Mandy sets out to clear her uncle’s name, in spite of warnings from Detective Quintana, her new boyfriend Rob Juarez, and a rock through her window warning her off her investigation.  After her uncle dies from poor health, Mandy’s brother appears and advocates selling the business, something Mandy won’t hear of in her grief.

The plot of the mystery is strong enough, the setting and excitement of the river add to the pace of the mystery, but Mandy is often too over emotional and whiney about not wanting help from her, albeit at times over protective, boyfriend or her brother.  Mandy’s past is not clearly drawn, so it is difficult to have empathy toward her in her desire, insistence even, to be independent. 

Mandy is shaken by the first fatality of her watch and even more when her boss questions her decision to attempt to save both passengers rather than seeing to the safety of one and then the other. There are two more rescues written about in the course of the book that are very dramatic, and seem almost as if they are there to assuage Mandy’s guilt, especially the last one in which she also faces a moral dilemma. 

The subplot of one of Mandy’s uncle’s guides, Gonzo, and his alcoholism is first handled by Mandy in an abrupt, immature manner. Once she calms down and thinks things through with the help of her friends, a plan is formulated to help Gonzo and allows Mandy to keep one of her best (when sober) guides.  This is a mystery you will really want to like, but Mandy can often wear on your nerves; though toward the end, she makes great and hopeful strides toward maturity.                                        

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry