Blood in the Water: The Untold Story of a Family Tragedy

by Casey Sherman

Troubled waters hide deadly secrets…

When Nathan Carman, a young man with a complicated past, is miraculously rescued from a lifeboat bobbing in the unforgiving North Atlantic, questions swirl about the fate of his mother, who is presumed to have drowned when their fishing boat sank. Nathan is in remarkably good shape for being lost at sea for a week, and his account of what exactly happened out there on the waves raises questions from family members and law enforcement.

Nathan's story of a fishing trip gone awry doesn't quite add up, and suspicion mounts. The mysterious murder of Nathan's multi-millionaire grandfather a few years before had made Nathan's mother an extremely wealthy woman. With a seven-million-dollar fortune at stake, did Nathan commit the ultimate betrayal? Or is there more to this tragic tale than meets the eye?

From New York Times bestselling author Casey Sherman comes a gripping contemporary true crime narrative for everyone who was fascinated by the Murdaugh murders, and for anyone compelled by the intersection between money, power, and family.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime, History, Mystery, Biography, Audiobook

352 pages, Paperback

First published April 8, 2025

About the author

Casey Sherman is a New York Times Bestselling Author of 13 books including The Finest Hours (now a major motion picture starring Casey Affleck & Chris Pine), Boston Strong (the basis for the film Patriots Day starring Mark Wahlberg), Animal & Hunting Whitey.
Sherman is also the author of 12, Search for the Strangler, Animal, Bad Blood, Black Irish, Black Dragon, Above & Beyond and The Ice Bucket Challenge.
Sherman is a contributing writer for TIME, Esquire, Washington Post, Boston Herald and Boston Magazine and has appeared as a guest an analyst on more than 100 television news programs.
Sherman is a graduate of Barnstable High School (Cape Cod), Fryeburg Academy (Fryeburg, Me.) and Boston University.

Reviews

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC for review. To be published April 8, 2025.

Three stars for this true crime/family drama.

Nathan Carman, a disaffected loner is connected to, not one, but two murders within his own family. Like, it’s the holidays and all, so I kind of see it, but really? One is hard enough to hide. Trust me, I’ve done the math on this.

First Nathan’s wealthy grandfather is shot to death n his home. Then Nathan is pulled from the sea in a dramatic rescue and claims that the boat where he and his mother were fishing suddenly sank and he was the sole survivor. Of course there’s a great deal of money at stake. Is Nathan, who is on the autism spectrum, making him difficult to communicate with, guilty?

Well, my friends, of course he is! This is really never in doubt…are you new? Nathan isn’t even a very good criminal but this is yet another story that shows just how hard it can be to convict someone of murder when even the proverbial blind man blah, blah, blah. While this is interesting true crime Nathan really is a sad sack, and you really want to see him pay.

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of, Blood in the Water, by Casey Sherman, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Nathan Carman lost his mother and grandfather to tragedy, but did he murder them, because of their great wealth? What a wild read, I was not prepared for the ending.

[Bec (becbingesbooks) - sorry, behind with lots of catching up to do]

not my favourite audio book, nor the worst. story felt a bit repetitive at times with really pressing the flaws of the accused as if trying to defend. it went in an unexpected direction at times as well.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this true crime story, Nathan was a classic example of parents ignoring their child(ren’s) issues when they display certain behaviors at a young age. Nathan’s grandfather is murdered in his home, and his mother dies under suspicious circumstances a few years later. This wealthy family is divided, as the investigation is underway with Nathan being the likeliest suspect.

The author did a good job recreating the events of this story and he did a great job with the narration as well. Thank you RBmedia and NetGalley for this advanced listening copy. All opinions are my own.

[Kay Oliver · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had never heard of this case before, and it was so intriguing. I couldn't put this book down. The writing was superb, and there was a lot of well researched information. There were some very interesting people involved in this case, namely Nathan, his grandfather, and his mother. This case will leave you thinking and disturbed about what did or did not happen in that life raft.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book since I'm a New Englander and know all the places (or close by) the family lived in. But the majority of the family were really, really unlikeable so in the end I didn't really care who murdered Creepy Grandpa or Clingy Mommy. The only redeeming character was the grandmother and she died off pretty early in the book. But what was so distracting was the poor writing. Linda and Nathan would meet at a mutual agreed upon place to go fishing and then "pile into the car together?" Two people don't pile into a car, maybe five people do. And that way of writing when on throughout the entire book which was very distracting.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing true crime story. Watched a 20/20 story about it. Left me still asking questions. So strange.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this true crime narrative very intriguing. Somehow I had missed the story unfolding in real time through 2023. Nathan Carman finds himself embroiled in a bitter family dispute, complete with greed, lies, mystery and of course, murder. I am somewhat of a details person...and this did not disappoint. People were introduced in chronological order (such as the seller of the boat and various family members) without having to go back and insert them in my memory when they testify in court or appear on a later page. I found Sherman's research impeccable with no stone unturned. He doesn't insert his opinion or bias but simply displays the facts for the reader to assess themselves. I hear Netflix is making a documentary eventually, and I am already looking into other newscasts and video clips of which the Carman family was a part. Highly recommend for any true crime fans or just those looking for a riveting narrative nonfiction story.

[Adrianna Cooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read. The author attempts his best to stay neutral. All the people involved are unlikeable so you have a bad taste in your mouth the whole time. But it makes you wonder if he actually did it or not. You’ll never know!

[Chelsea Pittman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nathan Carman’s story is one full of confusion and mystery.

I think if choosing between this book or a documentary- 20/20 episode, I would watch the doc. The book felt drawn out and I lost interest in the story.

The family is definitely weird. From the grandfather’s sex habits and the mother grabbing her dad’s testicles during a fight…wtf.

I’ve read a couple other books by the other and they are half and half for me. I prefer A Murder in Hollywood best.

Thank you to NetGalley, Casey Sherman, and Sourcebooks for the opportunity to read it. I have written this review voluntarily and honestly.

[Sarah B · Rating 4 out of 5]

The one thing I liked most about reading this true crime story is that the author is unbiased. You hear both sides of the case and then you are free to make up your own mind about what had happened. Was Nathan innocent or guilty? Did he kill his grandfather and then later kill his mother in a boating accident? All for money? Or was he an easy target because he had autism? You can read this, analyze to your heart's content and then decide. But we will probably never know the truth.

I will add I had never heard of this case before. Often these news stories just slip right past me - maybe because I am too busy reading other books. But the writing style in here was very engaging. I actually read this whole book within a single day. That's 246 pages of text (the rest is a bibliography at the back). I actually started reading this in the wee hours of the morning - after midnight. And I found myself so totally hooked that I was reading until 1:30 am! And I wanted to keep reading too. But I had three separate appointments today so I needed sleep. So yes I was forced to put the book away...but I didn't want to.

So if you never heard of Nathan Carman, he was a young man on the autism spectrum. Years ago it was called Asperger's. And like most people on the spectrum he had difficulty communicating to people, to the neurotypicals. They didn't understand him (lack of eye contact, the blank face, etc). And he didn't understand lots of stuff either. It's a disability. But he gets accused of killing his very wealthy grandfather. And then later he gets accused of killing his mother too. He likes fishing so he takes her out on a boat he bought, out to sea on the east coast, and the boat sinks. Only he survives.

None of these things are spoilers. They are listed on the inside flap of the book.

But the details in here are utterly amazing. The author clearly worked very hard to provide as much information as possible, starting from when he was very young...

I am on the spectrum too. When I picked this book up I had no idea that Nathan was on the spectrum. But I found it very intriguing that we are so different. I can see the autism with his special interests, his lack of friends, how many are quick to judge him...but I also read about him doing things in here that I would never do. And I wonder how he could do them?

But we both loved horses. The beginning of the book talks about his special horse, Cruise. Cruise was his heart horse. I have horses too. But I have many horses. He only had one. And some part of me thinks that might be part of the problem... Well that is my opinion. But that is only a very tiny fragment of this story.

And what a story it is! It tells all about a rich but very troubled family... Lots of hostility. Fighting. Court cases. Accusations. And tons of money.

Didn't someone say that money was the root of all evil?

Very easy reading writing style with a page turning tale of death, murder and millions of dollars. Oh and the ending totally shocked me! I was truly flabbergasted. This is one twist I hadn't expected at all. I had no idea how it was going to end but that wasn't it (but then knowing some statistics about individuals on the spectrum maybe I should have guessed it but I didn't.)

[MM Suarez · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I don’t see how a drifting life raft can drift upstream or drift upwind."

This one here is a real head scratcher, millionaire grandfather is shot to death and grandson Nathan is the last person to see him alive, shot with a weapon just like the one sneakily purchased by Nathan in another state, of course said weapon has disappeared. Nathan's mother Linda becomes a very rich woman after her father's murder. A few years later Nathan takes his mother on an ill advised fishing trip, performs some strange "alterations" to the boat which mysteriously sinks, Linda is never heard from again and presumed dead while Nathan survives unscathed after what he claims is seven days at sea. The cock and bull story he tells the authorities is not believed by his rescuers, the coastguard or anyone in their right mind. All of that is crazy enough and the ending is even stranger but I won't spoil it.
After reading the book I tend to agree with the author that if I had been sitting on the jury of Nathan's murder trial, I probably would have voted to acquit him given the legal threshold of reasonable doubt, since most of the prosecution’s case focused on circumstantial evidence and nothing definitive was found tying him to the two murders, but my gut tells me that he was guilty of both, unfortunately we will never know.

[📚 Alana (professional book nerd)]

𝓣𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓴 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓽𝓸 𝓝𝓮𝓽𝓰𝓪𝓵𝓵𝓮𝔂 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓒𝓪𝓼𝓮𝔂 𝓢𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓶𝓪𝓷 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓪𝓻𝓬!

I wasn't super invested in this, although I did find the story somewhat interesting, but I wouldn't reread it. Thank you to the author for the arc!

[Macy Crummett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I audibly gasped when I finished this book

[Janalyn, the blind reviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blood In The Water; an untold story about a family tragedy by Casey Sherman, Nathan Carmen was the oldest grandson of John Chakalos. John was a millionaire builder in New England and spoiled his first grandson Nathan. So when Nathan was pulled out of a rescue boat near Martha’s Vineyard telling a story about how his boat fell from underneath him while he and his mom Linda were fishing and he never saw his mom again people were suspicious. especially Linda’s three sisters and Nathan‘s aunts. they also believed he killed his beloved 84 year-old grandpa. The first thing people criticized was the great condition he was in despite being afloat in the liferaft for seven days not to mention all the things he hid from his aunt‘s lawyers. he was also the last known person to see both of these people before they were murdered or went missing. despite all the evidence being circumstantial and in my opinion neither case could be proven beyond the shadow of doubt he still doesn’t come off as a nicest person and I took into account that he is on the spectrum but he still came off as a jerk. Throughout the book I really had a dislike for him but then when we got to the part where he was in court with his aunts and despite having a very high IQ it seems as if he didn’t know what to do. They accused him of not acting like someone who just lost a loved one but how does a person on the spectrum act when that happen. Another woman said she went up to him at the memorial for his mom and tried to hug him and he didn’t want to hug her… Hello he’s on the spectrum! Either way I found this book very interesting I do want to say in the book they mentioned the Sandy Hook shooter and how after that massacre happened everybody thought autistic people were potential murderers but I followed that case and didn’t even know the killer was autistic but that is neither here nor there. This is a great book from a great author And if you find stories about the human condition whether a tragic or heroic you will definitely find this book truly interesting. #NetGalley, #SourceBooks,, #TheBlindReviewer, #MyHonestReview, #CaseySherman, #BloodInTheWater,

[Kathleen Riggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Blood in the Water” is a non-fiction book that tells the untold story of a family tragedy by Casey Sherman. It recounts the mysterious disappearance of Linda Carman and the subsequent events surrounding her son, Nathan Carman, in a small fishing community in Nova Scotia. This true crime book delves into the complex family dynamics, financial motivations, and suspicious circumstances that raise questions about what really happened on that fateful day.
Blood in the Water is a captivating true crime book that explores a tangled web of family secrets, wealth, and potential wrongdoing. While I found the book slow-paced at times, it was still a good read that leaves the reader to form their own opinion about whether two members of the same family were killed or if one was an accident. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers of this book for providing me with a free advance copy to preview. I am leaving this review voluntary.

[Rhonda Fonicello · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely fascinating true crime. A bit repetitive here and there, but otherwise a solid read.

[Lauren D'Souza · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's rare that I start and finish a book in one sitting, but I did exactly that on a flight with this book because it was just so darn intriguing. In October 2016, a Chinese freighter spots a man waving a flag from a life raft in the North Atlantic. The crew is able to rescue him, and they learn that his name is Nathan Carman, a 22-year-old man who went missing on a fishing trip off Block Island with his mom. He claims to have been at sea in the life raft for seven days, but he appears fine and healthy - definitely not in the physical condition a doctor would expect from someone stranded for a week.

Nathan soon comes under investigation for the disappearance and presumed death of his mom, who he was fishing with. Turns out, Nathan was also suspected to be involved in the murder of his grandfather, a very wealthy real estate magnate in the Northeast who doted on Nathan and left him millions of dollars in his will. You learn a lot more about Nathan, including his messy family relationships and the greediness of his mom and aunts; his grandfather's controlling, King Lear-esque tendencies; the Asperger's that made Nathan behave erratically; his stints in mental health facilities; his history of running away and evading capture; and the 7+ years Nathan spent embroiled in lawsuits and investigations into his culpability for the death of his mom and grandfather.

All in all, this is a pristinely researched and written story, one that tries to be as balanced as possible and results in the reader really having no idea who was guilty of what (at least true in my case!). Fascinating case with a resolution that we'll never really know.

[Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I very much enjoyed this story of deceit, power, family dysfunction, and murder. As far as true crime goes, this was an exceptionally researched and well written narrative about Nathan Carmen, a young man accused of parenticide.

Nathan grew up with enormous wealth. His grandfather, worth millions, took a shine to Nathan, being the first male grandchild. Although Nathan had psychological and emotional difficulties growing, his grandfather favored him and had his mind set on making him the next in line to run his company, bypassing all four of his aunts. However, after his grandfather is murdered in cold blood and his mom goes missing (presumed drowned) after a fishing trip gone wrong with Nathan on his boat, all fingers start to point in his direction.

Typically, with true crime, the story gets dissected, and all the pieces start fitting together with the ending being wrapped up with a bow on top. However, this one was different. There was much supposition and speculation. There was also hard evidence that pointed to guilt, but there was no resolution at the end. It left me on a cliffhanger, wanting more certainty. For this reason, it lost stars. The writing and execution were terrific, but focusing on this particular crime for the book wasn't the best choice.

I would definitely read more by this author. The audio performance was solid and kept me interested in the plot.

Thank you to #NetGalley for an audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blood in the Water tells the story of Nathan Carman and the mysterious deaths of two people close to him - his mother and grandfather- years apart. When young Nathan is rescued floating in a life raft after his fishing boat sank, it sets off an investigation and national notoriety when the circumstances of his rescue are examined more closely, and reveals that his mother was on the fishing boat as well. Despite a widespread search, his mother was never found, and when police look more deeply into Nathan, they discover that his multimillionaire grandfather was murdered years earlier, with Nathan as a person of interest. The author does a superb job laying out the facts of the story, and letting the reader decide for themselves Nathan’s guilt or innocence, and he doesn’t inject his own opinions into the case. This leaves the reader with an objective and comprehensive narrative of the investigations into the deaths, culled from police reports, court testimony, etc. This is a fascinating story, and the book moves quickly and will hold your interest. A must read for true crime aficionados. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Dawn Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great. Googly. Moogly.

This is one crazy, twisted, gobsmacking story that by the end, unfortunately, leaves you with more questions than answers; this is not the fault of the author though, I need to say. He does an excellent job in presenting this twisted story [there were moments where I just sat back and thought "WHAT. THE. HECK.], the writing and research was impeccable, and he tells the story clearly, to the point he is able to [there comes a point where there is just no more to tell] and leaves it up to the reader to make their OWN determination about what happened, who was or was not guilty, and how do people who experience all of this ever move forward [for the record, I am still very torn about what I feel and it will take me awhile to sort all that I read out and come to a conclusion]. It was an excellent read/story and it was my best read of the week!! Well done!!

The author narrates this book, and much like his previous book "A Murder in Hollywood", does an excellent job telling this story [he speaks very well, enunciates well, AND knew the pronunciation of all the words he uses in the book [trust me when I tell you, that after multiple audiobook this month where this was NOT a thing that happened, it was glorious to have one that actually did] and I would listen to him narrate anything [perhaps if he runs out of ideas for books, he could have a second career as a narrator?? :-) ]. I highly recommend listening to him tell this story!

Thank you to NetGalley, Casey Sherman, SOURCEBOOKS (non-fiction)/Sourcebooks, and RB Media/Recorded Books for providing the eBook and audiobook ARC's in exchange for an honest review.

[Kim McGee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young autistic man is pulled from a life raft in the middle of the ocean alone. He claims his boat sank with his mother on it and neither can be found. Sadly before that the man's grandfather was murdered and the family is fighting over the estate. Did he have something to do with both deaths or is he just have really bad luck. This true crime tale involves money and with it comes family law suits. It is up to the reader to decide if justice is done.
My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

[Mallory · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a wild court case! The fact that the issue stemmed over the entire young life and into adulthood for Nathan was incredible that there wasn't legal issues early on. It is frustrating that the issues early in Nathan's life were connected to him being on the Spectrum and I feel this was not well understood back then like it is now. So perhaps if there was better testing and understanding the further issues would not have occurred when Nathan was an adult.
The book highlights several important themes and does an excellent job at laying out the timeline and connecting the issues in the case. The author did not include their opinion and stuck to reporting the details of the case which was great. I definitely recommend for those that enjoy dateline or true crime cases!

[Steve Eubanks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Casey Sherman is a good guy and a great journalist, because he does his job the old-fashioned way: He asks questions, he listens to answers, he follows up, he checks out every detail, and he keeps the right balance of skepticism and empathy.

All those traits are evident in this latest work, the story of Nathan Carmen, who many believe murdered his grandfather and mother.

Sherman does a wonderful job of presenting the facts in a page-turning narrative. One minute you’re convinced that Nathan did it; the next you’re sure he will be acquitted. It’s what makes these stories compelling.

Without spoiling it, I wish there was a more satisfying resolution, but the real world doesn’t work that way. Still, this book is well worth your time and money.

[Karen Miles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, RB Media, and Casey Sherman for providing me with an ARC of the e-audiobook "Blood in the Water". True crime is one of my favorite genres to read. I went into this audiobook blind as I had never heard of Nathan Carman or the crimes for which he had been accused. I enjoyed Casey Sherman's narration of this book. I found the audiobook to be very intriguing and informative about Nathan and the murder of his grandfather and the "death" of his mother whose body has never been found. Did Nathan actually commit these crimes or was the court of public opinion basing their opinions on circumstantial evidence. True crime fans will devour this book as the writing and narration are excellent.

[Bill reilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Chakalos was a self-made millionaire who was a sort of Greek J. R. Ewing, dispensing his cash to his four daughters for their undying loyalty. His first grandson and heir apparent, Nathan Carman was a brilliant student who suffered from autism. He had no friends and was close to his mother Linda.
Grandpa was dispatched by rifle shots to the head and Nathan was suspected of the murder. A thirty caliber bullet was used and the boy had purchased a $2,000 Sig Hauer rifle which he claimed to have lost.
A few years later, Nathan took his mother on a fishing trip. He was rescued from a life raft by a passing Chinese ship and he said that his boat had taken on water and his mom vanished. He claimed to have survived seven days at sea. It all seemed unlikely.
The first half of the book is excellent but the second half gets bogged down with too much legal maneuvering by the three surviving daughters. A forty-three million dollar estate made a few lawyers happy.
At one of the trials, a twenty-five-year old mistress made an appearance and gave sordid testimony involving sex toys purchased by the geriatric Greek millionaire. He was eighty-seven at the time. I just finished a book by a fellow sugar baby. What a wonderful world we live in.
The ending came as a surprise to me and this is one wild ride.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Net Galley for an ARC of the audiobook. This was a true narrative of Nathan Carman and the deaths of his mother and grandfather. This audiobook was read by the author- which I always enjoy. I hadn’t heard of this story that happened on the east coast so it was very interesting to follow the investigation. The Nathan Carman story is definitely an interesting one and I would recommend it to most. This book was a little repetitive, which is why I gave it 4 stars. Really enjoyed this one.

[WM D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished reading a true crime book. It takes the reader into the life of Nathan Carman. He basically shoots his grandfather to death in his home and then takes his mother out for a fishing expedition only to cause the boat to sink and kill his mother whose body has never been recovered.

[Cyndi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Investigative journalist Casey Sherman narrates the true crime story of New Englander Nathan Carman, who was rescued off the coast of RI after a fishing trip with his mother allegedly went awry. I am very familiar with this story because this happened recently and I live in the vicinity. I found this both interesting and deeply disturbing. It is an upsetting story and, sadly, the real answers will probably never come to light. The facts of the story are well-presented in a straightforward manner by the author, who looks at the story in its entirety from several different angles. Fans of contemporary true crime will be hooked.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Edelweiss, Sourcebooks and Casey Sherman for my complimentary e-book ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Meredith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good true crime read. A few minor factual blips regarding Connecticut geography (e.g., Westbrook is south/southeast of Middletown, not north; Middletown is east/northeast of Newtown, not north; and Blue Back Square is in West Hartford, not Hartford).