Whilst this book did not have the same twists and turns of Stuart Turton’s previous title, it was an enjoyable read nevertheless. The descriptions were via atmospheric, it was as if I were actually in the narrative myself.

Great sampler.
Great sampler.
Great sampler.
Great sampler.
Great sampler.
Great sampler.
Great sampler.
Great sampler.


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It's difficult to review a sampler. I've never read books by this author and the sampler didn't really set up the world promised in the description for me. There was too much description of characters and information in that first chapter to grab my attention. I was intrigued by the lady who decided to help a leper and show her daughter when he was killed out of mercy. But couldn't really get an idea if I'd like this book based on this sampler, the authors note interested me but it didn't grip me enough to warrant continuing.

This was only a sample of the book but what I read had me thoroughly intrigued. I have provided a full review on the feedback of the title itself. It was great.

I only read the beginning of this sampler when I decided that I was definitely going to buy the book which I did and loved. It is Stuart Turton after all!

Really enjoyed this sample, it had me totally intrigued and I went and bought the book straight away. Can’t wait to read it all.

1634, Batavia

As the passengers of the Saardam begin to board, a commotion starts on the dockside. A leper is on top of a crate condemning the voyage and its passengers before falling to the ground in flames. On inspection the man is found to have had his tongue cut out so how on earth could he have spoken? And how did he end up in flames when there was nobody near him? These are the kind of questions that passenger Sammy Pipps would generally answer without much effort and the help of his friend Arent Hayes however he is being transported upon the ship as a prisoner so is unable to. Once they have set sail strange symbols appear throughout the ship, a symbol that strikes fear into everyone. The most distinguished travellers on board are Governor General Jan Haan, his wife Sara and daughter Lia as well as the governor’s mistress and her two sons. The Governor General is a very good friend of Arent’s grandfather and he remembers him fondly, calling him uncle Jan, and because of this Jan asks him to find out more about what happened to the leper, to find out more about the symbols and who created them. Because Jan has seen these before and means to discover if his past is coming back to destroy him.

When I started reading this I thought it was the sampler but fortunately for me it was the complete book! What a treat! Stuart Turton has cast a spell using words leaving me feeling like I’ve read something special. I thoroughly enjoyed the plot line, the characters and the writing style. Whilst in places this isn’t particularly fact accurate, it doesn’t matter because it’s all about the story and it’s a hell of a story.

Many thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing plc and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

The first two chapters of this book were just enough to show me I'm going to love the new Stuart Turton as much as I did the last.

I can't wait to finish the rest of the book!

WOW! This book (what I've read in the sampler) is amazing! I can not wait to devour it although, it is so big i think i will need the paperback! I love Turton's writing and it seems to have only gotten better for this novel.

Is it enough to say that this sampler was so good that I bought the book?
Well I was going to anyway but this taster just spurred me on!
The story is a gripping one,and it is like a locked room mystery but on a boat where the struggle is both from forces outside the boat and also what the passengers have bought with them.
It's a gothic, dark tale which will keep you well up beyond your bedtime and make you wh he wrote a bit quicker(but then also no,because the quality and beauty of the final finished books are so worth waiting for!)

I would very much like to rate this book, but it's extremely difficult to do so based only on a sample. I really regret that I couldn't read the whole book, because I liked the previous one very much. This one seems to be very interesting.

Turton’s debut novel, <i>The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle</i>, was one of my top reads of the year it came out. While there was some confusion due to a large cast and interesting timeline choices the plot was so interesting that it kept me hooked the whole way through. I will be re-reading that book for years to come. Unfortunately, the second book by Turton did not work for me in the same way.


<blockquote>A murder on the high seas. A detective duo. A demon who may or may not exist.

It’s 1634 and Samuel Pipps, the world’s greatest detective, is being transported to Amsterdam to be executed for a crime he may, or may not, have committed. Travelling with him is his loyal bodyguard, Arent Hayes, who is determined to prove his friend innocent.

But no sooner are they out to sea than devilry begins to blight the voyage. A twice-dead leper stalks the decks. Strange symbols appear on the sails. Livestock is slaughtered. And then three passengers are marked for death, including Samuel.

Could a demon be responsible for their misfortunes?

With Pipps imprisoned, only Arent can solve a mystery that connects every passenger onboard. A mystery that stretches back into their past and now threatens to sink the ship, killing everybody on board.</blockquote>

The opening scene is full of dynamic moments. We are introduced to the main group of characters that the book focuses on and quickly establish their main characterising quality within a couple pages. The questions that the first chapter poses had me intrigued and I quickly read on to see how the mystery would develop. Unfortunately, I found the plot to drag for a large chunk of the middle of the book.

Over the course of the first two thirds, the book expands on the cast to bring in more secondary character. The previous book by Turton suffered due to its large cast and I found that this one did as well. The character are introduced quickly, and there is not much time to get to know each character before the next one is brought in. I particularly found this to be an issue with the secondary character as they became more and more indistinguishable as the book progressed.

Samuel Pipps is the Sherlock Holmes of this book but falls short. Much of the his legend relies on other characters referencing the published retellings of his cases but when it comes to Pipps on the page, he does not resemble the man of legend. His character fell flat.

<blockquote><i>Cleverness is a type of strength, and they won’t accept a woman who’s stronger than they are. Their pride won’t allow it, and their pride is the thing they hold dearest.</blockquote></i>

As the plot progressed, my interest wavered. The cast of characters grew larger and all of the clarity in the mystery was saved until this end. Unfortunately this mixture of factors meant my interest in the progression of the book dropped off as I reached the midway point.

In the end, I gave <i>The Devil and the Dark Water</i> two stars overall.

This sounds absolutely wonderful. I was gripped from page one and cannot wait to read the full book. I hope Father Christmas brings me a copy in my stocking this year!

This sampler contains the first two chapters of this brick of a novel from Stuart Turton. This couldn't be any more different from Evelyn Hardcastle but I like that in an author. The book opens on a gritty scene involving manacles, market places and lepers. So far so good. I can't wait to read more. Thank you Netgalley for the sampler.

This was just a sampler and have managed to read the full volume and have done a review of the whole story interesting cleverly written worth a read set in the olden time when women were commodities.

Seafaring plot twists, fighting, sleuthery, and magic? It's a difficult but to put down, it was a lot of fun.

After finally getting around to reading this sampler I immediately bought the Kindle version of this so I could carry on reading! Gripping from the first page, the characters have already began to develop, and you can feel the tie between Samuel and Arent already. The description of the setting is extremely evocative, you can really imagine yourself. This feels different to his first book, The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, but Turton’s amazing writing shines through again!

You know when you read a sampler and you are left wanting more..... yes that.

I loved this, I love Stuarts style of writing and his previous book #SevenDeaths was a masterpiece of words. This one will just stun me too, I already know it.

When Arent Hayes steps aboard a ship headed back to Amsterdam, he's on a mission - to save his best friend and famous crime solver Sammy Pipps from the hangman's noose. Pipps has been arrested on unknown charges by the governor general, and Arent is intent on clearing his name. However, things become complicated when a cryptic message is shared by a leper as they board the ship, who promptly bursts into flames. The crew and passengers are soon haunted by a demon known as 'Old Tom' and everyone's past comes into play as Arent ends up on a mission to not only save Sammy but everyone on board.

For anyone looking for a dark book with an engrossing mystery tangled up with a bit of horror, and solid characters you really feel for - this is the perfect pick! I really enjoyed this book, and I found that everything was laid out really well, and the mystery just kept turning corners, to the point where there were times I felt I couldn't quite keep up with it (in a good way).

I really loved the dynamic between Arent Hayes and Sammy Pipps - the crime-solving duo where Pipps gets all the praise. They typically fell into the small and big partnership with Sammy being light, delicate and clever and Arent big and brawny yet full of intellect and kindness. They reminded me a little bit of Locke Lamora and Jean from The Gentleman Bastards series.

I also really loved the intelligence and strength of all the women on board - from Sara to Lia and Cressjie, as well as Isabel. The women all had really great qualities as well as flaws, and stood strongly next to the male characters in the book without feeling like pale comparisons (which can sometimes happen in historical thrillers where women are often confined by social status).

There were some great jump scare moments in this book, and scenes that really made me feel creeped out. They were described really well, as were many great points in the book and I often felt like I could see the scene play out in a movie or TV show (the candle coming closer and closer to Vos without him knowing for example).

One of the strongest things for me in this book was the utter wretch that would have been life on this kind of ship - from the small cabin spaces (if you were lucky enough to have a cabin) to the constant threat a crew on the edge portrays. There was always an air of danger and darkness from the soldiers to the musketeers.

I did feel like I was pleasantly surprised in this book at different times, particularly with Arent - he was a bit like Shrek - many layers of onion to unpeel.

While the ending and the reveal did feel a bit extravagant, it was also impressive - the rolling out of the whys and hows. At first, I felt it may be a bit over the top but the more I think about the more impressed I am at these characters and all the intricacies laid out within the pages to make everything come together so nicely.

It's hard to give a review after reading a sampler, as you have no idea in which direction the story is going to go. However I cannot wait to find out! From the little I've read, it is instantly atmospheric, mysterious and a bit bloodthirsty - exactly what I was expecting from the title and blurb.

After reading Turton's previous novel, I'm anticipating a thrilling, puzzling and possibly mind-bending mystery. I'm pretty certain this book will not disappoint.

I have had a signed copy on pre-order for months and it should be winging its way to me now. I will be dropping everything in order to delve straight back between the pages once it arrives. Stuart Turton is fast becoming one of my favourite authors (and not just for his cheeky tweets!).

Congratulations to both the author and publisher on what I anticipate will be another roaring success!