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Slowly Sinking
To salvage their crumbling marriage, Madeleine and Julian devise a secret retreat to Ethiopia’s remote Omo Valley with their infant daughter, Leopaula. To avoid getting caught, the small British family voyages down the Omo River in a rowboat. With Leopaula softly snoring in the bow, the young parents finally find a loving moment of peace as the rhythmic ebb lulls them into a deep slumber—until Julian’s frantic cries shatter the silence.
“Maddy, wake up! Leopaula’s gone!”
As the boat steadies and the gravity of their situation sinks in, Julian scrambles to craft an alibi for when they return home. Old resentments resurface, reigniting the bitter arguments that drove them to the valley. All the while, an ominous, unnoticed tribesman mutely watches as despair grips the Brits.
“Hey,” he calls out, his voice piercing through the tension.
“I know where your baby is.”
“Maddy, wake up! Leopaula’s gone!”
As the boat steadies and the gravity of their situation sinks in, Julian scrambles to craft an alibi for when they return home. Old resentments resurface, reigniting the bitter arguments that drove them to the valley. All the while, an ominous, unnoticed tribesman mutely watches as despair grips the Brits.
“Hey,” he calls out, his voice piercing through the tension.
“I know where your baby is.”
462 pages, Hardcover
Published March 1, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
October 25, 2025
Great story, great manipulation of plot flow and character roster, and most of all great twists. It starts really descriptive and fast paced, you hit some backstory, and then you're catapulted into a really complex and multi-angled storm.
Realistically tight storyline.
Realistically tight storyline.
January 27, 2026
Oh my goodness this one was an absolute RIDE! There is nothing better then a thriller you didn't see coming 👀 This one was twisty for sure! One thing I really enjoyed about this book is that there were multiple "main characters" and all of them have such a unique background and perspective.
You have Julian the raised royal and new dad whose always lived in the spotlight, Francis the boy from the bad part of town whose life has been one tragedy after another, Madeline the darling from across the tracks who ends up a Princess (but does she know what she signed up for 👀🫣), Immamu the Mursi man who just wants his brother back.
Also so many strong mothers in this which is a ❤️🎉 for me.
If you are looking for a spine tingling thriller that will have you throwing your phone and screaming at your Kindle then look no further. This one felt like domestic thriller meets historical fiction in the absolute BEST way. I loved looking into the history between the UK and the Omo river valley after reading and it is 🤯
You have Julian the raised royal and new dad whose always lived in the spotlight, Francis the boy from the bad part of town whose life has been one tragedy after another, Madeline the darling from across the tracks who ends up a Princess (but does she know what she signed up for 👀🫣), Immamu the Mursi man who just wants his brother back.
Also so many strong mothers in this which is a ❤️🎉 for me.
If you are looking for a spine tingling thriller that will have you throwing your phone and screaming at your Kindle then look no further. This one felt like domestic thriller meets historical fiction in the absolute BEST way. I loved looking into the history between the UK and the Omo river valley after reading and it is 🤯
October 25, 2025
Killer hook. Killer content. Killer ending. I don't know what that other reviewer meant by a "million characters". it's like 8 or 9 in total, which is normal for a thriller. i guess booktok really poisoned the industry.
The storystarts with a missing baby, but not just at like a hilton or whatever. It's at an deserted valley where only tribespeople live. the story bounces between the tribespeople's troubles and the parents, building a tension and suspense that's absolutely enthralling.
I had a firend who also read it and when they came across the Ethiopian characters, they had a cringe that well... mostly comes from folks who don't interact a lot with different colored people... let's just keep it at that. but that was the point of the plot: the Ethiopian tribes might look different, but they're poeple. And just ebcause of their looks, they're ridiculed, abandoned, and even feared. but at the end, they're just people who decided to live their life in a different way.
What I love most about slowly sinking is that the author reveals the thoughts of the tribe people in a western format. so, other than a bit unusual names (Imamu, Amari, etc), their personalities are extremely relatable. What's really cool is that you could look up these tribal people online. Really interesting and a wonder representation of modern day oppression amid parental struggle. I couldn't recommend this more, espeically because each chapter seems to be only 4-5 pages, which makes it really easy to read a chapter before bed.
The storystarts with a missing baby, but not just at like a hilton or whatever. It's at an deserted valley where only tribespeople live. the story bounces between the tribespeople's troubles and the parents, building a tension and suspense that's absolutely enthralling.
I had a firend who also read it and when they came across the Ethiopian characters, they had a cringe that well... mostly comes from folks who don't interact a lot with different colored people... let's just keep it at that. but that was the point of the plot: the Ethiopian tribes might look different, but they're poeple. And just ebcause of their looks, they're ridiculed, abandoned, and even feared. but at the end, they're just people who decided to live their life in a different way.
What I love most about slowly sinking is that the author reveals the thoughts of the tribe people in a western format. so, other than a bit unusual names (Imamu, Amari, etc), their personalities are extremely relatable. What's really cool is that you could look up these tribal people online. Really interesting and a wonder representation of modern day oppression amid parental struggle. I couldn't recommend this more, espeically because each chapter seems to be only 4-5 pages, which makes it really easy to read a chapter before bed.
April 24, 2026
Slowly Sinking is a truly thrilling journey of greed, lust, and the harsh reality of how far people will go for what they believe is right.
This book starts out with what seems like a simple premise. Husband and wife having issues, so they escape on a trip for some alone time. During that trip their baby goes missing. But the more you read, the more details that unravel. You find the horrifying truth of generational greed.
The writing was excellent. Dasher Canon's descriptive details paints a picture you can't look away from. One of the best cinematic storytellers I have read recently.
I loved the multiple POVs from all the characters and seeing it all come together at the end was shocking.
Give this book a chance. You won't regret it!
This book starts out with what seems like a simple premise. Husband and wife having issues, so they escape on a trip for some alone time. During that trip their baby goes missing. But the more you read, the more details that unravel. You find the horrifying truth of generational greed.
The writing was excellent. Dasher Canon's descriptive details paints a picture you can't look away from. One of the best cinematic storytellers I have read recently.
I loved the multiple POVs from all the characters and seeing it all come together at the end was shocking.
Give this book a chance. You won't regret it!
October 25, 2025
A friend recommended this at my local Barnes & Noble and what a recommendation! What starts as a simple story line really grips the bull by the horns. This is not your typical predictable or linear storyline that thrillers have become lazy in. The plot follows four characters whose lives take a major shift when a baby goes missing.
I'm rating 5 stars because the depth of the plot is there, the characters are well defined and their moral compasses are completely gray. If you're seeking an ABC style novel (Hoover/McFadden), this may not be for you, but if you want a Dan Brown/Fightclub/Breaking Bad quality plot, you'll love this.
I'm rating 5 stars because the depth of the plot is there, the characters are well defined and their moral compasses are completely gray. If you're seeking an ABC style novel (Hoover/McFadden), this may not be for you, but if you want a Dan Brown/Fightclub/Breaking Bad quality plot, you'll love this.
October 25, 2025
I recently finished this and MY GAWD! Utterly speechless. I can't compare it to any recent novel but a show I just finished on Netflix, called Mr. Robot, really has the same level of complexity.
A friend picked it up directly from the author and gifted me it after raving about it. Filled with twists and unexpected but super realistic turns. The author apparently visited all the spots mentioned and mirrored a lot of the social struggles he found.
I find that most thrillers today are like a drag race. Boring to watch and so so to partake. This is more like a rollercoaster that's worth the uphill climb. Really rare title that's highly recommended.
A friend picked it up directly from the author and gifted me it after raving about it. Filled with twists and unexpected but super realistic turns. The author apparently visited all the spots mentioned and mirrored a lot of the social struggles he found.
I find that most thrillers today are like a drag race. Boring to watch and so so to partake. This is more like a rollercoaster that's worth the uphill climb. Really rare title that's highly recommended.
March 16, 2026
the kind of novel that ruins you quietly — a story that begins as a marriage in crisis and reveals itself to be a multigenerational indictment of colonial greed, royal corruption and the devastating cost of one good man's conscience. Dasher Canon writes with a cinematic precision that makes the Ethiopian Omo Valley feel like the most alive and consequential landscape in contemporary fiction. By the final page you realize the title was never just about the river.
October 25, 2025
really good writing and plot. tough to find these days. not too much time telling us how the place looks, but enough to have our minds there. Also, very deep issues discussed in the book, with solutions that every human being could understand.
October 22, 2025
Picked it up at barnes and nobles, the story is very confusing with all the million characters involved. Just not my cup of tea
October 25, 2025
Worth the read. I'm at the spot where Amari confronts the couple and cant put it down. Really exciting
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews