Into the Water by Paula Hawkins

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


‘Into the Water’ is the second thriller by Paula Hawkins, author of ‘The Girl on the Train’, which was always going to be a hard act to follow considering its success. However, Hawkins’ second novel more than lives up to expectations – an enthralling mystery featuring an ensemble of characters which steadily submerge you in their stories.

At the heart of the novel is the Drowning Pool and the legends and mysteries that circle around it. There are the tales of alleged witches, drowned during trials determining whether they will sink or swim (an allegation of practicing witchcraft was a death sentence; surviving the test would only be held as proof they were in allegiance with the Devil); and speculation surrounding numerous suicides – a woman who murdered her husband, a mother whose son saw her jump, a teenage girl whose reason for taking her own life remains unknown. Legend says, if you go to the water at night or submerge yourself in its depths, you can almost hear its victims calling out to you...

As the novel begins, Nel Abbott is the latest whose life came to an end in the water, falling from the cliff above. But did she jump or was she pushed? Her sister, Jules, becomes convinced she must have been murdered, while her daughter, Lena, seems convinced she killed herself.

There are quite a few characters we get to know throughout the course of the book. As well as the Abbotts, we are introduced to the Whittakers, family of Katie, the teenage girl who took her own life; the Townsends, the DI investigating the case, his wife, and father; as well as several others. I particularly liked Erin, the DS who is new to the area, and all the scenes featuring Nickie, the town psychic, were incredibly entertaining. I almost immediately took a dislike to Patrick, though his obvious commitment to his family remained throughout his redeeming quality. With so many characters, every reader will take away something different from the story, which is undoubtedly one of the novel's strengths.

Told through each of the character's perspectives, the mysteries and secrets of the small town and its inhabitants, past and present, are unveiled, leading to the final revelation in the last few pages.

'Into the Water' proves to be as immersive as the Drowning Pool itself, a thriller that has you hooked to the very end and a perfect companion for a long train ride and sitting atop the cliffs beside the sea.



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