Murmurs from the Deep: Scientific Adventure in the Caribbean

Free from the usual constraints of time and money, retired French business executive Fonteneau embarks on a fantasy jaunt around the Caribbean, recording the sounds of fish as he sails from island to island. Fonteneau tries to give the narrative a sense of urgency by beginning with a vignette featuring armed Venezuelan soldiers, but this feels like a misstep, as his story is essentially that of a pleasant excursion. His work will interest armchair sailors more than biologists; Fonteneau is as captivated by sunsets, bioluminescent bays, islanders' stories and eating fresh fish in beachside restaurants as he is with his mission of recording fish talk. And though his descriptions of the people he encounters feel flat and the story is lighter on adventure than some readers will prefer, there are enough delightful fish episodes and rose-colored skies to inspire anyone's inner marine explorer.