Deep Waters

by Jayne Ann Krentz

Charity Truitt and Elias Winter, two of the Pacific Northwest’s most powerful corporate figures, are both facing crises of career and the heart. Fate has brought them together in Washington’s tiny Whispering Waters Cove, each eager to downsize and simplify. They’re both determined to avoid mergers of any kind—but when they meet, the attraction is nothing short of blue-chip.

And they definitely have at least one thing in common: A martial arts master, Elias is a novice at relationships; a formidable former CEO, Charity is starting in the mail room when it comes to love. But when the town is rocked by two shocking murders, Charity and Elias realize that they must join forces to catch a killer. Because behind the town’s sleepy facade run currents fed by treacherous secrets and Deep Waters.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Romantic Suspense, Contemporary Romance, Mystery, Suspense, Fiction

400 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

The author of over 50 consecutive New York Times bestsellers, JAYNE ANN KRENTZ writes romantic-suspense in three different worlds: Contemporary (as Jayne Ann Krentz), historical (as Amanda Quick) and futuristic (as Jayne Castle). There are over 30 million copies of her books in print.

She earned a B.A. in History from the University of California at Santa Cruz and went on to obtain a Masters degree in Library Science from San Jose State University in California. Before she began writing full time she worked as a librarian in both academic and corporate libraries.

Reviews

[Cheri · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little slow and tmi of the water zen, but I had to finish it to see who the culprit was. Otis the parrot is a hoot!

[Jeanne Adamek · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Jane Stewart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good mystery and characters, but bad audiobook narrator.

I enjoyed this as a paperback when I read it ten years ago. Recently I listened to the audiobook and was bored. There were too many philosophical comments about water like “Things are clearest in deep water” or “One pebble causes many ripples.” I think when I read the paperback I skipped over those. But in the audiobook there were too many and they felt odd.

But the worst thing was the audiobook narrator - Stephanie Diaz. She is fast reading without thinking about what she is reading. She does not read with feeling or curiosity about what is happening. It was hard to pay attention. The characters sounded like teenagers - tone of voice, emotional reaction, stubbornness, being sarcastic. They didn’t sound like adults except for the hero who sounded like a soft-spoken woman.

My tastes have been changing over the years. Some of the romance novels I used to read are less appealing to me now. If you currently like romance, you might like the paperback. Below are my comments from 2008.

I enjoyed Charity’s directness and honesty. She and Elias were doing their casual bantering during their getting-to-know-each-other phase, but when asked a direct question, she was refreshingly honest, even when once her answer was “Let me get back to you on that.” I enjoyed the stories surrounding Charity and Elias. They were both successful in the corporate world but left that world to run small shops in a small town. They cook gourmet meals for each other. Elias practices an esoteric eastern zen-type philosophy, based on meditation, contemplating water and martial arts. The main focus of the book is solving the mystery of who killed someone and why.

DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Swearing language: a few occurrences. Sexual language: moderate. Number of sex scenes: four. Setting: current day Seattle and a small coastal town in northern Washington State called Whispering Waters Cove. Copyright: 1996. Genre: romantic mystery.

[Barb in Maryland · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read this way back in 1997, right when it came out in hardback. I re-read it later that year when it first came out in paperback (the edition I bought). I may have re-read it another time or two but I'm not sure.
Flash forward to 2024.
A GR friend re-read it and piqued my curiosity. So I dragged out my old pb and settled in for a trip down memory lane. Actually, all I remembered were bits of his Zen-like water philosophy and that she ran a bookstore.
I had a great time with Elias and Charity. Lovely banter, and strong chemistry, flowed smoothly through this tale of two people finding themselves and each other. There's even an interesting murder mystery tucked into the second half.
I'm upping my original 3 star rating to 4 stars. And I'll make sure to put this one in an easier to get to location.

[Sara G · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugh, I couldn't even get into this book. I tried for 100 pages, but it was too boring. The heroine's fear of "big men" and the hero's Zen-like philosophy got on my nerves, and then there's the spaceship cult. Yes, it is as asinine as my description makes it sound.

[Zoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review 27.12.2017

I read this book when I was a teenager, even back then I didn’t like contemporary romances much. It always feels too close to reality and I like a little distance between the stories and me. I decided to reread today which turned into a very quick page-through. This is not to say that I didn’t like it. I just liked it more when I was younger. It’s a nice little story. I decided to adjust my original 5 stars rating because it didn’t move me.

First review on GR, I am leaving the original text to provide context for the comments.

I read this book many many years ago and it is my only comtemporary romance by any writers in my entire life. I do not read contemporary anything, unless it comes highly recommended by someone whose reading tastes I know for certain that I share. And I loved this book. I think this conveys how great an impression this book made on me.

A successful business woman decided to leave her city life behind and "look for herself", I guess you could say that. She meets a man who is quiet and mysterious. They met each other, had conflicting position on an issue, but got to know each other.

This book has exactly what I love in a story: a strong heroin who is not a hysterical feminist and a quiet hero who reserves his strength for things that matter. Classic good writing. No fights, just disagreements. And a little danger and mystery.

I really have no interest in contemporary stories but this is one book that really really caught my attention and I still remember the story fondly.

[Jacob Proffitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was curious how well a mid-90s Krentz novel would hold up and I have to say, I'm impressed. I quite enjoyed Deep Waters, though it's mostly pretty standard in a lot of ways. There were a few times when Charity was a little over-emotional, and I'd have preferred that Elias wasn't quite so... bleak, I suppose. But in the end, it worked very well and they fit in all the ways that mattered. I particularly enjoyed how well Krentz' invented martial arts system for Elias penetrated his character without feeling artificial (though his mentor's final advice is kind of out of left field and didn't fit so well if you think about it much, the part about finding a woman and learning to love, I mean). I have to admit I kind of wanted it to be real enough that I actually looked it up to confirm...

Anyway, a solid romance with yummy leads and a serviceable mystery that actually hung together remarkably well.

A note about Steamy: This one was pretty deep into the middle-ground steam-wise. Two solid, moderately-sized explicit scenes, one kind of brief one and assorted fooling around. A little too, uh, magically mind-blowing to take seriously, but it worked well enough.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another JAK re-read (I've been on a roll lately!) that hits the spot. This time around we have two former corporate movers and shakers who have decided to slow down in the little town of Whispering Waters Cove. While Charity's reason for abandoning corporate life for one of a small-business woman on the pier was public and well-known, Elias's reasons are a little murkier. Mostly because he's quiet and contemplative and doesn't share well with others. And by that, I mean his feelings and motivations. He doesn't share those well. In fact, he's kind of closed off and mysterious when he first rolls into the cove.

But Charity works her magic on him and soon he's sharing up a storm. Heh. Just kidding. Elias is the strong, silent type. He folds Charity into his bubble of trust and shares things with her, but there aren't many others.

Meanwhile, as these two are working their way toward a relationship, THINGS ARE HAPPENING in town. You know, like cults who think they're going to be taken away by spaceships, swindlers doing a little B&E, potential blackmailing, and a murder.

No worries, though, Charity and Elias are on the case (so to speak) and they're heading toward answers that probably won't get them killed. Probably. *thumbs up*

-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal

[Denise · Rating 2 out of 5]

this was a silly book. I couldn't connect with the two main characters. The guy was weird. His "water" martial arts was over the top. I am all for the quiet reserved guy, but this guy was just too much.

The story line was weird too... suckering all those people into beleiving that the aliens were going to land... I know that there are cults with dynamic leaders, but it is usually not a local real estate agent bent on revenge that can pull it off.

Just a little too far fetched for my liking.

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

After a breakdown, Charity Truitt has quit her job as a CEO of a Department Store and opened a small bookstore in Whispering Waters Cove. Corporate Raider Elias Winters has also moved to the small town and took over the curio shop. When a series of murders happen, Charity and Elias join forces to catch a killer.

I attempted to read this book many years ago but gave up after reading half. I decided to listen to the audiobook this time. It is definitely was not my favorite Krentz book. The hero kept philosophizing about water. I thought he was very strange. The narration was not very good. I was nearly in a coma by the end of the book. My rating: 1.5 Stars.

[Melody · Rating 1 out of 5]

Il m'a un peu saoulé.

[Max · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars.
This is a classic JAK novel.
Although this is not one of my favorites of her's, it's not that bad either.

I did find that Elias's emphasis on his water-based martial arts and philosophy to be a bit over the top, but somewhat endearing nevertheless.

What annoyed me the most was the utter emphasis on Charity's "nervous breakdown" a year before. Firstly, I don't think she really had a nervous breakdown. And secondly I felt that her endless apologies and references to it was unnecessary and did nothing but cause her to offer excuses for herself.

It struck me as a strange note to take in a romance novel, and made me dislike Charity more than I would have otherwise.

Overall though, not a bad read, but if you've never read any Jayne Ann Krentz before I wouldn't start with this one. Start with Falling Awake, All Night Long,Trust Me or Sizzle and Burn instead.

[Teri-K · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of those early Krentz books with tough businessmen heroes and the quirky women who teach them to open up and find love. It's not one of my favorites, though if you can accept a cult that believes aliens will be arriving and ending the world and a hero who practices some sort of water-based martial arts/philosophy, then the rest of the book is pretty good. lol

As for the heroine, you have to get past her silly anxiety over big men - and why wasn't she just honest with her fiancé and family? But that's the very beginning. Once we see her in her small town, fighting for the weird business owners and whipping up tasty vegetarian dishes for potlucks, she's very likeable.

I've said it before and will repeat myself - there's a place in life for interesting, quirky books that simply entertain. I listened to this while allergies had my eyes streaming so badly I couldn't read and hadn't slept for two nights because I was constantly blowing my nose and sneezing. At such a time you simply want to be distracted and have your brain kept happy. Some folks turn to TV - I turn to books like this one. It worked. :) 2.5-3 stars

[Linda Baker · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really can't recommend this audiobook published in the 1990's from the prolific Jayne Ann Krentz. I've been involved in some tedious tasks for several days and was looking for some non-challenging listening to go with them. What we have here is a leading man who is just plain weird, emotionally repressed, robotic, and obsessed with a strange fictitious Eastern philosophy based on of all things, water! Then there is the heroine; tiny, impulsive, fierce, with the requisite heart of gold. Throw in a cult waiting for the arrival of space aliens, quirky townspeople, and nefarious real estate agents and you have a hot mess. I don't usually mind a formula as long as it's a believable one. The narrator made absolutely no distinctions in the various voices. I quite often had no idea who was speaking without going back.

Why two stars? I usually only give 1 star to books I don't finish. For some unknown reason, I stuck it out to the bitter end.

[Barbara Nutting · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am utterly amazed at the high ratings of this book. It is so juvenile I only lasted to page 82! If a guy had ever said to me “I’m wondering how your mouth tastes” - let me tell you, he never would have found out - I’d have been hysterically laughing, and running!! Another one that should be in the Young Adult section. With a name like Judith Anne I should have known better.

[Lark of The Bookwyrm's Hoard · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I enjoyed it, but perhaps not quite as much as I have some of Krentz's other books. Enough to have reread it several times, though!

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I kept thinking about the Way of Water Avatar movie while reading about how Elias is following Hayden Stone's philosophy and self-defense techinques. There's no direct connection to the movie since the book was published in 1996, but the philosophical notes ring true. Anyway, while the romance is sparkling between Charity and Elias and the whole plot with the cult waiting for the spaceships to arrive is well done, the real scene stealer is Crazy Otis the parrot.

[Carol Fellenz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book. drags at times but it does end up interesting at the end

[Belle · Rating 4 out of 5]

☆3.5

[Brenda Shaffer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This probably my most favorite book of Jayne Ann Krentz

[Renée Gendron]

This is a nice read if you like a small town/small community feel. There's an interesting cast of characters with unique backgrounds, more soap opera backgrounds than real-life ones. It can make for a change of pace if you're into a lighter read.

I did find it to be insta-love.

[Gina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great mystery. The story was a good one and I’m ready to read her next one.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elias and Charity are fun - I enjoy their banter as they get to know each other, and I like how they like each other. It's odd to think that not all romantic leads in romance novels like each other, but I feel like I've been reading a lot of enemies-to-lovers stories lately and... eh, I'm maybe a little tired of reading about people having hate sex. Really appreciated the tenderness, affection and respect in this couple.

Probably closer to 3.5 stars because I got a little bored by the end, but that was more because I didn't care whodunit than because of my feelings about the h/h. The suspense part of romantic-suspense rarely interests me, and that holds true with this book as well.

[Nolan · Rating 1 out of 5]

A somewhat strange book about two corporate misfits who find themselves and each other on a pier miles from Seattle where they both once worked. He's obsessed with water; she's obsessed with him. The parrot is just possessed, and watch for the cult encamped nearby. They're waiting for the alien ships to take them away at midnight on a proscribed date. But the ships don't make it, and the cult leader is murdered. Now it's up to water boy and his bookstore-owning romantic interest to figure out who offed the cult leader. The f-bomb falls moderately often, and the descriptions of sexual encounters are relatively short but do precious little to enhance the story.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

The theme is water in this book published in 1996. Once again I give it five stars for the characters. Charity Truitt and Elias Winter, in spite of the wierdness of the water philosophy Elias espouses, are fun to be with as they untangle their former lives and start over on Crazy Otis Landing only to have to deal with several murders. Crazy Otis, the parrot, is a welcome addition as are the many characters in supporting roles. Altogether a great re-read, time and time again.

[Kate · Rating 1 out of 5]

You don't actually fall into deep waters when reading this. The two main characters fall inlove earlier than expected, claimed to be instant attraction. Elias liked Charity but he's somewhat inane like he's not afraid to lose her. Stupid? No. Just the author being unromantic in some way.

[Mara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not sure if the author was having fun poking at a fad (both the cult and the fake eastern mistique). Honestly I found it boring, heavy handed and downright stupid.
She's usually pretty formulaic, but in some books it's particularly evident. Overall I didn't connect.

[Ewa ❀ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 stars

[Cathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not the best Krentz book I've read!

[Paraphrodite · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Elias' voice was a bit too soft. Otherwise, a much better audio version than the abridged one.