Wednesday 21 June 2017

Into The Water by Paula Hawkins

Reviewer : Gillian Hamer, author of The Charter, Closure, Complicit, Crimson Shore & False Lights. (www.gillianhamer.com)

What we thought: I listened the audio version of this book, and have to admit I found it a little slow to get into because each lead character had its own narrator, but because they had different voices for the characters around them I found it confusing. However, by the end of the book, I was totally enthralled by the approach, and found it added an extra layer to the story.

Whilst I enjoyed the author’s bestselling novel, The Girl on the Train, I hadn’t been as blown away by it as some reviewers, so I came to this book with a degree of trepidation, hoping that she’d achieved success again with the ‘difficult second book.’

And I wasn’t disappointed.

After the mysterious deaths of a school girl and a local woman who was investigating the legend of the drowning pool in the local river, this novel retells the stories of a group of people surrounded with the tragedy. Lena lost her mother and her best friend in a double tragedy, and seems to be at the heart of the mystery, but when her aunt arrives to care for her, the story seems confusing and fractured. The police investigation follows two separate detectives, and I loved the way their paths crossed and twisted, and as a reader we were open to secrets from both sides. A really clever tactic that worked well for me.

Strong character, excellent paced, and twists and turns galore. A definite winner!


You’ll enjoy this if you like : Clare Mackintosh, Kate Hamer, Peter James.

Avoid if you don’t like : Complex storylines and multiple narrators.

Ideal accompaniments: BBQ meats and salad.

Genre : Contemporary.

Available on Amazon




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