Depth Charge

In the thick of the Second World War, Britain was racing to develop its own atomic weapon. But before it could be tested, disaster struck, sending a prototype bomb to the bottom of the Indian Ocean. 75 years later, it has been found, off the east coast of Sri Lanka, inside a sunken destroyer, the Vampire, perched on the edge of a 2,000-foot deep abyss. Its recovery is dangerous. Its intended use is even more so.

Julian "Tusker" Tusk, an American marine archaeologist, is on a research assignment in Sri Lanka, when his friend and colleague, Upali, goes missing in an offshore explosion. Tusker heads to the scene to learn more. After finding it difficult to get answers from the local authorities, he decides to investigate himself, using his own underwater research skills. Diving to the wreck of his friend's sunken research boat, he finds that it was not an accident that claimed Upali's life. Digging deeper, Tusker learns of Upali's discovery of a deep shipwreck with secrets both old and new. But the shipwreck has not only drawn just Upali's interest, but also that of a foreign commercial diving operation, and its ship, the DSV Depth Charge. The owner, a mysterious Malcolm Rausing, has his own motivations that are as deep and dark as the wreck itself.

What began as a murder investigation has now become a race against time, in a battle to prevent the deaths of thousands and a country from civil war. It will push Tusker to the absolute limit, sending him and a beautiful local marine biologist, Samanthi, deeper than they've ever gone before. 

In the style of a classic thriller, Depth Charge brings together the secrets of different eras and cultures, in a fast paced story that is rich in description, historical facts, violence, tenderness, romance, and high risk. There is humor and high adventure, both topside and deep underwater. It exposes a sinister side to a modern conflict with surprising heroes and villains and will keep the reader holding her breath right up until the last page.