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Still Waters
An irresistible love story set around the airfields of Norfolk during World War Two from the bestselling Katie Flynn writing as Judith Saxton
Living on the edge of the beautiful Norfolk Broads with her father, the only ripple in Tess Delamere's calm life is the disturbing dream about her dead mother which haunts her.
She yearns to know more but the arrival of a new stepmother heralds the end of Tess's hopes that her father might divulge the past.
As she grows up, Tess slowly starts to put together the pieces herself. But the outbreak of war brings tragedy and upheaval, changing Tess's priorities.
Mal Chandler has travelled the length and breadth of Australia with his feckless father and weary mother. Now, the war brings Mal to England as a pilot for the RAF - and into Tess's world.
Living on the edge of the beautiful Norfolk Broads with her father, the only ripple in Tess Delamere's calm life is the disturbing dream about her dead mother which haunts her.
She yearns to know more but the arrival of a new stepmother heralds the end of Tess's hopes that her father might divulge the past.
As she grows up, Tess slowly starts to put together the pieces herself. But the outbreak of war brings tragedy and upheaval, changing Tess's priorities.
Mal Chandler has travelled the length and breadth of Australia with his feckless father and weary mother. Now, the war brings Mal to England as a pilot for the RAF - and into Tess's world.
688 pages, Paperback
First published December 8, 1996
84 people are currently reading
173 people want to read
About the author
Judith Saxton
45 books20 followersPseudonym of Katie Flynn.
Katie Flynn was born in Norwich and attended Norwich High School, where she was extremely happy and extremely undistinguished. Published at the tender age of eight, in Enid Blyton's Sunny Stories, she joined a Writers’ Circle as an adult, publishing short stories, articles, etc; only turning to novels in 1971 because the postal strike cut off her main source of income!
At first she wrote under several different names – Judith Saxton, Judy Turner, Lydia Balmain, Judith Arden – but her Katie Flynn books were a delight to write and proved far more popular than she had dreamed. She has now published nearly ninety novels, twenty-seven of which are Flynns. Her most recent titles are: Lost Days of Summer and Christmas Wishes.
Katie Flynn was born in Norwich and attended Norwich High School, where she was extremely happy and extremely undistinguished. Published at the tender age of eight, in Enid Blyton's Sunny Stories, she joined a Writers’ Circle as an adult, publishing short stories, articles, etc; only turning to novels in 1971 because the postal strike cut off her main source of income!
At first she wrote under several different names – Judith Saxton, Judy Turner, Lydia Balmain, Judith Arden – but her Katie Flynn books were a delight to write and proved far more popular than she had dreamed. She has now published nearly ninety novels, twenty-seven of which are Flynns. Her most recent titles are: Lost Days of Summer and Christmas Wishes.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
July 20, 2014
I love pre war, post war, war time novels, and I completely judged this book by its cover when I saw it the shop, and just assumed I would like it. I am so pleased I did.
I have to say, I love, love LOVE this book. I have read it twice over the course of 2 weeks, the writing and plot is so good, it really does paint a picture in your head and its like a really good movie that you just want to watch over and over on repeat.
Now I haven't heard of Katie Flynn before (though I can not wait to read some more of her work), but I do read an awful lot of books like this, so I can sometimes find the stories a bit samey even with different authors but this book just sits apart from the rest.
I will start with my one negative. I am not super keen on the ending. Although it finishes the book really nicely and sums everything up so you aren't left with questions. I really want to know about Mal and Tess's lives in the future. !Please write a sequel!
One of the main plots to this book is what happened to Tess's mother. It kept me guessing the whole way through, I am so glad you find out in the end because I think it would have cheated the reader otherwise.
One of the other main characters is Ashley. Who I hated when he first came into Tess's life, but it is nice to really feel a character growing up and maturing, whilst making the reader completely change their opinion on them,
This is a really good read, the writing and strong plot will make unable to put it down, and its easy to see why Katie is a Sunday times bestselling author.
I have to say, I love, love LOVE this book. I have read it twice over the course of 2 weeks, the writing and plot is so good, it really does paint a picture in your head and its like a really good movie that you just want to watch over and over on repeat.
Now I haven't heard of Katie Flynn before (though I can not wait to read some more of her work), but I do read an awful lot of books like this, so I can sometimes find the stories a bit samey even with different authors but this book just sits apart from the rest.
I will start with my one negative. I am not super keen on the ending. Although it finishes the book really nicely and sums everything up so you aren't left with questions. I really want to know about Mal and Tess's lives in the future. !Please write a sequel!
One of the main plots to this book is what happened to Tess's mother. It kept me guessing the whole way through, I am so glad you find out in the end because I think it would have cheated the reader otherwise.
One of the other main characters is Ashley. Who I hated when he first came into Tess's life, but it is nice to really feel a character growing up and maturing, whilst making the reader completely change their opinion on them,
This is a really good read, the writing and strong plot will make unable to put it down, and its easy to see why Katie is a Sunday times bestselling author.
August 17, 2018
I love historical fiction set in World War II, especially if it focuses on what is happening on the homefront.
This story starts way before the war and follows Tess & Mal's life throughout the book, until the end of the war. Split between England and Australia for most of the book, until they both finally meet.
I really loved Tess's story, finding out what happened to her mother, her issues with her step mother and what happened to Mal during the war. I did however, get a bit annoyed that she didn't tell Ashley to just leave her alone. He was a sex pest, always trying to kiss her even though she had told him time and time again not to. I never really brought that he was in love with her. And didn't really belive how they tied up his story.
I also wish we had Mal's side of the story when he was in the POW camp. You get so used to reading about both of their lives and then there is nothing from Mal for ages!
But other than this, for a book of almost 700 pages, there wasn't a dull moment and it kept me gripped throughout.
This story starts way before the war and follows Tess & Mal's life throughout the book, until the end of the war. Split between England and Australia for most of the book, until they both finally meet.
I really loved Tess's story, finding out what happened to her mother, her issues with her step mother and what happened to Mal during the war. I did however, get a bit annoyed that she didn't tell Ashley to just leave her alone. He was a sex pest, always trying to kiss her even though she had told him time and time again not to. I never really brought that he was in love with her. And didn't really belive how they tied up his story.
I also wish we had Mal's side of the story when he was in the POW camp. You get so used to reading about both of their lives and then there is nothing from Mal for ages!
But other than this, for a book of almost 700 pages, there wasn't a dull moment and it kept me gripped throughout.
August 20, 2016
Really good heart warming story. I really enjoyed the mystery of Tess' mothers death, I didn't anticipate how it would end. Clever writing! Reading about Tess as a Land Girl during the war was fantastic. Just wish there had been more of that. Found the start slow and hard to get into but it did improve as Tess and Mal aged.
December 1, 2019
I enjoyed this book very much, although I felt it was a tad too long.
This book explores the lives of Tess and Mal. Tess grows up in England, wondering what happened to her mother and has a loving father but a mean step-mother. Mal grows up in Australia with a violent father and his brother sadly dies in front of him.
Both Tess and Mal's lives are very gripping to read and they stay seperate for most of the book. When they meet during the Second World War, they fall in love instantly and arrange to marry.
Tess has already had a few suitors but I am glad she did not end up with Andy or Ashley because neither was right for her.
The only thing that lets this book down a bit is the ending. On the last few pages, the mystery that has built up all through the book is solved, and we find out the Tess caused her own mother's death. There is barely any reaction to this and I don't feel like it is in character for Tess not to blame herself a little bit.
This book is well worth the long read.
This book explores the lives of Tess and Mal. Tess grows up in England, wondering what happened to her mother and has a loving father but a mean step-mother. Mal grows up in Australia with a violent father and his brother sadly dies in front of him.
Both Tess and Mal's lives are very gripping to read and they stay seperate for most of the book. When they meet during the Second World War, they fall in love instantly and arrange to marry.
Tess has already had a few suitors but I am glad she did not end up with Andy or Ashley because neither was right for her.
The only thing that lets this book down a bit is the ending. On the last few pages, the mystery that has built up all through the book is solved, and we find out the Tess caused her own mother's death. There is barely any reaction to this and I don't feel like it is in character for Tess not to blame herself a little bit.
This book is well worth the long read.
May 30, 2018
I totally loved this story. Still Waters is an irresistible love story set around the airfields of Norfolk during World War. Of all the books that Katie has had published this is my first book of Katie's that I have read. The paperback version Still Water is Katie Flynn writing as Judith Saxon. When Katie starts to write a book she usually chooses a setting somewhere that she knows of and likes. Katie likes to get to know all her characters so she would recognise them immediately. The glorious Norfolk Broads with the Throwers that are a family that Katie knows well even though they only exist in her imagination. There were throwers all over Norfolk scraping a living, taking any job that paid a wage, however small. The main characters are Tess, Mal and Ashley. Tess Delamere's calm life is the disturbing dream about her dead mother which haunts her. Mal Chandler has travelled the length and breadth of Australia with his feckless father and weary mother. Now the war brings him to England as a pilot for the RAF- and into Tess's world. Katie Flynn has thirty five novels that she wrote as Katie Flynn. And three novels writing as Judith Saxton. Still Waters is her fourth novel to date writing as Judith and is the top ten Sunday Times bestselling Author. The paperback version of Still Waters will be published 27th February 2014. A lovely mothers day present!.
July 22, 2018
It was just OK. TOO wordy!
September 11, 2018
From a technical point of view this is a well written piece of fiction. The characters are wonderful, and I especially loved the chapters that were set in Australia with Mal. It’s given me a temporary desire to go work on a cattle station.
But as for the rest of the book I had a few bugbears. Firstly there’s no relationship between Tess and Mal. They’re both wonderful characters and I’m sure they work well together but they don’t meet until 70% of the way through the book. And then Mal vanishes for most of the rest of the book, because of his wartime storyline. So their whole storyline just seemed unbelievable.
I fully felt that Tess would have been much better off settling for Andy, a man who would care and provide for her. And Mal, well for the second half of the book he felt like nothing more than a plot device.
I’m not going to recommend this one I don’t think
But as for the rest of the book I had a few bugbears. Firstly there’s no relationship between Tess and Mal. They’re both wonderful characters and I’m sure they work well together but they don’t meet until 70% of the way through the book. And then Mal vanishes for most of the rest of the book, because of his wartime storyline. So their whole storyline just seemed unbelievable.
I fully felt that Tess would have been much better off settling for Andy, a man who would care and provide for her. And Mal, well for the second half of the book he felt like nothing more than a plot device.
I’m not going to recommend this one I don’t think
September 2, 2018
There is not a huge amount wrong with this but there is not a lot right either. The descriptions are well done but the character development is sadly lacking. I am not a great fan of big saga books but even so a huge fan would want the hero and heroine to met before 70% of the book was up. Too slow and the romance element was strangely lacking which was a shame.
August 20, 2017
Another great book. Love all of Katie's books. About to start another.
February 20, 2019
4.5 stars, a heart warming treat.
March 19, 2019
Another good read
Once again this author has produced another great story, an exciting and very enjoyable read, I couldn't put it down.
Once again this author has produced another great story, an exciting and very enjoyable read, I couldn't put it down.
April 7, 2019
A Good narration!
December 8, 2021
rating this as 4, It was good an I love WW2 fiction but somehow. the story didnt rate as good as some others iv read by katie.
March 28, 2023
Well written story. All loose ends tied up at the end. Long chapters though.
August 11, 2023
Such a long book to tell a relatively simple love story. Enjoyed the Norfolk connection and like information about this era. Nothing wrong with it just too long and repetitive.
June 13, 2025
It was a fine book, but in my opinion with an anti-climax. There was a lot of story building, but nothing much interesting happened at the end. The description of the surroundings was good though.
March 26, 2020
Good book enjoyed it. Def recommend it
September 16, 2020
Still Waters follows the story of Tess, growing up in England, and Mal, growing up in the Outback, as they deal with childhood tragedy in the years leading up to World War II, when at last they meet and fall in love--halfway through the book.
The book breaks rules about backstory--obviously, since the first half of the book traces both Tess's and Mal's childhood, one step at a time. But it does invest you in the characters.
Tess is a spitfire of a character you can't help but adore. Ashley, one of her suitors, is the kind of character you love to hate. Andy, the other, sort of disappeared 2/3 of the way through the book, which was disappointing as I was really rooting for him.
Mal himself took some time for me to warm up to. He was a little too gung-ho about his horrible father, and Saxton never really addressed his change of heart, although from comments late in the book he clearly had one.
That point brings up my main quibble with the book. Every so often, Saxton skips forward in time. Several times when she does this, she skips over really important events, tossing in their existence as an afterthought. (Spoiler alert!) For instance, Mal is shot down over Europe and we feel Tess's agony for a good long time, until her stepmother Marianne is injured in a fire. Then we come back to Tess and discover that she's no longer worrying about Mal because somewhere along the line, she found out Mal was captured. I thought we should have seen that happen, not be told about it in retrospect; it was disorienting. The same thing happens later in the book, when Tess delivers an aside about how she now knows her father was really her father--with no explanation for how she found out.
Still, an enjoyable book, and aside from the quibble above, quite well written.
The book breaks rules about backstory--obviously, since the first half of the book traces both Tess's and Mal's childhood, one step at a time. But it does invest you in the characters.
Tess is a spitfire of a character you can't help but adore. Ashley, one of her suitors, is the kind of character you love to hate. Andy, the other, sort of disappeared 2/3 of the way through the book, which was disappointing as I was really rooting for him.
Mal himself took some time for me to warm up to. He was a little too gung-ho about his horrible father, and Saxton never really addressed his change of heart, although from comments late in the book he clearly had one.
That point brings up my main quibble with the book. Every so often, Saxton skips forward in time. Several times when she does this, she skips over really important events, tossing in their existence as an afterthought. (Spoiler alert!) For instance, Mal is shot down over Europe and we feel Tess's agony for a good long time, until her stepmother Marianne is injured in a fire. Then we come back to Tess and discover that she's no longer worrying about Mal because somewhere along the line, she found out Mal was captured. I thought we should have seen that happen, not be told about it in retrospect; it was disorienting. The same thing happens later in the book, when Tess delivers an aside about how she now knows her father was really her father--with no explanation for how she found out.
Still, an enjoyable book, and aside from the quibble above, quite well written.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 28, 2014
love this book cant put it down.
February 15, 2015
Was a great war time love story
January 29, 2015
I only liked the 2nd half of the book.
October 23, 2016
Loved this book.
August 8, 2014
thoroughly enjoyed this book
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews