Swimming with Manatees: An Eco-Thriller of Justice and Redemption - Hardcover

2026 Eric Hoffer Grand Prize Shortlist

Winner of the Firebird and Incipere Award, Literary Titan Gold Award, PenCraft Award for Suspense, and Finalist in the American Writing Awards and Indies Today Awards

A death on Florida's coast. A detective who won't let silence win.

When the body of a young woman washes ashore in Crystal Cove, Detective Ava Martinez is called to investigate. What begins as a suspicious drowning soon unravels into something far more dangerous: ecological sabotage, corporate corruption, and a marine biologist's research that could change everything-or destroy it.

As Ava digs deeper, loyalties fracture. Her partner is killed. The case turns personal. With the help of a principled scientist, a vigilant neighbor, and a loyal officer, Ava must navigate a town steeped in secrets and silence. Every step closer to the truth brings her closer to becoming the next target.

Swimming with Manatees is an atmospheric mystery that blends:

- Environmental intrigue - a fragile ecosystem under threat

- Detective suspense - a relentless investigator haunted by loss

- Ensemble drama - allies bound by loyalty, justice, and resilience

- Emotional depth - a story of grief, redemption, and the quiet power of memory

Fans of mystery, eco-thrillers, and character-driven suspense will be swept into this gripping novel of justice, resilience, and the fight to carry truth forward before the next body surfaces.

Perfect for readers of Carl Hiaasen, John D. MacDonald, and Randy Wayne White.

Bennett's Swimming with Manatees is a taut, atmospheric eco-thriller in which expressive prose and plot-driven dialogue propel a morally urgent investigation; Ava Martinez emerges as a compelling, determined lead whose pursuit of truth exposes corporate malfeasance and gives the novel real thematic heft, while Bennett's vivid rendering of Florida's coastline and marine science grounds the suspense in a richly realized setting. - BlueInk Review

An eco-noir that traces the human cost of corporate influence across a coastal community. Ava Martinez returns in a gripping environmental mystery that exposes corruption and the price of profit in a small Florida town. Corporate secrets, crooked power, one relentless detective - Swimming with Manatees pulls no punches. - Foreword Clarion Review