This is USD 1.99 on Amazon, is not available through Kindle Unlimited, but is worth the purchase price.

[Coco.V]

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[Laurie Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love being surprised and this book did exactly that. I bought it on a whim because of the cover. Who knew I liked mobster stories? And I loved this one. If I had to describe it in one word, it would be character, character, character. Each one is diverse and well-defined. Shark and Peri are two completely different peas in the same pod. Both strong, Both with their own agenda. Peri is her own person and has a lot of good moxie in her. But Shark? I fell for this guy. And he's a mobster! I never expected to like him, but I definitely did.
There's a solid story to go along with these characters. The author made me care about them (even the bodyguard.) So I will anxiously await more in this series.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing mystery with loads of action. Shark is fresh out of prison and wants back into the mob. The boss gives him an not so easy assignment. Couldn’t put it down until I finished it. Appreciated being introduced to this author and receiving a free read. Ready for more.

[Autumn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book via ebook discovery to give an honest review.



The blurb is what got me to thinking this would be a good book. A young man named Shark who is involved with the mob sounds like it would be right up my alley. Throw in someone who is really smart at fixing problems then you have a good book or at least you hope to.

We are introduced to Shark who is fresh out of prison and is taking over for someone who has been indisposed when a teenager named Peregrine comes to him to see if he can help her with a problem he doesn't want to, yet he is interested in who she is. When both of them put their heads together they end up helping each other out. Now I thought the working relationship between the two was pretty good. They worked together as a team and helped each other out, the only thing that bothered me was the scene towards the end when it looked like things would be going in a way that should not be going if you catch my drift. I am glad the author stopped that before letting it go any further because I think that would have been creepy. I noticed there is a book two in the series and I may just look into it as I love to read about the mob and their activities.

[carrie thackston · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so good and flowed so well that it was over before I was ready. I loved how it was irreverent and funny. It was so easy to start because the author just sort of dove in with the action and angles and I was invested from the beginning. Shark is freshly out of prison and trying to live. He doesn't dwell on the time spent there, he just goes with the flow. Peri is a very young girl that is apparently a very old soul. It's hard to imagine her only being 17, so the age difference between them and the kissing didn't bother me. She knows how the world works and fixes problems most adults couldn't. I loved the interactions between the two and it seems they are two sides of the same coin. I liked Trey even though we didn't get a lot of him, I was still rooting for him to accomplish his dreams. I can't forget Marco. I think he could turn out to be the most loyal guy, the betrayer you never saw coming, or the actual boss behind the boss. I'm very interested to see what happens next. Amazing read!

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was unexpected in the best possible way. It’s gritty and a bit hardcore but has good bits of humor and lightness mixed in. Shark is an anti hero I suppose you’d call it. He’s a bad boy who I couldn’t help but really like. He hides his intelligence and humor well, he’s a bit of a chameleon and he knows how to play the crime game well. Peri is an enigma wrapped in a riddle. Complex and wise beyond her years. She and shark make quite the pair. Very wrong age wise for them to be together and yet I love their dynamic and really hope they get a chance. Whole lot of action packed fun and a great twist at the end!
I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review.

[Vicky Quenault · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a little predictable and a little far fetched, but overall a decent story.
Not keen on the jail bait angle, its a bit creepy to be honest. If the female lead was older the story would be more believable and the characters wouldn’t be so unlikeable. There is nothing good about grown men panting after teenage girls - its actually repulsive and triggering for anyone that was a teenage girl pursued by much older adult men.
If Peri was university age instead of high school then the book would be a lot better and the male characters could be redeemed.
I received a complimentary copy from VRO in return for an honest review.

[D. E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A BM. Mystery Action Adventure (SI) (SSCSB - 1)

BM. has penned a mystery action adventure titled Shark's Instinct, which begins with an introduction to Peri Hayes, a high school student who had an in with they who know who is who. She tries to make sure that no one is hurt by drugs. She comes into a precarious position and seeks the aid of Shark Santanyo, who is a known drug dealer, but is trying stay straight. They form a partnership and try to keep a semblance of control. This is an excellent read for the genre.....DEHS

[Mike Schroeder · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great story! Multiple twists and turns, surprises and even a touch of romance. Shark is an instantly likeable bad guy with smarts and education that have developed way beyond his age. Peri is lovable, but one very tough cookie who most people don't want to get on the wrong side of. All in all an enthralling read and I can't wait for Shark's Bite to release.
"I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review."

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's always an Excitement and Curosity for me when reading about the Mob Organization. I liked Shark he knew what he had to do to survive and he wanted back in the organization. Shark and Peri are strong characters and were definitely attracted to each other.But, both were smart enough not to complicate the situation. I enjoyed this book even though i usually would not make it my choice.

[T Olsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a GREAT - yes - GREAT book! It has action, a lot of wit, and even some romance.
I read it in one take with a smile on my face the whole time.
This is a must read!
I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily post this review. This is my honest review.

[Pasi Kupiainen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not very conventional gangster story. Low level mobsters, high school "godmother" and interesting plot. I recommend this story (and series) to all friends of good thrillers.
I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these characters! This book was definitely a winner. I received a copy of this book from eBook Discovery. I am voluntarily posting this review. This is my honest review.

[J.M. Phillippe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast paced, super fun, and filled with great characters, Shark's Instinct was a great read. Bethany Maines continues to skillfully combine humor and action, with just the right dash of romance.

[Edward Westerbeke · Rating 3 out of 5]

City gangs and lots of crime and killing. Not my favorite.

[Da Jeffrock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me start off by saying I came into this book expecting a run of the mill YA book, and I couldn’t have been more wrong. Drugs, gangs, the Organization (read mob), and a high school girl known as the Godmother who is the local fixer. This book has it all. From creative names; Shark, Marco, Tall Jimmy, Paper, Two-Tone; to the intricate web of organized crime and drugs. Our main characters Shark and Peri, find themselves working together in a single operation to solve both of their problems, but when you are dealing with drugs, money and organized crime, are things ever that easy? Check out this video for an in-depth review and reactions to Shark’s Instinct.
https://youtu.be/CvdfjGwRQKM

[Lejla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was great. I love it more than I was thinking for first time I saw description. Can't wait to read more of this series. I truly recommend it.

I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily post this review. This is my honest review.