On the Bookshelf: Something in the Water

Something in the Water
By Catherine Steadman
My rating:  4 out of 5 ****

I really enjoyed this novel – it was a quick read, full of suspense and action.  I didn’t know a whole lot about it when picking it up, except that the author is British actress Catherine Steadman, who played Mabel Lane Fox on Downton Abbey.  Who doesn’t love Downton Abbey? That was enough for me to pick the book up and although it is nothing like Downton, I was glad I did.  

As the book opens, we find Erin alone in the woods, digging her husband’s grave.  I found myself immediately intrigued.  What brought her to that place? How could things have gone so wrong?  The book then flashes back to the days before Mark and Erin’s wedding. Erin is a documentary film-maker and is currently in the middle of a film about the sentencing and release of 3 prisoners.  Mark is an investment banker, who, unfortunately, just lost his job. This really hits him hard and tensions start to run a little high.

However, things turn back to wonderful as the two decide to take their dream honeymoon to Bora Bora.  And a dream it was! Two weeks in a luxury hotel with beautiful white sandy beaches and crystal clear waters. Everything was perfect, until they found something in the water.  That something changed the entire trajectory of their lives.

As I watched events unfold, I went from slamming the book down in disbelief for the outrageously dumb mistakes that the pair of them were making, to sitting back and thinking, What would I have done in that situation?  

This book is filled with tension as we follow these characters through the book, wondering what the next turn will be.  I really enjoyed it. I gave it 4 stars rather than 5 because there were some slow parts towards the beginning.  It was close to a full 5 stars because I believe the surprise ending more than made up for the slower parts. I hope that Ms. Steadman has more stories like this coming our way in the future.

If this sounds like a book for you, you might also be interested to see my review of Lying in Wait by Liz Nugent.  

Thanks for visiting my blog.  Until next time, happy reading!