Reviews

The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton

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cinemazombie's review against another edition

5.0

Stuart Turton delivers yet again on a mystery that challenges you at every step. The plot is simple yet executed with a masterful level of complexity that is nearly agonizing in its capacity to make you go 'just one more chapter'. The setup: imagine an alternate universe Sherlock Holmes and Watson are trapped on a boat full of nobles, civilians, musketeers, and murderous sailors, and from the moment they board they are met with omens and threats that herald the death of every passenger on board at the hands of the Devil - and to crank it up a notch, the Holmes is tossed in a cell leaving your Watson to solve the whole thing.

The story is filled with a cast of suspects that reaches upwards of a dozen, with another dozen supporting cast to leave red herring after red herring, and clues fired at you every other sentence leave your senses reeling. None of the mystery work feels cheap, and I can say that by the end myself had though I had solved 80% of the case, but the last lingering clues blew me out of the water. If you enjoyed his last book, or are a fan in general of closed-room murder-style stories, this book delivers a new take on that type of mystery that is brilliant to behold.

angleon13's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

noveldefine's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

bexlrose's review against another edition

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4.0

Really enjoyable, a proper who-(orwhat)-dunnit. I like the fact that we're plunged into the middle of a story really, with existing relationships that the author didn't feel the need to give every historical detail of. Felt more like real life.

A very clever book where I totally didn't guess the ending. 4 stars.