From Publishers Weekly
In Eidson's chilling second adventure to feature ex-DEA undercover agent Jack Merchant and boat repo contractor Sarah Ballard (after 2003's The Repo), the duo investigate a suspicious sailing accident off the Rhode Island coast. Prospective client Matt Coulter walks into Sarah's marine repossession company with a wild tale of a shipwreck, subsequent rescue and kidnapping that includes many amnesiac gaps due to his injuries. His version differs from newspaper and police accounts, which say that a grief-crazed Coulter simply couldn't accept the loss of his wife and two children who were sailing with him. Jack, who freelances for Sarah, skeptically agrees to help. Preliminary research into Coulter's hazy descriptions of the phantom rescue vessel suggests his nightmare may indeed be real. The viewpoint of a ruthless pirate, whose bungling, slapdash plans drive him desperately into Sarah and Jack's path, ratchets up the suspense, while the likable sleuths contrast sharply with a pair of expertly sketched and truly loathsome sociopaths. Jack and love-scarred Sarah's cautious relationship gels in the midst of palpable tension as they fight to save her boat and several lives. Complex and salty supporting characters add gritty authenticity to this taut mystery. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Matt Coulter lost his wife and two kids when his boat sank at sea. His postaccident tale--clouded by partial amnesia--features a mysterious ship that answered his Mayday distress call and the certainty that his kids were kidnapped, not drowned. Given Coulter's past history of drinking problems, the official investigators feel he is likely covering up a relapse with tragic consequences. With his only hope finding the mysterious vessel, Coulter turns to Sarah Ballard, whose business is finding and repossessing boats, and she, in turn, enlists the aid of her sometime-lover Jack Merchant, an ex-DEA agent. Their search turns up a series of dead ends but is rekindled when Coulter is the victim of a murder attempt that the would-be killer tried to disguise as a suicide. The second entry in the Merchant-Ballard series oozes seaside ambience, with the couple's contentious relationship providing a compelling backdrop for a solidly plotted, exciting thriller. Wes Lukowsky
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Book Description
Mayday is the second installment of an acclaimed new series featuring ex-DEA Agent Jack Merchant and boat repo contractor Sarah Ballard. This time they are searching for a man's wife and children, missing on the high seas.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

"Bil Eidson scored a hit with 2003's The Repo, the first installment of a new series featuring ex-DEA Agent Jack Merchant and boat repo contractor Sarah Ballard." Eidson continues Jack and Sarah's intimate, fractious partnership as they search for a man's wife and children, missing on the high seas. No one believes Matt Coulter's story of a foundered ship, a life raft adrift at night, and a miraculous rescue turned kidnapping - least of all the police. Jack and Sarah don't either, at first. But they reluctantly take the case, and the further they follow its twists and turns, the more convinced they become that the missing family is still alive. At least for now.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

In Eidson's chilling second adventure to feature ex-DEA undercover agent Jack Merchant and boat repo contractor Sarah Ballard (after 2003's The Repo), the duo investigate a suspicious sailing accident off the Rhode Island coast. Prospective client Matt Coulter walks into Sarah's marine repossession company with a wild tale of a shipwreck, subsequent rescue and kidnapping that includes many amnesiac gaps due to his injuries. His version differs from newspaper and police accounts, which say that a grief-crazed Coulter simply couldn't accept the loss of his wife and two children who were sailing with him. Jack, who freelances for Sarah, skeptically agrees to help. Preliminary research into Coulter's hazy descriptions of the phantom rescue vessel suggests his nightmare may indeed be real. The viewpoint of a ruthless pirate, whose bungling, slapdash plans drive him desperately into Sarah and Jack's path, ratchets up the suspense, while the likable sleuths contrast sharply with a pair of expertly sketched and truly loathsome sociopaths. Jack and love-scarred Sarah's cautious relationship gels in the midst of palpable tension as they fight to save her boat and several lives. Complex and salty supporting characters add gritty authenticity to this taut mystery. Agent, Richard Parks. (Jan. 15) FYI: A past president of the New England chapter of the MWA, Eidson is also the author of One Bad Thing and other thrillers. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews