A review by fadingapple
The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton

adventurous dark 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

4.0

I really enjoyed this! Think Lord of the Flies meets Sherlock Holmes and you'll be close to the vibe - dark, gritty, and most definitely disturbing. 

There were some twists I saw coming, but others that caught me off guard - but honestly none of them were unsatisfactory. I could see the breadcrumbs left behind, which is really the most important thing to me personally. I hate when there is a twist that you literally could never have guessed. 

I can definitely understand why this book wouldn't be for everyone, but personally it had me in it's grip from cover to cover. The characters were interesting, the mystery had my attention, and the world building was small but accomplished exactly what it needed to. The genius daughter was a bit much, but was needed to allow the main character (and investigator) to not be effectively omniscient, so I can appreciate the way she was written and why. 

Definitely one I'll recommend to friends and family and will likely revisit to see what I missed the first time!