The Devil and the Dark Water is an atmospheric mystery set aboard a merchant ship travelling to Amsterdam. With a well-paced plot steeped in superstition and fear, the tense action grips the reader from the very first page. I loved the engaging characters, especially the fiercely intelligent Sara and the honourable Arent, and their developing relationship felt authentic. I'd highly recommend this book to fans of both historical fiction and mysteries.

Unfortunately this book either was corrupted or something, as the book given on my kindle was all messed up and confusing to read.
I managed a few pages (give or take the corruptedness) and unfortunately this book isn't for me. The language is of older times and not something I can understand I'm afraid.
I'm sure many others will enjoy this book, as the authors previous book is so well loved, and the synopsis does sound very good. But for me personally, it's not something I'll understand language wise and as the copy I recieved seems corrupted it's not easy to read.

I loved everything about this book. I could have kept reading. The superstition and the events are a compelling read. I loved the characters and the writing style. I got totally caught up in what was happening. The ending made this feel like the start of a series. I hope it is.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

The Devil and The Dark Water is a brilliant piece of historical fiction. Set in 1634 aboard an East India merchant ship sailing towards Amsterdam, the ship is rife with rumours of a devil in their mist. The world’s greatest detective is onboard as a prisoner, so it falls to his loyal bodyguard, Arent, to prove his innocence and find out what is plaguing the ship. Stuart Turton has mapped an excellent plot, with vivid details and an eerie and ghostly mystery.
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The story of the Devil aboard the ship is a really interesting one, as it brings up questions and twists throughout. It uses a lot of folklore and superstition to make everyone on board scared of this threat.
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The setting of a merchant ship in the middle of the ocean gives this book a dark and isolated atmosphere. It allows the ghostly feel to seep through the pages before anything has even happened. There is an added danger due the inherent dislike sailors and soldiers have for each other, as they live at a knife’s edge away from fighting and mutiny.
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Arent is a great character, someone of strength and bravery who doesn’t believe in his own ability due to the master who outshines him. Sara, wife of the Governor General, is similarly seen as weak and incapable, but really proves herself throughout the novel. I really enjoyed their partnership. Most of the characters are morally grey, and their reasons for being onboard are ambiguous and suspicious. I liked that this allowed everyone to be a suspect in the story, as none were fully good or bad. At so many different points I loved then loathed the characters! Although this book has a large number of characters they’re so well written that each one is memorable, even if not for positive reasons.
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I adored The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, and this book is just as strong. The story is very different in style, but just as clever and I would highly recommend!
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Thank you to NetGalley, Stuart Turton and Bloomsbury Publishing for this ARC to read and review.

The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton
I give this book 4 stars
An impossible murder
A remarkable detective duo
A demon who may or may not exist!
Jump on board The Saardan for its journey from Batavia to Amsterdam and join a wonderful array of characters led by Sara and Arent in this great historical, adventure mystery. Become involved with a mixture of the Devils mark,secrets,motives a plenty and more than enough twists and turns to keep you guessing as the story unfolds.Cleverly written with wonderful detailed descriptions, a highly recommended read, full of suspense and intrigue.
With thanks to Netgalley, the Author Stuart Turton and Bloomsbury Publishing PLC for my chance to read and review this ARC.

Stuart Turton is a very unique writer. He writes so vividly and has such an imagination that it was as if this magical cover came to life and swamped me as I read - those lines, the ship, the cries of those on board and the shriek of the birds above.. all brought to life on the page.

This novel starts in the Dutch East Indies (Today's Jakarta) and we head straight on board a trading ship on its way to Amsterdam. It's a swash buckling tale and as it's set on the high seas,, there's a sense of drama, danger and worse. Onboard or in the sea? Which is more dangerous? There's something very strange goings on and
there's rumours of another other wordly figure on board...

I think Stu captured so much so well in this novel. Gothic, a dangerous sea journey, something other wordly and a rip-roaring affair. I felt I was on that ship from leaving Batavia to sailing those high seas. I even felt seasick at times.

Sammy Pipps is a famous detective of his day is also on board so when things start to happen....he's the one who everyone hopes will be able to give them some answers.

A richly drawn and vividly cinematic novel.

Stuart Turton is one of the most original writers around at the moment. I thought it would be hard to follow the inventiveness and complexity of The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle but Turton succeeds with this novel.

Set on an East India merchant ship in 1634 we have a host of wild and weird characters and events, a brutal husband, a dumb leper, a wife and a mistress who are best friends, a detective in chains and a motley crew (literally) of cuthroats and villains.

The twists and complexities sometimes irritated me, but Turton can write well and the conclusion, when it arrives is surprising and satisfying.

This was probably my most anticipated book of 2020, but I was so disappointed! So so painfully slow 😭

3.5 stars

I had a hard time thinking of how I wanted to rate/review this book because I'm not very well read in the thriller/mystery genre and I don't think it's entirely for me, so I think that influences my thoughts on the book a little. Objectively it's very well written, there are some very thought provoking quotes and interesting characters but I felt like this was a LOT longer than in needed to be and I did find myself getting a little bored in parts, or at least reading fast to get to the next big reveal. I do also feel that not a lot happens until the last 25% of the book.

The premise of the book is we are following the Saardam ship as it travels from Batavia to Amsterdam, following both the crew and passengers as strange events begin happening on the ship after a leper curses the ship at the docks before the ship sets sail. The main POVs we follow are Arent and Samuel, who are essentially a detective duo, but sammy is locked up for the vogage so Arent is left to solve the mysterious happenings on his own. We also follow the governor general, who is transporting a mysterious cargo and his wife (Sara) and mistress (Creesje) who are both aboard for the vogage. We follow some other characters as well who are tied into the plot in various ways. As the ship appears to be haunted by a demon called Old Tom, it's up to our protagonists to figure out what's going on while certain crew members also have their own secrets to keep.

The characters are an interesting one for me, by far and away my favourite character was Creesje, the mistress of the governor general and just generally fabulous and confident in her sexuality. I also loved the friendship between her and Sara, I really liked Lia as well (Sara's daughter), I wuld have loved to have seen more of her. Samuel was also a very interesting character and I would have also liked to have seen more of him. Arent was okay but I felt like he was a fairly standard detective type protagonist which is probably why I didn't love the book as much as I could have, as the characters we spent more time with weren't my favourite.

The setting was very well written, you really got a sense of being on the sea and the ship felt very real and dynamic with the crew vs the passengers and the tension really came accross. I'm a massive wimp and I didn't feel like this book was too scary, except from one scene involving a picture book is all I will say. The is a bit o gore as well but i'm not too bothered by that!

I also just wanted to talk about the domestic abuse of Sara and Lia, done by the governor general. I feel like this didn't really need to be included as it didn't really further the plot that much and just seemed like it was there to show the realities for women at the time, which I suppose is fair but it still makes me sad to see violence against womne and have the characters be so ambivilant to it.

In conclusion the Devil and the Dark Water delivers an intruiging premise and defiently makes you want to keep reading but I did feel a little let down by the mystery element and the main thing I enjoyed about the novel were certain characters and was invested in seeing what happens to them.

This is a historical fiction/ mystery novel that is so packed with beautifully, intricate detail it actually blows my mind that Turton could visualise and bring this story together on a page.

It’s set in the 1600’s on an Indiaman boat from Batavia (today’s Jakarta) to Amsterdam with a wide ranging cast of characters who are extremely well written.

The main character is Arent Hayes, the faithful protector to international detective Samuel Pipps (think Sherlock and Watson - sort of). Hayes is on the ship to protect Pipps who has been arrested for an unknown crime. Before they have even boarded, a threat is made to the safety of the ship through an old demon called Old Tom. Hayes has to try and unravel the mystery of the demon, his boss’s captivity and a history he can no longer trust, surrounded by a cast of cutthroats, thieves and nobility.

I would love to see this made into a film, it’s such a big story It would visually be incredible. There are so many twists, connections and revelations that it keeps you enthralled throughout.

Only criticism from me is that it took me a long time to figure out who was who amongst the characters and follow each of their storylines and how they interlaced. It’s a long book so the number of hours to build up was intense! However, please do not let that put you off reading this - that investment at the start of the book is very worth it.

In his latest novel Stuart Turton gives us a twist on the classic locked room mystery. The story is based on a ship travelling from Batavia to Amsterdam in the mid 1600s. Amongst the passengers on board is the famous detective Samuel Pipps, his loyal bodyguard Arent Hayes, the Governor General of Batavia and his wife Sara and daughter.

Stuart Turton is brilliant at setting a scene and describing characters in just a few evocative sentences. As they board we discover that Pipps is under arrest for an unknown crime and will spend the journey in a cell. Sara is a abused by her husband and is a woman of great kindness and a skilled healer. Suddenly a leper shouts a warning that the devil is on their ship and all who board her will be bought to merciless ruin, before bursting into flames.
It soon becomes apparent that all the key characters have been tricked into sailing on the ship and it’s not long till death and mysterious events follow. With Pipps locked away, Sara and Arent team up to try and find out whether there really is a devil on board.

I really enjoyed The Devil and the Dark Water, even more than The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. It was absorbing, beautifully written and kept me guessing till the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for allowing me to review this preview copy..

I loved The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle and so I was really looking forward to Stuart Turton’s second book. When I first started reading, I thought ‘Really? I’ve to read a book about Old Tom, aka The Devil?’ I read very little fantasy or science fiction so I wasn’t sure this was for me but, as with Evelyn Hardcastle, the quirkiness of the plot and the colourful cast of characters meant I was quickly hooked.

The action takes place on the Saardam, a 17th century ship which actually did belong to the Dutch East India Company. The Governor General of Batavia (Jakarta) is on his way home to Amsterdam with his family and mistress on board. From the outset, the journey is literally bedevilled by Old Tom. To say much more would be to give away the plot which twists and turns its way through intrigue, murders, mayhem and shipwreck. If I have any reservations, it’s about the final outcome but perhaps that’s just the final intrigue? Whatever will Stuart Turton think of next?!

With thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing plc for a review copy.

Stuart Turton’s „The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle” was one of my favourite books of 2018. I recommended it to a lot of people. I was amazed by the clever and head spinning plot. So I was very excited when I came across his new book and could not wait to read it.

This book is a kind of historical mystery thriller. The year is 1634 and the story starts in Batavia. A bunch of passengers are embarking a ship to Amsterdam. As they do so a man, obviously a leper, cursed the ship and scared everybody. Then the leper goes up in flames. A bad omen indeed. One of the passengers is a famous detective. But he is in chains because he is accused of a mysterious crime. Right from the start strange things are beginning to happen. Old Tom, a devil, is haunting the crew and the passengers. And the famous detective is locked away and can’t help.

This story is far too complex to be explained in a few sentences. You better go in blind. There a quite a few characters, all very distinctive, you get to know and there is a lot going on. The thing is, I would probably have not read the book if it wouldn’t have been written by Stuart Turton. I adored his first book so I was so eager for this one. But the story was not my cup of tea. The times when I read historical fiction are long over. I also had my problems to find into the story because of the supernatural stuff surrounding the devil with the name of Old Tom. I know that at those times supernatural stuff like believing in the existence of the devil was a fact. But I had my problems with it. The start is also very slow and especially at the beginning it all drags a bit.

While I loved the characters, the story did not work for me for quite a while. The writing is flawless and I had no problem reading it. But it was not a book that demanded my attention all the time. But that is maybe because the story was not right up my alley. When you get to the end, you can see how cleverly it all was crafted. It is a very complex story. Be aware that nothing is like it seems. This makes it in hindsight a great read. But while I was reading it and without the knowledge of the ending, it dragged a bit.

Stuart Turton is a very gifted writer. He has great ideas and he can write extremely well plotted stories. I am complaining here on a very high level and most of it is because that this story was just not my cup of tea. But I loved the characters and I adore is writing skills. For me this book was not as mind-blowing as “Evelyn Hardcastle” but it is still an unusual and interesting read.

This is a fantastic, fast paced historical whodunit. The descriptions of life aboard the ship are rich and vivid, oozing from the page. Sammy Pipps and his friend, Arent Hayes are the infamous solvers of riddles and crimes who find themselves on a fleet returning to Amsterdam with the mysterious cargo.. Arent is forced to try and solve the mystery of the murderous demon who has boarded the ship, whilst Pipps has been placed in a cell, accused of an unknown crime. Arent is joined by Sara, the wife of the most important man on the craft as he tries to solve the riddle before it's too late. The crew are a ragtag of cutthroats and suspicious sailors who keep to their side of the ship away from the passengers. The characters are all unique, and memorable. I really enjoyed this highly original and inventive novel and wasn't prepared to leave the characters behind when I'd finished. Definitely a five star book from me.

Thank you to Bloomsbury Publishing Plc and #Netgalley for giving me an ARC of #TheDevilandtheDarkWater by #StuartTurton in exchange for my honest review.

5 Stars

Samuel Pipps is the worlds greatest detective, but he has been arrested and is imprisoned on a ship heading to Amsterdam where trial awaits him. Traveling with him is his loyal bodyguard Arent who is determined to prove his friends innocence.

When the ship is being loaded, a tongue-less leper gives a dire warning of evil demons aboard the ship that will lay it to ruin before reaching its destination. The leper catches fire and seemingly dies on the dockside only to stalk the ship. Strange symbols start to appear on the ship and the animals are all slaughtered with no witnesses. Is Old Tom really alive and stalking this ship ready to send it and it's passengers to their doom? Or can Arent solve the mystery before it is too late?

Stuart Turton did not disappoint with his latest novel. I thoroughly enjoyed The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle so was expecting big things from The Devil and the Dark Water. He certainly delivered. The plot was much easier to follow than that of Evelyn, but it in no way was to the book's detriment. The characters were well written and the plot had you guessing until right at the very end.

It has been a long time since a book had me scared to read alone on my own after dark, but this definitely achieved it . A brilliant read!

Every so often I crave something a little different to my usual reads. For me this was that book. Devilry on a ship in the middle of the ocean. Surrounded in myth as well as secrets and lies and so much unknown at the beginning, including exactly why Samuel Pipps is under arrest. Even he, and his bodyguard Arent Hayes don't know why. We meet the majority of the main players as they are on the dock just before boarding the vessel which will take them to Amsterdam. Where they come across a leper who shouts a stern warning about the ship and the voyage they are about to undertake. The Leper dies, twice, and without a tongue. How could he speak? What devilry is occurring.
And then there are strange symbols, people acting weird, faces at portholes where access is impossible. Livestock culled. And speak of demons and devils and, if that wasn't enough, a storm ravages the ship.
There is so much going on in this book that I would really recommend that you go in as blind as you can and discover all that is going on as the author intends. The storytelling is perfect as the author manages to set a scene which really gives the reader a chance to wholly immerse into the world in which the action is playing out. The claustrophobic nature of a ship and the crowding thereon. The descriptions of conditions for the lower classes on board is horrific in nature but all so very real for the time and place. The difference between that and those in the posher parts especially.
Characters are well drawn and all feel real. Obviously some are easier to connect to than others but the majority evoked some kind of emotion reaction in me.
And then there's what's going on... the devilry... the symbols, the demon, the myths, all the shenanigans. Who or what is driving all these things. Are they real or trickery? As the plot meanders on through the book, as things start to become clear, as the truth starts to come out... well... just trust me that you are in for one heck of a ride.
All in all a good solid read that mostly kept my attention, kept me reading and left me satisfied at its conclusion. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

I really don't know how to rate this book as the story was completely unbelievable and not in a magical way, but I couldn't stop reading it. The explanation at the end is even more far fetched than the rest. I'm not sure whether Turton had the story mapped out from the beginning or he kept writing then didn't know how to finish it. I've given the book 4 stars being the average of 5 for readability and 3 for story.

A merchant ship sets sail for Amsterdam from Batavia, but before it has even left port, warnings of disaster are dramatically given by a leper who is then engulfed in flames. Those attempting to help him are disturbed to find that he cannot possibly have delivered the speech they have just heard, as he has no tongue. Moreover, conditions on board are worse than usual, as much of the hold has been taken up by a secret cargo rather than the provisions that should feed and water the crew, the governor general’s musketeers and the assorted passengers. Into this volatile mix are added a famous prisoner, more used to solving crimes, and his war-hardened protector, and a fervent preacher and his native ward.
The claustrophobia of life aboard a ship in the tropics is vividly depicted as the backdrop for a murder mystery that brings into sharp focus the brutality, inequality and superstition of the seventeenth century. Memorable characters reveal themselves gradually through unexpected plot twists, where everyone seems to have a secret, and their reactions to the growing panic as the devil seems to have taken over the ship.
This is a thoroughly intriguing historical crime novel which richly entertains. I won't be buying it for my library where our oldest readers are eleven, but I will certainly be recommending it to my adult book group.

I was huge fan of The Seven and a Half Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, one of the best debuts I've read, thus Turton's second novel was high on my most anticipatory reads of 2020. This was a good read, rich with historical details however this failed to grip me the way Evelyn Hardcastle did.

The story starts with a host of characters living the town of Batavia (some sort of Asian country, I think). Sammy Pips, a Sherlock Holmes type of character in the 16th Century, is arrested for a crime that is not revealed to us. He's escorted by Arent, a tall big mecenery, who's been the Watson to Sammy's Sherlock and is now his bodyguard, loyal as ever despite not knowing his colleague and friend has been arrested. Aboard the ship is also General Haan, a dutch nobleman, who is later revealed to be the uncle of Arent, and the husband of Sara Weasel. Before they board the ship, the Saardaam, a leper appears and warns the passengers about a demon, Old Tom, before his leg catches on fire. Arent and Sara put him out of his misery and see his tongue has been cut out. Strange occurrences begin to take place on the ship and Arent and Sara join forces to uncover the truth...

I was drawn to the occult premise of this book. However the supernatural aspect was downplayed which was disappointing. While the prose is rich in detail and there is so much ship politics with the captain and the ship crew, at times this part of the novel dragged for me and I wanted more intrigue and less of the brawny dynamics of the lads on the ship. I just felt that the spookiness was underplayed and the story was overly drawn out. I did enjoy the characterisation of Sara and Arent, especially Arent's backstory and the links to Old Tom. The religion mania and the superstition filled atmosphere was compelling and I enjoyed this blurring between the ordinary and the supernatural. Again I wished there was more of it. I just felt that tonally the book was uneven and didn't quite work for me at times. On the whole was an engaging enough historical mystery read with slight supernatural elements.

Set in 1634 aboard the Saardam, a merchant ship of the Dutch East India company, this is a thrilling historical mystery story. Lieutenant Arent Heyes is one of the passengers, accompanying his friend Samuel Pipps who is a prisoner being taken back to Amsterdam. Prior to his arrest, Samuel had been a thief-taker, in the mould of Sherlock Holmes, with Arent as his loyal Watson. When demonic activity starts happening on-board the ship, Arent is charged with uncovering the mystery.
This is a colourful and fast paced story, full of historical detail. I found the large cast of characters confusing at the beginning, but they soon fell into place. There were plenty of surprises and plot twists, right up to the final pages. The Sherlock Holmes type analysis was fun but the ending did stretch my credulity. Some of the solutions were rather far-fetched. Overall, it was an enjoyable read and the atmospheric, historical setting was excellently done.