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The Drowned Girl
251 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 2, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
June 2, 2026
Something about this book felt a little too close to home as a North West girl myself. The isolated setting, the small-town tension, the way everyone seems to know everyone else’s business while still hiding huge secrets—it all felt incredibly authentic and unsettling.
From the very beginning, The Drowned Girl pulls you into the cold, eerie atmosphere of Cumbria. A woman vanishes near Sleddale Tarn, leaving behind only abandoned clothes, a ringing phone, and endless questions. The haunting landscape almost becomes its own character, dripping with unease and old secrets.
Moses Crow was such an interesting protagonist. Broken, guarded, and carrying years of guilt and trauma, he’s the kind of character you slowly unravel chapter by chapter. The deeper the investigation went, the darker and more emotionally tangled the story became. There’s a real weight to the history buried within this family and community, and it keeps you hooked the entire way through.
David Mark absolutely nails the atmosphere in this one. It’s bleak, tense, and emotionally layered without ever losing momentum. I loved how morally complex the characters were—nobody feels entirely innocent, and that ambiguity made the story even more compelling.
A slow-burning, immersive thriller that feels chillingly real and impossible to put down. Perfect for readers who love atmospheric crime fiction with deep emotional undercurrents.
From the very beginning, The Drowned Girl pulls you into the cold, eerie atmosphere of Cumbria. A woman vanishes near Sleddale Tarn, leaving behind only abandoned clothes, a ringing phone, and endless questions. The haunting landscape almost becomes its own character, dripping with unease and old secrets.
Moses Crow was such an interesting protagonist. Broken, guarded, and carrying years of guilt and trauma, he’s the kind of character you slowly unravel chapter by chapter. The deeper the investigation went, the darker and more emotionally tangled the story became. There’s a real weight to the history buried within this family and community, and it keeps you hooked the entire way through.
David Mark absolutely nails the atmosphere in this one. It’s bleak, tense, and emotionally layered without ever losing momentum. I loved how morally complex the characters were—nobody feels entirely innocent, and that ambiguity made the story even more compelling.
A slow-burning, immersive thriller that feels chillingly real and impossible to put down. Perfect for readers who love atmospheric crime fiction with deep emotional undercurrents.
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June 11, 2026My Thoughts: as I was reading this book I did have a moment where I thought maybe it wouldn’t be for me, but there was something in the writing that just kept me reading & I’m so glad I did! it was dark, very dark & twisty, I really felt for Moses, he didn’t want to be there, very early on I got the feeling that he was hiding secrets he had buried a very long time ago.
Secrets that the longer he stays threaten to reveal themselves.
The style of writing is very different to what I’m used to, it felt kind of poetic in the way that it flowed & it was perfect for the story line it really took hold of you and in a way refused to let go, I was hooked!
The story was told in both the past and the present which if you’ve been here a while you will know that’s one of my favourite ways to read a book as you seem to get more of an understanding of the story, but especially in a thriller because you get little glimpses of possible future twists that you don’t realise until afterwards!
Will definitely be picking more books up from David in the future, this one kept me guessing right until the end.
Secrets that the longer he stays threaten to reveal themselves.
The style of writing is very different to what I’m used to, it felt kind of poetic in the way that it flowed & it was perfect for the story line it really took hold of you and in a way refused to let go, I was hooked!
The story was told in both the past and the present which if you’ve been here a while you will know that’s one of my favourite ways to read a book as you seem to get more of an understanding of the story, but especially in a thriller because you get little glimpses of possible future twists that you don’t realise until afterwards!
Will definitely be picking more books up from David in the future, this one kept me guessing right until the end.
June 10, 2026
Thank you, Pellerin books for ARC.
Was a bit hard get into the book. Might be because of different writering style. Definitely has a good storyline.
Quite interesting part that it's present and past. Bit of glimpse you need to pay attention.
So you see what's happening right now and what happened in the past, give you hints to were to pay attention. You can see that the main character Moses life wasn't easy. He had a hard life and might have a wrong choice in his life that has consequences. It is just because he wanted to prove himself to his family (foster dad). All characters in the book look suspicious by their behaviour in the past and present. So you have no idea what to expect. It wasn't a massive plot twist. You kind of see it coming.
I would give 3.5*.
Thriller, mysterious, minde game. You are questioning yourself if it's true or not, or the end is the right end?!
Was a bit hard get into the book. Might be because of different writering style. Definitely has a good storyline.
Quite interesting part that it's present and past. Bit of glimpse you need to pay attention.
So you see what's happening right now and what happened in the past, give you hints to were to pay attention. You can see that the main character Moses life wasn't easy. He had a hard life and might have a wrong choice in his life that has consequences. It is just because he wanted to prove himself to his family (foster dad). All characters in the book look suspicious by their behaviour in the past and present. So you have no idea what to expect. It wasn't a massive plot twist. You kind of see it coming.
I would give 3.5*.
Thriller, mysterious, minde game. You are questioning yourself if it's true or not, or the end is the right end?!
June 2, 2026
A young woman washes up dead in the cold Humber tide — no name, no one looking. DS Aector McAvoy digs in, uncovering a web of disappearances, old secrets, and dangerous lies buried deep in Hull’s past. He won’t let her be forgotten — but the deeper he goes, the darker it gets.
Gritty, atmospheric, and gripping — perfect northern crime. Bleak, cold, and utterly absorbing. McAvoy is magnificent, the mystery tight and twisty. Highly recommended for fans of dark, smart police procedurals.
Themes of death, exploitation, and grim crime details.
Gritty, atmospheric, and gripping — perfect northern crime. Bleak, cold, and utterly absorbing. McAvoy is magnificent, the mystery tight and twisty. Highly recommended for fans of dark, smart police procedurals.
Themes of death, exploitation, and grim crime details.
June 10, 2026
A few years ago I read another book by David Mark, one that was part of a series, and told myself I needed to read the other books. To my shame, that never happened and this book served as a reminder that needs to change. This is a wonderful story with one of the most captivating characters I’ve read about in a long time. Damaged, lonely, vulnerable in too many ways and far to impossible to judge or dislike despite his issues.
Moses was rescued when he was a baby from the water by a man who had a lost a son in the same waters, he then gave him a home alongside his surviving children. Never encouraged to call him father, he thought of him as such and he lived there with the woman he called mother and the other children he called brothers and sister. However, in his teens he was told to leave for reasons that aren’t revealed and his life descended into chaos with time also spent in prison abroad.
When he is asked to go to his childhood home to help his father cope with the sudden death of his companion in a drowning incident it brings back tragic memories from the past. There are many in the remote Lakeland area that have long memories and make it evident that they don’t want him around.
It’s pretty clear that Moses has had a difficult life. Sent away from the family he thought loved him, time spent in prison and then losing all of his treasured possessions he is unsure about being asked to go home to help the only father he knew recover from another loss. But this is a difficult situation, this family is damaged and it’s evident that he is in danger. Not just from those who knew his past but also from those who want to make him suffer for events he couldn’t be responsible for. Or ones that he couldn’t remember.
With flashbacks from the past, these events are slowly revealed and this reader in particular was desperate to find out what really happened.
A beautiful area, remote yet tarred by tragedy, danger and a fear of legend from the tales that other used to tell. These were a part of the novel that intimidated me, in many ways more so than the real life threat that Moses was facing.
I really enjoyed this novel, much needed after a few that didn’t quite enthral me.
Moses was rescued when he was a baby from the water by a man who had a lost a son in the same waters, he then gave him a home alongside his surviving children. Never encouraged to call him father, he thought of him as such and he lived there with the woman he called mother and the other children he called brothers and sister. However, in his teens he was told to leave for reasons that aren’t revealed and his life descended into chaos with time also spent in prison abroad.
When he is asked to go to his childhood home to help his father cope with the sudden death of his companion in a drowning incident it brings back tragic memories from the past. There are many in the remote Lakeland area that have long memories and make it evident that they don’t want him around.
It’s pretty clear that Moses has had a difficult life. Sent away from the family he thought loved him, time spent in prison and then losing all of his treasured possessions he is unsure about being asked to go home to help the only father he knew recover from another loss. But this is a difficult situation, this family is damaged and it’s evident that he is in danger. Not just from those who knew his past but also from those who want to make him suffer for events he couldn’t be responsible for. Or ones that he couldn’t remember.
With flashbacks from the past, these events are slowly revealed and this reader in particular was desperate to find out what really happened.
A beautiful area, remote yet tarred by tragedy, danger and a fear of legend from the tales that other used to tell. These were a part of the novel that intimidated me, in many ways more so than the real life threat that Moses was facing.
I really enjoyed this novel, much needed after a few that didn’t quite enthral me.
Review of advance copy
Rating: 4-stars
Publication date: 2nd June 2026
Thank you to Pellerin Books for the ARC
The Drowned Girl is a dark and atmospheric crime thriller set against the eerie beauty of the Cumbrian Lakes - and it delivers exactly the kind of moody tension the blurb promises.
The story follows Moses Crow, a "bad boy" main character with a complex past. I genuinely enjoyed reading from a male perspective written by a male author as this makes a change for me as I read mainly female characters written by women!
Moses is a likeable, rough around the edges guy who gets drawn back into a foster family who had disowned him and caught up in a series of deaths/murders while questioning his own past and his own innocence at times.
The plot moves fairly quickly and I found it easy to read. I didn't see the ending coming which is always a win for me and although I wouldn't personally describe the book as "twisty" it was more of a steady crime mystery than a shock in every chapter thriller.
The Lake District atmosphere is beautifully done with dark water, caves and a folklore tinged element regarding eel-like spirits.
Overall this was an enjoyable, fast read for me with a compelling main character and a mystery which kept me guessing.
Publication date: 2nd June 2026
Thank you to Pellerin Books for the ARC
The Drowned Girl is a dark and atmospheric crime thriller set against the eerie beauty of the Cumbrian Lakes - and it delivers exactly the kind of moody tension the blurb promises.
The story follows Moses Crow, a "bad boy" main character with a complex past. I genuinely enjoyed reading from a male perspective written by a male author as this makes a change for me as I read mainly female characters written by women!
Moses is a likeable, rough around the edges guy who gets drawn back into a foster family who had disowned him and caught up in a series of deaths/murders while questioning his own past and his own innocence at times.
The plot moves fairly quickly and I found it easy to read. I didn't see the ending coming which is always a win for me and although I wouldn't personally describe the book as "twisty" it was more of a steady crime mystery than a shock in every chapter thriller.
The Lake District atmosphere is beautifully done with dark water, caves and a folklore tinged element regarding eel-like spirits.
Overall this was an enjoyable, fast read for me with a compelling main character and a mystery which kept me guessing.
June 4, 2026
This was suspenseful and sad at the same time. Moses is troubled which is understandable given his childhood experiences and it doesn't seem like he's getting much of a break as an adult. The family he lived with are a little quirky too. The dynamics between siblings seem supportive but there's something rippling beneath the surface!!
The victims appear to be unconnected and there's enough time between them to feed into the idea the lake is cursed. What is that about? What is lurking in the lake?
The answer becomes clear but not until you've travelled with Moses a bit in his journey between present day and previous events. It seems chaotic and does remind you of how memories can just pop up and random things can take you back to a time or place that you might not have thought about in a while. The past and present are very much linked and the family secrets work their way out eventually!
Fascinating and kept my attention throughout. 😊
The victims appear to be unconnected and there's enough time between them to feed into the idea the lake is cursed. What is that about? What is lurking in the lake?
The answer becomes clear but not until you've travelled with Moses a bit in his journey between present day and previous events. It seems chaotic and does remind you of how memories can just pop up and random things can take you back to a time or place that you might not have thought about in a while. The past and present are very much linked and the family secrets work their way out eventually!
Fascinating and kept my attention throughout. 😊
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This book is set in my favourite place, the beautiful Lake District. It follows Moses Crow, who is drawn back to his native homeland to help a family in mourning. Moses spent his life going from one foster placement to another before finally ending up with a wealthy family, giving him the love and care he desperately desired. We see Moses as a troubled man harbouring secrets and questioning his own own sanity. This story is a slow burn but captivating and eerie read. I liked Moses' character, he's gritty and something of a lovable rogue - the complete opposite to his privileged and upper class family, but weirdly this combination works. I thought I'd worked out the ending but no, it totally took me by surprise! One thing I will say is .... if you enjoy wild swimming then this book is probably not for you! (IYKYK) 😉
June 10, 2026
This book doesn't just pull you in, it completely drags you with it, through the muck and fear and agony of trying to find the reasons and the how and why. The author did a really good job of making sure you felt everything, especially the isolation of living in a more remote area, really adding to that no one is coming eerie vibe.
I really liked the way the author put the area and background together, giving us all the details to really place us there. He also really brought the personalities and every quirky detail of each character out, so that you could really get the feel for who you wanted to trust and who not to get close to, even if those feelings might be wrong.
The flow and pace were done well to really match what took place and it made the book even more enjoyable to be along on the journey with. I really liked it overall.
I really liked the way the author put the area and background together, giving us all the details to really place us there. He also really brought the personalities and every quirky detail of each character out, so that you could really get the feel for who you wanted to trust and who not to get close to, even if those feelings might be wrong.
The flow and pace were done well to really match what took place and it made the book even more enjoyable to be along on the journey with. I really liked it overall.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Thanks Pellerin Books for the ARC.
This book does what it says on the tin. It's a dark crime thriller that has you trying to guess who the culprit is and then second guessing yourself as the story develops.
I found the book a bit slow to start with and the character tropes a little forced initially. That said, I quickly became hooked and read the second half of the book in one sitting - I NEEDED to know if I'd guessed correctly.
I enjoyed the switching from past to present so that you gradually get more context, and would happily read another book with the main character, Moses Crow, at the centre.
This book does what it says on the tin. It's a dark crime thriller that has you trying to guess who the culprit is and then second guessing yourself as the story develops.
I found the book a bit slow to start with and the character tropes a little forced initially. That said, I quickly became hooked and read the second half of the book in one sitting - I NEEDED to know if I'd guessed correctly.
I enjoyed the switching from past to present so that you gradually get more context, and would happily read another book with the main character, Moses Crow, at the centre.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Thank you Pellerin Books for the ARC of The Drowned Girl by David Mark.
This is a fantastic Psychological Crime Thriller mixed with a bit of Murder Mystery. With all the twists amd turns that keep you gripped on every page of the book.
Especially with the switching between past and present.
This book should definitely be on the TBRs of Thriller fans, especially if they are fans of Northern England Thrillers.
This is a fantastic Psychological Crime Thriller mixed with a bit of Murder Mystery. With all the twists amd turns that keep you gripped on every page of the book.
Especially with the switching between past and present.
This book should definitely be on the TBRs of Thriller fans, especially if they are fans of Northern England Thrillers.
June 8, 2026
Oh, I couldn't resist grabbing this read after seeing this thrilling front cover image.
I love a good thriller and those sharp and dark looking craggy rocks really drew my eye.
The atmosphere is set right from the very first pages and I felt as though I'd been transported to this isolated lake in what is usually a place associated with beauty and serenity.
The descriptions created such vivid images for me.
This premise really played on my mind because as beautiful as these isolated areas are - and I do feel the pull - we never forget that nature is a force that can be as dark and brutal as it is wonderful.
Not only was the tarn brought into focus, so was the community and the secrets from long ago and I found Moses such an intriguing character who seems ever changing as we get to know more and more about his backstory.
This was a great first read for me by this author and I really hope to see more from them on my future tbr's
I love a good thriller and those sharp and dark looking craggy rocks really drew my eye.
The atmosphere is set right from the very first pages and I felt as though I'd been transported to this isolated lake in what is usually a place associated with beauty and serenity.
The descriptions created such vivid images for me.
This premise really played on my mind because as beautiful as these isolated areas are - and I do feel the pull - we never forget that nature is a force that can be as dark and brutal as it is wonderful.
Not only was the tarn brought into focus, so was the community and the secrets from long ago and I found Moses such an intriguing character who seems ever changing as we get to know more and more about his backstory.
This was a great first read for me by this author and I really hope to see more from them on my future tbr's
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Thankyou to Pellerin Books for an ARC copy.
The book has some great imagery and description, in particular the eeriness of the tarn, the feeling of entrapment when in the water which made me feel really claustrophobic.
The premise of the book was unique and well thought out.
I do think however that there were a lot of inplausable coincidences that spoilt the book at times and the sequence of events felt a little out of sync adding to some confusion.
The twist at the end was unexpected and cleverly executed.
The book has some great imagery and description, in particular the eeriness of the tarn, the feeling of entrapment when in the water which made me feel really claustrophobic.
The premise of the book was unique and well thought out.
I do think however that there were a lot of inplausable coincidences that spoilt the book at times and the sequence of events felt a little out of sync adding to some confusion.
The twist at the end was unexpected and cleverly executed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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