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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
a murder, a sea voyage, and nasty plots abound. this book was like if Sherlock Holmes had been written in this day and age while still being set in the past, but Dr. Watson is a big brawny brute. this was an enjoyable read. the plot twists really got me and I was not expecting that ending.
A really enjoyable historical thriller. I found the ending to be really frustrating but I like the story and build up. I feel really invested and intrigued the whole time.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
It is 1634, and a fleet owned by the Dutch East India Company is set to depart Batavia for Amsterdam, an 8-month long journey that will face perils throughout. Aboard are Jan Haan, the Governor-General of Batavia on his way home to join the ruling body of the Dutch East India Company, accompanied by his wife Sara Wessel, daughter Leah, and mistress Creesjie. Also on board are the world's greatest detective, Samuel Pipps, arrested for an unspecified crime, and his bodyguard, Arent Hayes. The day of departure, a leper announces to the crew and passengers that the flagship, The Saardam, is doomed. His master has laid a curse on it, and all who board are headed for certain death. The leper than bursts into flames, which Arent rushes to put out. As he and Sara assess the man's injuries, they realize several odd things - he spoke despite having no tongue, and climbed a stack of crates despite having a lame foot. Sara tries to convince her husband to stay in Batavia or at least move to a different ship within the fleet, but he is determined to remain on The Saardam with the captain he knows and trusts.
As the fleet begins its journey, strange things start to happen. The mark of a devil, Old Tom, has been painted on the mainsail. The dead leper appears at Sara's porthole. A predikant, Sander Kers, reveals that he was summoned aboard The Saardam by Creesjie's dead husband (a fellow witch-hunter) two years after his death. Jan is revealed to be Arent's uncle, who has turned into a far crueler man than the kindly relative who raised Arent after his father's murder. And Arent himself is revealed to have a connection to Old Tom; his father was murdered while he and Arent were on a hunting trip together. The body was never found, but Arent turned up days later, wandering through the woods in a state of shock, with Old Tom's mark carved upon his wrist.
Though he's been locked in a cell in the belly of the ship, Sammy Pipps is determined to solve the mystery of Old Tom and the leper's death. He enlists Arent to head the investigation, despite Arent's protests that he doesn't have the same clever mind that Sammy does. As Arent begins to dig into the leper's past, Old Tom begins to make his presence known to more and more passengers. And soon it is revealed that Old Tom always announces his presence by three unholy miracles, which he uses to prove his existence and convince people to bargain with him. After the miracles comes the slaughter of all those who refused him. Arent and Sara must find out who Old Tom is possessing and stop them, before the entire ship succumbs to his devilry.
The Devil and the Dark Water is excellent! Stuart Turton, author of The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, weaves a compelling tale that is part mystery, part horror, part historical fiction. Each character is given depth and motivations of their own, and each clue has meaning, even if it isn't revealed until the end. There are twists and turns throughout, and the final revelation of who is behind Old Tom is thrilling. I read one review comparing Turton to Agatha Christie on crack, and I can't say I disagree! If rising tension, twisty mysteries, and a sprinkle of horror are your jam, The Devil and the Dark Water is the book for you.
I finished this in one day. I couldn’t put it down.
medium-paced
This was not worth staying up til midnight on a weeknight to finish and I regret that I did that!