Desperation Reef by T. Jefferson Parker

 

A family of surfers confronts giant waves and their personal demons at the Monsters of the Mavericks. Jen Stonebreaker lost her husband, John, 25 years ago in a tragic accident at the Mavericks. She hasn't surfed competitively since. Now she and her twin sons, Casey and Brock, are preparing to enter the competition. 

Jen has never gotten over the guilt and grief of John's death. She has poured her life into running her seaside restaurant and caring for her two sons. 

Casey and Brock are twins with strikingly different personalities. Both are world-class surfers, but the resemblance ends there. Casey is more of a typical laid-back surfer. He fishes for his Mom's restaurant in the morning and bartends there at night. In between he models and surfs. While fishing, Casey sees a group of pirates illegally finning sharks. He captures it on video and shares it to his social media and law enforcement. This kicks off a high-stakes confrontation with the pirates.

Brock is an unconventional do-gooder and preacher. He and his wife and his Go Dog organization run to the sites of hurricanes, floods and fires to provide aid and relief. He also has his own church and a compound that assists people who need help getting back on their feet. While Casey is more of a turn-the-other-cheek type, Brock is more likely to turn your cheek with his fists. He has drawn the ire of a local white supremacist group that doesn't like the color of the skin of those Brock chooses to help.

All three are training hard for the Mavericks. Casey and Brock for the love of the sport, and for Jen it is an effort to conquer the fear and guilt that has dogged her for 25 years. The story remains interesting throughout in Parker's hands and moves along quickly, spending time with each of the main characters. The surf scenes are exciting and feel realistic. All the individual plots come to a head at or around the Mavericks. 

The story is never boring, but neither is it ever truly exciting. The family relationship and struggles are well done. The individual trials seemed a bit dry and none of the reveals were ever truly shocking. The treatment of the illegal fishers/pirates felt unrealistic, particularly in their interactions with Casey. 

If you are a big fan of surfing, you are likely to enjoy this book. It is also a really interesting story of family dynamics. As a straight-up thriller, it is more of a miss.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher.