The Devil and the Dark Water

The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton is a historical nautical mystery that takes an Agatha Christie plot and adds the devil. The plot has so many twist and turns that all make sense. The novel is a fun who done it, with so many suspects that will make you head spin. The standouts for me is the plot, however crazy it gets there's always a plausible reason and character work is so good giving all 20 supporting characters their unique voices who all have their own motives and actions. A quick plot for The Devil and the Dark Water is what if a Sherlock like character was in chains and locked away and his Watson like compatriot who is a sympathetic giant that is more of a bodyguard than a problem solver had to solve a supernatural the crime. This is Stuart Turton's second novel after the excellent 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle that was best described as Agatha Christie on crack! I rarely buy new books when they first come out, but based on his strong debut I did and I was rewarded with a well thought out who done it. The story did not blow me away like The 7 1/2 deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle did, which was my the number one book I read last year, but this is a great book that is easily in my top ten of this year. The Plot: Samuel Pipps is the world's greatest detective in 1634, who has been imprisoned and taken to a ship setting sail for Amsterdam to serve time for his crimes, what ever thy are. Arent Hayes is Samuel's loyal bodyguard determined to protect him and prove his innocence, but before he can do that he has to stop a devil that boarded the transport ship. A leper warns the people boarding the Saaradam that Old Tom/ The Devil is a board this ship as he burns himself alive. When the leper is seen to they find his tongue had been severed and could not talk. Arent finds people willing to help but never knows who to trust as ghost and phantom boats lead to murder plot. What I Liked: Really well written characters, both main and side. I was never confused with characters and there is an awful lot of them. The plot is really captivating and dealing with all the elements on a boat which is. character in it's self. The twist are very layered, I did not guess who the killer or killers was, and was guessing back and forth until it was revealed. That for me is a true sign of a great mystery. Women are written very well and hold there own being very clever at a time when they did not have power. Arent's character really grew on me and you can't help but root for him solving the mystery. It's great to see a big character not dumb who is still a gentle giant but a smart one. The going to the bathroom and what they wiped with on a ship at the time is pretty horrifying. The way the sailors are described - They’re only on this ship because they’d be hanged anywhere else. What I Disliked: The story was always interesting, but it took a little bit for it to really get going. The after the climax ending felt unfinished, I felt the characters would definitively decide what was going to happen next, it left it mostly closed but there was still a crack that was left unclosed. Recommendations: Check out the work of Stuart Turton great characters, really clever plot twist, that will have you guessing who done it until the end. The Devil and Dark Water is less confusing than the 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle which was the main criticism for people who did not like it. This book is a lot more accessible and told in a more traditional mystery way than Hardcastle. I rated The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton 5 out of 5 stars. It is a little too soon to call Turton the king of new mystery, but he's off to a great start I eagerly anticipate his next work. I have rated all his works 5 out of 5 stars.

Set in 1634 on board an East India Company merchant vessel, this novel is a locked room mystery named a Best Book of 2020 by several publications. The Governor General of Batavia is returning home to Amsterdam to take his place among the Gentlemen 17, the elite who rule Amsterdam’s commerce. With him are his wife Sara, daughter Lia, and mistress Cressjie. Unknown to them, a demon named Old Tom also slipped on board and is hiding among the passengers and crew. As livestock is slaughtered and unholy storms beset the ship, nearly everyone on board hears Old Tom whispering in the night, promising their fondest dreams in return for obedience to him. The only man capable of solving the mystery is Sammy Pipps, who is locked in the brig for an unknown crime. It falls to his bodyguard, Arent Hayes, and Sara to uncover the identity of the person possessed by Old Tom before everyone on board is doomed. This is the second book by the author of The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle which, if you’ve read many of my reviews, I hold up as the gold standard for mysteries. This is not the same book. I don’t say that scathingly – they are simply very different books. And that’s where my compare and contrast ends so I can focus on this novel. I am not well versed on sailing, or Batavia, or merchant vessels, or , to some extent, this time period. Despite the fact that the author admits he changed several historical facts to fit the story, and I’m a historic novelist who shudders when I see something historically inaccurate, I didn’t bat an eye. I’d have to say he made the right decision because I was swept up in the story from start to finish with nothing jumping out at me that I felt the need to Google (this is actually a common occurrence for me when reading historical fiction). From a leper being set alight on the docks, to a mysterious eighth ship that joins the convoy, to a truly unexpected shipwreck, this was an intriguing read. The historic details were there, but they were sprinkled in expertly enough that they didn’t overwhelm the main course. The author didn’t have to explain anything, I could see it. And that’s always key to my reading enjoyment. As for the characters – there’s a lot of them, all with their own rich backstories and driven by their own devils. Without throwing out a spoiler, I will advise you not to get too attached to any of them since a lot of them don’t make it to the end. I loved the spin on Sammy, a 17th century Sherlock Holmes. I’d also like to see a spin-off novel for Lia when she’s older. My gripes? Only a few. The author played fast and loose with POV occasionally, weaving between characters in some chapters or scenes but not in others, and then moving to a more omniscient narrator a few paragraphs later. I rolled with it but it was jarring in the beginning. Also, while the reveal tied up all the loose ends, it all happened in one chapter/scene and almost felt like a convenient set up just to spit it all out. I actually have a little more to say about how that last scene played out, but I’d be throwing out a spoiler so I won’t. Suffice it to say the ending was not quite as fulfilling as I’d hoped, but I was far from throwing the book against the wall. Final word, I couldn’t have kept all those plot strings/back stories/MOs in the air, then ironed them all out at the end, so I have to applaud anyone who does. I’ll continue to look for more by this author.

3.5* - it took me a while to finish. Reading slumps suck. I do think it's a little too long. I didn't guess the ending. I rarely ever do.

"Questions are swords, and answers are shields." ~From The Devil and The Dark Water, by Stuart Turton I’d quite enjoyed Stuart Turton’s genre bending, The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle (Or The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, depending on where in the world you bought the book). It was layered, twisty and even though I’d taken a decent stab at the solution of the whodunnit, the book still had a lot to offer even beyond the solution to the mystery itself. His recent release, The Devil and The Dark Water, is a similarly captivating read. It is deliciously creepy, as it packs in a growing body count and a locked room mystery, within a ghost story, set in the high seas. I love the way he plays with the Great Detective trope and what the expectations from it are. Imagine if Sherlock were in jail, completely unable to carry on an investigation, and Watson had to carry out the investigation. Now imagine, that Watson is much more than the sidekick he himself thinks he is. Here, our Sherlock is Samuel Pipps, and Watson is Lieutenant Arent Hayes, and together they are the legendary Sparrow and the Bear, respectively. It is 1634. Samuel has been arrested by Jan Haan, the Governor General of Batavia, and is being taken to Amsterdam to be sentenced. Samuel, Arent, Jan Haan, are travelling to Amsterdam on board the Saardam. Also on the passenger list, are Jan Haan’s wife, Sara; his daughter, Lia and his mistress Creesjie — all women who are sharp as nails and my favourite characters. They are travelling with mysterious cargo, a flamboyant ship captain, a perpetually inebriated chief merchant, a witchfinder and his female assistant, Jan Haan’s personal guard, and a murderous, unruly crew that is barely kept restrained by an equally cruel boatswain. Just before they set sail however, an incident occurs that strikes fear into the hearts of the passengers, and lets loose rumours of a demon walking among them. When a ghost ship seems to chase them, and “unholy” events keep happening on board, Arent is tasked with finding out the truth. Is it really the Devil? Turton stacks mystery over mystery, horror over horror. He evokes the claustrophobia of being trapped on a ship, and the anxiety and fear of being hunted. There is a sense of not being able to breathe, as we, along with the characters have our attention pulled every which way. And yet, it is not overwhelming. Between the lines, are thoughts on class differences, the futility of war, and big ideas about morality — what does it mean to be good, and what makes us evil. These are handled with a light touch, and are relevant to the plot, so it’s not just preachy subtext. The solution to the mystery, when it comes, is satisfying. Like the ending of The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, it hints at something more — a bigger story than the one I’d just read, and in that sense it left me intrigued and wanting more. There are things about the ending that I did not find entirely convincing, but that is more a case of my own personality getting in the way. As the days get darker and colder, curl up with this book. The Devil and The Dark Water is a great read for the Halloween season.

I'm hesitant to mention the ending as I don't want to put any expectations in anyone's head. However, I know a lot of folks want to have some idea of what they're getting into. I will only say this: I personally felt the ending was bittersweet. With that out of the way, I'd like to leave a review of the rest of the novel. When I got notification that Mr. Turton had released a new novel, I jumped on it and bought it that day. I loved 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle and even though this novel was not even remotely related, I was excited. I felt it had a slow build up. You get a moment of action at the beginning, then things calm down a smidge as everyone gets settled on the ship. Mr. Turton definitely, despite the slow build or perhaps because of it, set the scene spectacularly. There are some characters you immediately sympathize with and others you harbor a great dislike. The 1600s, by the way, sucked if you were a woman (and for a lot of other people; basically, if you were rich, life was great for the most part). I loved the character Sara Wessel and her daughter, Lia, and the slow reveal of each of their talents without being so in-your-face. In the end, I had very conflicting feelings for Guard Captain Jacobi Drecht; I liked Arent Hayes - even more so as you glean his motives for how he lives his life. We don't see much of Samuel Pipps because he's locked in a dank, horribly cramped cell of the boat. There are a few others that I liked and disliked, but I won't go into a whole lot of detail as I'd prefer not to cloud your own opinion of the characters as they are revealed. It was incredibly impressive on how much research Mr. Turton did for this novel. At some point, before the novel turned a corner and gripped you tight, I had to look up a 1600s Indiaman galleon because I had no idea, and couldn't really visualize, what an orlop deck is. I found a diagram and the description in this book matched what I had found - so, color me impressed at the detail and effort that went into this book! The afterword was a nice touch, too, as Mr. Turton admitted to having thrown out some details that, by their omission, could offend the purists. However, too many characters to focus on would have seriously detracted from this book, so I applaud his decision. I give this book a solid 4 stars for lots of reasons that would end up spoiling the book for would-be readers. The characters, I felt, were strong - at least, those that we met, though I'm sure the nameless characters were just as strong. I appreciated that Mr. Turton did not hold back on what happened to some people - no one really escapes unscathed, physically, mentally, or spiritually. I hope those of you who will read this book enjoy it. I certainly did.

‘Whether this is a devil dressed as a man, or a man dressed as a devil, our course of action remains the same.’ If you're a fan of any, or all, of these authors and books – Ken Follet, Agatha Christie, Sherlock Holmes, The Shining, or Lord of the Flies, then The Devil and the Dark Water is going to be a sure-fire winner for you. Even if you're not, there is still plenty to enjoy. The year is 1634. When passengers set sail on the Saardam (one in a fleet of seven Indiaman ships) at Batavia, for an eight-month journey to Amsterdam, they anticipated boredom, misery, and the potential hazards of pirates, storms, fire, shipwreck, disease, or accident. What they didn't expect was a manifestation of a dead leper haunting the decks and cargo hold. A whispering voice echoing through the night – taunting and tormenting, offering rewards and riches in return for servitude. An ominous eighth lantern out at sea that shouldn’t be there. And the prediction of three unholy miracles, each worse than the last – two of which have already come to pass. The Devil and the Dark Water was equally as original, clever, puzzling, and enthralling as Stuart Turton's debut, The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. Strap yourself in for a wild voyage of epic proportions. TDATDW fits multiple genres – historical, horror, gothic-horror, crime, mystery, suspense, thriller, action, adventure, drama, and romance. It’s a slow burn, but pay attention and read carefully, as it's always the small details that count, otherwise you may be confused by the end reveal. To give you some context, the first 35% only covers the first day of the voyage, beginning with the passengers arriving, boarding, and then setting sail. I feel this gradual build approach was necessary due to the extension cast of characters introduced, as well as to get your head around the layout, hierarchy of the crew and passengers, and the operation, routine, and conduct aboard the Saardam – all things pertinent to the plot. Included at the front is a ‘Manifest of Notable Crew and Passengers’ which I kept flipping back to until I had all the players straight. The prevalent question continuously plaguing me throughout was whether or not the threat was supernatural? Was someone actually possessed or controlled by a Devil entity to do its bidding, or was the answer trickery perpetrated by a cunning mastermind/s? And, I was constantly torn one way or the other, my every theory (and admittedly all my ideas were weak) soon shot down by the author. The growing hysteria and paranoia of the people on board increased the tension, claustrophobia and desperateness of the situation and had me anxious for the characters that were my favourites. Superstitious beliefs were commonplace in the 17th century, and crew and sailors on board the Saardam used charms, prayers, and rituals as a protective barrier to ward off the Devil and disaster. Fights, resentments, rivalries, riots, and insubordination went hand-in-hand with such closed quarters, and when exacerbated by a satanic presence inciting discord, rage, hatred, fear, and terror, mutiny and murder were but a stone’s throw away. The Devil and the Dark Water definitely makes my top three favourite reads of 2020. In his Author’s Note Stuart Turton has promised another book in the next two years, and I'm going to hold him to that! With Halloween approaching, this would be the perfect time to read this.

Once again Stuart Turton has written a very detailed story with well developed characters coupled with twists and turns until the very end. As this is the second book I’ve read, he’s now moved to my “favorite authors” list. This book is not for a quick easy read. It takes place in 1634 on the high seas. There’s quite a bit of boat descriptions and sailing jargon. The ship diagram will help, which I recommend to review prior. There’s also a manifest of passengers and crew on board the ship the Saardam. Keep that list handy as the plot has many “tentacles” with characters dying or changing sides regularly. At almost 500 pages it’s a great read for the reader who wants a dramatic multiple murder mystery to get lost in. I found myself rereading chapters as I got lost in the story line. The details can be overwhelming and at times hard to follow. I anticipate I’ll reread the book sometime in the coming year. It’s like a good movie that you get more out of the second time around.

While reading this book, I tried so hard to solve the mystery, pick up on the clues, and question every character. I was so sure I knew who the culprit was going to be, but I was only halfway to the answer, and I enjoyed the surprise of finding out what I had missed. This book was fun and twisty and atmospheric, and I really liked the different setting of everyone being stuck on a ship at the mercy of the ocean. I gasped with suspense, felt the warm glow of companionship, and furrowed my brow in confusion all the way to the very satisfying ending!