Reviews with content warning for Violence - The Drowning Woman

Lee was a New York restauranteur before the pandemic. Fleeing her career failure, some major debt to a dangerous man, and familial strife with her sister, she's now in Seattle, Washington. One night as she sleeps in her car (home) along the beach of an upscale neighborhood where she hopes to go unnoticed, she hears a woman's screams. Lee ends up saving Hazel's life, but Hazel isn't grateful for the rescue. The women start an unlikely friendship where Hazel shares about her abusive marriage and desire for escape.

I really liked this one and felt like every time I had the plot figured out, there was more to the story. I was a definitely uncomfortable with the nature of the abusive marriage, and normally would never pick up a story with BDSM and a total power exchange in it, but none of it was explicit or descriptive. I liked seeing the way each of the main characters developed, and liked the dual point of view. There were a couple of times when Lee came off as naive. It was also interesting to explore the topic of homelessness and privilege through this lens.

Overall, I'd recommend this one to readers who are okay with some gruesome scenes, enjoy some twists and turns, and like to puzzle out plots.

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gracik56's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

4.0

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jaimiesauer's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I liked this. It could be a little frustrating at times, and the characters can be infuriating, but it kept me guessing. I couldn't wait to pick it back up and figure out what would happen. I'm usually an excellent "predictor" but this one had me stymied more than once. I read this regularly, so I'm not sure on the audio experience.

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smittanybrith's review

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dark tense

5.0

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savvyrosereads's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Rating: 4/5 stars

A woman living in her car gets tangled up in more than she bargained for when she saves the life of a wealthy woman.

Another month, another great book club pick! I really enjoyed this one, which kept me entertained and on the edge of my seat the whole time. The chapters were super short (ALWAYS a plus), and the twists and turns made me excited to keep reading and find out what would happen next. I also really enjoyed the changing POVs, which I thought added a lot of layers and nuance to the story.

I did expect another somewhat more “groundbreaking” reveal at some point, but I think that is just a function of consuming a lot of thrillers and always expecting some massive shock at the eleventh hour. Overall, I thought this was really well paced and the plot unspooled pretty nicely—and while there probably could have been another left turn at the end, I’m not overly mad that there wasn’t. As an added bonus, I actually really liked the main characters (even if I questioned some of their decisions), which can be rare for a thriller and which I always appreciate!

Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: shifting POVs; psychological thrillers; short chapters

CW: Domestic violence/abuse; dementia; death of parent; discussions of suicide/suicide attempt; discussions of homelessness/poverty

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thatswhatshanread's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.25

Another solid domestic thriller!! This has definitely become my favorite sub-genre of mystery thrillers. And this one is heavy on domestic twists and suspenseful thrills!!

While it was a little slow to start, the intrigue never stops. It increases with each chapter (short chapters are the best) and throws in punch after punch of “WTF?!“ drama. This one is best if you go in blind, so I won’t say much else except that you will definitely have trust issues after finishing it.

Robyn Harding is SO GOOD at what she does!! Fans of “Sleeping with the Enemy”, “Gone Girl”, “Killing Eve” and the like should flock to this book.

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bookb1itch's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Thanks to Better Reading for a preview copy of this book. This is the review I submitted to them:

A very engaging look at what desperate women are capable of, in the quest for their essential survival. Lee’s restaurant business collapses as a result of COVID 19 and bad decisions. Bankrupt, and on the wrong side of a gangster, she flees and lives off the grid, in her car. Early one morning, Lee witnesses an apparent suicide attempt, rescuing the woman from the sea. The “drowning woman”, Hazel is married to a cruel and controlling man and has reached the limit of her endurance. Hazel and Lee form an unusual friendship.

The story explores how people are shaped by their experiences and are not always what they present to the world. The major twist is unexpected.

An addictive read recommended for those who enjoy the books of Claire Mackintosh and Peter Swanson.

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