My review is written with thanks to the publisher for my copy of The Devil And The Dark Water via Netgalley.

Blurb:

Three impossible crimes

Two unlikely detectives

One deadly voyage


It’s 1634 and Samuel Pipps, the world’s greatest detective, is being transported from the Dutch East Indies to Amsterdam, where he is set to face trial for a crime that no one dares speak of.

But no sooner is the ship out to sea than devilry begins to blight the voyage. Strange symbols appear on the sails. A figure stalks the decks. Livestock are slaughtered. Passengers are plagued with ominous threats, promising them three unholy miracles. First: an impossible pursuit. Second: an impossible theft.

Then: an impossible murder.

With Pipps imprisoned in the depths of the ship, can his loyal bodyguard, Arent Hayes solve the mystery before the ship descends into anarchy?

A beguiling historical mystery from the award-winning author of the dazzling The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle.

Review:

I really enjoyed The Seven Deaths Of Evelyn Hardcastle so I was pleased to finally get around to reading The Devil And The Dark Water. Stuart Turton captures the atmosphere on the ship really well and I love the sense of foreboding that permeates the whole novel and creates a great sense of intrigue.

As most of the action takes place on the ship, The Devil And The Dark Water becomes a locked door mystery, so it’s important to get to know all the characters who could be potential suspects. Stuart Turton builds all the characters in intricate detail, and I loved how many of them, especially the women, subverted the expectations for women in the 17th century.

Stuart Turton is a brilliant plotter and I love how brings together several complex elements to create a exciting plot. It did take some time for me to get my head around some parts of it, but as it gathers pace, the tension heightens and I struggled to put the book down. I loved all the twists and turns as everything was revealed.

I have Stuart Turton’s most recent book on my TBR pile and I can’t wait to read it!

The Devil And The Dark Water is available from Amazon.