I’d like to thank Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Darkest Water’ written by Mark Edwards in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Calvin owns ‘Therapy’ a coffee shop that is promoted on social media by his wife Vicky and assistant Tara. He’s flattered when an unknown woman, Mel, sends him flirty messages and then offers to help when Tara breaks her wrist and he needs help serving the customers. Meanwhile, DI Imogen Evans who’s new to the Lake District is called in to investigate when the body of a man is found drowned after being buried in the sand.

‘The Darkest Water’ is an exciting thriller with two well thought-out threads, the man in the sand and the disappearance of Calvin’s wife, which may be a coincidence but DI Imogen Evans doesn’t think so. I’ve been gripped by this well-written thriller from the first page to the last as the drama, suspense and twists and turns gradually increase the tension until I’ve been so engrossed I’ve not been able to put my Kindle down, ignoring the housework and finishing it in the one day. It’s a thoroughly entertaining thriller with interesting characters that I’ve enjoyed immersing myself in and I wholeheartedly recommend it.

WOW - another superb read from Mark Edwards. I read this one in one sitting as it was completely unputdownable. Mark Edwards has a way of writing thrillers on the cusp of horror that make the hairs on the back of your neck rise. The Darkest Water is no different. Gripping and unputdownable. 4 stars

Married couple Calvin and Vicky are loving life; they have fulfilling jobs and live in the idyllic Lakes.  Calvin finally owns his own bakery, and after being convinced to use social media to promote the business, he becomes an overnight success.  All is good until the DMs start appearing – it look as if Calvin has a rather over enthusiastic fan.  Bad times.
 
Another man, not having the best time, was found dead on the beach.  He’d been buried in the sand, with just his head visible, awaiting the tide change and his final breaths.  Understandably the local village is panicked – who would do this, and why?  Cue the return of Detective Evans (first introduced in The Lucky Ones), and one hell of a case to solve.
 
Calvin’s assistant is injured and almost immediately, his aforementioned super fan turns up to save the day. As things get even darker, Calvin is unsure who he can trust, and worries about what he may have already set in motion.
 
According to the list on my phone, this is my 17th Mark Edwards book.  You’ll not be surprised to hear, this was another winner for me.  I love Mark’s writing style: always engaging and fast-paced with lots of red herrings and twists.
 
I love a mixed timeline!  This is set predominantly in the present, with flashback chapters taking place in 1995 (great year for music!)  Another great example of the past shaping the future.  We have some wonderfully unhinged characters, and some you feel empathy for – even when their actions have been, at best, questionable.
 
John Marrs is quoted to have said “master of the last-minute twist” - shockingly for me, I did guess the twist early on.  But then Mark, bested me with a couple of doozies, that I did NOT see coming.  Kudos.

A huge thanks to Thomas and Mercer, the author, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book for review consideration.  All opinions are my own.

To be honest, I didn't have high expectations about this book. Well, I was so wrong. All the things going on, the links between the characters and the past and the present just blew my mind. Each chapter reveals something, and just when you think you have all figured out... well not. I enjoyed every single page and I'm so glad that I have read it. Big congratulations to the author. Can't wait to read his next book!

Calvin owns his dream bakery and tries to promote it on social media, thrilled when it goes viral but at the same time getting multiple creepy messages from one stranger. Meanwhile a buried body is found on the beach and Detective Imogen Evans is down to solve the case. Will she discover who the victim is?

This book is split within the two narratives of Calvin and Imogen, which was intriguing and I found myself interested in both storylines, although probably leaning more towards Calvin’s. Calvin as a character however, was slightly irritating as he came across as quite naive at times and I found I didn’t really connect to him and some of the other characters.

The story felt like quite a slow burn, however was atmospheric, written well and easy to read. The storylines all came together well by the end of the novel. Although this wasn’t my favourite book it definitely wasn’t bad and I would pick up more books by this author in the future. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

Mark Edwards does it again!

This is a fast paced book and as always has the twists and turns that he always has in his books. I felt it kept you engaged from page one and i always like his writing.

Will read anything that the author writes.

Great job on another great book.
Thanks NetGalley for letting me read and review.

First, i absolutely loved the setting in this book. The plot was really good too and I really liked the social media stalker aspect. I couldn’t put this one down. Very god storyline and characters.

A Perfect Idyll..?
The bakery of his dreams in a perfectly idyllic Lake District village, Calvin thinks he has it all. When his wife helpfully suggests promoting his business on social media, Calvin becomes an overnight sensation- but things are about to turn sinister. Elsewhere in the locality, a body turns up on a beach. As events begin to spiral, threads connect and the perfect idyll may well become the perfect nightmare. A tension fuelled and compelling read, peopled with a credible and well crafted cast and a propulsive plot with a taut and ever present vein of underlying menace.

With the financial help of his wife Vicky, Calvin has finally been able to open his dream bakery in the beautiful Lake District, but trade is very slow and, not being a fan of social media, he's reluctant when Vicky and his assistant Tara suggest that he promotes it online, but soon changes his mind when the video clip goes viral and the bakery is packed out. He starts getting messages from an online fan who coincidentally turns up right after his assistant gets injured, offering her help. While all this is going on a body has been found, buried up to his neck on the beach, drowned by the incoming tide and Detective Imogen Evans is struggling to identify him and discover who killed him, can she solve it before someone else dies?

The Darkest Water is the latest thriller by Edwards and we see the return of Detective Imogen Evans who was also in The Lucky Ones, but they are both standalone thrillers so you don't have to have read them in order. This is a dual timeline story set in the present day and 1995 and, as the story progresses and the pieces of the jigsaw slot into place, it becomes obvious how these two timelines are linked. This is a fast paced read which grabbed me from the first page and did not let me escape its grasp till the very end, with some very unlikeable characters and an intriguing plot which unearthed secrets from the past and delivered some unexpected twists, also highlighting the highs and lows of the use of social media in the present day. Another fabulous thriller, which I devoured in a matter of a few hours, that showcases Edwards at his very best!

I'd like to thank the author, Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley for inviting me to read this, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.

Messy

2.5 stars

The Darkest Water is a thriller about a social media stalker, a missing woman, and a murderer.

Struggling bakery owner Calvin heeds his wife's advice and reluctantly posts about his shop on social media. Shortly after, an innocent DM exchange introduces Calvin to a potential social media stalker.

At the same time, Detective Imogen Evans finds herself investigating the murder of a mysterious man.

Chapters alternate between Calvin and Imogen. Calvin is a clueless idiot, and I had to spend time alternating between rolling my eyes at his stupid decisions and yelling at him. Thankfully, Imogen, a main character in Edwards's The Lucky One , is intelligent, and her chapters are less chaotic than Calvin's. While I hope never to see Calvin again, I would be okay with another of Edwards' books featuring Imogene.

The plot has two timelines, one in the present and one in 1995. The chapters in 1995 provide a backstory for Calvin, but I found them boring. These chapters dragged out the plot, and their culmination in the present took the plot in a crazy direction.

One of the elements I always admire about Edwards's novels is his ability to seamlessly weave into the plot a serious theme into the midst of the events. This could have worked out better in this book. On the surface, this book appears to be a commentary on parasocial relationships and the dangers of social media. Instead, it takes a crazy, over-the-top turn and becomes a hot mess of ridiculousness. The pool scene at the end and cartoon-like villains had me rolling my eyes; however, I enjoyed the epilogue.

My main issue with The Darkest Water was that the plot tried to be two different things: a commentary on the dangers of social media and a suspenseful thriller. The two never blended, resulting in a messy read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer in exchange for an honest review.

I always look forward to a new Mark Edwards book and on this occasion I was lucky enough to receive an early copy via NetGalley.

Mark’s books are always a compulsive read and yet again with his latest book has that knack of keeping his readers engaged and wanting to read just one more page.

This book has flashbacks which I always enjoy and I couldn’t wait to see how these flashbacks related to the present day. Calvin owns a coffee shop in the Lake District which is feeling the pinch, so encouraged by one of his employees and his wife he sets up some social media accounts for his business. Buoyed up by going viral with one of his posts Calvin gets sucked into the heady world of social media and acquires himself an admirer (potential stalker!)

There’s another story playing out where a dead man’s body is discovered on the local beach, buried in sand right up to his neck. Enter DI Imogen Evans (from The Lucky Ones book) who is tasked with finding another potential serial killer.

Without giving too much away, the bodies start to mount up and with the aid of the flashbacks you think you start to know ‘whodunit’, but this being a Mark Edward’s’ book there are at least two fabulous twists towards the conclusion of the book which I didn’t guess.

Another 5 star read from me!
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I enjoyed this book but don't think it was one of his best. I've read most of Mark Edwards' books and this one was just lacking a little something. I didn't like the main character Calvin either which probably didn't help but I did enjoy the twists and turns along the way. A good read nonetheless and I look forward to reading future books by this author.

Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Calvin owns and operates the baker of his dreams but he isn’t getting the traffic he had hoped for so when a video clip goes viral, he ends up hiring one of his social media followers on the spot to help with the unforseen crowds. But Calvin’s wife is suspicious of her motives and oh by the way a dead body was just found nearby.

I don’t have a ton to say an about this one. It was good and very readable. I had issues keeping some of the secondary characters straight but I got through the book in a day or 2. It was good, not great.

I have read everything this author has published, both solo and co-authored, and what I like best about his work, what really chills me, is that everything he writes is wholly credible.
Sadly, this book didn't quite match up to my, admittedly high, expectations as there were a few things that made my eyes roll...
So... Calvin owns a bakery in an idyllic village, he's ticking over but has not really hit the heady heights that he thinks he deserves. His wife Vicky thinks that he should be using social media more to promote himself and his business and, reluctantly, he agrees.
And she was right. A video clip goes viral and suddenly he is inundated with customers. But along with the good, comes the bad, and I will leave it to the author to spell all that out to you...
Alongside this thread we also have Det Imogen Evans (who we first met in The Lucky Ones) who is investigating the death of a local recluse, buried up to his neck and drowned on the beach when by the tide. Quite how and if this ties in with the rest of what was going on, again, leaving to the author...
The characterisation was good but they didn't always act within character. There were too many stupid things done by sensible characters just for the sake of the story. Too many coincidences. It all felt a wee bit contrived on occasion rather than flowing. I also had to suspend belief a bit too much which I wasn't expecting to have to do. I also took against Calvin from the off, something about him irked me, and that initial feeling never left as I got to know him better. As well as his present, we also delved into his past to an incident that has haunted him.
All that said, the story, flaws and all, was compelling and I did want to find out what happened, how it all panned out, and it was a relatively easy read.
All in all, disappointing for me, but then my standards for this author are very exacting. That said, it won't put me off jumping on his next book as soon as I can. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

The latest gripper by Mark Edwards-

Calvin achieves his lifelong dream of owning a bakery in a quaint Lake District village. Thanks to his wife Vicky's social media push, a viral clip transforms him into an overnight sensation. But as eerie direct messages flood in from a mysterious fan, Calvin's elation turns to dread.

Meanwhile, a recluse is discovered buried alive on a nearby beach, sparking community panic. Detective Imogen Evans races against time to uncover the truth behind the murder.

As the investigation intensifies, Calvin's obsessed admirer arrives just as his assistant suffers an accident, thrusting them into a perilous game. With darkness closing in, Calvin questions whom he can truly trust in this serene locale—or if his past missteps have already sealed their fate.

I found this book immensely enjoyable, much like other works by Mark Edwards, filled with unexpected twists. The characters were well crafted, although Calvin's portrayal as a somewhat weak man stood out.
Thanks to Netgalley and Mark Edwards for my advance copy

Mark Edwards' thrillers haven't failed me yet, so of course I had to add his newest title The Darkest Water as soon as I first heard about it. I liked the sound of the premise, with the murder investigation as well as a social media/stalker angle... And I've been looking forward to dive in. While I do have to admit that it took me a little while to properly warm up to the story, in the end I was hooked and I literally read it in one sitting! Another successful psychological slash crime thriller indeed.

The Darkest Water is set in the Lake District, and the small village and sea setting made for such a great backdrop for this story. I liked how the setting actually played a role in the plot, as it offered easy opportunities for certain events to take place... The plot itself uses a multiple POV structure, and there are quite a few characters in play. There seems to be a main division between the murder investigation with Detective Imogen Evans in the lead, and the more psychological thriller focused social media/stalker angle with mainly Calvin and his wife in the spotlight... Although you will find other POVs along the way as well as flashbacks to 1995.

I'm going to keep this review short to avoid spoilers, because this is one of those stories where it's best to go in blind. The various plot twists and new angles will just hit better this way, and especially the second half is extremely fast-paced. Things can be said about the credibility of certain aspects of the plot and you definitely have to suspend your disbelief, but it sure made for an extremely engaging read. A true pageturner! I do confess that the beginning was a bit slower than expected, but it is more than worth it to keep going and once the ball starts rolling it is very hard to put The Darkest Water down.

I hadn't realized that Detective Imogen Evans actually appeared in one of his previous books, The Lucky Ones, which I still have to read myself. This story works perfectly as a stand-alone though! I quite liked her character, so I will definitely be going back myself to see what the references to her past work were about. I wasn't too charmed by Calvin though, both because he made some very stupid mistakes and because he was way too gullible. I also wasn't too sure how credible his whole 'instant social media addiction' was... But since there are quite a lot of characters to distract you, and things soon start spinning out of control, you don't exactly have a lot of time to stand still by all this.

If you are looking for a lightning fast psychological thriller with a stalker/social media angle that also includes a murder investigation along the way, The Darkest Water is a more than solid choice. The plot maybe isn't 100% credible, but there is no denying its entertainment level!

Absolutely brilliant book again by Mark!

It was good to read a book that delved into the past a bit whilst focusing on the future to understand how it ending the way it did. Great to see Imogen Evans feature again!

The book starts off with a murder on Drigg Beach of a local homeless man, then we meet Calvin who runs a quiet coffee shop nearby with his assistant Tara. Things take a turn when Tara sets up a social media page to boost business at the Therapy cafe.

Would definitely recommend this book and by the other reviews you’ll see why!

If you are a fan of Mark Edwards you know what to expect - twists and turns a plenty and never quite knowing what is going to happen!
As someone who isn’t a massive fan of social media, I really liked how this was portrayed throughout the book. Should you really share so much? Can you really remain professional and business like when you use things like Facebook to communicate with customers and employees.
I have found the odd book of Mark’s to be a little too over the top with the gruesome side of things but not this one. As ever this is a fast paced read, you will want to keep reading to see if your suspicions are confirmed or not!
All in all another great read from the king of suspense!

Yet another brilliant story by this author. This is one of those books that grabs you at the beginning and doesn't let go until the end. I can't recommend this book highly enough.

Calvin finally owns the bakery of his dreams, in an idyllic village in the Lake District. After reluctantly following his wife Vicky's advice to promote it on social media, he's thrilled when a viral clip makes him a legend overnight. But then the creepy DM's start flooding in - all from a stranger who claims she's his biggest fan. Meanwhile, a local recluse in found on a nearby beach, buried to his neck and left to drown, and the community goes into shock. Why would anyone want him dead? And who exactly was he? Detective Imogen Evans, new to the Lake District, is under pressure to find out before the killer strikes again.

To me, there's not much better than getting stuck into a Mark Edwards book, and this one doesn't disappoint. The story has a dual timeline - the present day and flashbacks to 1995. As a new businessman, Calvin is a bit naive. He employs someone to help him without checking reference. There are a few threads to this story, but they are all tied up neatly at the end. Calvin has a secret he's been hiding for years, even his wife Vicky doesn't know about it. There's the murder of a recluse for Detective Imogen Evans, but that's not the only case she will need to investigate. This is a quick and easy book to read.

Published 16th April

I would like to thank #NetGalley #Thomas&Mercer and the author #MarkEdwards for my ARC of #TheDarkestWater in exchange for an honest review.