The Devil and the Dark Water started as a slow burner for me and I’ll admit that I struggled to get into it at first. There are a lot of characters that we meet right off the bat and at times I was wishing for the hard copy as it would have been so much easier to flip back to the list of characters at the start of the book. But all that being said, when the story got going, it got going and I couldn’t put it down.

This is a book about two sidekicks taking centre stage: a famous detective’s assistant and the long-suffering wife of the Governor General. Two characters who, throughout the course of the novel, get to develop their skills, their personality and their agency in an attempt to solve the mystery of a demon terrorising the ship on which they’re traveling back to Amsterdam (the story is set in 1634, so not that outlandish of a plot...).

Another confession: I read Evelyn Hardcastle last year and again, felt like it was too much of a slow burner and too confusing at times. So I'm happy to report that I thoroughly enjoyed this read, its cast, setting and original plot. I’ve seen some reviews saying that they felt let down by the ending and although the book didn’t end with a bang, I felt that all the lose ends were tied up nicely, and after all the drama in the last third I personally didn’t feel like it needed anymore fireworks.

The book is atmospheric and downright spooky at times, with a decent helping of social commentary thrown in that wouldn’t go amiss in our own strange days: “The weak shouldn’t have to fear the powerful, and the powerful shouldn’t simply take what they wanted without consequence. Power should be a burden, not a shield.” Enough said!

Had been eagerly waiting for this to become available and I was not disappointed! This is a real story to lose yourself in, I found it so atmospheric and really gripping. Think it'd be a great read for Autumnal evenings - mug of tea in hand! This will definitely appeal to those who enjoyed The 7 1/2 deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, it's written in a similar style with the same beautiful descriptive language and amazing characters thrown in. One of my favourite reads of the year and I can't wait until it's officially launched.

The Devil and the Dark Water is a wondrously dark and atmospheric novel. Set almost entirely aboard a 17th century Indiaman, Turton weaves a story cloaked in darkness and mystery.

A supposedly dead leper haunts the ship, and as the death toll rises and other creepy events take place, the suspense builds. However, I feel that for all the quality writing and story telling in the first 3 quarters of the book, the ending really let the book down. I feel that the story petered out in the end. The conclusion to the mystery was satisfying, but nothing else. And easy, the actual ending itself seemed a bit anti climatic.

However, still an enjoyable read.

This is a different proposition to the amazingly inventive Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle but it nevertheless grabbed me from the first page.

Interesting that the book is described as featuring a detective duo; that duo is not the one you’d expect from the cover of the book. Sammy Pipps did not feature anywhere near as much as I’d expected. Whilst very close in name to the 17th century diarist Samuel Pepys (and I wondered if this was intentional?), Sammy is really more like Sherlock Holmes. It seemed as though this might be the first in a series of novels featuring some of these characters so perhaps we’ll hear more of Pipps in the future... And I preferred the duo of the book in any event - very rare to have a bit of gender balance in there!

There were a few elements of the denouement which left me with questions and I had one minor quibble over the use of the word “blanch” in the book - there was quite a bit of blanching going on, where actually the person was more likely to be blushing than turning white in terror.

Overall, an excellent novel and one I would recommend to those who like mysteries, adventure stories and historical fiction.

As always, many thanks to Bloomsbury publishing for this ARC and to NetGalley and the author.

Turns out a twisty and complex tale of mystery and mayhem set on a ship sailing between Jakarta and Amsterdam in c.1600 has been missing from my life. Stuart Turton has really delivered with The Devil and the Dark Water.

Think a series of clever locked room conundrums within the confines of a ship. Think Holmes and Watson but Watson has to lead the way (as Holmes is out of action) along with a superb female lead. Perhaps a little long but thoroughly entertaining and a very worthy follow up novel to Seven Deaths.

Many thanks to Bloomsbury and Netgalley for an ARC in consideration of an honest review.

Let’s set the scene: it is 1634 and the Saardam ship setting sail from Batavia (Jakarta, Indonesia) for Amsterdam. There are many luminaries on this crowded ship –
Samuel Pipps – a well-known detective
Arent Hayes – his colleague/bodyguard
Jan Haan – Governor General
Sara Wessel – Wife of the Goveror General
Lia Jan – Daughter of Sara and Jan
Cornelius Vos – Chamberlain to the Governor General
Creesjie Jen and her sons – friend of Sara/mistress of Jan
Along with large number of people from the local Bavatia community and crew. With a seven month voyage ahead and secret chests hidden on the ship, there is bound to be trouble ahead.

Stuart Turton has taken the idea of a ‘whodunnit’ and placed it within the setting of a ship on a dangerous journey, skippered by a malcontent group of criminals as the captain, boatswain and first mate struggle to maintain control. As the ship is preparing to leave, a leaper appears at the docks and leaves a terrifying warning for the passengers and crew, before bursting in flames. Opting to ignore this warning, the Governor General insists that the fleet leaves as scheduled. The only people who seem aware of the danger are Samuel, Arent and Sara who begin to slowly investigate the leaper’s death. One by one, a series of mysteries occur and soon the trio are left in no doubt that the ship is being haunted and unless they solve the mysteries, everyone on board is headed towards certain death.

This is a wonderful historical mystery with a sense of Agatha Christie as our protagonists are faced with multiple ‘impossible mysteries’, as the plot becomes increasingly intricate and the atmosphere comes from merely spooky to heart-pounding fear. The story is so cleverly written with many red-herrings that are only obvious to the reader at the later stages of the novel and serve instead to keep us guessing and turning the pages rapidly. My sense of trepidation growing as I continued to read and feared for the characters!

I absolutely loved and raced through this book. If I had any issues, it would be occasionally trying to keep track of characters as I did become a little confused at the start but a list of main characters is provided and after referring to this on occasion, my confusion was resolved. I also loved how strongly the female characters were portrayed – we did learn about how Sara had to submit to her husband but also of her own quiet rebellion and plans for the future. Despite the contemporary setting, the women of this story were well capable of making their own decisions and caring for themselves – none of the ‘knights to the rescue’ style of storyline.

I’m hoping and hoping that the author will be kind enough to provide a followup story – and that’s the highest compliment that I can give to an author, we want more!

There are not many novels I have recommended as much as I have with The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. The mix between classic Agatha Christie mystery novels with a science fiction element made that book an extraordinary and successful novel, selling hundreds of thousands of copies worldwide.
After such success and moving into the author´s second book, it was up to Stuart Turton to decide whether to repeat the formula or write something completely different. Somehow, Turton managed to do both at the same time. Successfully.
The devil and the Dark Water is set in 1634. Sammy Pipps is a well-known detective with a problematic side that has taken him to be jailed in the Saardam, a boat taking him to Amsterdam where he will most probably be sentenced to death. We as a readers don’t know what crime he committed. And his friend, Arent Hayes, doesn’t know either. However, Arent has been his detective colleague for a long time and also some kind of bodyguard thanks to his physical abilities and dimensions. Arent firmly believes Pipps is innocent and he will try to prove his innocence somehow. He won’t be alone. Along with him many other characters in the boat will need to come up together with a solution to beat a common enemy.
So far, this is the synopsis of the new Stuart Turton´s novel. However, I assume most of the people who will approach to The devil and the Dark Water is people looking for something “like The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle”. Therefore, let me try to explain the main similarities and differences between both books.
Starting with the structure. Left behind are the seven days we repeated over and over again from different points of view. The devil and the Dark Water is in this sense a linear and classical novel. We start with all the characters boarding the Saardam in the Batavia port, from where they will depart to Amsterdam. And then it finishes… at some point in the future. Can´t say anything else if I don’t want to spoil anything from the plot.
I have mentioned the characters. Same with his first novel, we have a good range of characters with different origins, social status and ambitions. Keeping the classic style, there is a first page with the list of characters – name and role, which will be very useful in the first few hundreds of pages. The devil and the Dark Water jumps from one to the other quickly, moving the action in a way that engages you in a way that you can’t stop reading through the short episodes that build the mystery behind the novel. Each character, all of them, have different reasons for being in the Saardam and finding these are also one of the big motivations for reading the book.
From the very first chapter we can see that every dialogue, action and detail can potentially be part of the solution afterwards. Turton forces us to be very attentive on every detail as each of these can be a piece of the puzzle when reaching the end of the story. I felt that the mystery in The devil and the Dark Water was easier to follow that in The Seven Deaths which in a way allows the reader to focus on reactions and behaviours of some of the characters and engage and understand some of the motivations behind each.
Other common factor with The Seven Death is that most of the actions takes place in a single location. Now we moved aboard the Saardam, a ship with its own crew and rowing slaves. The action sways to the rhythm of the waters that churn the boat. There is no map or drawing but, to be honest, I got used to the main areas of the ship quite quickly. Turton also uses the different people in the boat to talk a little but about colonialism and slavery.

We reach an interesting part. The fantastic or science fiction element. I guess there will be people reaching this book looking for a new fantastic bit that changes the whole conception of the mystery novel. There is a supernatural thing in The devil and the Dark Water. Or maybe there isn’t.
A detail I haven’t mentioned so far is that the boat is damned. Be aware this is not a spoiler. In the first twenty pages or so this is already clear. The Saardam is damned and there are spirits and ghosts threating the boat looking for victims. The devil itself is looking to commit new crimes and all the crew and passenger need to be together to beat it. But, does the devil actually exists? The fantastic element on this novel is not as obvious as it was in The Seven Deaths and consequences of its existence will not be good for all the people on board.
Talking about the characters again. By now you would have guesses the tribute that Turton does to Edgar Allan Poe and his fictional characters Sherlock and Holmes. The first one, Pipps, jailed. The second, Arent, recapping some clues to try finding out about the devil threatening the boat. Arent is used to have Pipps leading the investigation. However, in this case he is alone. Or he isn’t?
The mystery in The devil and the Dark Water is unwrapped in a very different way to The Seven Deaths. In the new book we don’t know the crime from the beginning so surprises will come up at any time, engaging the reader at all time with new events taking place. More than 500 pages might be a bit too long for what the mystery is and there are few chapters where it felt nothing significant was happening.
The devil and the Dark Water is surely a better mystery novel than The Seven Deaths. However, the change in the setting, structure and fantastic elements around the plot is built makes the comparison not a straight forward job. The devil and the Dark Water is a completely different and independent novel compared to its predecessor. The science fiction component is much less influential but the solution to the riddle is more satisfactory and the resolution is appropriate.
In any case, if want to be engaged for a few hours in a fabulous mystery novel, The devil and the Dark Water is a novel that you must read.

Review to be published in the link in the first half of September

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.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for the early copy.

This book will obviously be compared to Stuart Turton’s debut novel which was a brilliant debut and very original, this book isn’t The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle because it can’t be but this book is a really good book in its own right and should be enjoyed as such.

This book is so immersive right from the beginning taking you into another World that feels so far away but so real at the same time. The first few chapters introduce you to some very interesting characters and intrigue which continue throughout the book. This story has an almost old fashioned feel about it (with a modern twist) and I like that in a mystery book as it creates a sense of nostalgia. This book is really well plotted and with plenty of twists and turns leading to a great ending.

Stuart Turton has quite a unique writing style and I can honestly say that I’m a fan.

“The weak shouldn’t have to fear the powerful, and the powerful shouldn’t simply take what they wanted without consequence. Power should be a burden, not a shield. It should be used to everybody’s betterment, not merely for the person who wielded it.”

1634- The Saardam sets sail from Indonesia to Amsterdam carrying mysterious cargo. On board are Samuel Pipps and Arent Hayes, a renowned detective duo. Pipps is to be tried for a crime and his loyal friend Hayes is determined to prove he is innocent. As soon as the ship sets sail it is blighted by a strange symbol and a devilish spectre. With Pipps imprisoned, it is up to Arent Hayes, with the help of some of the ship’s passengers, to solve a mystery that threatens all those on board.

After reading, and loving The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle in 2018, I was very excited to get my hands on this. If you enjoyed Evelyn, it is likely you will enjoy this too. It has the same kind of unputdownable mystery- this time without the sci-fi twist.

A very Agatha Christie/Sherlock Holmes-esque historical mystery- from the historical setting to the intricate plot, there are a lot of elements to love. With tensions between the crew, soldiers and passengers, a spooky atmosphere, and very elaborate puzzles to solve, I had such a fun time reading this book. The fast pace, interesting characters and central mystery kept me from putting the book down.
A twisty, gripping high seas adventure for fans of a clever murder mystery.

*Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing an electronic ARC in exchange for a honest review. As always, all opinions are my own!

I was SUCH a huge fan of Stuart Turton's first book, The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, that I was really excited to be approved for this. I am pleased to say it doesn't disappoint! Clever, twisty, dark and original, just like the first.

Thank you to NetGalley for my free reading copy.

What can I say. If you were as blown away by The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle as I was and you’re worried that The Devil and the Dark Water might not stand up to it, worry no more! And if you are coming to this author for the first time, take a punt and buy this book! Because it is another perfect period crime from Stuart Turton. Escape from lockdown with this immaculately realised trip on the high seas. With comradery and deceptions to rival Pirates of the Caribbean, and the world’s greatest detective locked away in the ship’s hold, it’s up to his bodyguard to solve the mystery as a serious of terrifying supernatural occurrences unfold along an ocean voyage. It will keep you guessing until the last page, and you will not leave this boat disappointed.

* spoiler alert ** Gosh, Turton can write an epic saga.
With many characters,and lots of twists.
This one is set on a boat,that may or may not have the devil old Tom coming after it.
The setting was great,as once you've left land it's all very claustrophobic.
It was interesting how so many people connected to this devil found themselves on the one boat.
There wee enough hints to have a good idea of how the story was unfolding,and a nice satisfactory ending.
Just a bit too slow in the middle for me

I loved Stuart Turtons first book. This book is good but not as good as the first. I enjoyed the world building at the beginning and the tone was very atmospheric. I felt like it was too long and should have edited 100 pages. The ending was satisfying.

Please don’t think you’re getting ‘The Seven Lives of Evelyn Hardcastle’ Part 2, because the setting, the time period, the premise and the characters in ‘The Devil and the Dark Water’ are very different. But oh how I loved this as much as I did ‘Seven Lives’.

It’s the 1630s and Sammy Pipps, the great detective, or problematary as he preferred to be called, is being transported to Amsterdam to be executed for a crime that he may or may not have committed. With him is his friend and protector Arent Hayes, who refuses to leave him and is determined to prove Sammy innocent of whatever crime he is being accused of.

Turton does here what he clearly demonstrated a brilliant skill for in ‘Seven Lives’ and that is hooking the reader from the very beginning of the novel to the end. On the way, in typical Turton style, we’re taken on a rollercoaster ride of intrigue, secrets, twists and turns, the supernatural, mysterious deaths and ultimately the shock conclusion that you shouldn’t believe everything you read or hear, but the clues are there. In true Agatha Christie style we get the reveal at the end - which of course I didn’t guess beforehand!

I’m pretty sure this will be one of my favourite books of 2020. Happy reading!

Thank you to Bloomsbury Publishing and NetGalley for my ARC

A rollicking historical novel. Great fun with twists and turns. Not sure how I feel about the end but a light enjoyable read. Learnt so much about ships too!

The utterly brilliant Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is a hard act to follow, however I think the author has aced it with The Devil and the Dark Water!
A seemingly impossible whodunit on board ship with a cast of intriguing characters including the World’s greatest detective Samuel Pipps and his sidekick/bodyguard Arent Hayes. The task of solving the mystery and prevent certain death for all aboard is left to Hayes as Pipps is under arrest and locked in a dark, dank hole in the bowels of the ship for the duration of the journey.
Cleverly plotted and executed seamlessly proving the author is not a one-hit wonder, but a very talented must-read! Superb.

I really loved Turton's first book, Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. It was unique, thrilling, had a high pace with a very gripping plot.
So, this was an auto-pick definitely.

I loved the premise of the book. The setting in a ship in the 1600s sailing from Australia to the Netherlands which is a long journey those days. Our characters are stuck in this ship, weird things start to happen from the beginning and they are trying to figure out what's going on. Is there any paranormal element in it or not, is something you need to discover yourself.

The book was very gripping at the beginning. We're also introduced to the many many characters of this book slowly. Little by little, the story is piecing together, as well as the mystery. The end of the book was very good, when things started to happen really fast and the mystery was coming together. The twists were good as well. I figured some, I couldn't figure others. It's very very complex, because there are loads of characters and events happening at the moment, and happened in the past that comes into the story. It all layers slowly. I really admire and appreciate how Turton builds these complex plots with so many characters involved. Definitely a talent.

However, I need to say the length and pace of this book in the middle really brought down my enjoyment, hence the rating to a 4. There is a good chunk of the book, where things happen really really slowly, or nothing happens at all. The last 100-150 pages (it's a long book over 500 pages after all) were a good ride. If the book was shorter, more balanced with its pace, it would have been a really entertaining, enjoyable one.

I also want to make it clear that this book is quite different than his first. So, to set your expectations right, it's a very slow going mystery and there's more stress on the characters. His first book was action-packed, really fast, bam bam bam kind of book. This is very different.

I've ADORED the 7 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle and got heart palpitations when I realised the author had a new book coming out this year! I've been waiting for this for like 5 months now and still can't believe I've actually been allowed to read it early, I'm so grateful, thank you!!

The Devil and the Dark Water did not disappoint. Turton brought us another large cast of brilliantly diverse characters filled with secrets, ulterior motives and twisty shenanigans that we've come to love from the author. I genuinely couldn't guess what the next reveal would be and felt like I was spinning on a roller-coaster, completely at the mercy of the ride.

(I actually started reading this in the middle of the UK heatwave whilst sitting outside chasing tan and managed to lose track of time so bad I ended up with the worst sunburn of my life... I was bright red for 3 days, THREE DAYS).

My only one issue was that I got a little confused between Drecht, van Schooten, and Vos at times, they kind of morphed into the same character at times and I had to go back a few times to clarify who was who.

Other than that it's still a 5/5 read and I physically cannot wait to throw it at my customers once it's published!

Having read and enjoyed Stuart Turton’s debut novel “The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle”, I was particularly keen to read his follow up. I was luckily enough to receive an ARC and plunged straight in without having the foggiest idea what I was getting myself into.

I was mildly surprised to find myself in the sweltering heat of Batavia (present day Indonesia) and the 17th century, about to board a ship bound for Amsterdam - a far cry from the Agatha Christie-esque English country house of the previous book. No matter, as within the first few pages we are introduced to the major players in the story and the action starts almost immediately, dragging the reader into a tale on the high seas, a story of intrigue, murder, and deception - with perhaps a little bit of devilry thrown in for good measure.

There are some genuinely likeable characters taking us through the narrative, as well as some truly repulsive specimens that you can only hope get their old-fashioned comeuppance. Arent Hayes is a bear of a man - a former soldier and mercenary, now turned into a righter of wrongs (a sort of 17th century Jack Reacher), aided in his search for answers by Sarah Wessel, wife of the Governor General, who wants to more in life for herself and her daughter than simply to be his property.

Their search for answers takes them quite literally into the nooks and crannies of an overpopulated ship, where mysterious and seemingly impossible events lead them to ask whether they are seeking a clever foe or some invisible force that’s followed them aboard the ship.

This is a well-plotted, very imaginative story with a more than satisfactory resolution to the events on board. definitely one to recommend.

Sincere thanks to Netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for providing me with this digital ARC.