I had high expectations for Paula Hawkins’ next book after
her excellent The Girl on the Train.
Into the Water proved worthwhile but did not
blow me away. From the cover blurb the book is an addictive new novel of
psychological suspense about the slipperiness of truth – and one family
drowning in secrets.
Nell Abbott had been researching the various deaths by
drowning in the local river. All young females, all mostly declared suicides.
Now Nell is dead. Was she influenced by her research? Was she suicidal? Or was
this murder? Nell’s daughter – a vulnerable angry teen is being taken
care of by Nell’s sister, Jules. Jules and Nell had been estranged, so the
family dynamics are messy and Jules is not comfortable with dealing with her
niece. Various detectives offer their narrative too. Plus we have the strange
local flavor of the town psychic, etc. Also, Hawkins reverts to the past
to give viewpoints from previous drowning victims.
I like first person chapters, but this book had too many
people telling their story and it was hard to keep a continuing thread for
forward progress. Into the Water is well written. It ultimately
zooms along rapidly at the end to tie everything up. The book was good, not
fabulous. There was a lot of deception and hidden secrets in a small
town.
From the cover blurb – Beware a calm surface – you never know
what lies beneath.
