Rolling in the Deep by Mira Grant (Rolling in the Deep #0.5)

When the Imagine Network commissioned a documentary on mermaids, to be filmed from the cruise ship Atargatis, they expected what they had always received before: an assortment of eyewitness reports that proved nothing, some footage that proved even less, and the kind of ratings that only came from peddling imaginary creatures to the masses. They didn't expect actual mermaids. They certainly didn't expect those mermaids to have teeth. This is the story of the Atargatis, lost at sea with all hands. Some have called it a hoax; others have called it a maritime tragedy. Whatever the truth may be, it will only be found below the bathypelagic zone in the Mariana Trench . . . and the depths are very good at keeping secrets.

CONTRIBUTOR(S): Teri Schnaubelt (Narrator)
PUBLISHER: Tantor Audio
YEAR: 2014
LENGTH: 128 pages (3 hours 6 minutes)
AGE: Adult
GENRE: Fantasy, Horror, Sci-Fi
RECOMMENDED: Yes

Queer Rep Summary: Gay/Achillean Main Character(s).

ROLLING THE DEEP is the story of the cruise ship Atargatis, sent to find mermaids or fake it well enough to make an entertaining documentary that played fast and loose with the truth. Originally published before its better-known full-length follow-up, INTO THE DROWNING DEEP, ROLLING IN THE DEEP is a bloody horror story of curiosity and corporate greed driving a whole ship of people into a bloodbath at the hands of "mermaids" which evolved to be our predators. 

It doesn't seem like it's specifically trying to leave something for later. Even knowing that a sequel eventually was made, this is a complete story that can be enjoyed on its own. The cast is pretty large for a novella but stays focused on a subset of named characters to make it manageable.

I like it, I just wish I'd been able to get a hold of it before reading INTO THE DROWNING DEEP, but this is harder to find copies of. I'd put it library on hold a year ago, and it finally became available after I'd completely forgotten about my request.

Graphic/Explicit CW for blood, gore, violence, death.

Moderate CW for cursing, ableism.

Minor CW for racism.

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