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Girl in the Water
The jaw-dropping new psychological thriller from the best selling author of The Boy in the Park Amber is happy, she loves her husband David and their dog Sadie, she even loves her job as a junior editor on a local newspaper. But when the body of a young woman is found in a stretch of river near her home, Amber's world begins to implode. The headaches that she has been struggling with seem to intensify and Amber begins to doubt her husband, why doesn't he want to probe deeper into the story and why does she seem to have such a shaky hold on her own thoughts and memories? Amber begins to question everything she believes in and as she starts to probe deeper, her discovery will bring her ever closer to home...
400 pages, Paperback
First published March 21, 2019
23 people are currently reading
178 people want to read
About the author
A.J. Grayson
3 books32 followersA J Grayson, author of the runaway THE BOY IN THE PARK, drinks extraordinary amounts of coffee and likes to write on an old Corona Standard typewriter (though is enough of a technical enthusiast to buy whatever Apple dangles from its latest stick). Time not spent writing books is spent reading them, and wandering through the strange, dark psychological places where stories are born. Please be in touch with AJ Grayson on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @GraysonForReal.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
June 16, 2019
Amber worked in a bookshop and led a normal life with her husband David, a pharmacist, and dog Sadie. The news of a murdered woman found in water triggered something in her brain, and she remembered the woman's name - Emma Fairfax. This started the entire whirlpool of memories and realities, truth and lies.
Her brain swirled with myriad of information, and some of them she could have never known about. Certain items found at home forced her to take a second look at her husband. Escaping from him, she got to know some hard truths. And then there was the final confrontation.
My first book by author A. J. Grayson, I loved the way the twists occured just when I thought I knew what was happening. I loved Amber, I could identify with her. I could feel the confusion which arose in her. The desperate need to get to the truth brought out my own urgency, as reflected in the almost continuous turn of the pages.
The author had etched Amber with a tinge of vulnerability over the core of cracked steel. She was broken yet she survived. David helped her in many ways, but he too had a damaged outlook. I loved the way layers had been added to the story with Amber's past breaking the barriers in the brain to get to the present.
Psychological thrillers ought to twist the mind, and when the minds of the chacters have been broken by twisted beings, I could do nothing but feel an understanding and empathy for the situation. I couldn't decide if the actions were right or wrong, I could just read the story with a pounding heart.
Midway down the book I knew the direction of the story as the author had left ample evidence. But I could not stop reading it. Took me an hour and half to finish, it felt I had read the book in a single breath.
Her brain swirled with myriad of information, and some of them she could have never known about. Certain items found at home forced her to take a second look at her husband. Escaping from him, she got to know some hard truths. And then there was the final confrontation.
My first book by author A. J. Grayson, I loved the way the twists occured just when I thought I knew what was happening. I loved Amber, I could identify with her. I could feel the confusion which arose in her. The desperate need to get to the truth brought out my own urgency, as reflected in the almost continuous turn of the pages.
The author had etched Amber with a tinge of vulnerability over the core of cracked steel. She was broken yet she survived. David helped her in many ways, but he too had a damaged outlook. I loved the way layers had been added to the story with Amber's past breaking the barriers in the brain to get to the present.
Psychological thrillers ought to twist the mind, and when the minds of the chacters have been broken by twisted beings, I could do nothing but feel an understanding and empathy for the situation. I couldn't decide if the actions were right or wrong, I could just read the story with a pounding heart.
Midway down the book I knew the direction of the story as the author had left ample evidence. But I could not stop reading it. Took me an hour and half to finish, it felt I had read the book in a single breath.
April 10, 2019
I am unsure if I had a copy that was in a bad batch or something but the editing was horrible. The plot was basically a rip off of You. And the characters were unlikeable.
September 10, 2020
I would firstly like to thank Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
This was a first read from this author and honestly I was very disappointed.
I did finish the book, but it took me so long to get through it - purely because it didn't grip me at all. The premise of the story certainly had potential, but it just took so long to get anyway. Massively slow-paced, predictable characters, and an unexciting story, I found myself falling asleep while reading several times.
I still will give this author's other book a read, but this one definitely wasn't for me.
This was a first read from this author and honestly I was very disappointed.
I did finish the book, but it took me so long to get through it - purely because it didn't grip me at all. The premise of the story certainly had potential, but it just took so long to get anyway. Massively slow-paced, predictable characters, and an unexciting story, I found myself falling asleep while reading several times.
I still will give this author's other book a read, but this one definitely wasn't for me.
January 3, 2022
This book is very, very wordy -- and not only is the word count excessive, but the word choice itself is consistently florid. And the characters! I wonder if the author was hoping to offer insight into trauma-induced mental illness, but Amber and David instead seemed self-absorbed and shallow.
Thanks to NetGalley and One More Chapter for an advance readers copy. Sorry it took me two years to get through it.
Thanks to NetGalley and One More Chapter for an advance readers copy. Sorry it took me two years to get through it.
July 19, 2020
I would like to thank the One more chapter editions and the Netgalley website for allowing me to read this book.
This book is the new psychological thriller from the author of "The boy in the park". Once you start, you won't let go of the book.
It features Amber living a happy life with David, her husband and their dog. She's an assistant editor at a local newspaper. Until the day a young woman's body is found by the river on her way home, her life is turned upside down. She will have doubts about her husband. And the more she investigates, the closer her suspicions will get to home.
A book read in one go, so much so that I hooked on to the story, so captivating, addictive, full of suspense and twists and turns with endearing characters.
This book is the new psychological thriller from the author of "The boy in the park". Once you start, you won't let go of the book.
It features Amber living a happy life with David, her husband and their dog. She's an assistant editor at a local newspaper. Until the day a young woman's body is found by the river on her way home, her life is turned upside down. She will have doubts about her husband. And the more she investigates, the closer her suspicions will get to home.
A book read in one go, so much so that I hooked on to the story, so captivating, addictive, full of suspense and twists and turns with endearing characters.
May 1, 2022
High recommend. Some good twists. Well thought out. Found this to be a good read :)
January 23, 2020
I only gave this book 3 stars as I am not really sure how I felt about it
At the beginning, I felt that it was pretentious rubbish. Then I became gripped by the twists and turns of the plot
Then I felt let down by the ending.
Are authors paid by the word? Do editors still exist? This book would have benefited by being cut by a third in order to keep the plot tight.
At the beginning, I felt that it was pretentious rubbish. Then I became gripped by the twists and turns of the plot
Then I felt let down by the ending.
Are authors paid by the word? Do editors still exist? This book would have benefited by being cut by a third in order to keep the plot tight.
June 21, 2019
DNF’d at 10 percent. Good Lord, this was boring. The protagonist was boring, the descriptions were boring, the editing was awful, and I just wanted the dead body to get dredged up from the river already. To quote the great philosopher Ariana Grande, “Thank U, next.”
February 10, 2020
Audio version of this book 📚-DNF just couldn’t get into this one at all , the narrators were very annoying too
June 8, 2024
The first 100 pages reaaaally needed a line-edit. The whole book did, but the first 100 pages, especially from Page 9 to page 79, the most.
Why did I need to know Amber's makeup routine? It could've been compelling if there was a pattern if makeup brands for a serial killer or something but... Why half a page of Amber applying mascara?
Or when the bookshop opened or the neighbouring bookshops? Chapter 2, if edited right really could've only been about 4 pages, maybe 5 pages.
As a writer, this book was very difficult to read at times, especially in the first third.
Buuut The plot was compelling. It was sad, disturbing, sweet.
There were parts where David was just doing what he needed to do, other parts were questionable.
Amber was just trying to live and then holy crumoli.
They were both peaceful in their ways, but it was also heart breaking to read.
If it weren't for the distracting full, unneeded paragraphs, like for some reason we needed to know the makeup routine AND name brands all of which nothing came from, the description of the roads and such, I would've rated this higher.
Like after reading the book, I get why certain things needed to be mentioned, but like I said at the top, a serious line-editing needed to be done. This book could've been much cleaner.
However, the subtle running gag of Amber's hatred of smoothies were cute, though. At first, then it took a darker turn. And I liked it, dang it...
Maybe I'm the one who needs help lol.
Why did I need to know Amber's makeup routine? It could've been compelling if there was a pattern if makeup brands for a serial killer or something but... Why half a page of Amber applying mascara?
Or when the bookshop opened or the neighbouring bookshops? Chapter 2, if edited right really could've only been about 4 pages, maybe 5 pages.
As a writer, this book was very difficult to read at times, especially in the first third.
Buuut The plot was compelling. It was sad, disturbing, sweet.
There were parts where David was just doing what he needed to do, other parts were questionable.
Amber was just trying to live and then holy crumoli.
They were both peaceful in their ways, but it was also heart breaking to read.
If it weren't for the distracting full, unneeded paragraphs, like for some reason we needed to know the makeup routine AND name brands all of which nothing came from, the description of the roads and such, I would've rated this higher.
Like after reading the book, I get why certain things needed to be mentioned, but like I said at the top, a serious line-editing needed to be done. This book could've been much cleaner.
However, the subtle running gag of Amber's hatred of smoothies were cute, though. At first, then it took a darker turn. And I liked it, dang it...
Maybe I'm the one who needs help lol.
June 8, 2020
Author AJ Grayson published the novel “The Girl in the Water” in 2019. This is his second novel.
I received an ARC of this novel through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this novel as “R” because it contains scenes of Violence, Mature Language, and Mature Situations. The story is set in rural America. The primary character is young and married Amber. She works in a book shop in Santa Rosa, CA, and lives in nearby Windsor.
When she reads of a woman's body is found the mystery begins to torment her. She has been dealing with terrible headaches. These seem to be getting worse. Her husband David is not being supportive of her.
The more she investigates the worse she feels. She also begins to have doubts about her husband. Is he lying to her? She discovers things about him and herself that would have been best staying hidden.
The 7.5+ hours I spent reading this 307-page mystery novel were interesting. I thought it had possibilities, but for me, the plot was very slow and dull. It did have an interesting twist to it. The story was full of Amber's mental anguish and told a dark story. I did not reach the end of this novel nearly soon enough. I do not think much of the cover art. I give this novel a 3.3 (rounded down to a 3) out of 5.
You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/).
I received an ARC of this novel through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this novel as “R” because it contains scenes of Violence, Mature Language, and Mature Situations. The story is set in rural America. The primary character is young and married Amber. She works in a book shop in Santa Rosa, CA, and lives in nearby Windsor.
When she reads of a woman's body is found the mystery begins to torment her. She has been dealing with terrible headaches. These seem to be getting worse. Her husband David is not being supportive of her.
The more she investigates the worse she feels. She also begins to have doubts about her husband. Is he lying to her? She discovers things about him and herself that would have been best staying hidden.
The 7.5+ hours I spent reading this 307-page mystery novel were interesting. I thought it had possibilities, but for me, the plot was very slow and dull. It did have an interesting twist to it. The story was full of Amber's mental anguish and told a dark story. I did not reach the end of this novel nearly soon enough. I do not think much of the cover art. I give this novel a 3.3 (rounded down to a 3) out of 5.
You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/).
June 28, 2019
The jaw-dropping new psychological thriller from the best selling author of The Boy in the Park
Amber is happy, she loves her husband David and their dog Sadie, she even loves her job as a junior editor on a local newspaper. But when the body of a young woman is found in a stretch of river near her home, Amber’s world begins to implode.
The headaches that she has been struggling with seem to intensify and Amber begins to doubt her husband, why doesn’t he want to probe deeper into the story and why does she seem to have such a shaky hold on her own thoughts and memories?
Amber begins to question everything she believes in and as she starts to probe deeper, her discovery will bring her ever closer to home…
This is the second novel written by A J Grayson.
The Girl in the Water is a good psychological thriller.
Very well written story and plot.
Great characters that I enjoyed.
Some twists and turns.
Recommend reading.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc all opinions expressed are my own an voluntary.
Amber is happy, she loves her husband David and their dog Sadie, she even loves her job as a junior editor on a local newspaper. But when the body of a young woman is found in a stretch of river near her home, Amber’s world begins to implode.
The headaches that she has been struggling with seem to intensify and Amber begins to doubt her husband, why doesn’t he want to probe deeper into the story and why does she seem to have such a shaky hold on her own thoughts and memories?
Amber begins to question everything she believes in and as she starts to probe deeper, her discovery will bring her ever closer to home…
This is the second novel written by A J Grayson.
The Girl in the Water is a good psychological thriller.
Very well written story and plot.
Great characters that I enjoyed.
Some twists and turns.
Recommend reading.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc all opinions expressed are my own an voluntary.
September 22, 2019
I really enjoyed reading this as just when I thought I had guessed the twists the author would throw in even more! It kept me engaged and had parts that were truly shocking; plus it was a super quick read. The whole book raised so many questions about what is considered good and bad, plus how you can actually be harming when you think you're helping - which leaves the reader questioning the end!
Overall it was a solid read and kept me entertained. I read it quickly and would recommend it to anyone!
Many thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.
Overall it was a solid read and kept me entertained. I read it quickly and would recommend it to anyone!
Many thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.
December 13, 2019
This book touched on some dark, heavy and sinister topics that can be triggers for some readers. I wanted this book to be dark but more in line with your typical mystery/thriller plots and not for the reasons it was. The story moved slowly and it felt as though it would be a slow build, that come the end, all the little pieces would fit together and everything would 'click'. Unfortunately, the ending fell short for me. I wanted more out of this plot line and the characters.
October 4, 2023
Awful. This could have been merely a mediocre book, starting with the protagonist Amber lamenting, as she looked in the mirror, that her eye color did not match her name. Lots of internal thinking but it's all the same repetitive stuff. The ending, which reached heights of hysteria only to plateau and sink into total understanding- by the character- not by me, was so confusing.
The "shocking ending" is that it ended. And she is still talking to herself about herself.
The "shocking ending" is that it ended. And she is still talking to herself about herself.
August 14, 2019
Twisty! Exciting! Addictive! Thrilling! Suspenseful! Keeps you guessing! Everything you could want in a psychological thriller!
#TheGirlInTheWater #NetGalley #AJGrayson
*I received a complimentary ARC of this book from NetGalley & Harper Impulse and Killer Reads in order to read and provide a voluntary and honest review, should I choose to do so.
#TheGirlInTheWater #NetGalley #AJGrayson
*I received a complimentary ARC of this book from NetGalley & Harper Impulse and Killer Reads in order to read and provide a voluntary and honest review, should I choose to do so.
July 2, 2019
I gave up at 90ish % of the way through.
It just wasn't holding my interest.
I didn't like any of the characters,and I'd felt a while that I knew exactly where it was going.
Wasn't interested enough to find out if I was right.
It just wasn't holding my interest.
I didn't like any of the characters,and I'd felt a while that I knew exactly where it was going.
Wasn't interested enough to find out if I was right.
August 16, 2019
A bit predictable. Lots of the suspense was lost as the motivation for the main characters' behaviour was lost early on. The way that Amber's colleagues acted was also a bit odd. A decent read but not a great one.
January 10, 2020
I ended up enjoying this book, more so the further I read.
Was unsure when I started as Found it a little hard to get into and the changes in person, time and memories distracted me.
It has twist throughout, although a bit far fetched it certainly got you turning pages to seek the truth.
Was unsure when I started as Found it a little hard to get into and the changes in person, time and memories distracted me.
It has twist throughout, although a bit far fetched it certainly got you turning pages to seek the truth.
June 6, 2019
A good thriller but with an obvious twist
August 10, 2019
At times boring and poorly written
August 13, 2019
Amber and David will take you on a roller coaster of emotions as the pages turn faster than you anticipate.
Read
November 30, 2019Really did not enjoy this.
December 2, 2019
Just couldn't get into this book.
December 9, 2019
Just could not get into this one. Kept wanting to fall asleep. Predictable characters and boring mundane plotline. No thank you.
May 14, 2020
Very enjoyable thriller. Kept the pace up throughout and dealt with topics sensitively
August 11, 2020
The conclusion is not what you expect
February 28, 2021
Unexpected read - this went nowhere I expected it too
June 5, 2021
The book started out promisingly, but sort of meandered through the middle and the end game was a bit predictable. An entertaining read but left me a bit unfulfilled
September 17, 2021
When a paperback book has no positive blurbs (that is to say, no blurbs at all), on the back cover or elsewhere, there is probably a reason.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews