Ohmidays, what a tale! This is a cleverly written book to make you think about how easy it might be to cross over the line between right and wrong. I don't want to give too much away, but it's a brilliant question. If you murder and serial killer, have you become a murderer or done a public service? Where's the line? Erin and Mark start the book as a charming couple with a bright and brilliant future ahead of them. Catherine Steadman has posed some seriously difficult moral dilemmas in this story, and no one ends up winning. A thoroughly enjoyable read.

I can feel a sequel coming on because it can’t be over!
So fast paced and a very thrilling and gripping ride you most certainly will not want to put this down.
There are a few parts in the book where you think hmmm really but I thin it makes it more dramatic..I. An certainly see this being broken down and put on to screen as a mini drama.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a free review copy in exchange for an honest review.

“Have you ever wondered how long it takes to dig a grave?”

In SOMETHING IN THE WATER, everything is not as it seems for this picturesque couple on their honeymoon. A life altering discovery changes their life in this shocking, spellbinding & unputdownable psychological thriller debut.
Bora Bora did sound fabulous but It might be ruined for me now after this book 😂 I’ve read quite a few thrillers/psych thrillers this year but this is def in my top 5 faves for this year. It was captivating, thrilling, enthralling and had me hooked from the get go with all its twists and turns. A book that makes you ponder about life and if we really know the people closest to us. This book just chilled me to the core and gave me goosebumps right from the start. It kept playing on my mind long after I finish read it.

Would totally recommend to fellow mystery/thriller fans.

Steadman tries to create an emotive mystery with this but I'm afraid her direct first-person writing style just doesn't suit me. I found the beginning long-winded and many later passages also tedious. I struggled to finish this but was determined to answer the question posed at the beginning - why?
This may have strong appeal for those who like Steadman's style.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

Something in the Water is a brilliant debut novel by Catherine Steadman. I thought it was an addictive page-turner and a superb thriller.

Erin is a documentary filmmaker on the brink of hitting the big time. Mark, a handsome investment banker with big plans for the future. Passionately in love, they embark on a dream honeymoon to Bora Bora. Then, while scuba diving in the crystal blue sea, they find something in the water. Suddenly the newlyweds must make a dangerous choice, to speak out or to protect their secret. After all, if no-one else knows then who will it hurt? Their decision will trigger a devastating chain of events.
Steadman definitely opens this book with a bang, the first hundred pages had me completely in love with this book. I adore the way Steadman has written this, incredibly inclusive to the reader, really drawing you into Erin’s story, I quickly got to know Erin and understand how she works and acts. The beginning is beautiful, we read about a couple very much in love, excitedly putting the finishing touches to their wedding together, yes, they hit hurdles but the encounter them together and then we see them off on their honeymoon. The honeymoon section I still enjoyed, a wondrous setting for a start, perfect for escapism, more wonderful writing from Steadman and a chain of events that turns increasingly dangerous for the characters. So far so good, however it is when Erin and Mark are back from honeymoon that the trouble begins.
After the honeymoon, events take a dangerous turn but the book does to, I found myself bored for the majority of the remained of the book, the inclusive writing had vanished and I struggled to envisage the characters and what they were going through. I feel that a couple of the plot changes that Steadman writes are not particularly true to the beginning of the book. As a result, I could not believe some of the decisions the characters make, there is one plot twist in particular that I really could not get on board with, it just seems completely opposite to the rest of the book and the plot lost credibility for me after this.
Plot aside, I really liked the character of Erin, she is very easy for the reader to get inside her mind, she was a very strong character for me both as a character and as a figment in my mind. Following Erin is probably what saves this book for me. The other aspect I relished in this book is Erin’s work as a documentary filmmaker. Through her work we meet interesting characters in interesting situations and I could have read about that plot thread all day long.
To sum up, this book has an incredible start but then it tails off, descending into a disappointing read with unbelievable plot twists and a book that is quite dull.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK for an advance copy.

Loved this book. A real page turner, I couldn’t put it down. Totally hooked. Excellent read. Highly recommended.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Catherine Steadman for the copy of this book. I agreed to give my unbiased opinion voluntarily.

Whilst on their honeymoon in Bora Bora, Mark and Erin find a mysterious black bag in the ocean. Their decision to open the bag leads to ensuing complications and leaves them fighting for their lives.

The thought going through my mind most often when reading this was "They did what?". It started off well but each situation just became more and more fantastical and some of Erin's decisions were worthy of a Homer Simpson "Doh!". Having said that, the actual writing was good and it kept me reading, and there were several clues leading up to the twist ending that readers should pick up on if they are paying attention. I enjoyed reading it but you really have to suspend your disbelief.

Thanks to NetGalley and publishers, Simon and Schuster UK Fiction, for the opportunity to review an ARC.

The story starts with the main character digging in the middle of the woods, and the first thought is that she is the villain in this scenario. The author brings us back to the first scene at the end of the book for an exciting finale.

I found myself wincing at the naiveté Erin displayed throughout the story. Not exactly cut out to be an unscrupulous criminal and certainly not smart enough to understand that the buck stops with the one actually committing all the crimes. Her actions seem to be a contradiction to the intelligent woman interacting with hardcore prison inmates.

The relationship between Eddie and Erin plays a pivotal part in the story and I think it could have been explored a little more, perhaps at a later point in time in another story. Erin being beholden to Eddie puts everything into a completely new light.

The most important question of this story is whether or not the situation with the package would entice the majority of us to become spur of the moment criminals. What would you do? And is it a crime if everyone involved is dead?

Steadman captivates the reader with her opening chapter, and although there are some less convincing moments during the execution in the middle, she brings it all back together for an unexpected ending. I was pleasantly surprised by the read and expect a lot more from this author in the future.

Just wow. Possibly my favourite book ever. I feel privileged to have been able to review this. I’ve told all my friends to buy it.
As a debut novel this is something else. So tense I had to put it down at times.
Very clever. Very well written and just so believable considering it’s subject matter.
I loved the characters and Erin is my absolute idol now{
Do not hesitate to buy!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book which I devoured in less than a day. The story quickly grabbed me and I just couldn’t put it down. I was swept along with the fast pace, the great characters and tension. I understand this is a debut novel but I’ll be looking out for the next one by this very talented author. A well deserved 5 stars

Something in the water is a domestic thriller, intense at times but slow going for the first half.
I had high hopes for this thriller but by the time I’d got through half of the book I was still kind of working out what is going to happen as apart from setting the scene nothing has happened leaving the second part of the book full of action, twists and turns and intrigue.
Erin has met Mark who seems perfect for her, he loses his job and things turn for the worst from that moment on, they get married but end up doing the cheaper option, they go on honeymoon and cut a week off as Mark is struggling to find work. Whilst on honeymoon things change after they find a bag floating in the ocean whilst having been diving. Am not going to spoil the plot for you but the pace picks up here and you realise that there are definite trust issues between the newly weds although Erin is more naive than most her age are.
I didn’t particularly like the main characters but this didn’t spoil my enjoyment of this book of two halves.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Simon and Schuster UK Fiction for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

Something In The Water is a fun, action-packed read which is a little predictable at times, but remains a novel that kept me wanting to turn the pages and find out what would happen to out-of-their-depth newlyweds, Erin and Mark.

Told mostly from the perespective of Erin, the story jumps around slightly as she relays how they met and how they got into the mess they're in. It's pretty clear which storyline is the present day and which is set in the past without getting confusing, and the story doesn't focus too much on the past storyline but instead just offers enough insight into Mark and Erin's relationship without straying too far from the main story.

The characters themselves are, on the whole, likable enough though at points I wanted to shake Erin for being so bloody naive/ foolish, and the storyline itself is pretty ridiculous in parts, but it's also really fun to read! If you like your thrillers to be super realistic then this might not be the read for you (and you probably have trouble finding many books that fit the criteria in this genre, to be honest!) but otherwise I'd recommend setting aside a few hours for this (if you're anything like me you'll smash through it in no time), suspending your disblief and just enjoy! It's a really easy, absorbing read.

I really couldn’t take this book seriously and the most unlikely events and decisions spoiled what I was hoping might be a good read going off the blurb.

I’d heard great things about this debut thriller before I started it, and it certainly lived up to my expectations. Something in the Water is about a couple, Erin and Mark, who are madly in love and about to get married when he loses his high-flying finance job. The tension starts low, with them making changes to their wedding and honeymoon to save money, but ramps up significantly when they find a bag full of cash while diving on their Bora Bora honeymoon. Erin is a documentary filmmaker, and her association with criminals she’s filming for a big project rumbles away in the background, causing her (and the reader) low-level anxiety.

I read this book quickly, sneaking a few pages here and there when I was waiting for the kids to go to sleep or cooking dinner. I was pretty addicted. It’s so well-written that I kept feeling a twisting in my stomach, as if I were the one in this situation, as if I were living this nightmare.

One of the great strengths of this novel is the way the characters’ actions ramp up gradually. You start out able to identify with them, and then you wonder what you would do in their place as they make their devastating decisions. Oh, and did I mention that it starts out with Erin digging a grave? The fact that you know what’s coming makes every step of the journey to that point a little more tense.

A twisty psychological thriller which questions morality. Starts with a shocker, then onwards to a slow build of tension, followed by a fast paced edge of seat finale. Credible characters (although often frustrating and not always likeable) and a good premise. Becomes a little bogged in detail in places but did not stop me reading. Enjoyable. (I have heard that the audiobook, read by the author, is outstanding so will be moving on that too).

Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman
The book opens with our main character, Erin, digging a grave! Straight away you know this story line isn't going to end well! Then you find out she is in a remote wood with the body of her husband lying close by under a piece of tarpaulin and you really know it doesn't!!

A good fast paced read that kept me turning to the next page.
Sometimes I felt a little exasperated by Erin's actions but I think this was purposeful. To make it a more believable story of what happens when two normal people suddenly come face to face with problems, opportunities and events so beyond their normal world that normal decision making goes out the window!
A good page turner.
Thanks to Netgalley for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this read, and at times I wanted to rush through it to find out how we got to the stage of Erin burying her husband, which we read at the beginning. However I did think much of the story line seemed farcical. The way the bag appeared, how they acted in the hotel and unbelievable and OTT, like the dealings with menacing Eddie. Patrick - who is he? The denouement of that part was ludicrous. Not enough depth to the storylines left me frustrated. BUT I did enjoy the read, and the humour may have been intended, but that wasn't obvious. It just seemed like the plot of a bad movie. #netgalley #SomethingInTheWater

I'm sorry, but this book was simply not for me. I loved the way it started, drawing me in, making me want to know and understand more. Erin is a documentary film maker, and our protagonist. Not so much an unreliable narrator as a complete dimwit when it comes to making important choices.

Clearly in love with her about to be husband, Mark, an investment banker, she is working on an independent documentary following the lives of three convicts as they prepare for parole and a return to their own lives.

In the midst of preparations for the wedding, things go terribly wrong for Mark and he loses his job. Though Erin and Mark have a dream wedding planned, she takes a bit of convincing, but finally understand Mark when he tells her that they simply can't afford to do things in the grand style to which Erin was hoping to be accustomed.

They do though still manage to have a slightly curtailed dream honeymoon. This was where it started to go wrong for me. The discoveries they made were not wildly plausible, and the choices then that followed were simply daft.

Suspending reality is one thing, but I wanted to slap the pair of them before the honeymoon was over.

While I felt that the documentary element of the plot line was more down to earth and interesting, it wasn't really followed through in any convincing or coherent fashion, and a lot of loose ends were left hanging as if somehow they didn't matter.

There writing was fine, I just didn't feel the story hung together well enough to keep my interest alive amidst a great deal of shenanigans that undermined the credibility of the story arc.

Erin snd Mark are the oerfect couple,with the perfect life..........and then.....
A well written book with an easy writing style that I enjoyed
I was surprised Erin got to the end of the book!!!!!
I enjoyed the references to Erin’s docu throughout
A good if at times unbelievable story