Echoes of Fortune: Shadows Over Cozumel dives headfirst into turquoise waters filled with secrets, betrayal, and buried history. The story follows Jack Sullivan, Emma Wilson, and Steve Johnson, friends bound by loyalty and curiosity, as they uncover a long-lost Confederate shipwreck off the coast of Mexico. What begins as a historical dive morphs into a deadly chase involving secret societies, coded messages, and a haunting black yacht that stalks them like a shadow. Leng mixes maritime mystery with military precision, creating a thriller that feels equal parts National Treasure and The Abyss. The pacing is taut, the atmosphere drenched in salt and suspense, and the danger never feels far away.

What grabbed me most was how real the diving scenes felt. Leng clearly knows his way around the water. His writing is crisp but immersive, painting Cozumel not as a tourist paradise but as a living, breathing backdrop that holds both beauty and menace. I loved the dynamic between Jack, Emma, and Steve, it feels authentic, comfortable, like friends who’ve seen each other at their worst. The dialogue has rhythm, little bursts of humor cutting through tension.

Leng’s ideas about history and obsession resonated with me. He plays with the notion that the past doesn’t die, it waits. The Confederate gold and secret dispatches are symbols of greed and legacy, showing how easily people twist history to serve power. There’s also a quiet sadness under all the adrenaline. Jack’s restlessness, Emma’s curiosity, Steve’s loyalty, they’re all chasing something beyond gold. The prose sometimes feels cinematic, almost too neat, but that doesn’t dull the emotional undercurrent. When the mystery tightens and the shadows close in, I found myself leaning closer, caught in that familiar tension between truth and survival.

By the time I finished, I felt both exhilarated and a little haunted. Echoes of Fortune: Shadows Over Cozumel isn’t just about treasure, it’s about what we risk to uncover what’s buried. Divers will love the authenticity, history buffs will appreciate the detail, and thriller fans will get the pulse they crave. It’s a great read for a weekend when you want to lose yourself to the deep.

Pages: 90 | ASIN: B0FSMTD53S