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Until We Drown
Hold your breath, the truth will surface…When Ellie Kellaway and her family seek a fresh start in the tranquil Peak District, she hopes to leave behind her haunting memories of the sea – and of Ethan’s affair with the younger, beautiful wild swimmer he met there.
But Ellie’s new home harbours dark secrets, where ancient legends of mermaids intertwine with chilling realities. As eerie occurrences unfurl, Libby, the youngest, is drawn to a grotesque mermaid carving hidden in their house. Strange sightings of a mysterious woman outside only deepen Ellie's unease. And when their dog Jasper goes missing, the family's descent into darkness accelerates.
As more ominous tales and truths rise to the surface, it becomes clear that the mermaid's curse might be real. Ellie’s family is fast becoming entangled in a web of betrayal and vengeance, which threatens to drown them all…
This spine-tingling novel is a suspenseful twist on Hans Christian Andersen’s dark tale The Little Mermaid, where love, loss, and the lure of the water collide in a terrifying crescendo.
But Ellie’s new home harbours dark secrets, where ancient legends of mermaids intertwine with chilling realities. As eerie occurrences unfurl, Libby, the youngest, is drawn to a grotesque mermaid carving hidden in their house. Strange sightings of a mysterious woman outside only deepen Ellie's unease. And when their dog Jasper goes missing, the family's descent into darkness accelerates.
As more ominous tales and truths rise to the surface, it becomes clear that the mermaid's curse might be real. Ellie’s family is fast becoming entangled in a web of betrayal and vengeance, which threatens to drown them all…
This spine-tingling novel is a suspenseful twist on Hans Christian Andersen’s dark tale The Little Mermaid, where love, loss, and the lure of the water collide in a terrifying crescendo.
359 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 9, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Until We Drown is one of those unsettling, salt‑stung tales that creeps under your skin before you realise quite how deep the water has become. From the moment Ellie Kellaway arrives in the quiet folds of the Peak District, you can feel the tremor of something ancient shifting beneath the surface—a story shaped by grief, betrayal, and the lingering pull of the sea she’s so desperate to escape.
What I loved most is the way the novel blurs folklore and lived fear until they’re indistinguishable. The grotesque mermaid carving, Libby’s strange fascination, the flicker of a woman watching from the dark—each detail feels like a ripple widening into something far more dangerous. The author captures that particular kind of domestic dread where the past isn’t finished with you, no matter how far inland you run. And as the family begins to unravel—Jasper’s disappearance, Ellie’s spiralling unease, the slow surfacing of Ethan’s secrets—the tension tightens with a quiet, tidal inevitability.
There’s a haunting beauty to the way this reimagines The Little Mermaid, leaning into its original darkness rather than the softened versions we tend to remember. Love and vengeance, longing and loss, the lure of deep water—those themes rise again here, sharper and more feral. The atmosphere is thick with damp stone, whispered legends, and the sense that something old and furious is watching from just beyond the light.
Fans of The Last House on Needless Street and the creeping unease of early Stephen King will find plenty to savour. It’s eerie without ever tipping into excess, emotional without sentimentality, and threaded with a mythic chill that lingers long after the final page. A beautifully crafted, quietly devastating tale about the stories we inherit, the ones we try to outrun, and the ones that finally catch us.
With thanks to Ava Morwood, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC.
What I loved most is the way the novel blurs folklore and lived fear until they’re indistinguishable. The grotesque mermaid carving, Libby’s strange fascination, the flicker of a woman watching from the dark—each detail feels like a ripple widening into something far more dangerous. The author captures that particular kind of domestic dread where the past isn’t finished with you, no matter how far inland you run. And as the family begins to unravel—Jasper’s disappearance, Ellie’s spiralling unease, the slow surfacing of Ethan’s secrets—the tension tightens with a quiet, tidal inevitability.
There’s a haunting beauty to the way this reimagines The Little Mermaid, leaning into its original darkness rather than the softened versions we tend to remember. Love and vengeance, longing and loss, the lure of deep water—those themes rise again here, sharper and more feral. The atmosphere is thick with damp stone, whispered legends, and the sense that something old and furious is watching from just beyond the light.
Fans of The Last House on Needless Street and the creeping unease of early Stephen King will find plenty to savour. It’s eerie without ever tipping into excess, emotional without sentimentality, and threaded with a mythic chill that lingers long after the final page. A beautifully crafted, quietly devastating tale about the stories we inherit, the ones we try to outrun, and the ones that finally catch us.
With thanks to Ava Morwood, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC.
April 11, 2026
This story depicts the deterioration of a marriage, from the viewpoint of the wife, Ellie, but played out in front of Libby, the young daughter who has developed a fondness for a carving of a mermaid on a wall in their new home. To put husband Ethan’s affair with a young woman in his sea swimming club behind them, the family has moved far from the coast to the Peak District.
But local folklore is rife with mermaid tales and Libby’s old mermaid doll – supposedly discarded before the house move – has reappeared and become a favourite toy. When the family dog disappears and teenage son Zack starts behaving strangely, Ellie becomes convinced Ethan’s ex-lover has followed them to Derbyshire and intends not only to lure him to her like a siren but also to destroy Ellie’s family.
Domestic noir meets folklore horror in this well-written story of paranoia, legend and obsession, with a fully realised protagonist and evocative descriptions of crags and meres in this rugged inland setting.
This is an independent review of an early NetGalley copy. I thank the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read it.
April 9, 2026
Ellie is haunted by her past; a past she’s always coped with by leaving it behind. But her latest move from the Yorkshire coast to the Peak District - away from the sea, away from mermaids - isn’t delivering the escape and the fresh start that she craves.
For most of the novel, I never quite knew the extent to which Ellie was a reliable narrator. The line between stories and reality so often felt blurred. While Ellie’s daughter was obsessed with Disney’s depiction of mermaids, Ellie was only too aware of their alternative portrayal as dangerous and seductive beings. The only thing I was sure of in this novel was that Ellie loved her children, but I didn’t know whether that would be enough to protect them.
I enjoyed Morwood’s prose style and her unique idea of combining a psychological thriller with mermaid folklore.
Thank you to HaperNorth and NetGalley for sharing an eARC with me in exchange for an honest review.
For most of the novel, I never quite knew the extent to which Ellie was a reliable narrator. The line between stories and reality so often felt blurred. While Ellie’s daughter was obsessed with Disney’s depiction of mermaids, Ellie was only too aware of their alternative portrayal as dangerous and seductive beings. The only thing I was sure of in this novel was that Ellie loved her children, but I didn’t know whether that would be enough to protect them.
I enjoyed Morwood’s prose style and her unique idea of combining a psychological thriller with mermaid folklore.
Thank you to HaperNorth and NetGalley for sharing an eARC with me in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to NetGalleyUK and HarperNorth for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Ava Morwood does an excellent job of building suspense and that real dread, where the lines blur between reality, the supernatural and something more nefarious. The unease grows as the story gets stranger and stranger, and we're left unsure whether the FMC is going mad, being exposed to something unnatural or actually right to be suspicious.
This book is all about the slow burn. For 80% I was convinced there'd be no resolution, and then at the end it moves quite quickly.
Ava Morwood does an excellent job of building suspense and that real dread, where the lines blur between reality, the supernatural and something more nefarious. The unease grows as the story gets stranger and stranger, and we're left unsure whether the FMC is going mad, being exposed to something unnatural or actually right to be suspicious.
This book is all about the slow burn. For 80% I was convinced there'd be no resolution, and then at the end it moves quite quickly.
April 26, 2026
An exquisite exploration of the stories that make up our life and how anxiety and trauma can poison them and it's affects seep into every day and every decision; until it draws evil to us. I really enjoyed this one - some wonderful use of language and the local folklore and mythology was woven in neatly.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Not my genre, and it wasn't the easiest to read.
April 27, 2026
Beautifully crafted mix of supernatural and psychological horror that had my loyalties switching back and forth throughout.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Review to follow nearer the publication date.
I struggled with this book at times. The story of Ellie and Ethan’s marriage wasn’t really that unique. The author brings folklore, mostly taken from The Little Mermaid, into the story which makes it more interesting.
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
I struggled with this book at times. The story of Ellie and Ethan’s marriage wasn’t really that unique. The author brings folklore, mostly taken from The Little Mermaid, into the story which makes it more interesting.
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews