William McKeever Turns the Shark Thriller Trope on its Head in "Return of the Mako"

New crime fiction novel exposes murder, drug trafficking and violence against sharks on the high sea

NEW YORK, Nov. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Author of "Emperors of the Deep," documentary filmmaker and shark conservationist William McKeever challenges long-standing fears about sharks in "Return of the Mako: The story of a shark caught up in a net of murder and violence on the high seas," a new marine crime thriller inspired by a true story and grounded in research into shark behavior, commercial fishing and criminal activity on the high seas.

The novel begins when a captured shortfin mako shark regurgitates a human torso into its tank at the New York Aquarium in front of horrified visitors. Investigators initially suspect a shark attack, but marine biologist Brigida Castello believes the victim was murdered before the shark encountered the remains.

DEA agent Luke Roberts turns to Castello for help solving a case with no conventional crime scene and no witnesses. Their only lead is Andromeda, the mako shark, whose satellite tracking data may reveal where she discovered the body. Together, Roberts and Castello follow her movements from the waters near Montauk across the Atlantic, uncovering connections among organized crime, international shipping and the shark-fin trade.

"Sharks aren't the dangerous creatures that we should fear; it is the sharks that should fear us," McKeever said. "I wanted to create a suspenseful story that also shows readers the dangers sharks face because of human activity."

McKeever draws on his experience as a documentary filmmaker and shark conservationist, examining the global demand for shark products and the consequences of removing apex predators from marine ecosystems. The result combines elements of a murder mystery, law enforcement thriller, maritime adventure and environmental novel.

Rather than repeating the familiar premise of people being hunted by a shark, "Return of the Mako" places the shark at the center of the mystery as a survivor, a source of evidence and a symbol of an ocean increasingly threatened by human activity. As Roberts and Castello move closer to identifying the victim and uncovering the criminal operation behind his death, the novel asks readers to reconsider which predator poses the greater danger beneath, and above, the surface 

"Return of the Mako: The story of a shark caught up in a net of murder and violence on the high seas"
By William McKeever
ISBN: 9781665798525 (softcover); 9781665798549 (hardcover); 9781665798532 (electronic)
Available at Archway Publishing, Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the author
William McKeever is an author, documentary filmmaker, and founder of the ocean-conservation nonprofit Safeguard the Seas. His nonfiction book "Emperors of the Deep" (HarperOne, 2019) was widely praised for reshaping public perception of sharks, and his documentary work and conservation advocacy earned him the 2022 Wings Award from the Pegasus Foundation, whose past recipients include Jane Goodall. To learn more, please visit www.williammckeever.com or www.safeguardtheseas.org.

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SOURCE Archway Publishing