I thought Stuart Turton's previous book, The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle (Agatha Christie crossed with Groundhog Day) was brilliant and highly original, and I wondered what on earth he would write next. The answer is something completely different!
The Devil and the Dark Water is a historical mystery with hints of the supernatural. Set in 1634, the action takes place on board the Saardam on a voyage from Batavia to Amsterdam. Among the passengers is Samuel Pipps (a 17th century Sherlock Holmes) who is being transported to his execution. He's accompanied by his loyal bodyboard, Arent Hayes. As soon as the ship sets sail, things start going wrong. The ghost of a dead leper stalks the decks, strange symbols appear on the sails and carved into the ship's timbers, and livestock is mysteriously slaughtered. Could there be a demon living amongst the ship's passengers and crew? With Samuel imprisoned below deck, all lives depend on Arent solving the mystery...

The Devil and the Dark Water is thoroughly gripping. I was sucked into the story, reading it very quickly, desperate to find out how it ended. The amount of historical detail about life on board the Saardam is incredible - I was living that voyage along with those unfortunate passengers. And I loved the rather sweet character of Arent, who keeps his honour when all those about him are losing theirs yet still doubts his ability to solve the mystery without the help of his good friend Samuel.

Anyone who enjoys intricately plotted historical mysteries, with complex characters that leap off the page, will love The Devil and the Dark Water. For me, the only thing that stopped it being a five-star read was what happened after the mystery was solved. That's just a personal niggle because otherwise I thoroughly recommend the book - and that cover is gorgeous!

Thank you to Stuart Turton and Raven Books (Bloomsbury) for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

The formidable, award-winning Stuart Turton returns with his next mind-bending, genre-defying historical crime novel shot through with an abundance of mystery, intelligence, and an exquisitely crafted plot, all set against the richly-imagined seventeenth-century backdrop of the merchant ship Saardam. It's 1634 and the Saardam is about to depart Batavia in the Dutch East Indies, heading for Amsterdam, when a leper places a curse on both the boat itself and those aboard her and then swiftly combusts after bursting into flames. It doesn't take too long for more inexplicably odd occurrences to happen on the voyage and things go from bad to worse when evil eye symbols are uncovered all across the ship; the sign represents a demon known as Old Tom who possesses the souls of others and tempts them into doing his dirty work, including murder, by offering them "their hearts desire for a favour". Luckily for the passengers, the worlds foremost Detective, Samuel Pipps, is in custody on the ship for a crime he may, or may not have committed and is travelling alongside bodyguard Arent Hayes. Can they solve the mystery of a malevolent force that threatens to kill everyone on board before it's too late?

This is an exquisitely written, impeccably plotted story, crammed full of intrigue, danger, supernatural strangeness and an intensely creepy and claustrophobic atmosphere on board the ship as it leaves port for Holland; the feeling of disquiet I felt when I knew of all of the bizarre, and later murderous, onboard incidents could be not be escaped due to being at sail on the high seas really got under my skin and into my psyche — this is a riveting, contemporary take on Christie's locked room mystery. It is compulsive reading from the first couple of pages, and I thoroughly enjoyed that Turton toyed with the idea of evil being supernatural as well as human with it being explored in an intriguing manner. The cast of characters is engaging and unique with the relationship between, and depiction of, Pipps and Hayes having similarities to old favourites, Holmes and Watson, where loyalty and sleuthing matter above all else. A refreshingly original and multifaceted story written with beauty and fluidity, a gripping narrative populated by memorable characters with multiple plot twists just springing up one after the other, this is a must-read for all crime connoisseurs. Unmissable and unforgettable. Many thanks to Raven Books for an ARC.

Thanks to Bloomsbury for a review copy.
I was very excited when I heard that Stuart Turton had written a second novel but found it hard to believe that ‘The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle’ could possibly be equalled - and yet he has done it again.
The setting is totally different, here we are set firmly in the seventeenth century with no time travelling to upset the normal flow of cause and effect. The story opens in the Dutch colony of Batavia where the Governor General, a thoroughly unpleasant individual by the name of Jan Haans and his family are due to sail back in triumph to Amsterdam where he will take his place as one of the Gentlemen 17, controllers of the all powerful Company which controls the lives of many people through a monopolised trading network. With them is Sammy Pipps, the world’s greatest detective whom Haans has summoned to Batavia to retrieve the mysterious ‘Folly’ – an artefact which has been stolen. Pipps has done this before the story opens but instead of returning in triumph he is bound in chains though none except Haans know why.
As the party arrive at the docks a leper issues a fateful warning about the voyage before bursting into flames. To say more about the plot is almost impossible without including spoilers but the pace never lets up throughout the tale.
We mainly follow Arent Haynes, bodyguard to Sammy Pipps who finds himself the reluctant investigator of the mysterious events which occur aboard ship, helped by Sara, trophy wife of Haans and her daughter Lia. As tragedy unfolds these people, thrown together as misfortune soon turns into terror, need to use all their guile to survive as well as get to the truth of the mystery before hell literally breaks loose aboard.
As with ‘The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle’ it is best to go into the story without any more knowledge than this. Stuart Turton has written a book in which a devil is real (maybe), impossible crimes occur and both human and diabolical agencies may (or may not) be involved and may (or may not) be working together.
There is perhaps a deeper message within the story about the dangers of greed and what lengths people, for whom nothing is ever enough, will go to and what Faustian bargains they may be prepared to make, in order to amass more wealth or power.
We also get a wonderfully described picture of what life on an East Indiaman must have been like in those days and it is not a pleasant image. Life at sea was hard and Stuart Turton uses consummate skill to paint a vivid portrait of that world without ever seeming to be delivering a history lesson. All of the main characters are brought impeccably to life and we meet some wonderfully nuanced folk amongst the crew whose behaviour we totally understand and sympathise with even if it is pretty unpleasant.
By the end we have been presented with a whole series of interlinked locked room mysteries that surely cannot be explained and yet the end of the story is perfect with not a loose end in sight. Much as in his previous novel Mr Turton must have spent many hours working out his plot and ensuring that all the many strands of the web fitted perfectly.
The book is an utter pleasure from start to finish and I hope that there is a sequel as there is so much more to explore in this wonderful world that he has created.
I found the soundtracks to the video games Dishonored and Dishonored 2 (available on Steam without the need to purchase the game or Itunes) along with the ‘Haunted Sounds of Sanctuary’ CD from the Diablo series of games (also available from iTunes) to be excellent accompaniment to my reading giving just the right eerie tone to the story. The video game ‘Return of the Obra Dinn’ is also an excellent way of playing detective in a haunted (maybe) ship and will appeal to anyone who enjoys a really good puzzle even if they are not a habitual gamer.
I really cannot recommend this highly enough, it is clever, scary, funny, gripping and so much more. My book of the year by far.

I adored The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle so I was thrilled to have the chance to check out Stuart Turton’s new novel!

That synopsis alone is so intriguing, containing so many elements I’m interested in: closed room style mystery, unexplained goings on and an interesting setting.

For the majority of the novel we’re following two main characters. Firstly Arent Hayes, the sort of John Watson to Samuel Pipps Sherlock. He’s the trusty companion who chronicles the famous detective’s cases, but is forced to go alone while Pipps is locked up on board for reasons unknown. And secondly we have Sara Wessel, wife to the governor forced to stay quiet and out of the way for most of her marriage but gets a sort of freedom on the ship (as long as her husband doesn’t find out). They were such interesting and layered characters and they were an absolute joy to read about.

On to the story itself. There’s plenty of strange goings on on the ship, all kicking off before the passengers have even boarded. At the port a leper shouts about the ship being cursed before bursting into flames. It’s then discovered that his tounge had been cut out. So how could he have spoken? This had one of my favourite elements in mysteries where it’s unclear whether the goings on are supernatural or if there’s some other explanation.

In fact, this is a fantastic autumnal read! It’s wonderfuly atmospheric with it’s 1600s isolated setting

This has very much solidified Stuart Turton as a must buy author for me. While both of his novels are very different (this has a liner timeline for example), they have a similar atmosphere and keep you guessing what’s going on.

What a book. I'll be perfectly honest and say that whilst I loved the writing style of SDOEH I was left a little flat from the plot and more specifically the conclusion of the novel. But it didn't put me off trying Turton's latest and I can safely say I'm very glad it didn't.

From page one I was hooked and drawn into the world of Pipps and Arent, I really enjoyed this sea-voyaging Holmes and Watson duo and watching the story unfold. As much as this novel is about the disgraced detective and his bodyguard, the strong and multi-dimensional female characters truly sucked me in. Turton's characterisation is fantastic. Sara Wessel was an instant hit with me.

Another aspect of Turton's writing that I love is his ability to create atmosphere and tension. This is what I did love about Evelyn Hardcastle, I could imagine myself in the story and he achieves the same with taking you onboard the Saardam. The creaking, narrow passageways and the sway of the ship are essential to the dark mysteries looking to be unpicked in this novel. Magic, murder and mayhem propel this story along the high seas and the rich tapestry of characters don't disappoint.

I was left wholly satisfied with this book. I think this book is perfect for the Autumn days ahead.

Anyone familiar with Turton’s debut novel, The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, will no doubt have been eagerly anticipating the release of The Devil and the Dark Water since its announcement. Despite the shorter gestation of this follow up, fans can rest assured that it’s still packed full of twists and turns, even if the plot isn’t quite as complicated as the Groundhog Day meets Quantum Leap (Groundhog Leap? Quantum Groundhog?) madness of his Costa Award-winning effort.

One thing that definitely does carry over from Turton’s previous novel, however, is atmosphere. The Saardam, the ship chosen to transport our not-so-merry band of seafarers to Amsterdam from Batavia (modern day Jakarta) positively oozes with it. It’s a richly described vessel, with such incredibly evocative language used that you may well feel like lashing yourself down whilst reading, lest the pitching of the deck unbalance you from your chair. Smells, textures and sounds are all vividly described, contributing to an extremely memorable setting. It’s a ship borne across the waves by the superstitions of its crew, who are likewise extremely well realised. There’s a real charm to them in fact, even the most despicable ones (the brutish Johannes Wyck, for example), with them being broadly drawn yet stopping short of being walking clichés. The realities of ship life, and indeed the life of a sailor, are discussed, serving to add extra colour to the crew too. Their reputed Captain, snappy dresser Adrian Crauwels, is one of the many distinct and interesting supporting characters, alongside the menacing Governor General Jan Haan, the grizzled Guard Captain Jacobi Drecht and more besides.

Against this backdrop of a creaking ship crewed by surly miscreants looms the imposing figure of Lieutenant Arent Hayes. A former soldier turned mercenary, he’s one of the two main characters investigating the strange goings on onboard the Saardam. Ostensibly present to ensure the safety of his imprisoned investigative partner, the renowned Sammy Pipps (a man of Sherlockian deductive brilliance), Arent believes himself to be less than he is. Capable of much more than the brute force and violence which his size and strength often leads him to, he’s a wonderful and unconventional character for this sort of story, a detective who has had the role thrust upon him in the absence of his famous accomplice. This makes him much easier to empathise with as a character, with him tossed in at the deep end (so to speak) as he chases answers and struggles to piece things together. Alongside Arent, we have Sara Wessell, wife of the cruel Governor General. She idolises Pipps, with her daughter Lia and her devouring Arent’s accounts of their cases. Sara leaps at the chance to prove her own abilities, collaborating with Arent on the investigation, lending her considerable intellect and insight, as well as being capable of supporting him in his moments of self-doubt too. She is very much a caged bird, the circumstances finally giving her the chance to soar. For all the supernatural creepiness throughout, the supportive relationship between her and Arent acts as a real anchor for the story (no pun intended).

That supernatural creepiness adds yet another layer of atmosphere to the tale too, and it’s all built on an air of dark foreboding laid out in the first few pages. As a leper prophesises doom to the Saardam before spectacularly immolating on the docks, it’s clear that things are only going to ramp up from this dramatic opening, and Turton doesn’t disappoint. With the mysterious symbol of the demon Old Tom seeming to stalk crew and passengers and terrifying events occurring in its wake, the setting really comes into its own. The Saardam is truly alone at sea; with a jittery crew who are at each other’s throats at the best of times there’s a gradual ramping up of tension, dark promises and dreadful threats stalking them through the narrow, creaking corridors. The many mysteries, both in the histories of the characters and in their present situation, are as satisfyingly juicy as you would hope too, with extremely satisfying resolutions to boot.

With atmosphere in spades, an engaging mystery and a cast of characters so likeable you might well struggle to choose a favourite, The Devil and the Dark Water is a triumphant follow-up to one of the most widely loved novels of the last few years, whose shadow it escapes assuredly. Stuart Turton is truly a master of his craft, with his talent writ large on every darkly forbidding page of this devilishly good novel.

Murder, mystery, magic and mayhem on the high seas from Stuart Turton. What more could you possibly want? This rich tale is impeccably told. It is bold, dazzling, full of derring-do and impossible puzzles. With strong echoes of Conan Doyle in his two principal detectives, Arent Hayes and Samuel Pipps, Turton brings us a 17th Century swashbuckling story replete with characters with missing body parts and strange and fearsome tales to tell.

Is there a devil on the ship? It certainly seems so. With his brilliant partner Pipps locked up in a dank hole below decks, can steadfast Arent Hayes solve this mystery solo? Sara Wessel is travelling with her husband from Batavia to Amsterdam where their fortunes are to be seriously enhanced, but from the outset it is clear that that there is the devil’s work afoot to ensure the voyage of the Saardam is not successful.

Turton does not stint in using his rich, descriptive powers to give us an olfactory tour of the lower decks in this wondrously atmospheric, historical murder mystery. A ship, of course, provides the same opportunities as a locked room when it comes to murder and Turton absolutely makes the most of each and every opportunity to deceive and deflect as his beautiful character populated novel embarks on a most dangerous journey.

As with The Seven Deaths, it is the depth and quality of the characterisation that shines through in this book and there are sufficient intricately drawn characters here to keep our minds busy even as we try to work out which are good and which may be the devil incarnate.

Even as we get nowhere near the solution, this doom laden ship is sailing towards a dramatic event. The motley crew are threatening mutiny when they’re not knifing each other and something nasty is whispering in the ears of anyone who will listen. As an exercise in mass hysteria, it is brilliant to behold.

Turton builds up an enviable cast of characters, some of whom are quite grotesque, complete with backstories, motivation by the bucketful and all in all it feels like we are in the midst of a Matthias Grünewald painting.

You can’t help but be drawn to the principal protagonists though and before the first chapter has ended you are already half in love.

Fantastic prose that I just wanted to wallow in creates a luscious novel that winds itself round your heart and may just squeeze the life out of you before you know you’re caught.

Verdict: Can you tell I loved it? Turton has a delightfully dark and delicious mind that paints in colourful oils all over his pages. This book is rich, vivid and fiendishly clever. Buy it, you will not regret it.

The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton
This book is set in 1634 it begins with a dramatic scene where a leper, who has warned of terrible events to take place aboard the Saardam, is set alight. Enter Arent Hayes a giant of a man who ends his terrible pain and Sara who administers a draught to ease his passing. These two characters are the mainstay of the novel. Arent is the protector of Samuel Pipps, the greatest detective he has ever encountered, who has been accused of terrible crimes and is locked up aboard the ship awaiting his executon.
Arent has to prove his friend’s innocence and Sara has to protect her daughter Lia from the wrath of her Husband, the Governor General of Batavia. There are hints all along that a devil in the shape of Old Tom is stalking the ship and Arent is struggling to discover who or what controls these malign forces. The plot races along and Stuart Turton, as he did in his previous novel is a master of the convoluted plot and fascinating denouement.
Unusually for a novel set in this period there are many strong female characters:- Sara Wessel, Lia, Creesjie, Isabel. I will be recommending this novel to all the readers at my various different book groups and hope that it achieves as much acclaim as the fantastic Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle.
Many thanks to the author, the publishers and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

This book gets all the stars. A Holmes & Watson of the high seas. The first chapter sets the tone for this novel with a climactic ending & it's not the only one with a cliffhanger. I found myself swept along with the action, gasping out loud at times, unwilling to stop reading & get back to normal, boring life when there was action on the Saardam.

I defy anyone not to want to team up with Arent & Sara to discover what devilry is really happening aboard the ship. It has just left me wanting more.

I have only one problem with this book...that's the book hangover I know I'm going to suffer. I genuinely don't know what to read now as nothing will compare.

I really enjoyed The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, so I was keen to read Stuart Turton's new book. It's a good mystery story, and Turton does a great job in depicting 17th Century life at sea, with excellent attention to detail. However, I felt that having such a large cast of characters was confusing at times, so that it became difficult to keep track of who was who. This also meant that it was difficult to explore some of these characters in a nuanced way, and some aspects of the storyline felt a bit disrupted as a result.

The Devil And The Dark Water is an adventure set on the seven seas, a story that like a whirlpool, twists and turns, swirling conflicting currents of murder msytery, swashbuckling and devilry into one epic story.

This tale begins with mercenary Arent Hayes who is accompanying his friend Sammy Pipps, who just so happens to be the world’s most famous detective, who is being transported to Amsterdam in chains for a crime he may or may not have committed. As soon as they board the ship called the Saardam that will take them on their journey, the strange events begin. Strange symbols appear on the sail, death is threatened and a devil appears to stalk the deck. With his friend and detective in chains, it is up to Arent and the rest of the passengers to try and solve this devilish mystery before it’s too late.

This book was just fantastic. It was a wonderful blend of genres that merged together brilliantly into a unique and enticing read. You have a Pirates Of The Caribbean worthy adventure, an incredibly smart Agatha Christie locked room style whodunnit and a rich, lively setting that makes the story feel like an ode to good old fantasy.

I haven’t read any of Turton’s other work but you can tell this in an author that puts a lot of work into creating an incredibly clever plot. Like an intricately scripted play the story unfolded with twists and turns that lead up to a grand finale I never saw coming. Each character was full of life and all had their own secrets and ambitions, leaving you as the reader to try and decipher who had the best possible motive of them all. The mix of mystery with the added shadow of the devil was seamless and created a wonderfully ominous atmosphere throughout the book. In amongst the adventure and devil’s antics there was also some beautiful writing and many themes that were explored. Are powerful people really as powerful as we think they are or is there something hiding behind that power? Should a woman’s intelligence really be held as something to be hidden or empowered? How many ways is there to seek justice?

All in all, this The Devil and the Dark Water is a grand, dark adventure that was just a really fun read. It’s exciting, deliciously dark and so very clever. A really refreshing adventure that is perfect for Autumn and I couldn’t recommend it highly enough.

Sherlock Holmes on the high seas is the best way I can describe this wild romp of a 'Whodunnit'?' Hugely entertaining, if a little long, this is a wonderful twisty mystery story set on a ship travelling from Batavia to Amsterdam in 1634. Amongst those travelling on the merchant ship Saardam are nobility, an infamous detective with his faithful sidekick, and a demon (maybe). Another brilliant read from Stuart Turton, also known for the equally excellent 7 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. I can't wait to see what he comes up with next.

I am unsure where to pitch this review as I am not too convinced by this book. It is far too long and whilst there is a satisfactory conclusion it doesn't feel worth the effort to get there. I had enjoyed the quirky nature of Seven Deaths and perhaps expected too much of this author.

#TheDevilandtheDarkWater #NetGalley

Thanks to Bloomsbury and NetGalley for the Advance Review Copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was looking forward to reading this book based on the positive feedback I had heard regarding Sturton's previous book. I wouldn't say that I'm normally a huge fan of mystery/detective type books but to my pleasant surprise, this was something a little different. There are the usual twists and turns you would expect in a novel of this type but the story and characters elevated it above the norm.

One of the best things about this book was the sense of atmosphere. It goes to some seriously creepy and evocative places. The majority of the tale takes place on the sea voyage of the Saardam. I was worried that the setting would be a little dull but I needn't have worried as Turton fleshes it out in all its dank and spooky glory.

I liked the characters for the most part. Sara in particular is feisty and interesting without descending into Mary Sue tropes. Arent was also a complex and well developed character when it would have been easy for a character of this type to be quite dull. I liked how the typical Sherlock Holmes detective type dynamic was turned on its head with the "Watson" character taking centre stage and being able to shine.

The real strength of this novel was how incredibly spooky and weird it was. Not in a hokey way, it got under my skin as a reader and gave me literal heebie-jeebies and the building sense of dread and disaster helps keep the pace running at breakneck speed. The descriptions of the mysterious events and their cleverly thought out conclusion were also portrayed really well. That red lantern! Ugh.

The only small niggles I have surrounded the confusing myriad of supporting characters. I kept forgetting who was who, particularly at the beginning of the book and some of them felt a little superfluous.

There was also the inevitable insta-love between two of the main characters. It developed into a meaningful and sweet relationship, but I couldn't work out why the attraction was immediate, especially as the author made pains to stress how unattractive one of the pair was.

I didn't guess the ultimate conclusion to the story and although there were a few plot holes I didn’t think they detracted anything from the overall story. Overall, a rollicking read perfect for the darkening winter days ahead.

Murder, mayhem, mystery on a 17th century ship sailing home in dangerous seas.

I had read Stuart Turton's first novel, The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, and really struggled with it from a structural standpoint, despite liking the descriptive language. But I went into this new novel with an open mind- who wouldn't want to read something that was a supernatural, murder-y, adventure on a ship in dangerous seas in the 17th century? It's set on a ship returning to Amsterdam from Indonesia in the 1600s and is as visceral and dangerous and fascinating as that implies.

It was a slow start and I wasn't feeling confident but when I got to about 30% I realised that I was enjoying it very much. The middle drags a bit but it's easy to forgive it with scenes of murder, storms and, oh, maybe the devil?!! I read the last third in one sitting because I was very engaged with the story. There were a few great surprises at the end and I was swept along with the fear and paranoia of the characters. I did question some of the focus on certain characters, but it works out and makes sense in the end.

Ultimately it probably won't be touted as "groundbreaking" etc like his first novel, but I enjoyed it far more.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

First of all, I absolutely adored Evelyn Hardcastle. I had tentatively high hopes for this one, and I'm happy to report that it definitely lived up to my self-imposed hype. Isolated murder mysteries are one of my favourite tropes - but on a boat! Excellent. Historical elements! Excellent. Supernatural elements!!!! Excellent!!!!

I'm not gonna lie, this boasts a large cast of characters that all seem to be interlinked one way or the other. It took a little while to get into, mainly due to the concentration required. It didn't, however, ever bore. After the first 25% I was tearing through it, determined to know more about the characters, more about their involvement, more about the devil plaguing the ship.

Turton writes atmosphere impressively. It's easy to picture the settings, to feel the claustrophobia and confusion, to understand the motivations and fears of the crew. He has a flair for pulling you into the world he created, making it endlessly interesting, and continuously answering questions with more questions until the grand finale when the veil is lifted.

Overall it has big Sherlock vibes, compelling writing, a satisfying and twist-packed finale, and plenty of demons - both real and imagined. Turton writes both male and female characters in a well-rounded, fleshed-out way, with futures and pasts and motivations other than propping up a handful of the main characters - which is appreciated. This novel lives up to the hype that his first paved the way for, it's smart and satisfying and if you loved Evelyn Hardcastle then you're in for a treat.

Big thanks to the author, NetGalley, and Raven Books for the review copy. This one is available to purchase on the 01/10/20!

Stuart Turton does it again. Another fantastic read with an amazing plot! Unputdownable until the very last sentence.

I did struggle with the amount of characters at the beginning, but like his previous novel, after a few chapters it starts becoming really easy to follow.

I really enjoyed the palpable and constant suspense and fearfulness and how all the characters were, in one way or the other, so incredibly compelling!

There were so many twists and turns that I actually didn’t know what was going to happen, which made it even more captivating.

I have to say, like the first novel by this author, I just wanted to keep reading and my only disappointment was that it had to come to an ending.

Highly recommend read. And if you haven’t read Turton’s first book, you also should.

I would like to thank Netgalley, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc and Raven Books for an advanced digital copy of this fantastic book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

I have been looking forward to The Devil and the Dark Water since I finished Stuart Turton’s first novel and I was not disappointed!

Samuel Pipps world’s greatest detective is being transported to Amsterdam to be tried for an unamed crime he may or may not have committed. Travelling with him is his faithful bodyguard Arent Hayes who is determined to prove his friends innocence. No sooner are they out to sea than devilry begins to blight the voyage. With Pipps imprisoned Arent needs to work with other passengers and the crew to try and solve the mystery which connects every passenger on board.

I was drawn in to the mystery from the first page Turton creates a suspenseful, atmospheric tale hinting at each characters secrets and interwoven histories. There were plenty of twists and turns and I was certain I knew “whodunnit” at least five times and was kept guessing until the end!

This book does not disappoint! I think it is better than Turton’s previous book, which I loved.

The story takes us aboard the Saardum, a ship heading for Amsterdam, full of treasure and secrets!

The story is complex, it is full of wonderfully bold characters, all of whom are battling demons of one kind or another.

The story is like a Sherlock Holmes story to begin with, as we learn that Sammy Pipps, a Sherlock like genius, is imprisoned on the ship. His aid, Arent, tries to free him and protect him, while also trying to solve the riddle of the leper who appears to have cursed the ship.

History unfolds and unrealised links are made between many of the inhabitants. Demons, mutiny, danger and bloodshed abound as the riddle unfolds. So many twists and turns that you are left reeling!

A brilliantly complex masterpiece of a tale!

The Devil and the Dark Water is Stuart Turton’s second novel, it follows the widely acclaimed The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. Turton really does have a different take on historical crime fiction, combining gothic and fantasy in an intriguing fashion.

The Devil and the Dark water is set aboard a cargo ship in the 17th century travelling from the Batavia (Jakarta) to Amsterdam. Think Conan Doyle meets Agatha Christie. The hero, Arent, is a Watson-like character while his Holmes is locked in the belly of the ship, an apparently dead leper (not a rock band) is roaming the ship, murdering people and terrorising the passengers and crew. The heroine, Sara, has of course fallen for Arent but how will she escape from her bullying husband? It’s a complex crime mystery, none of the characters are what they appear to be and every time you think you can see where it is going there is another elegant twist.

I enjoyed this very much, Stuart Turton has now written two very original novels and has definitely got me hooked. More please.