The debate about keeping killer whales in captivity as a public attraction provides the backdrop for May’s gripping debut. The Coronado Research Institute, located on an island 16 miles south of San Diego Bay, houses orcas in special sea pens that give the captive whales as close to a natural environment as possible. The future of the creatures as entertainment has been threatened by high-profile PR disasters in the industry. Lee Ingram, the head cetacean behaviorist at CRI, comes under scrutiny after the drowning death of Mike Fischer, a skilled diver assigned to maintain the sea pens. For some reason, Fischer entered the water on his own, violating protocol by going solo in an area where he potentially could have had a deadly encounter with one of the whales. The resulting investigation makes Ingram question the ethics of his work as he tries to find out the truth about the fatality. May’s knowledge of the issues allows him to inform this thriller with just the right amount of scientific detail. Readers will look forward to his next outing. (Self-published)