This book was not for me. It was very confusing. I didn’t like any of the characters. There was a lot of technical detail around sailing which became boring after a while.

I really enjoyed the fact that this thriller was set on the seas and a remote island as I felt almost claustrophobic at times. The twists and turns were gripping and I couldn't put the book down until I knew what was going to happen.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review

Deep Water by Emma Bamford features Virginie and Jake. They take their boat out to an island, and get boat trouble. The book was full of suspense, the author slowly build tension and keeps you wondering if they leave the island alive.

With thrilling action sequences and a hint of romance, Deep Water is sure to be a captivating page-turner. Get ready for an unforgettable summer of paradise, danger and discovery as you immerse yourself into the world of Emma Bamford's debut novel!

The setting was interesting but the characters too unlikable on the whole. Nothing to connect with for me and also whist not giving anything away ( I hope) the premise that you one minute want to be away from everyone jarred quickly with the “new” instant friends who you want to share everything with.

I found Deep Water to be an ok read. It didn't grip me as much as I had thought it would. It is a slow burner which helped build up the tension but I feel I struggled to really get into the story. I read it, I finished it and I liked it but I just didn't love it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC.

I’ve received access to the first two chapters. I feel I was missing a little bit to get fully into the story, maybe the next chapter or two would help.
It’s definitely interesting and it starts creepy but looking at other people’s reviews, I wish more of mystery of hidden island was there to catch the attention at the beginning because I love how the book sounds and what the plot is.

A brilliant read and one I really enjoyed. The characters are loveable and varied, the plot is one that is engaging and medium paced. I found myself completely drawn into the story and enjoyed the writing style.

This was a psychologically fascinating debut from Emma Bamford, showing that when people are in situations of duress, surprising aspects of their personality come out. Virginie and Jake are sailing the Indian Ocean for their honeymoon, aiming for the island of Amarante. The island is a remote paradise, only visited by those who know it exists. The couple expect to spend some quality time cut off from the world, only to find there are already others on Amarante. Now they must coexist with five strangers, but away from the civilising aspects of society they will find out what they’re truly capable of.

This thriller was subtly tense, a tension that builds slowly and doesn’t let go. The stakes are already high for the couple, who have cashed in all their savings to buy their sailing boat and are imagining the memories they’ll create. It felt inevitable that something was going to go wrong and finding five strangers on what you hope is going to be an island paradise for two is only the beginning. It’s clear there’s some resentment from the others when the couple appear. They also have their own secrets, deadly ones that threaten to turn paradise into a nightmare. I felt on edge from the beginning and found myself reading in big chunks because I wanted to get to the next bit. This is an accomplished thriller from a new writer.

I have to admit I struggled a bit with this book I just couldn’t connect with the characters however I did finish the book and overall would say it’s a 3 star read for me. I appreciate this was a debut book and I thought the writing was good but the plot seemed to drag a little halfway through the read although picked up pace towards the end. I will keep a lookout for future books from the author as I feel she has a lot more to give.
My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster UK for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for approving me for this book.

I felt the writing was done well in this book but there was just something missing for me and I couldn't get into it and enjoy it as much as I hoped I would.

Deep Water by Emma Bamford. Easy read thriller 3.5*.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley with the first few chapters, and enjoyed the preview enough to go and get the full book after it was released.

Virginie and Jake are newly-weds who gamble all their savings on a fixer-upper yacht to fulfill their dreams of travelling the world together. Its not long before tales of a remote, exotic island far from the beaten path - and the associated safety and comforts - place temptation and danger in their path. On first glance Amarante seems to be everything for which they were searching, a beautiful, serene paradise with just a few friendly neighbours to ease their isolation. Predictably they soon discover the darker history of this place, and from then things go slowly downhill, culminating in the destruction of their little community.

I found this a bit slow paced at times, but overall I really enjoyed it and I'm always glad to come across new writers who I can look out for future as ones which I know I will enjoy. Thank you to @Netgalley for helping me discover this!

Deep Water was a fast read for me, had me gripped from the beginning until the very end. A cast of characters that are not all very likeable or trustworthy. A locked room mystery set on a luxury yacht and a deserted tropical paradise - what is not to love.

It starts off with Virginie being rescued, with an unconscious and bleeding Jake. What happened? Was it an accident or something more sinister? Then we go back, as she tells her story to her rescuer. We find out how Jake and Virginie ended up at Amarante and why. And who are the people they spent all their time with on this island.

It is a page turner, keeping you guessing all the way.

Thanks to Simon and Schuster UK for my copy of this book to read.

Twice, NetGalley said they'd send me an ARC / review copy of this novel. Twice, I received just the opening few pages. So, I've given up! The first few pages are, to be fair, very absorbing. How the story advances after that, I've no idea! So, an incomplete review for an incomplete copy. Sorry! Maybe the author hasn't finished writing it yet?

This is a book that was on my anticipated reads for 2022 from the moment it was announced. What more could I want? Eerie cover, chilling synopsis and the promise of a thrilling read.

Bamford hooked me from the very beginning. I had no idea what was going to take place but I was fully ready to embrace the ride I was going to be taken on.

Deep Water is a very slow burn, slower than I usually enjoy. The plot moves back in forth in time allowing us to decide if we believe Virginie or not.

This is well written and Bamford has enabled me to vividly imagine the scene and be transported. I haven’t been able to get invested in any of the characters, something about them has proven unlikeable.

However, this is a book unique to anything I’ve read previously. I think this is a book which will appeal to many readers and I’m excited to see what Bamford has coming next.

Deep Water is an intriguing and atmospheric story of how life in paradise goes dramatically awry.

Newlyweds Virginie and Jake sell up and invest their money in a yacht in order to embark on the trip of a lifetime. Beginning in Malaysia, they plan to sail to Thailand but a chance encounter and a recommendation to visit the remote island of Amarante leads them to change their plans.

On arrival it seems that this “off-grid” island is everything they hoped - and they get to know the handful of other travellers who have also chosen to visit. But it soon becomes clear that not everything and everyone is as they seem.

We know from the beginning that things don’t turn out well as the book starts with a navy vessel coming across Virginie and an unconscious Jake in a boat that isn’t their own - but what happened?

This is a slow burn of a book but what Bamford does brilliantly through her writing is bring the island to life and her atmospheric prose creates an underlying sense of unease throughout. With interesting characters who I was keen to know more about and some fascinating insights into the world of sailing, it’s a book that kept me intrigued right to the end.

This book is a proper page turner! I couldn't put it down - I HAD to see how it finished. It was so well written, with well developed characters and a suspenseful plot. It felt believable, whilst still sending chills down my spine.

I was hooked!

This was a slow burn thriller revolving around a group of people visiting a tropical island paradise off grid. The prologue sets the scene well and immediately we know that something awful happens on the island… we then go back and suspense builds as we find out what it was. The characterisation was great, I loved the main character and was suspicious of everyone else, a good thriller always needs some dodgy characters! The author also clearly knew what she was talking about with the sailing and maritime references which added to the atmosphere and set the scene really well. I think I was expecting a little bit more from the ending but I still enjoyed the book as a whole.

I am sorry but this was not working for me. I was confused all the time. I could not like any of the characters. Nothing make sense to me in reality. I wanted less confusion really but could not get to enjoy. I was in the area and I love the sea and the describtions were great. So I hope next one will work better.

Thank you Hoder & Stoughton and Netgalley for this possibility.

A luxury adventure to an exotic island gone wrong, Deep Water is a slow-burning mystery with an atmospheric setting that may not leave you racing to the final page, but is sure to get you comfy with the feel of the sun on your shoulders and the taste of salt in the air.

The story starts on a navy vessel in the middle of the Indian Ocean which receives a mayday call from Virginie's private yacht, claiming that her husband is in need of urgent medical care. From here, Virginie tells the captain her story, claiming to have “killed them all”. Well, consider me gripped!

I really enjoyed this format as you're left to wonder what eerie situations this once-happy couple found themselves in for things to have gone so wrong. And while it is slow and all quite smooth sailing for a long time, the characters are strongly developed and the setting is described well, so I easily felt at home with Jake and Virginie on their yacht.

The author spent three years living on yachts and exploring the world, and you can tell that she's had plenty of experience to inspire her writing. This isn't the kind of thriller with brutal murders, sadistic characters or unbelievable truths, but is instead one that you can imagine Bamford thought possible during her own adventures.

So while it may not be a thriller that will shock you to the core, it's a brilliantly written story with strong characters and some interesting turns. If you're okay with a slower-paced read and a more domestic thriller that could very well happen to anyone sailing the seas and exploring paradise islands, then this is most definitely a book that I would still recommend. Just don't go expecting anything more, as you may be left unsatisfied.