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.

The Devil and The Dark Water, Stuart Turton. 3/4

A murder on the high seas. A detective duo. A demon who may or may not exist. Its 1634 and Samuel Pips is being transported to Amsterdam to be executed for a crime he may or may not have committed, with loyal bodyguard Arent Hayes who is desperate to prove Pips innocent. No sooner has the voyage began than does the devilry begin. 

Evelyn Hardcastle was a firecracker of a debut for Turton. I’d never read anything quite like it, i recommended it to everyone and it instantly hit my favourite shelf. Thanks to #NetGalley and #BloomsburyPublishing for my ARC of this one. 

This is an eerie one, layered with history, mystery and what feels like the devil himself riding the high seas. This is nothing at all like Evelyn Hardcastle so if you go in expecting more of the same you may find yourself slightly disappointed. Turtons writing remains as teasingly brilliant, easing the story out slowly, submerging you in the complexity of the plot so you cannot turn away. 

The plot itself is remarkable, less Pirates of the Caribbean and more Black Sails. Turton has already established himself as a must read, this just adds to the evidence pile.

A very intriguing historical mystery that keeps the reader guessing. The characters are well-formed and believable within the setting. There aren't many modern books, mystery or otherwise, set predominantly on board a ship, so the setting for this book was refreshing.
Just as in The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, the clues are expertly woven within dialogue and descriptions along with a few red herrings. I enjoyed every aspect of the story and characters and my only critique would be that the atmosphere was a little lacking at times, but this was still a very satisfying mystery with some really interesting elements- in particular I felt the 'supernatural' events and the idea of Old Tom kept the mystery feeling original and eerie.
I feel I do need to mention that there were a lot of typing mistakes. Every 100 pages or so I noticed 2 or 3 mistakes close together, probably the most I've come across in an ARC. This didnt influence my review of the book at all, but I feel I should point it out so it can be checked through once more before publication if it wasn't due to be already. I'm blaming Covid for all errors!
Thank you sincerely for this ARC Netgalley and publisher, I knew I would enjoy this, having been written by Stuart Turton and it was a privilege to read it early!

A really clever and original idea from an author who can create twists and turns right up until the end. Thoroughly enjoyable and engaging as a mystery with the added intrigue of an unusual setting and varied cast of characters. Gripping and exciting.

From start to finish I was trying to guess at what would happen next, but much to my delight I was always surprised. Stuart Turnton is a force to be reckoned with and just like his first book, The Devil and the Dark Water is an incredibly well-plotted and exciting murder mystery that will keep you turning page after page. One of the best books I've read this year.