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shashanks's review
3.0
3 stars since the ending could have been bit better(overstayed it's welcome).
remescient's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-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
Turton is great at building the scaffolding and dressing of an excellent mystery that keeps you on your toes. I just wish he was better at wrapping it all together.
sendnoods's review
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
booksarecute's review
adventurous
dark
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
3.75
I wish this was little bit scarier and had 12% less characters.
sophie74's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
goblin_w_ksiazkach's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
meghan_plethoraofpages's review
4.0
The Devil and the Dark Water - Stuart Turton: Book review
“A murder on the high seas. A remarkable detective duo. A demon who may or may not exist.”
It’s 1634; a ship carrying a fascinating cast of nobles, sailors, musketeers, a predikant, and an imprisoned detective and his bodyguard are leaving for Amsterdam. This is the illustrious backdrop for a complex mystery filled with politics, superstition and and possibly the supernatural.
I really enjoyed this book! The characters were all lively, interesting, and initially require some thought in keeping the count of who’s who. The setting is spectacular and I loved the multilevel puzzles to unravel. While the story is nothing like The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, the layering of the crimes and the enclosed space setting is somewhat reminiscent and equally as masterful. The way the mystery was unravelled sort of reminded me of his previous work - a sort of tell all at the end with surprising twists.
While I really enjoyed this, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it to everyone. It was quite lengthy, and while fascinating, it didn’t have an urgent thriller-esque vibe to it. The story moves from action to action, but the quality felt more spooky and slower than super fast paced. I was surprised by the ending; I definitely did not guess the main reveals at all. At the same time, the way the ending was wrapped up left me feeling somewhat underwhelmed... such big reveals but the way it read was almost too many reveals at once?
Overall, I definitely recommend if you like mysteries with an interesting setting, historical fiction, and/or something unique. It’s a good one to pick up for the long dark days of winter ahead!
“A murder on the high seas. A remarkable detective duo. A demon who may or may not exist.”
It’s 1634; a ship carrying a fascinating cast of nobles, sailors, musketeers, a predikant, and an imprisoned detective and his bodyguard are leaving for Amsterdam. This is the illustrious backdrop for a complex mystery filled with politics, superstition and and possibly the supernatural.
I really enjoyed this book! The characters were all lively, interesting, and initially require some thought in keeping the count of who’s who. The setting is spectacular and I loved the multilevel puzzles to unravel. While the story is nothing like The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, the layering of the crimes and the enclosed space setting is somewhat reminiscent and equally as masterful. The way the mystery was unravelled sort of reminded me of his previous work - a sort of tell all at the end with surprising twists.
While I really enjoyed this, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it to everyone. It was quite lengthy, and while fascinating, it didn’t have an urgent thriller-esque vibe to it. The story moves from action to action, but the quality felt more spooky and slower than super fast paced. I was surprised by the ending; I definitely did not guess the main reveals at all. At the same time, the way the ending was wrapped up left me feeling somewhat underwhelmed... such big reveals but the way it read was almost too many reveals at once?
Overall, I definitely recommend if you like mysteries with an interesting setting, historical fiction, and/or something unique. It’s a good one to pick up for the long dark days of winter ahead!
brendankailukaitis's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
sjburton127's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
1.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Vomit and Animal death