sounds wonderful!! My signed waterstones copy arrived earlier in the week and I can't wait to read the full book.
I so enjoyed The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle as it was such an interesting, engaging and unique read. High hopes for this one too!

Well that little sample completely piqued my interest, but thankfully I won't have to wait long to carry on as I will definitely be popping out to buy a copy tomorrow when it's released. I found myself getting swept away with the characters and the story so far. I'm looking forward to carrying on reading and seeing where it goes.

Turton’s second novel offers another large cast, echoing the literal numerous faces present in The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, but I’m currently finding it easy to keep track of names, roles and relationships. Turton’s writing style creates a subtle but definitive delimitation between the primary characters and those who are more secondary or tertiary without hindering the quality of their character development, interactions, or the narrative. The character-driven quality of this novel is certainly the primary draw at this point. I’m thoroughly enjoying learning about each primary character and following their escapades. The chapters do follow a different character, but in the third person, so it is closer to moving throughout the ship to follow them rather than dropping into each person as in Seven Deaths. Even if particular characters seem on the fringes of the narrative, or simply don’t stick around for very long, Turton has injected their appearances with enough intrigue to ensure they remain at the forefront of both the reader and character’s minds.

The hidden nature of Samuel (Sammy) Pipps’ crime is proving to be delightfully frustrating as I just want to know already! I’m hoping for a meaty reveal further down the line, especially as I’m currently learning more about Arent Hayes’ life and background. Sara Wessel immediately made an impression and her perspective on the Governor-General is a welcome, intriguing contrast to the sycophantic underlings and dignitaries usually surrounding him. Similarly, their daughter Lia Jan has piqued my interest immediately and I hope I’m going to learn more as she begins to speak out more.

I will admit that initially, the ship setting made me nervous. I’m learning that my reading taste seems not to favour books set on boats. In real life I quite like boats, I don’t get seasick, so I’m not sure why this is. For example, while I adore Frankenstein, I could easily leave Walton’s extensive descriptions of his boat hoping and hiring of individual sailors. My favourite mystery/thriller setting is a gorgeous big house which holds lots of secrets, maybe a good creepy attic, that I can delve into and learn about. However, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the balance Turton has achieved when it comes to the boat setting in particular. The setting is certainly informing some action and spurring character development and interaction, but it is also very much the backing to said action meaning it’s interestingly not setting off my apparent boat setting dislike. It’s going to be interesting to see if the setting progresses and the intricacies of boat life become more apparent. I also loved the reliance on the sail as one of the first mysterious elements.

I loved this sample of this book and was desperate to read on, so, I really want to read the whole book as soon as possible. I read The Seven Lives of Evelyn Hardcastle and thought it was fantastic and I know this one is going to be just as good or even better.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this sample in return for an honest review. I do hope I will be able to review the whole book in the very near future.

Wow! I've heard lots of fantastic things about Stuart Turton's writing and after reading this sampler, I can see why. With beautifully atmospheric writing, intriguing characters, and a fascinating historical era this sounds like the beginning of a phenomenal read. I definitely need to read more and will look out for this author in future.

I loved The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, so my expectations were high already. And I am not disappointed. I want more. I need more.

This is a book totally different from Seven Deaths, and I'm glad it is. Even with the sampler, I got the feeling that I knew the characters and which ones I would love and which ones I should look out for. It sounds like an amazing adventure I will love.

Lepers, musketeers, healers, mercenaries... I don't need to hear anything else, I just need more. So excited to read the entire book.

I went into this sampler blind on my Kindle, without having read any of the blurb and was hooked straight away by the descriptive and evocative writing. Intriguing characters including a cursing leper, a chained prisoner and his bodyguard together with a storyline filled with promise has definitely made me want to read more. An enjoyable and 'readable' writing style, this is definitely on my wishlist.

I was given a sampler of this book. I loved the different spin Stuart Turton put on the crime genre with Seven Deaths and recommended it to many customers. I was therefore very intrigued and excited to read this sample of The Devil and the Dark Water. It draws you in immediately and the characters already appeal as do their apparent relationships which I look forward to reading about further when I read the book. This is what I like about my job - books that I would not normally pick up, the horror side would put me off, become a new treasure to behold.

The sampler of The Devil and the Dark Water provided an excellent insight into what can be expected in the book: great characters, an intriguing storyline and a wonderful writing style that Stuart Turton introduced in The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. After reading the sampler, I can't wait to read the book!

Awesome ! Just awesome ! This short extract from the book has been intriguing, can't wait to read more. Very evocative and highly interesting.

I was given purely a sampler of this book; a little taste of this new adventure and by golly did it leave me needing more!

In a very few pages the environment & characters have been vividly birthed and the mystery already has begun.

Instantly there’s a clear love and skill of the history, the elements in both fiction and non fiction and ultimately the writing.

It’s safe to say this is a dangerous voyage I must board come October!

After thoroughly enjoying the Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, I was looking forward to reading this sampler. However, the subject matter did t immediately grab my attention and I found myself drifting off and couldn’t concentrate. I don’t think it’s because the writing is bad, I think it’s more that it’s an era I’m just not familiar or interested in. Sorry!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the sample of the book!

I've read Stuart Turton's first novel back when it came out and really enjoyed it, so naturally, I was automatically interested in his consecutive work.

The novel is set in the 17th century, the main character is a famous detective, and something amiss starts to happen when he is about to be escorted back to Amsterdam. Within the first few pages, the plot is introduced and the mystery that interests the detective is set into motion.

Being the person who doesn't like slow starts, 'The Devil and the Dark Waters' got me hooked since page one. The characters are introduced on a chart preceding the novel and they are easily identifiable as the story begins. The author had put some intriguing events to set off the action and the mystery, which captivates the attention and urges to read on. I simply can't wait to read the whole novel when it'll come out.

I may be the only person in the bookish world who has come late to Stuart Turton’s work. Most people will have read his previous novel The 71/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle but I still have it on my TBR shelf, However the premise of this one had me reaching for the request button, even if it was only for a small sample, I wouldn’t normally give up on a book after only two chapters and likewise I wouldn’t usually rave about a book based on only a sample but this really did grab me from the start. It’s 1634 and Samuel Pipps is being transported by ship over to Amsterdam. There he will be executed for a crime, but we don’t know whether he is guilty or innocent. With him is his bodyguard Arent Hayes who would like to prove his innocence. However this is no ordinary voyage. Devilry is afoot and a mystery to be solved. Everyone on this voyage is connected, but how? And what does this devil want from them?
The novel sets off at a cracking pace as we are introduced to the characters aboard ship. I felt immediately transported into another world. When I find a book like this, I usually catch myself smiling because I’m promised something deliciously dark and enjoyable. The only problem I have is that now I must wait till October to read the rest. Wonderful.

I was excited to see how Stuart Turton would follow up on The Seven Deaths of Eveyln Hardcastle, which was one of my favourite reads in 2018. I love that the background to the setting of this story was included in the book, it really helps set the scene and gives some important historical context to the writing.

The Devil and the Dark Water opens in 1634 in a Batavian Port (modern day Jakarta), where passengers and crew are boarding the Saardam for a perilous eight month voyage to Amsterdam. Also being taken aboard as a prisoner is Samuel (Sammy) Pips, the world's greatest detective, accompanied by his reliable protector Lt. Arent Hayes. They make somewhat of a odd duo, but appear companionable. Little is revealed in the opening chapters as to the nature of Sammy's crime nor how he came to be detained, but from the off he is a roguish and intriguing character.

Before the Saardam can set sail, a leper delivers a mysterious and ominous warning deterring them from making the journey. Will anyone heed the warning of a ranting madman though?

The Devil and the Dark Water promises a Holmes-esque murder mystery on the high seas packed with occult devilry, and I am here for it. My attention was caught in the short few chapters of this sampler, and I am eager the delve further into the characters and their stories.

*A sampler of this book was kindly provided to me by the publisher, Bloomsbury Publishing, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

An excellent start to what appears will be another brilliant book, introducing us to all the principle characters, building up an atmosphere and the beginnings of the plot. Cannot wait to read the whole book!

That pesky difficult second novel? Stuart Turton makes it seem a breeze with a beautifully written, perfectly plotted very different follow up to the The Seven deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle.
This was a drop everything else as soon as I got the email from Net Galley and Bloomsbury giving me access to the ARC. If your reading this and somehow haven’t yet read The Seven deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle then stop and go read it immediately. Then you will understand my hunger for Stuart Turton’s work.
This novel follows a large cast of interesting characters, all hiding their own secrets, while trapped aboard a cursed ship sailing from Batavia (Indonesia) to Amsterdam. The plot slowly unravels, with each chapter giving us deeper insight into the characters, their motivations and building the central mystery. I was hooked from the start and was unable to stop racing to a very satisfying conclusion.
Before receiving this ARC I already had the Limited Edition Hardcover preordered from Goldsborough Books. I’m already looking forward to a reread at the start of October and discovering all the clues I missed the first time through.
The novel has cemented Stuart Turton’s reputation as a must read author.

I loved this sampler and think it's such a nice idea to offer these tasters to reviewers! Off the back of this I requested the full book, adored it, and have left my review for the full edition.

I am dying for it to be October just so I can get my hands on this book.

Stuart Turton came on my radar a couple years ago when I saw the summary for the 7 and a Half Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. It was all I could talk to my co-workers about, and when I finally got my hands on it, I devoured it. I immediately fell in love with his writing style, and his ability to keep me guessing. As much as I love mysteries and thrillers, it was, unfortunately, often too easy for me to figure things out. Not so with Stuart Turton.

I was excited to receive this sampler of his newest book... and by the time I got to the end of the sampler, I was sitting there asking "where's the rest of it". Needless to say, I can't wait to finish this story by this talented author.

As a reader of naval historical fiction (e.g. David Donachie), I got very excited by the premise of best selling author Stuart Turton’s latest publication, “The Devil and the Dark Water”.
Set in the 1600’s in Batavia (present day Jakarta, Indonesia) we are taken on a voyage on the merchant ship ‘Saardam’ an Indiaman laden with spices, under the charter of the East India Company across the high seas. Together with some fantastic naval scenes, intrigue, suspense and a hint of the supernatural, the three weeks the story is set at sea was atmospheric, thrilling and at times scarily entertaining.
The author’s writing is so expressive and stirring from the very start there’s no escaping the reader being transported to the port at Batavia, where the sights, sounds and smells encourage you to feel you’re actually standing watching the opening chapters, with a leper appearing to pronounce the devil.
For an author to be able to engage the reader into the depths of the story to the degree I did, I felt this a genuine skill not many writers can accomplish. Intricately detailed in a casual and entertaining way, this ensured you knew exactly how the scene was playing out and many a time I could sense the salt air and the grimy smell of the unwashed sailors. Not a pleasant sensory but a very necessary one, considering most toilet routines were carried out at the end of the ship and sailors often washed their clothes in their own urine.
The characters were all superbly portrayed and in my mind I couldn’t decide if Samuel Pipps was a vision of Benedict Cumberbatch as a Sherlock Holmes persona or Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow - maybe both, so even better! I really enjoyed the relationship Sammy had with Arent, they worked so well together as a detective duo and a partnership that deserves being delved into further.
My favourite word in the story was ‘daemonologica’ ( a taxonomy of devils), a book I’d love to have though I very much doubt one exists!
There was without doubt some pulse pounding moments and the cold shiver of fear ran down my spine on more than one occasion. “The Devil and the Dark Water” reminded me why I love reading historical fiction and it’s a book I will return to again and again to read, it was that good. A complex plot filled with trepidation, excellently thought out and executed, which was fully explained and recounted towards the end. This enabled any questions you may have had to be completely answered and with an opening for a possible second in the series, I’m hoping there’ll be more from Sammy, Arent and company.
The author intimated that when you finish reading his story, you’d look up and be ever grateful you’re back at home, safe and sound and no longer at sea and never were there truer words. My sea legs were totally gone and I’m very happy now to be sitting in a chair, on land, writing this!
A five star read (which I would award more to if I could) that kept me enraptured and entertained from start to finish! Would I recommend? Aye,aye captain I would!

5 stars