Cold Blood, Hot Sea: Mara Tusconi Mystery Series

"Charlene D'Avanzo is a marine ecologist who has written a first crime novel that makes her scientific specialty exciting… The central character, Mara Tusconi, is a Maine oceanographer who thinks there's something fishy (pardon the pun) about the death of a colleague on board a research ship."
—THE TORONTO STAR

"Cold Blood, Hot Sea showcases the effects of climate change on a particular industry, presenting a range of opinions and attitudes, [and conveys] a global problem on a personal level. Cold Blood, Hot Sea will make for great beach reading, but it also has meat on its bones, with rich characterizations and an intriguing mystery at its core."
—FOREWORD REVIEWS

"An oceanographer fears she was the target of an accident at sea that kills one of her colleagues. Are climate change doubters at work?…[Cold Blood, Hot Sea combines] niche material about Maine life and oceanography."
—KIRKUS REVIEWS

"[A] whirlwind of plot–driven activity."
—CRIME FICTION LOVER

"The central premise is a new one, and forms an excellent basis for the mayhem and dramatic situations we demand in our murder mysteries. Five out of five stars."
—ATLANTIC COASTAL KAYAKER

"Sleuths will have to figure out who done it, but the real crime is the backdrop here: the endless heating of a fragile planet."
—BILL MCKIBBEN, author of Eaarth

"Cold Blood, Hot Sea is a cli–fi mystery that both entertains and bores deep into the heart of the issues. The author knows her science, too."
—DAN BLOOM, editor, The Cli–Fi Report

"Artfully mixing scientific detail with her characters' personal struggles, Charlene D'Avanzo creates a tense story that makes it clear: When profits are favored over health of the planet, we are all at risk."
—JOEANN HART, author of Float

A thrilling contribution to the new wave of cli-fi hitting the shelves, Cold Blood, Hot Sea pits climate change scientists against big energy conspirators. When a colleague is killed aboard the research vessel Intrepid, oceanographer Mara Tusconi believes it's no accident. As she investigates, Mara becomes entangled in a scheme involving powerful energy executives with much to lose if her department colleagues continue their climate change research. Mara's career—and life—is on the line, threatened by intrigue as big and dark as the ocean.

Marine ecologist and award–winning environmental educator Charlene D'Avanzo studied the New England coast for forty years. As a scientist, D'Avanzo sees firsthand the effects of climate change, and as a college professor, she knows the importance of storytelling in bringing ideas to life. Today she uses mysteries to immerse readers in Maine waters' stunning beauty and grave threats. An avid sea kayaker, D'Avanzo lives in Yarmouth, Maine. Cold Blood, Hot Sea is her first novel.