This is a good murder/mystery book which is set in the 17th century, where the characters are on board a ship called the Saardam which is going to Amsterdam.  The main characters are called Sara and Arent and they have to solve the mystery of Old Tom, who is said to be a demon.  I found the story interesting, I liked the characters and the writing was very good.  

The narrator of the audiobook was superb and the netgalley app worked well for me.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and netgalley for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Dark and twisted, this book will keep you gripped from the first page to the last.

An interesting story of dekons, murders and some likeable yet realistic protagonists, this story is clever my and fluently written

This is the case of It's me, not the book.
I've listened to the audiobook narrated by Julian Rhin-Tutt who has a charismatic voice which was a delight to listen to.

The issue i had was that the book has a large number of characters and I found it a bit challenging to keep up with who is who when listening. I ended up rereading chapters on my kindle to get the story straight.

I enjoyed this! I found it an intriguing and engaging mystery, with a really interesting set of characters. It's certainly not a cosy mystery, but it's not too dark either and for me the balance was just right. I really enjoyed the setting on a ship as it makes it a closed circle mystery - but even so I only managed to guess at bits of the ending and the twist at the end I really did not see coming. 
A lot rests on the ending of a book for me (especially when there's a mystery) and in this case it worked for me. It did feel perhaps a little rushed given the relatively slow pace of the rest of the book, and I do think that some people would not like how it ended, but overall for me it was good. 
The only other criticism I have is that I found the characters a little difficult to keep track of as there were a lot of people with similar ish sounding Dutch names, but this might well have been partly due to listening to the audiobook instead of reading a physical copy, and I did manage to mostly follow the plot.
Overall an enjoyable read, and I would recommend to fans of historical mystery.

First I would like to preface that I had already started reading the Hardcover copy when I was accepted for the audioARC via Netgally in mid December (2 months after initial release). so I did skip the initial portions of the Audiobook and listened to the remaining as I read along with my purchase copy. To the quality of the audio version I would say the Narrator is excellent and really put voice to the characters and the story. I enjoyed the experience of listening along while reading as it meant I could continue to read even when my eyes began to tire.

The story itself I have mixed feelings about I both loved it and was so thoroughly disappointed in the ending that it made me somewhat disappointed in the book itself. Like the previous novel from Stuart Turton (The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle) the world building was beyond atmospheric and was almost engulfing. It was a really interesting choice of setting, a Dutch merchant ship in the middle of a perilous journey, which Turton made eerie and almost sinister at times that really played into the hints towards the supernatural even more present.

I enjoyed the characters also. They both fulfilled there rolls within a classic great detective story with Pipps being the almost Holmes like hero, Arnt his dedicated and diligent companion and Sara the intelligent woman that can’t rise above the constraints of her sex, as well as twisting and shattering these tropes. They combined with the ensemble cast make for such engaging characters, painting the outline of this world in there own way and adding even more to the atmosphere. This leads to a plot filled with twists and turns, mystery and second guessing. It is filled with Red Herrings that will have you pondering what the actual explanation could be.

This brings me to my point of contention. That after all this phenominal world building, story telling, building us up to the big reveal, there is a harsh switch and then an ending that feels very rushed and unexplained. I was lucky to have the audio at this stage as it also has an interview with Turton that explains he re-wrote the ending many times, not sure on quite how to end it and it shows! It just seems to just fall flat after all the beauty and construction of the story before it.

I still adore Turton’s writing, his ability to world build, to create mystery and drama are second to none. The ending just didn’t live up to the promise of the rest of the story. He is able to so clearly portray the tone and setting of the time period he has chosen to set his works in and it makes them beautiful to read. I will continue to read his works with eagerness.

I thoroughly enjoyed this Sherlock inspired mystery! A dark yet gripping take on crimes most famous character.  When Samuel Pipps, a famous detective is arrested and taken prisoner on a ship headed to Amsterdam, his loyal bodyguard Arent Hayes is determined to save his friend. But then bodies start to drop, and a demon called Old Tom is blamed. Tensions rise on the ship and Old Tom sow’s chaos as Arent must solve this mystery without the help of his clever friend.  

The Devil and the Dark Water features a great cast of characters all trapped on a ship that quickly descends into horror. It was deliciously creepy, and I loved the blend of horror and mystery elements. I would eagerly anticipate any sequel with these same characters, and I would love to read their next adventure. However, I did feel that the length of the book made the pace suffer.   

I listen to the audiobook and I loved the narrator, Juluan Rhind-Tutt. He did an excellent job with the narration and it was a delight to listen to him. My only issue is that the audiobook was a lot quieter than any other audiobook I’ve listened too. It was sometimes a struggle to hear it at the highest volume even in quite settings. I had to use a volume amplifier on my phone for most of it.   
Thanks to Bloomsbury for giving me a free audio proof in exchange for an honest review.

Set in 1634, a convoy of ships are about to set sail from Batavia, in the Dutch East Indies, to Amsterdam.  Heading the voyage is the ruthless Governor General, Jan Haan, a man poised to join the Gentlemen 17 who wield power throughout the vast region.  

Samuel Pipps, this world's greatest detective, is on board as a prisoner, accompanied by his friend and bodyguard, Arent Hayes, who is determined to prove his Pipps’s innocence.   If Pipps is Turton’s answer to Holmes,  Hayes is a Watson reimagined in the body of a Hercules.

Before the ship even sets sail an horrific incident takes place on the shore, with the brutal death of a leper, an injured, tongueless man who yet somehow shouts a curse.


No sooner has the ship set sail than strange symbol appears on the sail, one with which Arent is already familiar - the mark of Old Tom.  Could a devil be responsible for the terrible occurrences or is there a more human hand at work on board.

With Pipps imprisoned in a locked, dark room, Arent is charged with solving the mystery and saving his friend and the passengers and crew.  But his past is catching up with him.

This is a rollicking good mystery with lots of red herrings and dead ends to satisfy all those who like to guess the way the story is heading. There are also lots of great characters and lots to keep you both interested and guessing.

I did dock one star because I felt a bit frustrated by the ending. After such a long journey with these characters this was not the most satisfying way in which to leave them.  That is always going to be a personal response though and certainly shouldn’t put people off reading this.

I listened to this as an audiobook, narrated by Julian Rind-Tut.  I loved his delivery and thought that it Complemented the story perfectly.

With Grateful thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury UK audio for an ARC of this novel

I enjoyed Stuart Turton's shipboard odyssey,  the only thing that irritated me was Julian Rhind-Tutt's persistent mispronunciations which grated...I found myself muttering FOLKSEL NOT FORECASTLE and VICOUNTESS NOT VISCONTESS! I know that seems petty but it is annoying, narrators need to check words which are unfamiliar prior to recording! 

The story is a whodunit with occult overtones and is certainly enthralling. I did find many of the characters deeply loathsome, but that was intentional on the part of the author. I am not going into the plot as I don't want to risk giving anything away, suffice to say that there are a lot of characters on a ship and some very strange goings on. The denouement is unexpected and highly inventive,  another winner for Mr Turton.

I both listened to and read this book, and wow! Though I loved Evelyn Hardcastle a little bit more, I am dumbfounded by the author’s skill as a writer, how well he plots his books, and how he manages  to keep the reader guessing until the very end without using conjuring tricks. 

My one gripe was that it perhaps was a tad too long, as I found myself losing interest halfway through when there were so many lines of possibilities, so many mysteries to solve. The ending did satisfy me completely though

Julian Rhind-Tutt is my favourite narrator from having listened to his Poirot narrations, and he suited this book perfectly. He did an maxing job with the Dutch names.  I am glad I also bought a copy of the book as the characters  were hard to keep track of and I had to use the list of characters often. 

Highly recommended for lovers of a complicated suspense read with real heart. 

Thank you NetGalley  and the publisher  for gifting me the audio book in exchange for an honest review.

Due to problems with the netgalley cellphone app I was not able to download this before they suddenly archived it with no warning so I have had to go out and buy the hardback in order to review this book. Very enjoyable and from what I heard from the audible sample, very pleasing narration. The same narrator does an excellent job on the new Poirot novels too.

Audio review first - really enjoyed the narrator. He brought vitality to his narration and distinct voices to the characters. The only draw back is that I have difficulty hearing the lower end of the register when someone with a deep voice speaks very softly, especially when listening in my car, so there were times when I found him too softly spoken.

 

 

I haven't read the Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle (although I do have the audiobook!) so this was my first foray into the author's work. I was pleasantly surprised by this historical mystery set on the high seas during the seventeenth century. It appears that the East India Company ship, Saardam, is not just conveying the usual crew and passengers to Batavia. The devil himself may have stowed away. Amongst the crew are the infamous 'detective' duo Samuel Pipps (travelling in chains since he is accused of treason and being conveyed to his execution) and Arant, his friend and career mercenary who nevertheless has a heart of gold. In addition, the Saardam also contains the odious governor general and his clever wife, Sarah, with Leah, their daughter, and Lucrezia - his mistress - with her two sons. Sundry other passengers also appear on the manifest. What follos is a taut, intelligent plot full of twists and turns as 'Old Tom' stalks invisible amongst the crew and passengers, whispering temptation.

 

Packed with characters you'll engage with - both to love and to hate - this is historical mystery at its finest with a hint of the ghost story about it, twisting towards a very satisfying conclusion. The historical detail is spot on and the unusual setting (for a whodunnit) adds an extra dimension of interest. Highly recommend.

This audiobook is set in 1634 aboard the merchant ship The Saardam leaving Batavia and heading for Amsterdam. 
What a tapestry of characters!  - a prisoner named Samuel Pipps (who was inspired by Sherlock Holmes) and his bodyguard Arent Hayes, The Governor General and his wife Sara plus lepers, devils and thief takers to name but a few.  Turton weaves them into the most amazing backdrop of the boat itself. Upon departure a message is given to The Saardam that it will be in great danger on its journey but the boat still decides to set sail. Lined up is a dramatic story line, danger in abundance, atmosphere galore and creepy high sea incidents!!  This is a murder mystery which is very enjoyable and I loved it!! 
This audio book is narrated by Julian Rhind-Tutt who adds to the sinister charm! My thanks to Netgalley and to Bloomsbury publishing for my gifted book and my ghostly galleon experience.

This is a review of the audiobook. I have already reviewed the text version of this book. I thought the narrator did a great job of bringing the different characters (of which there are many!) to life. It is a long book but has a good balance of mystery, and suspense to keep you reading (or listening!)

Very clever. Very different to anything I’ve read before or anything I’d usually read - but I loved it. Totally whisked me away from the troubles of 2020 and made my brain heart a bit as I tried to figure it out. Who was behind the crazy events happening on board. I think I’d guessed most of the characters at some point. 
I really liked the strong female characters in this book- they were clever and sassy, but as always in history- repressed. I loved the audio version of this. The voices really brought the book to life.