Cover Image: Dark Waters

Dark Waters

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Member Reviews

Dark Waters by G.R. Halliday is an absolute roller coaster of a read. The dark, haunting tale that plays out on the pages draws you in, creating an undeniable tension as it does so. It follows the lives of Annabelle and Scott as they come up against a murderer in the wild and empty Highlands. Annabelle, whose motive is to escape, and Scott, who hears a scream and knows fear like never before. Weaving in the character of DI Monica Kennedy, the book puts its reader in the depths of a world that one cannot un-imagine once imagined. Halliday has truly excelled in creating a captivating crime thriller. With subtle hints that follow all the way through, you find yourself flipping page after page with great suspense as you aim to learn the answers of who, why and how. Dark Waters has something for everyone and the result is a rollercoaster of a book that keeps you wanting more until the very last page.

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A great, thrilling read, which will keep you entertained throughout. A good one sitting read, get the nibbles ready, close the door, and read!

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This was too grim for me, so a DNF I'm afraid.

It will appeal to readers who like Val McDermid et al.

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Lucky enough to have a visit from the author pre-publication of his first book, and liked what i heard! The setting and the weather (!) really help ramp up the bleak, almost spooky atmospher and add to the chill and thrill of what I hope becomes a long series featuring the excellent DI Monica Kelly.

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Don't read on your own or late at night! I enjoyed this book but found it super creepy. This is testament to the writing though as even though I do not have a problem with small spaces the way the caves and tunnels are describe had me feeling claustrophobic. A quite out there story yet fully engaging and although you know who is responsible for a lot of the book there are still so many twists and turns to the story it is captivating.

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Thank you Random House and NetGalley for the advanced copy.
Well that was very unexpected and definitely not for the feint hearted!
I really enjoyed this book, although it was slightly horror.
Possibly not for everyone, but it was well written, different, interesting and gruesome now and again. I will definitely seek out more books by this author

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This is the 2nd in the DI Monica Kennedy series. I enjoyed the first and this one develops the main characters satisfactorily. Overall though it went too far towards horror and I didn't enjoy the supernatural elements from both Lucy and the Slates. I'll give the third one a try, but if the dark spooky tone continues it will be the last.

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★★★★ 4.5 stars

The second in the DI Monica Kennedy series, DARK WATERS is a dark and disturbing read that both creepy and claustrophobic. It is so terribly dark that I feel I need to warn readers that, not only is it disturbing and troubling in some of the content, but there are descriptions of dismemberments that some may find a tad gruesome. But whoa! What a thrilling read!

Annabelle is visting from London and upon arrival in Stirling, snaps a selfie or twelve, applies a filter and uploads to Instagram. The only indication that she is in Scotland. She heads for Inverness and then towards the West Coast when she sees a gate. It isn't locked so she decides to take a chance and is driving her new blue BMW M4 as fast as she dares along the lonely stretch of road beyond. Suddenly a little girl appears out of nowhere and Annabelle swerves to miss her hitting the lone oak tree and sending her into unconscious oblivion.

When she wakes with no idea where she is and unable to move, she is terrified. What happened? Where is she? As the blackness of her surroundings recede, she finds herself in a damp dark room awaiting to see the Doctor. And only then does Annabelle realise that her troubles are only just beginning.

In the wake of the nightmarish end to the previous case which left both her and her daughter Lucy traumatised, DI Monica Kennedy took a temporary secondment to the traffic division so she could spend more time with her daughter. But then she receives a call from her superintendent in MIT. A dismembered body has been found in a remote area near Glen Turrit and she is the only SIO he trusts to handle the case. Joining her are DC Connor Crawford and DC Ben Fisher, both still recovering from the horrific previous case, as well as newest member DC Maria Khan. Assembling her team together in order to begin investigating and identifying the victim, Monica is shocked to learn of a second set of remains with the same injuries as the first has been found nearby.

After tentative identifications are made, investigations lead them to Sinclair Enterprises, a corporate body that seems to own half the highlands, with Monica questioning the victim's widow and his sister. Neither woman is entirely forthcoming leading Monica and her team to believe they are hiding something. But what? And how were the two unlikely men connected?

Enquiries take Monica to a remote almost deserted town in Little Arklow, primarily built during the construction of the hydro electric dam in the 1950s and 60s and after which was relatively abandoned to just a few remaining people. One of which is the partially delusional Gillian who regales Monica with tales of the Affric men and the death of her friend Euston Miller. But how much of her fairy tales are truth and how much are fantasy? But those delusional ravings send Monica on the hunt for the truth as she seeks out the website which Gillian alluded to that Miller had set up some years before. There she comes across the mysterious disappearance of a man, Colin Muir, in 1980...and then there is the apparent suicide of Miller himself four years before. How is all this related to the dismembered bodies found near the hydro electric dam in Glen Turrit? Are they somehow connected to the past?

And then...DC Fisher receives a strange and somewhat creepy text from an unknown number alerting him that whoever they are "is being held hostage somewhere in the highlands" along with as much detail as they could provide that could help pinpoint their location. Believing that it's one of his colleagues having a laugh, Fisher deletes the text without further thought. But Monica isn't so sure. She asks him to retrieve it and put a trace on the number to identify its owner.

Monica is a wonderful character and despite her dislike for her colleagues she has grown to appreciate their value and their unique personalities. She herself is a complex character with her own demons to battle as she comes face to face with them through flashbacks and memories. We actually see a lot more of her mother Angela this time around and I must say I'm pleased to note that she has finally taken Monica's advice and keeps the doors locked. Crawford also, it seems, spends rather a lot of time with her mother who has taken a real shine to him as has Monica's daughter Lucy. It was good to see the supporting characters of Crawford and Fisher fleshed out a bit more in this book and Khan makes a welcome addition bringing her own strengths to the table.

There's a real sense of otherwordliness throughout the book that borders on creepy with the remote settings of the glens, the dam and it's various caves and tunnels. The highland setting lends a remoteness and bleakness to the story that provides a menacing sense of claustrophobia despite its wide open landscape. And then there are Lucy's disturbing dreams, cryptic conversations and her sleepwalking which are creepy to say the least. Is it just because of Monica's sudden return to MIT or is it something far more disturbing? I love how the author leaves that question dangling for readers to ponder.

Told through the alternating narratives of Monica and Annabelle, DARK WATERS is a nightmarish and creepy read with a chilling plot and atmospheric setting. It is dark, disturbing and incredibly intense from the very first page until the very last. One of the most terrifying stories I've read complete with tension, suspense and intrigue, it is definitely NOT for the faint-hearted.

I was just telling hubby that this book would make an awesome movie or better yet...a BBC series with it's spine-tingling plot and the remote atmospheric setting of the Scottish Highlands. It has a touch of the darker side of Criminal Minds and Wolf Creek about it making it doubly disturbing. Mick Taylor meets the Doctor - who would come out of it alive?

Everything about this book is disturbing and yet it is an addictive thriller that is one of the most memorable of its kind. I doubt books like this would be endorsed by the tourism board because after reading, some would never want to venture to the Scottish Highlands again!

Don't worry if you haven't read the first book as DARK WATERS suffices perfectly well on its own. Only the vague references to the previous case from the first one will have some wondering but on the whole, readers learn a whole lot more about Monica in this book as she delves into her own past through memories and flashbacks.

Although I enjoyed "From the Shadows"<?b>, it pales in comparison to the deeply dark and disturbing tale woven throughout DARK WATERS. It is incredibly well written and though there appears to be a lot of bulked-out description which could have been thinned out a little, DARK WATERS is intense from start to finish.

Perfect for fans of dark, disturbing, intense and atmospheric thrillers.

I would like to thank #GRHalliday, #Netgalley and #VintageDigital for an ARC of #DarkWaters in exchange for an honest review.

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A thrilling view of Scottish noir and enjoyable from the beginning until the end. The author paints such a beautiful picture of Inverness, it lets the reader feel they are there. Beautiful descriptions and thrilling read. Recommended.

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I hadn’t read the first book in this series, but I didn’t feel I was at a disadvantage (although I will go back and read it as I want to know what happened with Monica’s father) This was dark and creepy, right from the very first sentence and I was hooked.
The story is told from two main perspectives, Annabelle, who has driven to the Scottish Highlands so she can race a specific road she’s heard about, and DI Monica Kennedy who is leading the investigation into the horrific murders of two local men.
I won’t go into the story so as not to spoil it but it’s compelling reading!
Excellent story line and I’m looking forward to the next installment.

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I really enjoyed this book. There were lots of twists and turns that kept me guessing. It was dark and gripping and I wanted to keep reading to the end. I highly recommend this book.

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I was invited to review both 'Dark Waters' and G. R. Halliday's previous novel, 'From the Shadows' - the first in the DI Monica Kennedy series.

Having read 'From the Shadows', the dark tone and graphic depictions of violence mean I personally won't read any more of the series - so I can't really give a rating or full review of 'Dark Waters' - however I'd definitely recommend the book to anyone who enjoys their dark and noir-ish police procedurals.

Fans of Ian Rankin's Rebus series or of the Vera novels are likely to find much to enjoy here - Monica is a really interesting character and the author's first novel was really well plotted with all the elements of a gritty police procedural.

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This is an atmospheric mystery based in Scotland. Very complex and well constructed story. Satisfying conclusion.

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Dark Waters does not disappoint. Set in the beautiful Highlands of Scotland this book contrasts the beauty of the area with some really dark deeds. Bodies with missing limbs, horrors of the past, chill you to the bone. I assure you, never again will a drive in the Highlands be quite the same. You will constantly be looking behind you and in front of you for a little girl with an outstretched hand.

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A well written book with an intriguing plot that kept me turning the pages. Set in beautiful Scotland. I would recommend this book.

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This book got me from the beginning. A fast-paced dark thriller set in the Scottish Highlands, a story of true survival.

This is the second book from the DI Monica Kennedy series and the first of the series I have read.

DI Monica Kennedy is called to action when a mutilated body turns up in the water. Who is the victim? And who killed him?

Annabelle goes missing while driving in the Scottish Highlands, she crashes her car and is found by a sick individual who keeps her captive and performs horrific surgeries on her.

The story follows DI Kennedy as she hunts for a killer and the links between the unidentified body and the missing girl.

This book was pretty dark and twisted and I really enjoyed every part of the writing.

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This is my first introduction to DI Monica Kennedy and the writing of G R Halliday.

As such, I do feel I need to go back to find the first book in the series to give myself some background into the life of  DI Monica Kennedy as there is clearly some interesting history there!

Dark Waters is seriously disturbing in places - that feeling of 'peril' was there in abundance for sustained periods. It was AWFUL and yet delicious in equal measure.

Also, utter gruesome too. In fact, without wishing to give spoilers, there was something that occurred to me in relation to the 'full english breakfasts' that were served that made me wonder something that wasn't quite spelled out...

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be heading back to find myself a copy of From The Shadows.

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This is the second book which has DI Monica Kennedy as the main character and although I think it’s very readable as a stand alone novel , I’m pleased that I had read the previous novel and had gained an insight into Monica’s background and her relationship with her team. I also feel that she’s grown as a character. The story is dark and often disturbing but you just want to carry on reading to find out what happens! I thought the first book was good, but this one is even better.

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thanks to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.
What a read part of me hated the story went to the gruesome side but I still couldn't stop reading.

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Oh my goodness, what a cracker! I had to buy From The Shadows before reading this as it’s number 2 in the Monica Kennedy series. I don’t know about you but I have to read books in the correct order if part of a series. And I wasn’t disappointed.

Anyhow back to Dark Waters. I’m loving Halliday’s plots and writing. This is not for the faint hearted. It’s very dark, edgy, shocking, gruesome and quite horrific. Very disturbing.

I love the Scottish Highlands and a few of the landmarks resonated with me. Fantastic part of the world. And a great location for creating such a suspenseful and frustrating page turner.

It’s quite complex. The storyline keeps you thinking and sitting on the edge of your seat. On some occasions I was cringing as it was so macabre... however it was excellent and a fantastic read. Gripping.

The story is told by two characters. Monica the detective who is investigating what appears to be gang murders and Annabelle who stupidly disobeyed an instruction to drive her car at speed down a private lane, crashed as she swerved to miss a little girl and ended up underground. Waking up chained in a dark and damp room. Held hostage. You do not want to meet the Doctor!

Halliday is very graphic, so if you’re queasy tread carefully.

I did find the issue of Monica’s height quite irritating. Leave it alone, she is very tall and it’s referred to too often. I love her and Halliday weaves her personal life into the plot so you get to know her. So looking forward to reading the next in the series.

Really, I could go on and on about this book and series, don’t want to throw out any spoilers, so you need to read it yourself. I would wholeheartedly recommend Dark Waters but suggest read The Shadows first. Dark Waters does stand alone, however it’s not right not reading them in order from my point of view.

Thank you to the author, Netgalley and Random House UK for this ARC provided in exchange for this unbiased review.

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