Terry Shames Charts Perilous Waters

DEBORAH CROMBIE: I'm so thrilled to be hosting my good pal Terry Shames! You will know Terry from her wonderful Samuel Craddock series, set in small town central Texas, but today she has something completely different for us--the start of a brand new series, set in the Bahamas. Here's Terry to tell you all about Jessie Madison and PERILOUS WATERS.

TERRY SHAMES: I’m so thrilled to be here on Jungle Red Writers to talk about my new book. Thank you to Deborah Crombie and the “reds” for having me. Here’s some background about the new thriller.

Many years ago my husband arranged to do a sabbatical in Perth, Australia for two months. It sounded idyllic. We were avid windsurfers, and the windsurfing on the Swan River on the west coast was supposed to be great. But since we were going to Australia, we also decided to explore the Great Barrier Reef—as divers. We took a PADI diving course, passed it and were certified, and off we went!

Terry and the Black Pearl

We traveled to Heron Island to do our diving. They made it easy. They had child care, and my son seemed to love it, so all was good. Until we got to the boat. We had been told we’d do an easy 30-50 foot dive. Even that sounded a little daunting for me—I’m not the world’s bravest person. But when we arrived at the boat the dive master told us the waters were too turbulent in shallow water, so they were taking us to a reef wall where we’d be doing a 60’ dive. And, by the way, under the 60’ where we’d hover, there was a 1,000-foot drop-off.

I’m terrified of heights and it sounded like my worst nightmare, but I was talked into going ahead with it. All I remember of the dive is keeping my eyes on flippers of the person in front of me, terrified that somehow I’d get lost. Of course I knew that was impossible. You either went one way on the wall, or the other, but either way you were with other people. But fear knows no logic. I was nauseous the whole time in the roiling waters and when we got into the boat, I threw up.

That night I vowed that I’d never again go diving. And I never have. My sister loves diving and told me I should go back and try again. And several other friends told me their first dives were awful and then it got better, and that I should persevere. Nope. I have a low panic threshold.

Why am telling you this? Because, dear readers, with that background it seems nuts that I decided to write a series about an intrepid diver, Jessie Madison. But there are two reasons that it makes sense. One, I love the water, and I took up snorkeling big time. I can spend hours gazing into the water watching fish and the beautiful vegetation. On top of the water! I’m not afraid to snorkel around sharks and along reefs. But…no diving! The second reason is more pragmatic. I figured that writing about a diver who gets into trouble underwater is perfect for me, because I can easily describe the terror of Jessie Madison being in that alien underwater environment and fearing for her life. I’ve been there! Okay, I might have been over-dramatic, but for me it was all too real.

I hope you love reading about Jessie’s debut adventure in the Bahamas. An adventure that is based on a real adventure I had in the Bahamas on an island very much like the one Jessie finds herself stranded on. The island even had a little river running through it. And we were on a catamaran anchored there—just like Island Ice. But my adventure was a lot tamer than Jessie’s!

So, JR readers, are you water babies? Divers? Have you had any scary adventures in the water? Are you adventuresome or, like me, do you have a low panic threshold? Tell me your stories! Who knows, one may end up in Jessie’s next adventure.

DEBS: This is such fun for me because Terry and I have had a good few brainstorming sessions about this book over the last few years, and I love seeing how it's morphed into the beginning of a fabulous new series. Here's more about PERILOUS WATERS--

Jessie Madison has been in the Bahamas working as a diver instructor, taking time to recover from her disappointment at being dismissed from FBI training. Ready to go back and face the reality of finding a new career, Jessie decides on one last “goodbye to the islands” midnight sail with a friend.

The whim turns disastrous when three men board the boat, and demand that they turn over valuable cargo. They comply, but the men chain them and throw them overboard. Jessie escapes, but her friend drowns. Rigging a damaged windsurfer, Jessie manages to paddle between islands to safety.

She’s determined to bring the attackers to justice. But who are they? And can she trust Nick Garnier, the man who says he wants to help her? He insists that she is in danger and has to leave the island, but she refuses. Her troubles are compounded when two men from her past show up to extract revenge for her part in their brother’s death. Then she and Nick are captured …and things go from bad to worse.

DEBS: And more about Terry and terrific buzz for this book!

Terry Shames writes the popular, award-winning Samuel Craddock series, set in the fictional town of Jarrett Creek, Texas and featuring chief of police Samuel Craddock.

The latest, Guilt Strikes at Granger’s Store, was named one of Library Journal’s top mysteries of 2023. Perilous Waters, the first in her new Jessie Madison thriller series, comes out April 2, 2024. Booklist says, “The perfect escapist caper . . . The action is fast and furious, in this entertaining, keep-‘em-guessing read featuring a feisty, likable heroine.” For more, see Terryshames.com.