The Devil and the Dark Water

If Stuart Turton’s first novel, The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle can be viewed as an homage to Agatha Christie, then his latest, The Devil and the Dark Water is a parallel ode to Arthur Conan Doyle. The many fans of his first book will welcome Turton’s return with a second outing that preserves Turton’s evocative prose and wonderful pacing despite the two books’ divergent subjects and settings. The Devil and the Dark Water takes place primarily at sea, a “closed-room” mystery that duly portrays a claustrophobic and dark journey that takes place in the 1600’s between Batavia and Amsterdam. The grime and desperation of the period is apparent, as is the severe disparities between lives of the lower and upper classes. The Saardam is being commandeered by Jan Haan, who is acting as the representative of a shipping company akin to the historical East India Trade Company. The book launches the reader in an immediate atmosphere of dread, when the trip is declared doomed by a prophetic figure that calls out his curses at its onset. There are a multitude of characters and mysteries to be deciphered, so it is good thing that Samuel Pipps and Arent Hayes are along for the ride. Pipps is the Sherlockian genius who is being protected by Hayes as he is being transported as a prisoner. Why the estimable Pipps is in shackles is unknown, as is the nature of the secret cargo being loaded onto the ship and the motive for the warnings and dramatic death of the man at the dock. Are all the subsequent deaths and unexplained events the diabolical efforts of “Old Tom,” a legendary entity whose prior feats of destruction have become well-known and feared by all? Or is it the workings of a criminal mastermind with unknown designs and motivations? Turton weaves a layered and cerebral tale that is engrossing and skillfully depicted. The reader may become overwhelmed by the number of characters and plotlines that unfold, especially if unfamiliar with shipping and military rank terminology. A “manifest” given at the beginning helps as a reference but untangling the propulsive action may require some repeated backtracking. The surprising and clever conclusion of The Devil and the Dark Water is well worth the effort, however, and Turton proves once again that he is an author with talent to spare. Thanks to the author, Sourcebooks and Edelweiss for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Ate this book up during my free time while on a trip in Guatemala. Bought and finished "The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle" before my trip ended as well. my only complaint is I can't find any other books by Stuart Turton. 😭 If you like unique murder mysteries I highly suggest these reads, theyre not at all your typical, boring, poorly written story. I did find one typo in each book but they're supremely negligible and do nothing to harm the readability of the tale within!

Fantastic book! Read straight through.