One Would Think The Deep - Claire Zorn 

Sam has no options after his mother dies suddenly and after an awkward phone conversation from the hospital, he moves in with his estranged aunt and his cousins. There's the ongoing mystery of why his mother lost touch with the rest of his family and even his aunt isn't speaking to his grandmother who vanished but has now reappeared. Gradually, through the story, bits of the past are uncovered and eventually the secrets are revealed.

This book immediately plunges you into all the emotions and doesn't let up all the way through. Sam is so troubled and you gradually find out that he is dealing with a lot more than the death of his mother. His cousin, Minty is the only one who seems happy to have him around. He takes him surfing and it becomes a way for Sam to forget everything going on in his life. When he's on the waves, his mind doesn't have space for anything but the feel of the ocean and the fight to stay alive.

I haven't been to Australia so I don't really know how authentic the descriptions and slang are but it all feels very genuine. I did have a little trouble with Minty's surfer speak but eventually managed to get the gist!

I actually had to make two cocktails for this book as they are both so good I couldn't choose between them. Which one do you prefer?

For the Orange Surfboard, combine the following in a rocks glass over ice. 2 shots orange vodka, 1 shot each of coconut rum and triple sec, 2 shots of orange juice and a splash of cranberry juice over the top.

For the Aussie Beachcomber, mix the ingredients in a shaker over ice, then strain into a rocks glass over more ice. 2 shots spiced rum, 1 shot triple sec, 1/2 shot orgeat, a dash of agave syrup (I skipped this as my orgeat was sweet already), the juice of 1/2 lime and 2 or 3 sprigs of mint.