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The Dead Pool
Morag Ramsay is trying to be in optimistic mood, having had murder charges against her dropped due to lack of evidence. But she can remember nothing about the day of the killings . . . or whether she is innocent. With the help of a stranger who turns up on her doorstep, Morag begins to piece together her fragmentary recollection of those recent but traumatic events . . .
304 pages, Paperback
First published October 25, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 29, 2020
I had never heard of this author but was short of something to read at my parents so decided to give it a go. I really enjoyed it. The story was creepy and very suspenseful, the characters largely either unpleasant or not quite right in some way and it kept my interest right to the end. Although I suspected who the real killer was about 2/3 of the way through, it was more guesswork than actually having picked up on any clues. I also enjoyed the stunning backdrop of the Water of Leith natural area in Edinburgh. I haven't been there but would now certainly like to check it out - in daylight of course!
February 19, 2021
I enjoyed this book very much, but would consider it light reading. It could however capture my attention, so I finished it in a few evenings. The authors way of writing is very agreeable, the only thing I would have changed was adding a little more tension to end the story. All in all, a nice book to read in a rainy weekend
May 8, 2025
To be honest I scanned from about page 50!
August 5, 2016
Kirstin Rutherford returns to Edinburgh after two years. Five months ago her beloved father-in-law Jamie drowned in The Cauldron - a deep pool in the Water of Leith, only nobody had told Kirstin. Divorced from Ross, she finds that Ross has not told her about Jamie's death or his funeral for some strange reason. Even more distressing than not being told, it seems that everyone thinks that Jamie's death was either a tragic accident or suicide, but Kirstin refuses to believe that the man she knew could possibly have committed suicide. Ross is not so sure, positive his father had changed in the months before his death.
The only person who may know the truth is Morag. In the months before Jamie's death he had been working as a volunteer river guide and self-appointed park ranger, and Morag and her crowd of friends were residents along the same part of the river. Their activities - parties, games, drinking and playing hard on the banks of the river had brought them into direct confrontation with Jamie. Despite all his best efforts he wasn't able to curb their behaviour, but when two of that crowd are murdered at the Cauldron - just a few months before Jamie's own death, Morag is accused but finally released from jail due to lack of evidence. Convinced Morag is the key to the truth behind Jamie's death, Kirstin befriends her, but Kirstin soon discovers that Morag is unpredictable to say the least.
According to the bio that came with THE DEAD POOL, Sue Walker is a journalist who has specialised in miscarriage of justice cases and THE DEAD POOL follows that vein of investigation - the testing of evidence and events around the death of all three people - the two murder victims and Kirstin's father-in-law. The author is obviously deeply interested in the subject of how people can seem to be guilty of things even though there is very little actual fact behind the perception. THE DEAD POOL covers the question of whether or not Morag is guilty and if not, who else could possibly be involved. The question of Jamie's death is central to Kirstin's obsession, she desperately wants to understand what happened to her much loved father-in-law, both before he died and how he died.
The other interesting component of THE DEAD POOL was the author's choice to populate the book with a lot of difficult characters. Those of the crowd in which Morag mixed that were still around were mostly unpleasant, over the top, self-involved. This gave an interesting twist to their possible involvement in any of the deaths as even Morag was very hard to sympathise with or even like for that matter. Jamie's son Ross seems almost too good to be true, and a weird sort of user, an uncomfortable character to be around, whilst Kirstin, the central character of the book, was equally disconcerting in many ways. Ultimately the true killer wasn't that hard to pick fairly early on, and whilst a number of the side considerations of possible motives or the vague possibility of collaboration were dangled at points, the resolution with a little bit too much rushing around in the rain without the much longed for mobile telephone gave the book a bit of a flat ending.
The only person who may know the truth is Morag. In the months before Jamie's death he had been working as a volunteer river guide and self-appointed park ranger, and Morag and her crowd of friends were residents along the same part of the river. Their activities - parties, games, drinking and playing hard on the banks of the river had brought them into direct confrontation with Jamie. Despite all his best efforts he wasn't able to curb their behaviour, but when two of that crowd are murdered at the Cauldron - just a few months before Jamie's own death, Morag is accused but finally released from jail due to lack of evidence. Convinced Morag is the key to the truth behind Jamie's death, Kirstin befriends her, but Kirstin soon discovers that Morag is unpredictable to say the least.
According to the bio that came with THE DEAD POOL, Sue Walker is a journalist who has specialised in miscarriage of justice cases and THE DEAD POOL follows that vein of investigation - the testing of evidence and events around the death of all three people - the two murder victims and Kirstin's father-in-law. The author is obviously deeply interested in the subject of how people can seem to be guilty of things even though there is very little actual fact behind the perception. THE DEAD POOL covers the question of whether or not Morag is guilty and if not, who else could possibly be involved. The question of Jamie's death is central to Kirstin's obsession, she desperately wants to understand what happened to her much loved father-in-law, both before he died and how he died.
The other interesting component of THE DEAD POOL was the author's choice to populate the book with a lot of difficult characters. Those of the crowd in which Morag mixed that were still around were mostly unpleasant, over the top, self-involved. This gave an interesting twist to their possible involvement in any of the deaths as even Morag was very hard to sympathise with or even like for that matter. Jamie's son Ross seems almost too good to be true, and a weird sort of user, an uncomfortable character to be around, whilst Kirstin, the central character of the book, was equally disconcerting in many ways. Ultimately the true killer wasn't that hard to pick fairly early on, and whilst a number of the side considerations of possible motives or the vague possibility of collaboration were dangled at points, the resolution with a little bit too much rushing around in the rain without the much longed for mobile telephone gave the book a bit of a flat ending.
May 29, 2016
I came to this novel with low expectations because I had never heard of the author and come across some poor reviews. However, I am pleased to say, I really enjoyed the story. It features a young woman who returns to a town in Scotland where her ex-husband lives, and her quest to solve the mystery of how and why her father-in-law, the apparently dedicated and morally upright river ranger, died at the weir in a winter storm. The book is populated with colourful and interesting characters, and the plot is well constructed so that the reader remains uncertain about the exact events that took place on the day of his death. There is also a second tragedy to be investigated, so the whole book becomes a layered and textured interplay of motives and lies.
The author uses her knowledge of psychology to create characters who are complex and nuanced, and this I particularly liked. The much-maligned Morag is undoubtedly in a psychologically fragile state, while several members of the group of young people who frequent the forest for parties are suffering degrees of grief and trauma at the loss of two of their friends. The main character, Kirsten, is herself confused and in mourning, while her ex-husband Ross seems to be in denial about so many things surrounding both disasters. All this adds intrigue and tension to the plot. I found myself unable to leave the book alone for very long because there were always too many unanswered questions and the promise of an imminent breakthrough.
I would recommend this book as a great holiday read in that it takes place in a beautiful setting, is quick and exciting to read, and immerses the reader in a cast of people who are, frankly, rather quirky and unpredictable, just as one expects to find on holiday. Don't expect great and memorable fiction, but "The Deep Pool" does have satisfying depths and the mystery is well wrapped up in the end.
The author uses her knowledge of psychology to create characters who are complex and nuanced, and this I particularly liked. The much-maligned Morag is undoubtedly in a psychologically fragile state, while several members of the group of young people who frequent the forest for parties are suffering degrees of grief and trauma at the loss of two of their friends. The main character, Kirsten, is herself confused and in mourning, while her ex-husband Ross seems to be in denial about so many things surrounding both disasters. All this adds intrigue and tension to the plot. I found myself unable to leave the book alone for very long because there were always too many unanswered questions and the promise of an imminent breakthrough.
I would recommend this book as a great holiday read in that it takes place in a beautiful setting, is quick and exciting to read, and immerses the reader in a cast of people who are, frankly, rather quirky and unpredictable, just as one expects to find on holiday. Don't expect great and memorable fiction, but "The Deep Pool" does have satisfying depths and the mystery is well wrapped up in the end.
August 18, 2015
I wasn't expecting much of the book, i started reading it after finishing the book i brought with me on holiday and i had nothing else to read with me. Allthough the story turned out to be pretty okay.
January 13, 2010
Airport fodder.
August 6, 2011
Crappy story. That's all I have to say...
January 8, 2017
interesting read
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews