FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                   

CONTACT: Julie Samara, Publicist, 212-366-2538; julie.samara@us.penguingroup.com
Or the Author: Kathy Brandt, 719.686.1347;
kbrandt@coloradocollege.edu


UNDER PRESSURE
By Kathy Brandt  

"A terrific writer.  The scene with the sharks inside the aircraft was enough to cause nightmares.  And using an underwater heroine is admirable.  Well done!"       
                                                                                                             --Clive Cussler

UNDER PRESSURE (Penguin Putnam/Signet, June 6, 2006) begins at 9:32 on a tropical morning, when a puddle-jumper takes off into the skies over Tortola.  At 9:39, not far from underwater investigator Hannah Sampson's boat, it nosedives into the water. Only moments later, Hannah and her partner are sixty feet below the surface, vying with reef sharks for any survivors.

With her relationship floundering, a hurricane bearing down, a nine-year-old survivor thrust into her care, and a body found tangled in the mangroves, Hannah must find the answers to the crash.  Was one of the passengers a target?  Who would be desperate enough to kill an entire planeload of people?  A fanatical researcher who mucks around in mangroves and sets dolphins free?  A shady politico?  As evidence accumulates and threats become deadly, Hannah finds herself fighting for more than simple justice and in too deep…

Praise for the series:

the kind of mystery that takes hold of you and doesn’t let go until the last paragraph.”—Margaret Coel, New York Times bestselling author

A plunge into intrigue.” –The Denver Post

A lush, atmospheric look at the British Virgin Islands...a plot that maintains its surprises to the end.” –South Florida Sun-Sentinel

White-hot writing, a charismatic heroine and crackling tension flawlessly merge in Brandt’s latest Underwater Investigation.   Plus, her crisp depiction of the British Virgin Islands lends lush atmosphere to this suspenseful story. This richly plotted mystery is as satisfying as finding buried treasure.” --Romantic Times

“Kathy Brandt’s latest diving detective adventure is a fast paced thriller that explodes onto the opening page.  By the end of the first chapter, Brandt’s heroine is breathless and the reader is hooked. –Diver Magazine

“Armchair travelers beware!” –Midwest Book Review

“Starts off with a bang, with enough twists to keep the reader guessing till the end.  And the exotic locale doesn’t hurt.  Colorado Springs Gazette

“In the tradition of Kinsey Millhone and V.I. Warshawski...it’s about time a feisty female investigator leaves the cold behind and enjoys the slower-paced—but always exciting—life of the islands.” American Eagle Latitudes

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kathy Brandt’s
new mystery series, featuring police diver and underwater investigator Hannah Sampson, debuted in 2003 with Swimming with the Dead.  She and her husband have been sailing and scuba diving in the islands for 18 years.  She has attended diving classes with firemen and police officers and has had a front row seat as they trained in rescue and recovery techniques.  She holds both a B.A. and an M.A. and taught writing at the University of Colorado for ten years.  She has published dozens of articles in national magazines such as Women’s Sports and Fitness, Complete Woman, Sailing, Yachting, Heartland Boating, and Scouting Magazine.  Originally from Illinois, she lives with her husband in the mountains of Colorado.  Visit Kathy’s website at www.ksbrandt.com


UNDER PRESSURE: An Underwater Investigation
By Kathy Brandt
Signet/Penguin Putnam
Publication Date: June 6, 2006
Price: $6.99 paperback
ISBN #: 0-451-21878-7