The Devil and the Dark Water
Books | Fiction / Thrillers / Historical
3.8
(806)
Stuart Turton
PEOPLE's Best Books of the 2020s"Compulsively readable."—New York Times Book ReviewFrom Stuart Turton, author of The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, comes an extraordinary new locked-room murder mystery.A murder on the high seas. A remarkable detective duo. A demon who may or may not exist.It's 1634, and Samuel Pipps, the world's greatest detective, is being transported to Amsterdam to be executed for a crime he may, or may not, have committed. Traveling with him is his loyal bodyguard, Arent Hayes, who is determined to prove his friend innocent. Among the other guests is Sara Wessel, a noblewoman with a secret.But no sooner is their ship out to sea than devilry begins to blight the voyage. A strange symbol appears on the sail. A dead leper stalks the decks. Livestock dies in the night.And then the passengers hear a terrible voice, whispering to them in the darkness, promising three unholy miracles, followed by a slaughter. First an impossible pursuit. Second an impossible theft. And third an impossible murder.Could a demon be responsible for their misfortunes?With Pipps imprisoned, only Arent and Sara can solve a mystery that stretches back into their past and now threatens to sink the ship, killing everybody on board.Shirley Jackson meets Sherlock Holmes in this chilling thriller of supernatural horror, occult suspicion, and paranormal mystery on the high seas.
Thriller
AD
Buy now:
More Details:
Author
Stuart Turton
Pages
480
Publisher
Sourcebooks, Inc.
Published Date
2020-10-06
ISBN
1728206030 9781728206035
Community ReviewsSee all
"A nautical mystery with some elements of the supernatural. "
Sandy Lopez
"Lots of mystery and intrigue in this latest whodunnit from Stuart Turton. The twists and turns are set on the high seas in the 17th century, complete with the luck and superstitions of sailors. "
Jackie Davidson
"First of all, Stuart Turton is a phenomenal writer. He writes in a way that makes it feel like you’re watching a movie in comprehensive detail opposed to reading. However, only read this if you enjoy the theme of the book, not because you enjoyed his debut novel, The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. I found the 1600’s nautical theme was hard to follow, despite Turton’s literary skill. But, if you enjoy a sailor/pirate-esque/supernatural/historical novel, you’d love this. "
Skye
"In Stuart Turton's The Devil and The Dark Water, a 17th Century Dutch version of Holmes and Watson/Poirot and Hastings/Etc. and Etc. board a vessel going from Indonesia to Amsterdam. The genius detective, however, is in shackles, accused of a crime, and the ship is threatened publicly and verbally by a tongueless leper before he spontaneously combusts. The ship sets sail, and demonic symbols begin appearing on the ship, followed by infernal whispers and sightings of the deceased leper. Is this a hoax concealing one or more genuine crimes, or is an evil spirit preparing to bring doom to the ship? With the famous Sammy Pipps confined to the brig, the investigation falls to his bodyguard, Arent Hayes. Hayes, however, doubts his own abilities. Turton succeeds again in crafting a thrilling page-turner of a mystery. I flew through the last quarter of the book, needing to know what happened next. The prose is wonderful, being descriptive without being overly florid. I identify one two-faceted plot hole, though, that I'm unable to reconcile and that is core to the plot in a way that makes the resolution of the mystery shaky."
Brandon Reed
"I loved ittt !!!:)"
haley
"This author had me from the first paragraph. He is SO skilled at writing. I couldn’t put this book down! #favorite #willreadagain"
Kayla Larrison
"Loved this book! It is a nautical mystery adventure! Arent is a dude!"
Scoot Favs
"One of my favorites. I loved the mystery, not being able to figure out what was coming next. The ending upset me, but in such a good way. Finished in like 2-3 days. 10/10 recommend for anyone interested in nautical-themed mystery. "
Em☀️
"I loved most of the book. It went "off the rails" towards the end. "
M
Mallie
"Worst ending to a mystery novel I have ever read, but the first 85 chapters leading up to chapter 86(again the most repulsive chapter of any piece of fiction every written) were absolutely riveting! "
b
brooke
