Something in the Water

by Phyllis R. Dixon

Buried secrets, environmental disaster, and a legacy of corruption hit too close to home when a California native and her family make a fresh start in small-town Texas—and find trouble just beneath the promising surface . . .

As director of an award-winning investigative news radio show, Billie Jordan is used to dealing with trouble. But when the radio station is sold, she’s suddenly jobless and in need of money to help her son recover from an accident-related opioid addiction. When her husband gets a professorship at an HBCU in his hometown, Billie makes the best of their move South. All seems well—until severe storms cause massive destruction and contaminate the town’s water supply—making it unsafe to drink.

With some digging, Billie learns that the water issues are on-going. But soon, the old guard accuses her of sticking her nose where it doesn’t belong—and it doesn’t seem like a coincidence when she starts losing job opportunities. When she tries to expose the crisis in the local newspaper, even HBCU administrators—including her husband—quash her efforts. Undeterred, Billie discovers a shocking  millions of dollars intended to solve the problem have disappeared or been redirected. Worse, her sister-in-law is on the water commission . . .

Billie is fast learning that decades-old connections between money, power, and family, flow deeper and darker in this town than any underground system. With her son’s health and her marriage at stake she’ll need all her resources and skills to save them and bring down the corruption . . . if a conspiracy doesn't drown her first.

305 pages, Paperback

Published July 29, 2025

About the author

Ms. Dixon is the author of the novels, Forty Acres, Down Home Blues, Intermission and A Taste for More. She is also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the African American Woman’s Soul. She is a native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and has also lived in Minneapolis, Houston, and Pine Bluff, Arkansas. She now calls Memphis, Tennessee home. She is a former bank regulator and book store owner. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and has three adult children. When not reading or writing, she enjoys classic movies, old school R&B and chocolate.

Reviews

[MJ · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book had so much potential. But I was very disappointed. The story was all over the place and bounced around too much. Over descriptive chapters with irrelevant unrealistic banter followed by time jumps that breezed by more important moments. There was too much going on, with too many side plots. None of it felt realistic. The dialogue between the characters read like a soap opera.

Not one character in the book was likable. I felt it was impossible to root for the FMC because she was so ignorant that it seemed delusional. The FMC and her husband deserved each other. Both of them seemed emotionally unstable and immature.

The son’s story was the only story I was invested in. He seems like the only character that had potential for growth. Because the adults in this book were clueless.

I wanted to DNF at the 30% mark but kept going because I felt like this deserved an honest review upon completion.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Whitney Daniell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Something in the Water attempts to tackle two urgent societal issues—opioid addiction and contaminated water—but ultimately falls short due to poor execution. The story follows Billie Jordan, a former radio host who moves from Oakland to a small Texas town with her husband and son, only to find herself struggling against small-town politics, a toxic work culture, and her son’s spiraling drug addiction.

While the premise is timely and important, the book is bogged down by pacing issues, excessive dialogue, and wildly unlikeable characters—especially Billie herself, who is frustratingly self-centered and emotionally unintelligent. The narrative leans heavily on conversations rather than character development or vivid storytelling, which leaves the plot feeling flat and disjointed. Numerous plot holes strain believability and ultimately undermine the story’s emotional impact.

Although the author’s intentions are clear and commendable, the story attempts to do too much and doesn’t fully succeed in either theme. By the time the abrupt ending arrives, there’s little sense of resolution. Sadly, this one fell short for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Read my full review here: https://whitneydaniell.com/2025/07/24...

[Ellen Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This was a very relatable book in so many ways. With themes of addiction, career drama, and environmental issues, this was a perfect book for this time. I loved Billie and how much she pushed forward when things weren’t right and to fight back against corruption. Of course you have to sprinkle in some personal family issues and it’s a recipe for hard decisions that must be made one way or the other. What a well told story with a very strong leading character!

[ArriChaiReads · Rating 3 out of 5]

At times it felt like I was reading multiple books at once. Which does speak to the nuance of life but putting it all into one book made it difficult to fully experience any one issue. Issues like water supply and the opioid crisis and their effect on Black communities are relevant but all of that alongside all the other subplots made it hard to be connected to the story or the characters. Oh and Cole sucks.

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to Phyllis R. Dixon and Kensington for a giveaways copy of the book!

I was so excited for a novel that tackled two difficult and true-to-life challenges in the form of water inequity/environmental racism and opioid addiction of a family member. While these conflicts shape most of the plot progression and the author has clearly put care and research into how they are conveyed, this book overall fell flat for me in effectively delivering a story worth reading as well as in maintaining integrity with the subject matter at hand.

Bogged down by too many (all very abbreviated) subplots and side quests, petty drama, and unnatural and unnecessary dialogue, the book rushed along the entire way through the plot without wrapping up anything at all going into the ending- not a single plot line felt complete upon turning the last page. Billie was also genuinely one of the least likeable protagonists I have ever read, and unfortunately not in a good or fun way that kept me hooked. Self-righteous whilst being inconceivably self-unaware, her hypocrisy and quickness to jump to the worst conclusions about others made it impossible to root for her.

This book definitely could have benefited from one or seventeen more editing cycles- in addition to grammatical errors, plot/timeline inconsistencies kept me confused pretty much the entire book; things would come up out of nowhere and then be introduced a few pages or chapters later, characters would bounce around between different viewpoints and relationships with one another, or even change locations/life situations with no warning and little to no explanation, and so on.

Overall, Dixon highlighted two major issues disproportionately facing minority populations, which is admirable and commendable at its core. She clearly put work into conveying these issues as accurately as she could and I hope she and others are able to bring more awareness to these and other social issues as a result of works of art like this. The execution of delivering a narrative centered around these issues, though, was a much less successful endeavor in this instance.

[Ranisha Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Something in the Water is a messy family drama that pulls you in immediately on chapter 1/ page 1. It kicks off with messy family issues that will have you excited to jump into the novel. I really enjoyed the mess that was laid out to us the MOST! It was typical, it shifted family dynamics, and it was a bit informative.

Billie and Cole’s relationship was on thin ice the entire novel. I didn’t really care for the way Cole spoke to Billie. He was very disrespectful when speaking to her and he didn’t care about her feelings or how his words affected her. I also didn’t like the way he allowed the locals and his brother to speak with her. Though they had their own issues, I felt like the LEAST he could have done was took sides and stood up for the mother of his children. But he didn’t give a damn. 😆 He moved her from Cali to Texas and said “get used to it”. 😭

Most times I felt bad for Billie, mainly because she was in a new state, having to adjust to a new environment … only to find out the freakin’ state had some ongoing Water Issues that no one really seemed to care about.

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The writing style was choppy and all over the place. Each paragraph in most of the book was about different things, thoughts really didn’t flow, and scenes were just rushed. The only time a chapter made sense was when it was a shorter chapter. But outside of that, it was all over the place.

The story wasn’t slow, it was actually pretty fast. It seemed as if the author was trying to cover a lot in a short amount of time.

The family drama was laid out perfectly and we get a lot of it which made me continue to read the book. But if you are a heavy critic on writing style and the flow of thoughts in a story, this novel won’t be for you.

[Roslyn Bell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Phyllis R. Dixon’s Something in the Water is a gripping blend of domestic drama and investigative suspense, set against the backdrop of small-town Texas. Billie Jordan, a seasoned radio journalist, relocates with her family after losing her job and facing financial strain due to her son’s opioid addiction. What begins as a reluctant fresh start quickly spirals into a battle against environmental corruption when severe storms expose long-standing issues with the town’s water supply. Billie’s instincts lead her to uncover a web of deceit involving misappropriated funds, political cover-ups, and even her own family forcing her to choose between silence and justice. Dixon crafts a compelling narrative that explores the intersection of personal resilience and systemic failure. Billie’s tenacity and moral compass anchor the story, while the novel’s pacing and layered conflicts keep the tension simmering. With echoes of Erin Brockovich and the emotional depth of contemporary Black women’s fiction, Something in the Water is both timely and resonant a story about speaking truth to power, even when the cost is painfully personal. This was my first read by this author.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Phyllis R. Dixon, Dafina/Kensington and Between the Chapters Facebook Club. I don't give away spoilers in my reviews.
Billie Jordan is a director of a news radio show in California and often uses her investigative skills to help listeners with their issues. Her radio station is sold and she ends up following her husband, Cole, to his hometown Calderville, TX. Cole is a professor at a local HBCU and loves being back home near his family. Their daughter Kendra is in the Navy and their son Dylan is struggling with an addiction and bounces around city/state to city/state.
Billie isn't as crazy about Texas as her husband is. She loves his family but doesn't share their views and politics. She's a go-getter and stands up for what's wrong. Unfortunately, this causes Billie problems in her personal life and her career life.
This book reminded me of the water issues Flint has dealt with. Billie ran into the same water problem in the little Texas town and stood up for what was right.
I enjoyed this book and having lived in Texas for many years, understood the culture.

[Quaterria Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

When Billie Jordan reluctantly moves from California to her husband to a small town in Texas, she never expected to deal with such high levels of water issues.

I could not fathom living somewhere where there is a boil advisory going out literally every other day and having to rely on the use of bottled water for doing mundane tasks such as brushing your teeth (the dishes can wait lol).

What worked for this book:
This brings to light 2 major issues that affect this country: insufficient water quality and opioid addiction

What didn't work for this book:
The novel had a solid storyline but the execution did not come together for me. The pacing was off, affecting the flow of the book.

Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Publishing for this advanced copy!

[Giselle Mays · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Something In the Water” is a very intriguing and captivating read. I found the storyline, centered around a water crisis in the small town in Texas, to be informative as it delved into some of the affects contaminated water can have on populations of citizens. An example used in the book was how students academic performance in school was poorly affected. Another highlight of this book were the characters who I thought were well written and made the story more compelling. I’m interested to see what comes next!

[Shay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book tackles important issues such as opioid addiction. Billie moves to a small town in Texas and starts to take notice of the issues this town has. Of course, they don’t like her sticking her nose in their business and trouble ensued.
The storyline & plot was good but the book dragged in some places and has too many side plots. It didn’t keep my attention. It wasn’t a thriller in my opinion, it read more like family drama.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing this ARC. My opinions in this review are entirely my own.

[Nadia Jonesy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for this read. This book was not bad but the book was not very thrilling or even mystery like. The book provided great information that I did not know but the book was very slow. I was looking for some shock factors or plot twists to make me very intrigued and I did not see them. I would recommend this book but more as a family saga and not a thriller.

[Carol Bouffioux · Rating 3 out of 5]

Such an exciting & interesting premise! I was just disappointed that the dialog was stilted and nothing was really deeply developed as far as the crises are concerned. I think maybe too many possible topics? I mean, real life is often crammed w too much, but in the novel it just wasn’t satisfyingly dealt with. It was okay, but wouldn’t put it on my permanent bookshelf.

[Alyssa Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was a little disappointed. I feel like I was getting whiplash. There was so many events that could have had more focus and been a separate book all together. I thought we were focusing on one thing.. then another problem comes up.. and another.. the FMC could not catch a break. It wasn’t bad, but I feel like it had potential to be even better.

[Luella · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an intriguing story which included hidden family secrets, drug addiction, and environmental disasters. Doing the right thing sometimes becomes the wrong thing. Thank you to Goodreads Giveaways and Kensington for this book.

[Joy Wilkerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Something in Life

This book kept my attention. From the title I wanted to know what was happening with the water but I also was on edge about what with Billie, Cole and Dylan. Great page turner.

[Candee Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

great story! Man real time issues discussed

[Shayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

This book was all over the place. I got lost often throughout, trying to understand the storyline and the main focus of the book. I think the author had good intentions but poor execution.