Dark of the Sun

Sims—the pseudonym of Len Maynard and Mick Sims, the authors of Demon Eyes and four other supernatural novels—successfully ventures into thriller territory. Bahamian charter boat captain Harry Beck discovers how little he knows about his childhood friend, hotel owner Alan Lancaster, who disappears after Lancaster’s wife and seven-year-old daughter perish in the explosion that destroys their Mercedes. Beck goes looking for Lancaster, but finds almost no one he can trust as he’s swept up in a maelstrom of violence that includes a vicious attack on his 19-year-old female crewmate, Stevie Bailey, aboard his boat, The Lady of Pain. Gradually, it becomes clear how a child sex-trafficking ring fits into Beck’s world. Beck discovers inner resources as the body count rises and the fast-paced action builds to a surprising climax. (Mar.)