Helpful Score: 4
This review is going to be rather short and sweet because I don't have all that much to say. Something in the Water is a well-written example of domestic suspense, the type of novel that's come in on Gone Girl's wave of popularity. Therein lies the rub: I was so not a fan of Gone Girl that I couldn't finish it. At least Catherine Steadman's characters aren't as obnoxious as those in Gillian Flynn's book, and I could stick with it to the very last page.
As I read the book, I could admire the writing, the characters, the story, and the pacing... but I simply could not care for the book. This review has more to do with me than it does with Steadman's work. I am tired of domestic suspense. I'm tired of reading books in which you can't trust any of your nearest and dearest. Just give me a simple murder and a dedicated cop to solve it. If you are a fan of Gone Girl and the domestic suspense subgenre, Something in the Water should be something that you will really enjoy. As for me, I'm going to steer clear of Domestic Suspense Circle and head for Harry Bosch Boulevard.
As I read the book, I could admire the writing, the characters, the story, and the pacing... but I simply could not care for the book. This review has more to do with me than it does with Steadman's work. I am tired of domestic suspense. I'm tired of reading books in which you can't trust any of your nearest and dearest. Just give me a simple murder and a dedicated cop to solve it. If you are a fan of Gone Girl and the domestic suspense subgenre, Something in the Water should be something that you will really enjoy. As for me, I'm going to steer clear of Domestic Suspense Circle and head for Harry Bosch Boulevard.
Helpful Score: 1
This thriller is kind of boring for the first 100 pages, but stick with it (if you can) because it gets exciting from then on. I read all the rest of it in one sitting and especially appreciated the male character who she meets through her prison documentary.
Helpful Score: 1
This book just didn't do it for me. I didn't like the characters and it just seemed too convenient in the way that events transpired. It is written in an easy to read format but I just felt that it was all too unbelievable.
I actually give this book a 'no star' rating, it is terrible from page 1
I usually give a book between 50-100 pages to lock me in on the story BUT WOW this is one of the worst books ever from the very beginning and I just don't understand how in the world it got printed, her agent must've fed her a great line about it but actually didn't read it? It's horrible!
I usually give a book between 50-100 pages to lock me in on the story BUT WOW this is one of the worst books ever from the very beginning and I just don't understand how in the world it got printed, her agent must've fed her a great line about it but actually didn't read it? It's horrible!
Spoiler Alert ....
Worst.Ending.Ever.
It was "okay" up until then. Seriously ... WTH
Worst.Ending.Ever.
It was "okay" up until then. Seriously ... WTH
At first I was disappointed: The first 80+ pages are basically chick-flick and I found them rather boring, but as soon as as "something in the water" was found, the story really took off. I practically raced through the rest of the book and I liked it very much.
Very good!
Very good!
I would like to thank LibraryThing and Ballantine Books for a free copy for an honest review.
A shocking discovery on a honeymoon in paradise changes the lives of a picture-perfect couple. I found this book to be somewhat predictable. I didn't like the main protagonist. I thought she was very unlikeable and I didn't care about her at all. Even the plot was a bit unbelievable. The title is the best part of the book because it creates an interest but I was very disappointed when it wasn't something that would be exciting like a body or something you would expect from a thriller. The book also lacked twists that would keep you reading. I guess I should stop there and say that the book was not for me.
A shocking discovery on a honeymoon in paradise changes the lives of a picture-perfect couple. I found this book to be somewhat predictable. I didn't like the main protagonist. I thought she was very unlikeable and I didn't care about her at all. Even the plot was a bit unbelievable. The title is the best part of the book because it creates an interest but I was very disappointed when it wasn't something that would be exciting like a body or something you would expect from a thriller. The book also lacked twists that would keep you reading. I guess I should stop there and say that the book was not for me.
I have read mixed reviews of this book, but as a fan of 'Mable Lane Fox' , I decided to give it a try. At the start you think you've got a book about some London yuppies, who suddenly have financial problems and may have to scale back the lavish wedding and long exotic honeymoon. But it slowly becomes more than that, and it is a good morality lesson in the end. I did question one or two of our characters actions, but then that's what makes a good book, you think "I would never do that", or would you? Unlike lots of suspense novels I've read lately, it doesn't seem to drag on and on.
