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A review by meghan_plethoraofpages
The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton
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!