Deep in Lake Superior are hidden places where mermaids and mermen lurk in wait for unsuspecting humans to become their prey. Calder White is part of a family of mermaid assassins who are bent on revenge. They are desperately seeking Jason Hancock because they blame his father for not fulfilling a promise to their mother, which ultimately kills her. For that, they want Jason Hancock dead. Mermaids always keep their promises and they uphold humans to the same standards.
The Hancock family moves to Bayfield, Wisconsin to live on Lake Superior and the White family has a plan to lure Jason to his surefire death by drowning. Except nothing goes according to plan, especially when Calder begins to fall in love with Hancock's daughter Lily. Lily begins to suspect something is amiss and Calder is willing to risk his life for her.
A mermaid found a swimming lad,
Picked him for her own,
Pressed her body to his body,
Laughed; and plunging down
Forgot in cruel happiness
That even lovers drown.
-William Butler Yeats
Anne Greenwood Brown has created an inventive tale that includes mystery, romance and intrigue. What is unique about Lies Beneath is that the narrator is male when so many of the young adult voices are female. Brown includes Victorian poetry and Native American legends of mermaids. Lies Beneath is a sensory experience. You can sense the cold water of Lake Superior, smell the intoxicating scent of the beautiful mermaids as they hypnotize and enamor their prey.
This is my first Merfolk novel and I was pleasantly surprised. Who knew mermaids could be so interesting? The Victorian poetry is what really grabbed me and the storyline kept me reading. The characters are unique, creative and fun. Lily has a tattoo that says "No coward soul is mine", which is the first line in a Emily Bronte poem. I love it when characters are literary. Lies Beneath is first novel in a trilogy and I am looking forward to the next two books. Brown is a talented writer who crafts a imaginative story.
Mermaids in Lake Superior, oh my!