Troubled Waters offers poaching, murder and intrigue in the adventure-filled world of commercial diving.
Diving for sea urchins is a competitive business, and Mickey Sutter knows some of the divers are hoping she'll quit after losing her husband in an automobile accident. Don't hold your breath. She's tougher and far more stubborn than most people realize. With her nephew on board as crew, Mickey pilots Perseverance toward Neah Bay, located on the northwest tip of Washington's Olympic Peninsula. She's ready for opening day of the season, but nothing prepares her for finding the body of a good friend—dead in the bottom of his fish hold. The Coast Guard and local police treat his death as an accident, but Mickey is bothered by some unexplained details and starts her own investigation. When her snooping turns up evidence of poaching, she reports it to the proper authorities. The next morning, she finds a threatening note on her boat, warning her to mind her own business. Mickey is furious, and it fuels her growing suspicion that one of the poachers murdered her friend. Convinced she knows who did it, the search for proof almost gets her killed.