The House on the Water

by Margot Hunt

From the author of Buried Deep comes a brand-new thriller about a summer vacation turned deadly and a group of friends trapped together until they can determine who among them is capable of murder.

Every year, Caroline Reed takes a trip with her best friend, Esme Lamont. They’re usually accompanied by their spouses - but this year, everything’s changed.

Esme has just gone through a bitter divorce, and Caroline is wondering if her own marriage is reaching its breaking point as she and her husband, John, cope with the discovery that their 19-year-old son has been abusing drugs. Still, the inseparable duo books a weeklong stay at a beach-front home in Shoreham, Florida, inviting Esme’s brother, Nick, and his new husband, Ford, in hopes that the additional guests will help lighten the mood.

After a blissful first night in the vacation home, tragedy strikes, and one of the houseguests is found dead. While it’s assumed at first to be a horrific accident, it quickly becomes clear that there’s something more sinister at play, and over the course of this fast-paced, deeply chilling novella, the potential motives of each guest are revealed - until a shocking conclusion is reached.

Genres: Audiobook, Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Novella, Suspense

82 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 3, 2020

About the author

Margot Hunt is the author of LOVELY GIRLS, THE LAST AFFAIR, FOR BETTER AND WORSE, and BEST FRIENDS FOREVER. She has also written the Audible Original novellas TELL HER STORY, THE HOUSE ON THE WATER and BURIED DEEP. Her next book, THE GUESTS, will be released in January 2024.

Learn more about Margot and her forthcoming books at
margothunt.com.

Reviews

[Holly B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short listen for an afternoon!

Just under 3 hours on Audible! 🎧

A group of friends with their spouses are vacationing together at a beach front home. Everyone seems to having a grand time, but one of them doesn't make it through the night.

Fingers are pointing, skeletons are flying. Which one had a motive?

Audible / published in 12/20/ Narrated by Taylor Schilling

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick thriller. 😯 I guessed one part, but not the other. 🤗

[Nina (ninjasbooks) · Rating 2 out of 5]

No real suspense here in my opinion.

[Javier · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick and entertaining audiobook. Although the plot was quite predictable it kept my interest for a couple of hours.

[Monica (is working the heck out of · Rating 4 out of 5]

All in all, The House on the Water was an enjoyable, if predictable, listen.

I called the so-called "twist" from the very beginning and the who done it shortly after that.

Also, as with most short stories, this one fades to black, leaving one of the most pressing questions unanswered.

Again, I "really liked it," but it's not the most original mystery I've ever read. Four stars.

[Tonya · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novella gradually pulls you in while ending with a satisfying yet slightly predictable conclusion. Taylor Schilling does an excellent job bringing the story to life while adding an element of suspense and drama. The suspects are carefully crafted with red herrings added for impact. The audiobook is entertaining and fast-paced. If you’re in the mood for a quick listen that will intrigue you and keep you guessing, this is perfect.

[Danielle (The Blonde Likes Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick, engaging audible original. I did feel like the ending was pretty obvious, but I enjoyed it nonetheless!

[Karla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story 3 stars**
Audio 4 stars**
Narrator Taylor Schilling

[Tiff · Rating 3 out of 5]

I toyed around with any of them being the killer but unfortunately I guessed the end pretty early on. I feel like it's a bit tough to have a really solid mystery when it's so short, no time for deep stories and character building.

[Cathrine ☯️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️
It was perfectly fine distraction for a couple of sessions on the treadmill.

[Brooke (B for Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A husband and wife join an estranged friend at her vacation house on the water. A mysterious death later and this turned out to be a classic whodunit where everyone has a motive. I enjoyed the twist at the end :D

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick three hour audio, to cleanse the palate between longer books in this format.

I enjoyed myself well enough. Its was fun, and it captured my attention.

I think my next audio is going to be The Paper Palace.

[Sabi · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short mystery read of a weekend. Can read as a pastime but not a 'have to' read.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice and juicy! I've been in a bit of a reading slump(brain fog!) so I'm going through some Audible shorts tonight.

I've been meaning to check out Margot Hunt anyway, because I've seen some titles from her that looked promising so I figured this would give me an idea of her style and I'll definitely be checking out more from her!

[Heather R · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting enough to keep my attention, but not particularly original. I guessed the “surprise” ending almost immediately.

[Patience ~ AnotherOddCreature シ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Huh….I guess the author wasn’t trying to hide who the murderer was because figuring them out was toooo easy! 🧦

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Each year Caroline and her best friend, Esme, take a trip together. Usually they bring their spouses with them. This year is different. Esme is now divorced. Caroline has had a hard year dealing with her son's drug abuse and arrest. She and her husband, John, are not seeing eye to eye about the situation and its taking a toll on their marriage. John didn't want to be a third wheel on this vacation, but relents when he hears that Esme's brother, Nick, and new husband, Ford, will also be attending. After the first night of fun times, good food, and drink, one of the party is found dead. Everyone believes it was an accident, but the police say it was murder.

This is an audible original novella. I found the story interesting with just the right amount of tension between the suspects. I thought I had the mystery figured out but an unreliable narrator threw me off. I hate when I'm being fed a bunch of lies . Taylor Schilling did a fantastic job with the narration. My rating: 3.5 Stars.

[Ana Lopes Miura · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was an Audible freebie.

You get what you pay for.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

House on the Water is a fast, gripping listen. At about 2.5 hours long and free on Audible, it’s the perfect quick murder mystery when you want something suspenseful without a big time commitment.

The pacing is tight, the tension builds steadily, and the story kept me engaged the entire time. It’s straightforward, easy to follow, and surprisingly effective for such a short listen.

Who did it? Listen until the end! There wasn’t a point that I knew for sure who was guilty, especially when everyone has a motive.

Highly recommend if you want a quick, well-done thriller.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story had potential but ended up being more than disappointing. A first person narrator is telling a story and withholds information critical to the story until the end - to me, that’s not clever, that’s just annoying. It feels like being misled or lied to, and I don’t know why any author does this. ESPECIALLY in the mystery/thriller genre. If you’ve got a twist that involves misleading the reader about the main character, then tell it in third person.

[Monica (crazy_4_books) · Rating 3 out of 5]

#buzzwordathon October pick. Needed something short and this one delivered on its premise. For those who enjoy closed circle mysteries!

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Flimsy but entertaining. Taylor Schilling narrated the whole thing (which included a ton of plain dialogue) in such a monotone voice, I could barely distinguish the characters. 2.5 stars.

[Rachelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Taylor Schilling did a great job bringing to life this somewhat predictable, but still very satisfying whodunnit!

[Madeline · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too easy…

[Stevie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was, vanilla.

I guess it pretty quickly. Cute though.

[Carm · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went into “The House on the Water” ready to hate it. Honestly, I wanted to. But then I accidentally enjoyed myself. The plot is full of holes you could dock a cruise ship in, yet somehow the pages kept turning.

That’s all I’m willing to admit, because saying more would feel like confessing that I actually liked it. 😅

[Chantelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolute amazing story really enjoyed it and ended up shouting no way in the libary forgetting where I was and that I had EarPods in 😅 I definitly recommend

[Shannon Mayhan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a short listen and good story.

[🩶 April • A.M. Flynn • 🩶]

DNF

[Erin (from Long Island, NY) · Rating 4 out of 5]

(3.5)