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Dead in the Water
When Brigitte and her family moved from the city, they were supposed to be happier. And safer. But soon her crime-writer ex-boyfriend turns up in town to promote his new novel, in which a woman is found dead — murdered — in a country lake. Hours later, Brigitte watches the police pull a body from the water near her Gippsland home.
Her husband, a country cop now, is at the scene, though it’s not his investigation; he’s only helping the Melbourne Homicide Squad. But there’s something he’s not telling Brigitte.
With her personal life spiralling out of control once more, and fearing her family is in danger, who can Brigitte turn to? And what if she makes the wrong choice?
'Dead in the Water' is about trying to escape the cycle of trauma. It delves into the darkness beneath the surface of fear, betrayal, and revenge, to find a glimmer of hope.
Her husband, a country cop now, is at the scene, though it’s not his investigation; he’s only helping the Melbourne Homicide Squad. But there’s something he’s not telling Brigitte.
With her personal life spiralling out of control once more, and fearing her family is in danger, who can Brigitte turn to? And what if she makes the wrong choice?
'Dead in the Water' is about trying to escape the cycle of trauma. It delves into the darkness beneath the surface of fear, betrayal, and revenge, to find a glimmer of hope.
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2016
2 people are currently reading
257 people want to read
About the author
Tania Chandler
4 books29 followersTania Chandler is a Melbourne-based writer, writing teacher, and editor. 'All That I Remember About Dean Cola' is her third novel.
https://linktr.ee/taniachandler
https://linktr.ee/taniachandler
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
February 18, 2017
I get excited when I'm about to write a review of a book I've really enjoyed. I imagine other readers getting a small taste of a story or genre they like the sound of, and then adding it to their TBR list. And so it is with Dead in the Water (Scribe Publications 2016), the second novel for Australian author Tania Chandler. A crime novel, and sequel to Please Don't Leave Me Here, the narrative focuses again on the protagonist Brigitte, now living a peaceful life in the country with her family, several years on and far away from her turbulent early life in the city. But when uncanny resemblances occur between a local murder and the plot of her ex-boyfriend's novel (also called Dead in the Water), Brigitte's security is again threatened and she doesn't know who to trust.
This novel builds on the previous story but is much more nuanced and cleverly constructed. All of the characters are developed in well-rounded and interesting shades. Some characters who make a repeat appearance from the first book - Brigitte's brother, Ryan and their mother, Joan, for example - are much more complex, and we are given layers of insight into their histories. The portraits of Brigitte's children are light-hearted but realistic, and her roles as a mother and as a wife are drawn with authenticity and empathy. There are plenty of new characters in this second book, and along with the reappearance of some previous personalities, the novel is brimming with potential suspects and victims.
After the initial chapters spent getting my head around the passing of some years, and Brigitte's changed circumstances, I was thrust into a gritty crime thriller that had me hooked. The second half of the book I found particularly enthralling. As with Chandler's first book, she kept a lot of balls in the air...but dropped not a one. She had me guessing until the final pages. There were several sub-plots and sub-texts to the action; several ambiguous characters who I just couldn't predict were going to turn out to be 'bad' or 'good', and quite a few plot twists that I really didn't see coming.
In addition to the actual narrative crime story that pulls the reader along from one page to the next, Chandler's depiction of Brigitte's personal life is also engaging. She merges psychological trauma and emotional baggage seamlessly into the main story, giving us lots of intense layering around the dramas of family life (even without the crime angle).
I felt very connected to the characters in this book and found them easily relatable. I found myself cheering them on through their emotional troubles, despite their flawed characters which at times had me actively disliking them and / or their actions. I do think that's one sign of a good book - that it is peopled with personalities that are unlikeable or exhibit bad behaviour, and yet we are still engaged with them, precisely because they correlate more closely to real life, which is never black and white, but always shades of grey.
But the most appealing aspect of this novel is the riveting suspense and tension, which ratchets up the closer we get to the end, leaving us turning the pages especially fast through the last quarter of the book when we are hit with surprise after surprise - we are unsuspecting of a myriad of victims, villains, perpetrators, innocents and evil-doers. And in those last, final, racing pages, the story comes together in a most satisfying way.
This novel builds on the previous story but is much more nuanced and cleverly constructed. All of the characters are developed in well-rounded and interesting shades. Some characters who make a repeat appearance from the first book - Brigitte's brother, Ryan and their mother, Joan, for example - are much more complex, and we are given layers of insight into their histories. The portraits of Brigitte's children are light-hearted but realistic, and her roles as a mother and as a wife are drawn with authenticity and empathy. There are plenty of new characters in this second book, and along with the reappearance of some previous personalities, the novel is brimming with potential suspects and victims.
After the initial chapters spent getting my head around the passing of some years, and Brigitte's changed circumstances, I was thrust into a gritty crime thriller that had me hooked. The second half of the book I found particularly enthralling. As with Chandler's first book, she kept a lot of balls in the air...but dropped not a one. She had me guessing until the final pages. There were several sub-plots and sub-texts to the action; several ambiguous characters who I just couldn't predict were going to turn out to be 'bad' or 'good', and quite a few plot twists that I really didn't see coming.
In addition to the actual narrative crime story that pulls the reader along from one page to the next, Chandler's depiction of Brigitte's personal life is also engaging. She merges psychological trauma and emotional baggage seamlessly into the main story, giving us lots of intense layering around the dramas of family life (even without the crime angle).
I felt very connected to the characters in this book and found them easily relatable. I found myself cheering them on through their emotional troubles, despite their flawed characters which at times had me actively disliking them and / or their actions. I do think that's one sign of a good book - that it is peopled with personalities that are unlikeable or exhibit bad behaviour, and yet we are still engaged with them, precisely because they correlate more closely to real life, which is never black and white, but always shades of grey.
But the most appealing aspect of this novel is the riveting suspense and tension, which ratchets up the closer we get to the end, leaving us turning the pages especially fast through the last quarter of the book when we are hit with surprise after surprise - we are unsuspecting of a myriad of victims, villains, perpetrators, innocents and evil-doers. And in those last, final, racing pages, the story comes together in a most satisfying way.
August 31, 2016
Austere prose with heart - clean, sharp and neat, while the subject matter is gritty and unhinged. This summer's ultimate page turner. Loved it!
October 15, 2016
I was thoroughly engrossed in this book the minute I started reading it. A new Aussie crime writer discovered- can't wait to read more from Tania Chandler.
August 24, 2017
What a great read! I loved Tania's debut Please Don't Me Here and this sequel is even better. Put a great and clever crime thriller together with tight writing and wow!
Well done Tania. Looking forward to see what she comes up with next.
Well done Tania. Looking forward to see what she comes up with next.
February 22, 2017
This book was enjoyable read. I found that the whole murder was forgot until the last 20 to 30 pages apart form a mention here and there and was more about Aidan and Brigitte's relationship, who reactions to life event's just seemed like over reacting children not adults with life experience. The conflict of there relationship really over done and at times became boring. The side character within the story helped to drive the story. I loved the way that these character moved the story to a more deeper story line enriching the essence of the book. Enjoyable read and had great idea, just missing the mark!
September 27, 2016
3.5 stars. Another wonderful Australian crime novel! We're really pulling out the stops this year. Cleverly written, with some red herrings & pop culture references, along with a novel (in the book!) called Dead In The Water, I definitely enjoyed this book. Taut & suspenseful.
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May 24, 2018Chandler creates believable characters, having the ability to make the struggles of ordinary people compelling. Brigitte is an original hero — an ordinary person, with her own struggles, drawn into extraordinary events. The domestic drama is as compelling as the crime investigation.
Graeme Simsion, Author of The Rosie Project
Dead in the Water unsettles with an all-too-imaginable homegrown brand of suspense.
Honey Brown, Author of Through the Cracks
When your last name is Chandler, your writing had better be good, and Tania Chandler delivers again. A crime writer who cares about her sentences as much as her characters, her atmospheric writing is taut and terrific. Dead in the Water is that rare book that satisfies as a stand alone novel but is actually a sequel. Whether you start with this or her first book, Please Don’t Leave Me Here, Chandler demonstrates her ability to deliver a psychologically nuanced portrayal of damaged lives.
Aoife Clifford, Author of All These Perfect Strangers
Graeme Simsion, Author of The Rosie Project
Dead in the Water unsettles with an all-too-imaginable homegrown brand of suspense.
Honey Brown, Author of Through the Cracks
When your last name is Chandler, your writing had better be good, and Tania Chandler delivers again. A crime writer who cares about her sentences as much as her characters, her atmospheric writing is taut and terrific. Dead in the Water is that rare book that satisfies as a stand alone novel but is actually a sequel. Whether you start with this or her first book, Please Don’t Leave Me Here, Chandler demonstrates her ability to deliver a psychologically nuanced portrayal of damaged lives.
Aoife Clifford, Author of All These Perfect Strangers
April 29, 2018
This wasn't bad plot wise, but after 2 books of Bridgette's heinous behaviour I'm done with her. I thought she might have grown up since book 1, she is now 38, but still she acts like a 15 year old. Not that Aiden was much better. Honestly I felt sorry for the kids. This was also very heavy on the domestic detail and light on the mystery/thriller elements and I would have preferred it the other way around, especially considering how needy and delusional Bridgette was. Frankly she drove me nuts.
October 31, 2017
I hadn't read the prequel and I found all the references to what happened before somewhat annoying and distracting. Some authors do a better job than others of standalone books with the same characters. I didn't warm to our heroine. It's great to see more diversity in the main characters in crime novels but our heroine just made lots of bad decisions. The crime was incidental here to the harried life of a modern wife, mother, sister, daughter and employee. I did enjoy the Australian setting.
September 8, 2018
Engrossing and suspenseful, mostly waiting to see if Brigette’s and Aiden’s relationship survives. It finished a bit quickly I thought and I’m still a little unsure of Harry’s role.
February 12, 2017
"Dead in the Water" takes crime fiction tropes and shuffles them around for a fresh take.
November 26, 2016
A bit of a let down following the previous book. The story is more about Brigitte's relationship with Aidan than the murder that seems to be forgotten until the last 20 pages or so. I could understand how Brigitte felt it necessary to seek out her old boyfriend after two days of her husband being remote and preoccupied. I also did not understand why Aidan was so sure his family was under threat. The characters all seemed a bit highly strung. Maybe so as Brigitte's dog was murdered, her brother tried to commit suicide, her grandfather died and she had suspicions her husband was having an affair - all on the same day.
December 30, 2016
Enjoyed this book from start to finish.
Couldn't put it down once I had started.
Couldn't put it down once I had started.
January 18, 2017
I liked this book, good pace well written and knowing where the book was set added to it too.
May 5, 2017
Not particularly impressed, didn't like the characters much and the story seemed contrived
February 10, 2017
Do a quick search on any of the book reading community websites and you're going to find a large number of novels called "Dead in The Water", adding to the feeling that there's something nicely tongue in cheek about the title of Tania Chandler's second novel also being the title of a crime novel within the story. That sort of echo is loosely reflected in elements of the internal novel and the troubled life of central character Brigitte and her husband in the ... main novel for want of a better description.
Brigitte and her policeman husband Aidan were introduced to readers in Chandler's debut novel PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME HERE. If you'd offered odds on them being part of an ongoing series it's doubtful you'd have gotten many takers, and yet, here they are, working incredibly well in this second outing.
With multi-layered connections between Brigitte and the author of the internal novel, the slight echoes of storylines between the internal and main novels are also reflected when the body of a well known celebrity chef is found. Brigitte is peripherally involved as part of the day job, eventually more closely intertwined as she appears to be in danger as well. Meanwhile Aidan is off being paranoid and erratic about a whole lot of things, meaning that DEAD IN THE WATER is part character study, part exploration of the pressures of marrying a cop and part thriller. There are obvious lines to be drawn here about PTSD into the bargain - with both partners not having really dealt with events from the earlier book.
With the careful use of flashback and memory recall, Chandler has written a second novel that could be read without the benefit of the first in the series. Both books are, however, essentially studies of past trauma, and the effect that has on characters present and future behaviour. Because of that, reading them both would considerably enhance the reader's sense of connection, and frustration with both partners in this complicated and complex personal web.
Whilst you'd definitely call these character study novels, that's not to imply that plot, or even sense of place take a secondary seat. The use of the internal novel is an interesting device, cleverly employed, avoiding pitfalls and potential clichés. Using the setting of a sheltered little island community, disconnected from the mainland, isolated and vaguely disconcerting works without screaming closed room at you. Even when approaching them as character studies, these are not always likeable people. They fail, recover, act bravely and idiotically, they frustrate and annoy. They are also unexpectedly sympathetic and always extremely real.
All in all DEAD IN THE WATER is an interesting second novel, and anyone taking bets on a third featuring these characters would probably shorten the odds at a rapid rate of knots after reading it.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/revi...
Brigitte and her policeman husband Aidan were introduced to readers in Chandler's debut novel PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME HERE. If you'd offered odds on them being part of an ongoing series it's doubtful you'd have gotten many takers, and yet, here they are, working incredibly well in this second outing.
With multi-layered connections between Brigitte and the author of the internal novel, the slight echoes of storylines between the internal and main novels are also reflected when the body of a well known celebrity chef is found. Brigitte is peripherally involved as part of the day job, eventually more closely intertwined as she appears to be in danger as well. Meanwhile Aidan is off being paranoid and erratic about a whole lot of things, meaning that DEAD IN THE WATER is part character study, part exploration of the pressures of marrying a cop and part thriller. There are obvious lines to be drawn here about PTSD into the bargain - with both partners not having really dealt with events from the earlier book.
With the careful use of flashback and memory recall, Chandler has written a second novel that could be read without the benefit of the first in the series. Both books are, however, essentially studies of past trauma, and the effect that has on characters present and future behaviour. Because of that, reading them both would considerably enhance the reader's sense of connection, and frustration with both partners in this complicated and complex personal web.
Whilst you'd definitely call these character study novels, that's not to imply that plot, or even sense of place take a secondary seat. The use of the internal novel is an interesting device, cleverly employed, avoiding pitfalls and potential clichés. Using the setting of a sheltered little island community, disconnected from the mainland, isolated and vaguely disconcerting works without screaming closed room at you. Even when approaching them as character studies, these are not always likeable people. They fail, recover, act bravely and idiotically, they frustrate and annoy. They are also unexpectedly sympathetic and always extremely real.
All in all DEAD IN THE WATER is an interesting second novel, and anyone taking bets on a third featuring these characters would probably shorten the odds at a rapid rate of knots after reading it.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/revi...
January 18, 2019
‘Dead In The Water’ is the sequel to ‘Please Don't Leave Me Here’. Can you read this without having read PDLMH first? Probably not. There are too many back stories and motivations that require a knowledge of what went before.
Bridgette has relocated from inner city Melbourne to her Grandparents old house on Raymond Island situated in the Gippsland lakes. ( https://tinyurl.com/lr8peck )
Isolated doesn't mean you can escape from your past. Three years have passed. Bridgett has married Detective Senior Sergeant Aiden, colleague of her first husband Sam, and they have a young daughter Ella to go with nine year old twins Phoebe and Finn from her first marriage. Sam was a detective in Melbourne and was fatally stabbed in an altercation in Chapel Street. Aiden is recovering from being shot in drug raid that went horribly wrong. His partner died and the shooter was also fatally shot. Relationships with detectives are fraught with angst.
Bridgette is starting to manage her many issues when her past comes back to throw her life into turmoil. Her old boyfriend Matt Elery has written another of his detective novels. This one is set in a fishing village on the lakes in Gippsland where the body of wife of the local detective is dragged from the lake. Bridgette’s issues with Matt resurfacing after all this time become more complicated when the plot of his novel starts to mirror real life.
Told from Bridgette’s POV Chandler successfully captures her turmoil and struggle with her past, her deteriorating marriage, and the increasing nagging feeling that the murder of the women in the lake is somehow connected to her.
The tension builds as the props that support her are one by one knocked away. The ending is a true surprise and is skillfully played out without the need for endless exposition to explain how we got there.
August 10, 2018
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Tania Chandler's Dead in the Water is an excellent snapshot of life in small-town Australia, providing an atmospheric and ultimately eerie story that combines the holy trinity of love, sex and murder and makes us question who we should really trust in our community.
The combination of a fractured relationship, the arrival of an ex-boyfriend and the life-imitating-art murder of a TV personality makes for an interesting story, and Chandler does a great job at encapsulating the feelings of jealousy and mistrust between main characters Brigitte and Aidan. The emotional trials that the couple encounter in the wake of the discovery of a body in the water are often painful to read. Aidan, a local police officer, is tasked with helping to find the killer, and his job often takes it's toll on the Serra family. The book mainly centres around Brigitte wrestling with her feelings for her ex-boyfriend and staying faithful to Aidan.
Where this book falls short, in my opinion, is the depiction of the aftermath of the murder of TV Chef Maree Carver. It neglects to mention the murder and investigation for the majority of the book, and is only resolved in the last 30 or so pages, making it quite disappointing given that the title of the book relates directly to the case. The resolution of the case was also unsatisfying, and more could have been done to build up tension throughout the book before the big reveal, so to speak.
I would recommend this book to someone who enjoys domestic/family fiction, however do not go into this thinking it will be an edge-of-your-seat crime thriller.
Tania Chandler's Dead in the Water is an excellent snapshot of life in small-town Australia, providing an atmospheric and ultimately eerie story that combines the holy trinity of love, sex and murder and makes us question who we should really trust in our community.
The combination of a fractured relationship, the arrival of an ex-boyfriend and the life-imitating-art murder of a TV personality makes for an interesting story, and Chandler does a great job at encapsulating the feelings of jealousy and mistrust between main characters Brigitte and Aidan. The emotional trials that the couple encounter in the wake of the discovery of a body in the water are often painful to read. Aidan, a local police officer, is tasked with helping to find the killer, and his job often takes it's toll on the Serra family. The book mainly centres around Brigitte wrestling with her feelings for her ex-boyfriend and staying faithful to Aidan.
Where this book falls short, in my opinion, is the depiction of the aftermath of the murder of TV Chef Maree Carver. It neglects to mention the murder and investigation for the majority of the book, and is only resolved in the last 30 or so pages, making it quite disappointing given that the title of the book relates directly to the case. The resolution of the case was also unsatisfying, and more could have been done to build up tension throughout the book before the big reveal, so to speak.
I would recommend this book to someone who enjoys domestic/family fiction, however do not go into this thinking it will be an edge-of-your-seat crime thriller.
April 4, 2018
if you've read the first book this is a great carry on from there following the life of brig and her family. however if like me you just read this book as it's own entertie that's fine as it has its own story to tell.
it took me a while to get into the book cause it's not the type I normal read but I'm glad I didn't give up on it too soon as it picks up about a quarter of the way through. it has a great twist in the last few chapters and the killer isn't who you think it is.
I say give it a read and give it a chance as it changed my mind about this story genre
it took me a while to get into the book cause it's not the type I normal read but I'm glad I didn't give up on it too soon as it picks up about a quarter of the way through. it has a great twist in the last few chapters and the killer isn't who you think it is.
I say give it a read and give it a chance as it changed my mind about this story genre
July 15, 2017
I almost didn't keep reading this book because it felt somewhat Mills and Boon in terms of the characters but I kept going and ultimately, there was enough of interest to keep me in the story. However, I still didn't always get why our heroine Brigette kept making the decisions that she did - about her relationships, about her family, about her work, about her life. Still, it was interesting to read a murder mystery set in Australia.
June 22, 2024
Disappointing. It was less a murder mystery than it was a chick lit story of an alcoholic mother with a failing marriage. I had not read any previous books, and am unlikely to as I disliked the main character, finding her annoying and immature. The ending felt rushed, and left me with questions. I wouldn't class this as a murder mystery and at one point wondered if the title referred to the marriage (or perhaps the book itself). 2.5 stars.
April 17, 2025
This was a nice easy read with lots of drama, and twists and turns. Maybe it’s on me for not paying enough attention, but I found it hard to keep track of all the men in the book. I wish there was more of a tie in with the ex’s book- he predicted the whole series of events and was never even a suspect? What was the point of his character then? Also everyone was an asshole- which makes for a good plot. Also did not even realize this was a sequel
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 4, 2017
I found this book to be quite slow moving for the first 2/3, then the storyline really picked up and got exciting.
An enjoyable read, but not one I'll be recommending to others.
An enjoyable read, but not one I'll be recommending to others.
June 27, 2017
Liked this one. Setting and story were good.
April 26, 2018
A bit predictable at times but still a page turner! I'm from Gippsland so it was great to read a story with familiar landmarks.
October 23, 2018
Superb Aussie crime fiction.
July 10, 2019
Fast paced, gripping, enjoyable read.
July 17, 2021
3.5 ⭐️’s
January 19, 2017
Good page turner!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews