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Hot Water
At a beautiful villa in the south of France, Hannah Carreras works as a maid. Under strict instructions never to speak to the guests, she blends into the background – but she sees everything. Including the mistress Summer, lounging by the pool awaiting the arrival of her married lover, Steve.
When Steve finally shows at the villa – with his family unexpectedly in tow – Summer has vanished. Steve claims he never saw her. But Steve’s wife is no fool: she knows there’s something going on. Whose tiny bikini lies by the pool? Whose perfume is in the bathroom?
Before long, the local police start asking questions, and the villa’s occupants have something to hide. Only Hannah, always listening, watching, saw broken glass and blood near the pool the day Summer disappeared. Only Hannah thinks she knows what lies are being told…
When Steve finally shows at the villa – with his family unexpectedly in tow – Summer has vanished. Steve claims he never saw her. But Steve’s wife is no fool: she knows there’s something going on. Whose tiny bikini lies by the pool? Whose perfume is in the bathroom?
Before long, the local police start asking questions, and the villa’s occupants have something to hide. Only Hannah, always listening, watching, saw broken glass and blood near the pool the day Summer disappeared. Only Hannah thinks she knows what lies are being told…
384 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2022
19 people are currently reading
155 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Fowler
264 books1,284 followersLibrarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Christopher Fowler was an English writer known for his Bryant & May mystery series, featuring two Golden Age-style detectives navigating modern London. Over his career, he authored fifty novels and short story collections, along with screenplays, video games, graphic novels, and audio plays. His psychological thriller Little Boy Found was published under the pseudonym L.K. Fox.
Fowler's accolades include multiple British Fantasy Awards, the Last Laugh Award, the CWA Dagger in the Library, and the inaugural Green Carnation Award. He was inducted into the Detection Club in 2021. Beyond crime fiction, his works ranged from horror (Hell Train, Nyctophobia) to memoir (Paperboy, Film Freak). His column Invisible Ink explored forgotten authors, later compiled into The Book of Forgotten Authors.
Fowler lived between London and Barcelona with his husband, Peter Chapman.
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Christopher Fowler was an English writer known for his Bryant & May mystery series, featuring two Golden Age-style detectives navigating modern London. Over his career, he authored fifty novels and short story collections, along with screenplays, video games, graphic novels, and audio plays. His psychological thriller Little Boy Found was published under the pseudonym L.K. Fox.
Fowler's accolades include multiple British Fantasy Awards, the Last Laugh Award, the CWA Dagger in the Library, and the inaugural Green Carnation Award. He was inducted into the Detection Club in 2021. Beyond crime fiction, his works ranged from horror (Hell Train, Nyctophobia) to memoir (Paperboy, Film Freak). His column Invisible Ink explored forgotten authors, later compiled into The Book of Forgotten Authors.
Fowler lived between London and Barcelona with his husband, Peter Chapman.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
February 18, 2022
This is a standalone psychological thriller from Christopher Fowler, and I should warn fans of his Bryant and May series that it is nothing like that series, although there is a strong element of black humour that runs through this. 23 year old Hannah Carreras has escaped her traumatic past in England and has run to the South of France, where she manages to secure a post as a cleaner for numerous villas, located near Nice, managing to persuade a reluctant Julia Martinez to employ her, despite it obviously being a position well below her abilities. She is instructed to maintain a silence and invisibility when it comes to those staying in villas, a rule she breaks almost immediately when she meets the bored beautiful wild child , 18 year old Summer Farrow, a young woman keen on experiencing all that life offers, staying for a week at the remote Lavardin Villa.
A lonely Summer had been expecting to spend her time with the married Steve Elsbury, an older man married to Jennifer and with a uncommunicative teenage son, Jamie, who hero worships his father. However, Steve, working in the wine trade, has not been able to come, and is only able to arrive on Summer's last day, leaving them with only a few hours to spend together. His second in command, the posh but ineffectual Giles Sutherland comes on the same day with his sly and manipulative wife, Melissa, they are joined by Jennifer and Jamie. Unable to contact Summer, whose possessions are littered throughout the villa, Hannah is concerned about her disappearance, which along with other evidence, convinces her that something terrible has happened to Summer. She watches and observes everyone closely at the villa, where there are increasing tensions, the British are not welcomed by the local community where a child goes missing. Will Hannah discover the truth about Summer?
Fowler provides the requisite elements that comprise a psychological thriller, a cast of characters that are mostly unlikeable, an atmosphere of rising suspense, plenty of red herrings, and where numerous secrets, lies and deceptions slowly begin to emerge, and I have to say it is probably well nigh impossible for the reader to deduce the truth. The author documents how the lives of those staying at the villa begin to fray and spiral out of their control, the underlying conflicts and feelings rising to the surface, as events take an even darker turn. Many of Fowler's fans, and those who love the psychological thriller genre are likely to enjoy this. Thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
A lonely Summer had been expecting to spend her time with the married Steve Elsbury, an older man married to Jennifer and with a uncommunicative teenage son, Jamie, who hero worships his father. However, Steve, working in the wine trade, has not been able to come, and is only able to arrive on Summer's last day, leaving them with only a few hours to spend together. His second in command, the posh but ineffectual Giles Sutherland comes on the same day with his sly and manipulative wife, Melissa, they are joined by Jennifer and Jamie. Unable to contact Summer, whose possessions are littered throughout the villa, Hannah is concerned about her disappearance, which along with other evidence, convinces her that something terrible has happened to Summer. She watches and observes everyone closely at the villa, where there are increasing tensions, the British are not welcomed by the local community where a child goes missing. Will Hannah discover the truth about Summer?
Fowler provides the requisite elements that comprise a psychological thriller, a cast of characters that are mostly unlikeable, an atmosphere of rising suspense, plenty of red herrings, and where numerous secrets, lies and deceptions slowly begin to emerge, and I have to say it is probably well nigh impossible for the reader to deduce the truth. The author documents how the lives of those staying at the villa begin to fray and spiral out of their control, the underlying conflicts and feelings rising to the surface, as events take an even darker turn. Many of Fowler's fans, and those who love the psychological thriller genre are likely to enjoy this. Thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
May 3, 2022
Beautiful and barely legal Summer has been given a week on her own in a hillside villa near Nice by a middle-aged wine seller named Steve, who has been lusting after her for awhile. The original plan was for Steve to join Summer for a few days, but things change and now he will have just half a Saturday with her before his wife, teenage son, business partner Giles and Giles’s wife Melissa descend for a week of business and pleasure.
Summer, not a person able to entertain herself, befriends the maid, Hannah, a young Englishwoman who has taken the maid job despite it clearly being not the sort of thing she’s been accustomed to. Steve arrives very late, with the rest of the guests hard on his heels. It appears to Hannah that Summer has disappeared, leaving behind all of her things, including her phone and passport, all of which Steve quickly hides.
Hannah becomes obsessed with Summer’s disappearance. She suspects Steve of having done something terrible and is determined to find out what’s happened. As the days go by, the adult guests drink more and more heavily, and frictions grow. The locals in the nearby rural village, never fans of the Brits to begin with, start spreading conspiracy theories about the guests in connection with the disappearance of a young developmentally-disabled girl. I can’t say much about the plot without spoilers, so I’ll just say things get downright crazy.
Superficially, this is a crime novel of the domestic drama/international variety. But just below the surface it’s a jet-black comic thriller and a scathing satire of the English upper middle class.
I’m a huge fan of Christopher Fowler’s Bryant & May series, but this is something completely different. Only that dark humor is there to give a hint that Fowler wrote this very different type of story.
Summer, not a person able to entertain herself, befriends the maid, Hannah, a young Englishwoman who has taken the maid job despite it clearly being not the sort of thing she’s been accustomed to. Steve arrives very late, with the rest of the guests hard on his heels. It appears to Hannah that Summer has disappeared, leaving behind all of her things, including her phone and passport, all of which Steve quickly hides.
Hannah becomes obsessed with Summer’s disappearance. She suspects Steve of having done something terrible and is determined to find out what’s happened. As the days go by, the adult guests drink more and more heavily, and frictions grow. The locals in the nearby rural village, never fans of the Brits to begin with, start spreading conspiracy theories about the guests in connection with the disappearance of a young developmentally-disabled girl. I can’t say much about the plot without spoilers, so I’ll just say things get downright crazy.
Superficially, this is a crime novel of the domestic drama/international variety. But just below the surface it’s a jet-black comic thriller and a scathing satire of the English upper middle class.
I’m a huge fan of Christopher Fowler’s Bryant & May series, but this is something completely different. Only that dark humor is there to give a hint that Fowler wrote this very different type of story.
February 23, 2022
I’m afraid I was disappointed in Hot Water. Like many others, I suspect, I read it because I love the Bryant & May books, but this isn’t anything like as good. It’s a serviceable psychological thriller, but it felt pretty generic to me, with little to distinguish it from the slew of others in the genre.
Set near Nice, a long, rather disjointed set-up gives us Hannah enrolling as a maid for a shabby company servicing expensive holiday villas for the rich, a job for which she is plainly too well educated and too mature. A middle-aged man sends Summer, his teenage mistress, to stay there for a week until he arrives to see her for a while before his wife and son join him. Hannah befriends Summer, and we learn something of their histories and characters but there are sinister developments leading to a mystery.
If this seems a very vague outline, it’s because it takes about a quarter of the book to get to this point and to say any more would therefore be a spoiler for a significant portion of the book – although for some while it’s fairly plain what will happen next. Frankly, I found it all rather plodding and Fowler’s development of suspense is so laboured, with pages and pages of things maybe moving in the bushes, noises that were probably just an animal and so on, that I began to feel patronised and to get rather annoyed.
I didn’t think things improved much as the book developed. It all felt rather standard, run-of-the-mill Tense Psychological Thriller stuff and I wasn’t really engaged. The problem is that without the brilliant elements of character, history and humour which make Bryant & May so good, this just felt very ordinary to me.
I’m genuinely sorry to be so critical of an author whose other work I love, but this wasn’t for me. The psychological thriller isn’t a genre I generally like and I only tried this because it’s Fowler. Fans of the genre may like it much more, but personally I can’t recommend it.
(My thanks to Titan Books for an ARC via NetGalley.)
Set near Nice, a long, rather disjointed set-up gives us Hannah enrolling as a maid for a shabby company servicing expensive holiday villas for the rich, a job for which she is plainly too well educated and too mature. A middle-aged man sends Summer, his teenage mistress, to stay there for a week until he arrives to see her for a while before his wife and son join him. Hannah befriends Summer, and we learn something of their histories and characters but there are sinister developments leading to a mystery.
If this seems a very vague outline, it’s because it takes about a quarter of the book to get to this point and to say any more would therefore be a spoiler for a significant portion of the book – although for some while it’s fairly plain what will happen next. Frankly, I found it all rather plodding and Fowler’s development of suspense is so laboured, with pages and pages of things maybe moving in the bushes, noises that were probably just an animal and so on, that I began to feel patronised and to get rather annoyed.
I didn’t think things improved much as the book developed. It all felt rather standard, run-of-the-mill Tense Psychological Thriller stuff and I wasn’t really engaged. The problem is that without the brilliant elements of character, history and humour which make Bryant & May so good, this just felt very ordinary to me.
I’m genuinely sorry to be so critical of an author whose other work I love, but this wasn’t for me. The psychological thriller isn’t a genre I generally like and I only tried this because it’s Fowler. Fans of the genre may like it much more, but personally I can’t recommend it.
(My thanks to Titan Books for an ARC via NetGalley.)
March 16, 2022
Outstanding.Now THIS is psychological suspense done by a gifted writer,and not the myriad mediocrities which constantly get hyped.
Plus a masterful dissection of characters,and a twisty ending.
Standard Fowler,ergo,brilliant.:)
100/10
Plus a masterful dissection of characters,and a twisty ending.
Standard Fowler,ergo,brilliant.:)
100/10
March 16, 2022
At a beautiful villa near Nice in the south of France, Hannah Carreras works as a maid. Under strict instructions never to speak to the guests, she blends into the background – but she sees everything. Including the mistress Summer, lounging by the pool awaiting the arrival of her married lover, Steve.
When Steve finally shows at the villa – with his family unexpectedly in tow – Summer has vanished. Steve claims he never saw her. But Steve’s wife is no fool: she knows there’s something going on. Whose tiny bikini lies by the pool? Whose perfume is in the bathroom?
Before long, the local police start asking questions, and the villa’s occupants have something to hide. Only Hannah, always listening, watching, saw broken glass and blood on the patio the day Summer disappeared. Only Hannah thinks she knows what lies are being told…
So, we have Steve, the slightly psychopathic hubbie, who has set Summer up in the villa for a week, intent on having his wicked way, before his wife and brooding unsociable teenage boy turn up. And his wine business associate Giles (who is also about to turn up with his wife) knows this and isn’t that happy about it. But when Giles confronts Steve about Summer, Steve insists nothing happened and she was gone from the Villa when he arrived…
And Summer IS gone. Her newly-found friend Hannah doesn’t know how or where but is increasingly worried that Steve is unstable and has done something terrible. There is evidence of Summer all around. Sunglasses, bikini, passport, her phone – and what follows is at times a comedy of errors as these items are found, mislaid and re-discovered.
Also in the mix is a young missing girl from the nearby village with locals determined to find her and blame anyone (Steve, in particular) for her disappearance at any cost. There are angry mobs (akin to Frankenstein) heading up to the Villa to confront Steve and his family.
Fowler has said this is closest in tone to an earlier work ‘Nyctophobia’ (and there’s a recurring character in this book) and I can see that. There’s dark humour throughout and his trademark horror elements – I will never go anywhere near a cactus plant again – and also a gut wrenching reveal as we find out not “who-dunnit” but actually “what-happint” to Summer.
I love when Christopher Fowler’s takes a chance with something a little different. And that’s exactly what Hot Water is – a slow burn of a tale, each strand of storyline simmering along until each individual part reaches its boiling point.
When Steve finally shows at the villa – with his family unexpectedly in tow – Summer has vanished. Steve claims he never saw her. But Steve’s wife is no fool: she knows there’s something going on. Whose tiny bikini lies by the pool? Whose perfume is in the bathroom?
Before long, the local police start asking questions, and the villa’s occupants have something to hide. Only Hannah, always listening, watching, saw broken glass and blood on the patio the day Summer disappeared. Only Hannah thinks she knows what lies are being told…
So, we have Steve, the slightly psychopathic hubbie, who has set Summer up in the villa for a week, intent on having his wicked way, before his wife and brooding unsociable teenage boy turn up. And his wine business associate Giles (who is also about to turn up with his wife) knows this and isn’t that happy about it. But when Giles confronts Steve about Summer, Steve insists nothing happened and she was gone from the Villa when he arrived…
And Summer IS gone. Her newly-found friend Hannah doesn’t know how or where but is increasingly worried that Steve is unstable and has done something terrible. There is evidence of Summer all around. Sunglasses, bikini, passport, her phone – and what follows is at times a comedy of errors as these items are found, mislaid and re-discovered.
Also in the mix is a young missing girl from the nearby village with locals determined to find her and blame anyone (Steve, in particular) for her disappearance at any cost. There are angry mobs (akin to Frankenstein) heading up to the Villa to confront Steve and his family.
Fowler has said this is closest in tone to an earlier work ‘Nyctophobia’ (and there’s a recurring character in this book) and I can see that. There’s dark humour throughout and his trademark horror elements – I will never go anywhere near a cactus plant again – and also a gut wrenching reveal as we find out not “who-dunnit” but actually “what-happint” to Summer.
I love when Christopher Fowler’s takes a chance with something a little different. And that’s exactly what Hot Water is – a slow burn of a tale, each strand of storyline simmering along until each individual part reaches its boiling point.
May 20, 2023
Wonderful
August 3, 2023
Very well written and in some ways reminded me of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca. Except not in a good way.
Rebecca had me gripped throughout, this had me mostly annoyed throughout. It took an age to get anywhere, so much so that in a tale with so much potential, made me bored.
Sorry Mr Fowler, but whilst I wasn’t relying on you here to fill the gap left by B&M, bring them back!!!
Rebecca had me gripped throughout, this had me mostly annoyed throughout. It took an age to get anywhere, so much so that in a tale with so much potential, made me bored.
Sorry Mr Fowler, but whilst I wasn’t relying on you here to fill the gap left by B&M, bring them back!!!
February 18, 2022
I really enjoyed this fast paced, tense and atmospheric thriller. it was well written with a gripping and engaging storyline and well developed characters. It was twisty and unpredictable and had me on the edge of my seat. I loved it.
March 29, 2022
This book by the author of the wonderful Bryant and May series is a standalone book set in the area near Nice, France.
The story was intriguing and multi-layered as Fowler’s books always are. He definitely keeps the reader entertained and on tenterhooks. Various threads come together in an intriguing way by the end of the book.
Steve is a 42 year old British man who has a desire to have a sexual relationship with an 18 year old—which, of course, is gross anyway—but it set the stage for the events of the story. Steve arranges to rent a holiday home near Nice for a business trip for his wine business. He invites the girl, Summer, to join him. The leasing agent tells him he has to rent it for two weeks, so he invites the girl for the first week and his wife and son for the second week. He is supposed to arrive a few days before his family so he can sleep with the girl.
Hannah, a 23 year old young woman, is the cleaner for the house that Steve rents. Hannah is not supposed to interact with the guests, but when she meets Summer, she breaks the rule and becomes involved in the girl’s life. Steve’ arrival is delayed and the plans change wherein he’s going to arrive a mere few hours before his family—time enough for a quickie, but then Summer has to go.
The day Steve’s family is supposed to arrive, Hannah can’t get in touch with Summer. She believes the girl left with a gay friend to stay with him now that Steve’s family is arriving. When Hannah arrives to clean, she finds items left by Summer strewn around the place.
As the week goes on, other things appear—like Summer’s phone and passport. The people in the house, Steve, his wife and son as well as Steve’s employee, Giles and his wife, are all hiding things. Everyone in the villa has issues and secrets.
Hannah becomes more and more suspicious about what really happened to her friend. A local child goes missing as well, causing Hannah to investigate that in addition to what happened to Summer. Did her friend leave voluntarily? Did she leave before anyone else arrived? Did she argue with Steve? Is she gone off with friends? Or is her body buried somewhere on the property? And how does the missing child and the gardener fit into the picture? What about the other guests, the villagers and even her boss?
This is a great, convoluted story that really appealed to this reader. Lots to unpack and a ton of pieces to put together to get to the truth of the events that occurred in the vacation villa. I recommend this one as a fun beach read—even if you’re not in the Cote d’Azur!
The story was intriguing and multi-layered as Fowler’s books always are. He definitely keeps the reader entertained and on tenterhooks. Various threads come together in an intriguing way by the end of the book.
Steve is a 42 year old British man who has a desire to have a sexual relationship with an 18 year old—which, of course, is gross anyway—but it set the stage for the events of the story. Steve arranges to rent a holiday home near Nice for a business trip for his wine business. He invites the girl, Summer, to join him. The leasing agent tells him he has to rent it for two weeks, so he invites the girl for the first week and his wife and son for the second week. He is supposed to arrive a few days before his family so he can sleep with the girl.
Hannah, a 23 year old young woman, is the cleaner for the house that Steve rents. Hannah is not supposed to interact with the guests, but when she meets Summer, she breaks the rule and becomes involved in the girl’s life. Steve’ arrival is delayed and the plans change wherein he’s going to arrive a mere few hours before his family—time enough for a quickie, but then Summer has to go.
The day Steve’s family is supposed to arrive, Hannah can’t get in touch with Summer. She believes the girl left with a gay friend to stay with him now that Steve’s family is arriving. When Hannah arrives to clean, she finds items left by Summer strewn around the place.
As the week goes on, other things appear—like Summer’s phone and passport. The people in the house, Steve, his wife and son as well as Steve’s employee, Giles and his wife, are all hiding things. Everyone in the villa has issues and secrets.
Hannah becomes more and more suspicious about what really happened to her friend. A local child goes missing as well, causing Hannah to investigate that in addition to what happened to Summer. Did her friend leave voluntarily? Did she leave before anyone else arrived? Did she argue with Steve? Is she gone off with friends? Or is her body buried somewhere on the property? And how does the missing child and the gardener fit into the picture? What about the other guests, the villagers and even her boss?
This is a great, convoluted story that really appealed to this reader. Lots to unpack and a ton of pieces to put together to get to the truth of the events that occurred in the vacation villa. I recommend this one as a fun beach read—even if you’re not in the Cote d’Azur!
June 23, 2022
I feel like I've read a *lot* of domestic suspense/thrillers set against a holiday backdrop and big kudos to Christopher Fowler for making this one feel so unique. What made this stand out was that the author wasn't getting lost in twists and maintaining the suspense, instead allowing for genuine characterisation to come to the fore and shining a light on how people will react when backed into a corner.
There were certainly some elements of "manic pixie dream girl" in the depiction of Summer and I felt the plot became a little boggy in the last 20% although I can forgive that as the ending made the reasoning clear. I also questioned the inclusion of Hannah's backstory as, for all it was a shocking revelation, it didn't really seem to have much bearing on her as a person or how the story unfolded for her. It just seemed a tad bizarre. For all that though, the words just popped off the page and it never felt cheap or drawn out like this genre of books often can. There was care taken with the setting to give it a sense of authenticity, rather than "glitzy backdrop for rich people to play out their dramas against" and the whole book just felt like a really refreshing voice in a crowded field.
There were certainly some elements of "manic pixie dream girl" in the depiction of Summer and I felt the plot became a little boggy in the last 20% although I can forgive that as the ending made the reasoning clear. I also questioned the inclusion of Hannah's backstory as, for all it was a shocking revelation, it didn't really seem to have much bearing on her as a person or how the story unfolded for her. It just seemed a tad bizarre. For all that though, the words just popped off the page and it never felt cheap or drawn out like this genre of books often can. There was care taken with the setting to give it a sense of authenticity, rather than "glitzy backdrop for rich people to play out their dramas against" and the whole book just felt like a really refreshing voice in a crowded field.
February 27, 2022
3,5* upped to 4
This is a good thriller featuring a cast of unlikeable characters and constant sense of doom plut the usual Christopher Fowler humour.
I think a great part of the rating is due to expectations: even if I read and enjoyed stories that weren't Bryant&May this was the first after the end of the series and I was expecting something different.
I like how the character were developed and how they were unlikeable. I also loved the dark humour which is always present.
The thriller was average, a bit to slow to keep me on the edge till the end.
I'm sure that my rate would be better if I was going to read it next year.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
This is a good thriller featuring a cast of unlikeable characters and constant sense of doom plut the usual Christopher Fowler humour.
I think a great part of the rating is due to expectations: even if I read and enjoyed stories that weren't Bryant&May this was the first after the end of the series and I was expecting something different.
I like how the character were developed and how they were unlikeable. I also loved the dark humour which is always present.
The thriller was average, a bit to slow to keep me on the edge till the end.
I'm sure that my rate would be better if I was going to read it next year.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
March 6, 2022
So disappointing
I started this book with high hopes as normally I enjoy the author's books - especially the Bryant and May ones - but was prepared for something different . I was disappointed by around page 4 and struggled on trying to find something to make me want to care. In the end, I just gave up and skipped dozens of pages just to see if there was any end to the bitter sarcasm of the writing and the unsympathetic characters. The only character I found any sympathy for was, I imagine the one we were meant to like least - oh dear, sorry - I just found the whole book really awful.
I started this book with high hopes as normally I enjoy the author's books - especially the Bryant and May ones - but was prepared for something different . I was disappointed by around page 4 and struggled on trying to find something to make me want to care. In the end, I just gave up and skipped dozens of pages just to see if there was any end to the bitter sarcasm of the writing and the unsympathetic characters. The only character I found any sympathy for was, I imagine the one we were meant to like least - oh dear, sorry - I just found the whole book really awful.
July 4, 2024
Not Bryant and May!
Generally formulaic storyline with disappointing ending.
RIP CHRISTOPHER.
Generally formulaic storyline with disappointing ending.
RIP CHRISTOPHER.
March 30, 2022
A galaxy of stars for this spellbinding and beautifully written book with its genius plot.
"Hot Water" is by far the best book I have read in a very long time and definitely head and shoulders above any others so far in 2022. I did try a Bryant and May by the same author but it just was not for me - but this is perfection!
I adored the beautiful, evocative way it was written that so eloquently and elegantly captured so many familiar feelings, atmospheres and landscapes. Oh how I would love to be able to write in such a hypnotic and spellbinding way.
The whole book reminded me in ways of a holiday where the surroundings are new and entrancing and though nothing much happens you are still swept away by the beauty and newness of it all and every moment seems momentous. Then the times when so many exciting things happen and you are swept away by the adventure of it all. In short I really do feel like I just got back from an amazing and eventful holiday in the South of France ... badly needed as it is nearly three years since my last jaunt and I have very itchy feet.
I loved also the fabulous descriptions of the characters and how multi dimensional they all were. Layers upon layers of backstory made them all so real and I really enjoyed the detailed descriptions of how they looked and what they wore so it seemed like I could really see and hear them.
I can also recommend the Audiobook version which I got as well. The narration was sublime and though I am not very proficient in French all the pronunciation sounded very authentic and fluent to me which really added to the story. The characters really came to life also with their different voices and everything really just came beautifully to life. A few English and Spanish words were mispronounced (Almeria, fetid, redolent, Martinez etc.) which surprised me as otherwise the narration was flawless and really brought it all to life and lovely to listen to.
This book gripped me from the very start and kept me devouring it at every opportunity through the day, when usually I save my books for late at night and early morning, but I could not put this down. Not only did it have plots within plots, red herrings chasing other red herrings, snapshots of dreams of lives of marriages and of desires but it was just so beautifully written that it was a joy to immerse yourself in.
The sun, the style of the South of France, the quirky characters, the relationships and the fabulously described luxurious villa and scenery which contrasted so well with the locals and village life -it would have been an amazing book with just that - but then the mystery, the brooding menace, the seething tensions and then seeing it all from so many point of view - it was all simply divine.
So many twists and turns, plots and sub plots - it simply writhed with intrigue like a basket of roiling serpents that it was a totally immersive experience. Of course it is relatively easy to build mystery but this intricately woven story just kept gloriously giving until the last secret was prised open for a genius reveal.
I am just so sorry it is over and I feel like I have just walked out of the cinema, blinking in the daylight after watching an epic movie.
Speaking of which I think this is begging to be put on the screen as the writing is so vivid I feel like I already saw it in 3D.
A galaxy of stars for this bewitching mystery - thanks so much Christopher Fowler -please can we have another stand alone like this one soon.
It really made my March.
"Hot Water" is by far the best book I have read in a very long time and definitely head and shoulders above any others so far in 2022. I did try a Bryant and May by the same author but it just was not for me - but this is perfection!
I adored the beautiful, evocative way it was written that so eloquently and elegantly captured so many familiar feelings, atmospheres and landscapes. Oh how I would love to be able to write in such a hypnotic and spellbinding way.
The whole book reminded me in ways of a holiday where the surroundings are new and entrancing and though nothing much happens you are still swept away by the beauty and newness of it all and every moment seems momentous. Then the times when so many exciting things happen and you are swept away by the adventure of it all. In short I really do feel like I just got back from an amazing and eventful holiday in the South of France ... badly needed as it is nearly three years since my last jaunt and I have very itchy feet.
I loved also the fabulous descriptions of the characters and how multi dimensional they all were. Layers upon layers of backstory made them all so real and I really enjoyed the detailed descriptions of how they looked and what they wore so it seemed like I could really see and hear them.
I can also recommend the Audiobook version which I got as well. The narration was sublime and though I am not very proficient in French all the pronunciation sounded very authentic and fluent to me which really added to the story. The characters really came to life also with their different voices and everything really just came beautifully to life. A few English and Spanish words were mispronounced (Almeria, fetid, redolent, Martinez etc.) which surprised me as otherwise the narration was flawless and really brought it all to life and lovely to listen to.
This book gripped me from the very start and kept me devouring it at every opportunity through the day, when usually I save my books for late at night and early morning, but I could not put this down. Not only did it have plots within plots, red herrings chasing other red herrings, snapshots of dreams of lives of marriages and of desires but it was just so beautifully written that it was a joy to immerse yourself in.
The sun, the style of the South of France, the quirky characters, the relationships and the fabulously described luxurious villa and scenery which contrasted so well with the locals and village life -it would have been an amazing book with just that - but then the mystery, the brooding menace, the seething tensions and then seeing it all from so many point of view - it was all simply divine.
So many twists and turns, plots and sub plots - it simply writhed with intrigue like a basket of roiling serpents that it was a totally immersive experience. Of course it is relatively easy to build mystery but this intricately woven story just kept gloriously giving until the last secret was prised open for a genius reveal.
I am just so sorry it is over and I feel like I have just walked out of the cinema, blinking in the daylight after watching an epic movie.
Speaking of which I think this is begging to be put on the screen as the writing is so vivid I feel like I already saw it in 3D.
A galaxy of stars for this bewitching mystery - thanks so much Christopher Fowler -please can we have another stand alone like this one soon.
It really made my March.
August 30, 2025
I have a lot of admiration for any writer who can step outside the genre that’s brought them success and try their hand at something different. That’s what drew me to Hot Water. I hadn’t read Christopher Fowler’s work before, but as a fan of psychological thrillers, the blurb reeled me in.
Hannah has been hired as a maid at a magnificent villa in the South of France. Her job is simple on paper: keep everything immaculate, stay in the background, and never engage with the residents. Enter Steve, a wine merchant renting the villa for two weeks — one week with his very young latest conquest, the second with his family, business partner, and wife. But of course, things don’t go to plan, and layer by layer the complex, often unflattering profiles of the key characters begin to unravel.
There are plenty of twists, and the final one is a real shocker. I pride myself on spotting endings, but I didn’t see this coming — nothing is quite as it first appears.
And yet, despite all of that, I could only give this three stars. I wanted to rate it higher. Something about the writing style left me unsettled — and not in the intended thriller sense. Fowler’s dark humour is evident (and I allowed for that), but I found myself constantly flipping back through earlier pages. More than once, a comment or event I remembered clearly seemed to be relayed later in a completely different way — attributed to another character, or altered into an almost new scenario. It happened so often I began to wonder if it was deliberate. Perhaps it was a clever device to show how humans spin stories to suit themselves, or how memory shifts depending on who’s listening. If so, it’s ingenious — but I found it distracting and, after the third or fourth time, frustrating. Maybe I read too literally, but it pulled me out of the story.
The characters are not especially likeable (nor are they meant to be), and the book offers a biting look at British entitlement, snobbery, doing the “right” thing, and trying to keep smiling when things are falling apart. At times, it reminded me of one of those “Gone Wrong” plays — only with a much darker heart.
So, I’m left conflicted: confused by the execution, but satisfied by the plot and impressed by the killer twist at the end.
Hannah has been hired as a maid at a magnificent villa in the South of France. Her job is simple on paper: keep everything immaculate, stay in the background, and never engage with the residents. Enter Steve, a wine merchant renting the villa for two weeks — one week with his very young latest conquest, the second with his family, business partner, and wife. But of course, things don’t go to plan, and layer by layer the complex, often unflattering profiles of the key characters begin to unravel.
There are plenty of twists, and the final one is a real shocker. I pride myself on spotting endings, but I didn’t see this coming — nothing is quite as it first appears.
And yet, despite all of that, I could only give this three stars. I wanted to rate it higher. Something about the writing style left me unsettled — and not in the intended thriller sense. Fowler’s dark humour is evident (and I allowed for that), but I found myself constantly flipping back through earlier pages. More than once, a comment or event I remembered clearly seemed to be relayed later in a completely different way — attributed to another character, or altered into an almost new scenario. It happened so often I began to wonder if it was deliberate. Perhaps it was a clever device to show how humans spin stories to suit themselves, or how memory shifts depending on who’s listening. If so, it’s ingenious — but I found it distracting and, after the third or fourth time, frustrating. Maybe I read too literally, but it pulled me out of the story.
The characters are not especially likeable (nor are they meant to be), and the book offers a biting look at British entitlement, snobbery, doing the “right” thing, and trying to keep smiling when things are falling apart. At times, it reminded me of one of those “Gone Wrong” plays — only with a much darker heart.
So, I’m left conflicted: confused by the execution, but satisfied by the plot and impressed by the killer twist at the end.
August 24, 2022
I didn't buy this when it first came out for some odd reason so I only got to read it now. The plot centres around Hannah, who has had a devastatingly horrible marriage and is now working for the summer as a housemaid for a company that provides rental villas in the area outside of Nice in southern France. She is told by Julia, the manager, that as well as the villa taken by the Russian family she will also be handling a villa that people have to book for at least two weeks. There is a young woman there for the first week and two couples for the second week. Julia warns Hannah not to talk to the guests, do your work, be pleasant and accommodating but don't get into conversation because that just leads to trouble.
Hannah gets into much more than conversation with Summer, the very young girl to whom Steve is providing a week's holiday in France. The idea was that Summer would have the holiday, Steve would come in near the end of the week to enjoy a little extra marital fun, Summer would leave ahead of the arrival of Steve's wife and his business partner and everything would be Jim Dandy. What could go wrong?
Steve is delayed in England so his meetup with Summer doesn't happen (apparently) and when he does arrive Summer has left clothing and other personal items scattered throughout the villa so that he has to go rushing through the place hiding bottles, clothing, and cigarette butts. Hannah begins to think that Summer never left (she left her passport behind?) and she's probably dead and buried somewhere on the estate. The place has a history including a gory murder and Hannah is sure this new disappearance is part of the dark atmosphere so she starts leaving some of Summer's things around to make Steve's wife wonder what had happened.
I wish I cared about the characters because by the end you scarcely care what, if anything, happened to Summer. Even Hannah, who obviously cares a great deal about Summer and might have developed into a partner for the girl, is confused and unsure of herself. Steve is a self centred con man who has started several businesses financed by his father-in-law,
Hannah gets into much more than conversation with Summer, the very young girl to whom Steve is providing a week's holiday in France. The idea was that Summer would have the holiday, Steve would come in near the end of the week to enjoy a little extra marital fun, Summer would leave ahead of the arrival of Steve's wife and his business partner and everything would be Jim Dandy. What could go wrong?
Steve is delayed in England so his meetup with Summer doesn't happen (apparently) and when he does arrive Summer has left clothing and other personal items scattered throughout the villa so that he has to go rushing through the place hiding bottles, clothing, and cigarette butts. Hannah begins to think that Summer never left (she left her passport behind?) and she's probably dead and buried somewhere on the estate. The place has a history including a gory murder and Hannah is sure this new disappearance is part of the dark atmosphere so she starts leaving some of Summer's things around to make Steve's wife wonder what had happened.
I wish I cared about the characters because by the end you scarcely care what, if anything, happened to Summer. Even Hannah, who obviously cares a great deal about Summer and might have developed into a partner for the girl, is confused and unsure of herself. Steve is a self centred con man who has started several businesses financed by his father-in-law,
June 23, 2023
This was such a disappointment. I can see why attempting to jump on the summer/airport/beach thriller was tempting but after a failed attempt via pseudonym that I haven't read, trying again under his own name to break away from his elderly weird detective series must have been annoying when the publisher slaps a sticker highlighting them on the front.
There just wasn't a sympathetic character in the whole cast. The missing, presumed, murdered girl is an obnoxious Instagram Lolita that honestly I didn't even care about finding what happened to her. Her friend the maid, instead of immediately going to the police makes one stupid attempt after another to force some sort of confession from the sleazy adulterous tw*t that booked the villa. The wife is a mousey doormat, his son is a weirdo, the other couple are a bitchy alcoholic and a public school twerp. Even when a missing child from the village is thrown into the mix it's hard to mustering interest when she's basically painted as a feral r*tard. The guests fight, and the maid plays Miss Marple only younger and stupider. And at the end we get a clichéd rent-a-mob of pitchfork welding French farmers.
The mystery is solved at the very end in a sort of epilogue, that is clever, but at this point seems like cheap magic, sleight of hand.
I'm genuinely gutted that one of my favourite writers produced this as one of his final books before succumbing to cancer a year later...
There just wasn't a sympathetic character in the whole cast. The missing, presumed, murdered girl is an obnoxious Instagram Lolita that honestly I didn't even care about finding what happened to her. Her friend the maid, instead of immediately going to the police makes one stupid attempt after another to force some sort of confession from the sleazy adulterous tw*t that booked the villa. The wife is a mousey doormat, his son is a weirdo, the other couple are a bitchy alcoholic and a public school twerp. Even when a missing child from the village is thrown into the mix it's hard to mustering interest when she's basically painted as a feral r*tard. The guests fight, and the maid plays Miss Marple only younger and stupider. And at the end we get a clichéd rent-a-mob of pitchfork welding French farmers.
The mystery is solved at the very end in a sort of epilogue, that is clever, but at this point seems like cheap magic, sleight of hand.
I'm genuinely gutted that one of my favourite writers produced this as one of his final books before succumbing to cancer a year later...
December 21, 2022
As a big fan of Bryant & May, this was an obvious purchase, though naturally it differs from the series in many respects. This particular book offers up a psychological thriller - what has happened to 18-year-old Summer? - as two couples holiday near Nice. Relationships break down, there are arguments a plenty, and a maid is determined to get to the bottom of everything.
The ending neatly ties everything up but the book is overlong, feeling as though there wasn't quite enough to justify its length (a subplot involving another person disappearing just doesn't really work). There are so many repeated moments of arguing, criticising, descriptions of the villa, etc. too that by the time everything is discovered, it's hard to get excited by the book's conclusion (and in truth, although unexpected, it all seems incredibly unrealistic that nobody would discover what happened a lot earlier...) A bit of a disappointment but only in comparison to this author's other works. The writing is still evocative and engaging but in a book that hangs so tightly on character, it was a shame many didn't resonate. Worth a read, mind.
The ending neatly ties everything up but the book is overlong, feeling as though there wasn't quite enough to justify its length (a subplot involving another person disappearing just doesn't really work). There are so many repeated moments of arguing, criticising, descriptions of the villa, etc. too that by the time everything is discovered, it's hard to get excited by the book's conclusion (and in truth, although unexpected, it all seems incredibly unrealistic that nobody would discover what happened a lot earlier...) A bit of a disappointment but only in comparison to this author's other works. The writing is still evocative and engaging but in a book that hangs so tightly on character, it was a shame many didn't resonate. Worth a read, mind.
March 20, 2022
Another good Christopher Fowler book.
The first few chapters were a bit confusing as to who was who, but by chapter 9 the book kicked in.
Hannah gets a job at a holiday resort where she meets Summer, the girlfriend of married man Steven.
The first 20 percent we see the relationship between Hannah and Summer blossom with Steve's presence in the background.
And then Steve arrives with his wife, son and two friends to rent the villa. And Summer's missing with Hannah worried at her disappearance. So we get a two strand story of Hannah investigating and the trials and tribulations of the five renters.
This section feels very much like one of those old 'Play for Today' type programmes where there is a lot of simmering tension between the two couples and the son, added to the mystery of Summer's whereabouts. All deftly handled by Fowler in his trademark easy -read style (that is a compliment, by the way).
I'm not sure I like the ending but due to the easy read and engaging characters, 7/10.
Scoring: 0 bad; 1-3 poor; 4-6 average; 7-9 good; 10 excellent
The first few chapters were a bit confusing as to who was who, but by chapter 9 the book kicked in.
Hannah gets a job at a holiday resort where she meets Summer, the girlfriend of married man Steven.
The first 20 percent we see the relationship between Hannah and Summer blossom with Steve's presence in the background.
And then Steve arrives with his wife, son and two friends to rent the villa. And Summer's missing with Hannah worried at her disappearance. So we get a two strand story of Hannah investigating and the trials and tribulations of the five renters.
This section feels very much like one of those old 'Play for Today' type programmes where there is a lot of simmering tension between the two couples and the son, added to the mystery of Summer's whereabouts. All deftly handled by Fowler in his trademark easy -read style (that is a compliment, by the way).
I'm not sure I like the ending but due to the easy read and engaging characters, 7/10.
Scoring: 0 bad; 1-3 poor; 4-6 average; 7-9 good; 10 excellent
May 15, 2023
This book was extremely gripping. Short chapters that end in cliffhangers, interesting twists and turns, and a fast-moving plot. To read the mystery from the maid's perspective gave an interesting angle, and the way the other characters' stories evolved around hers, made the story feel fresh and original. The author's voice was clear and easy to follow, although at times I felt that some of the scenes dragged on too long. This was my first book by Christopher Fowler and I was sad to read of his passing earlier this year. I will definitely read more of his books. The reason why I am rating this 4, is because the ending felt a bit disconnected from the rest of the book for me, almost as if it belonged to a different story. It felt as if there were a few loose ends that weren't explained (or maybe I just missed them?)... I was also a bit confused about the storyline of the little girl's disappearance. Still not sure how it was supposed to fit with the main storyline, or why it was even brought in. But other than that, a thrilling read!
August 24, 2022
Loved this! I haven’t read any of the Bryant and May series so could not compare to authors previous works but this was very clever. I can see how Summer would not be likeable but she was young and Steve manipulated her,I didn’t want her to be dead or harm to have come to her. Steve was awful,an unpleasant person with a big ego and I wanted and I wasn’t sorry what happened to him. I found Hannah very frustrating,leaving evidence around and lurking,just go to the police!! She was quite odd too.I really was convinced that Steve,then his wife then his son had murdered Summer.The group staying in the villa were unlikable and Jennifer constantly made excuses for her husband. Some of this was dark but there were comedic moments running through it and the end was shocking and sad. Definitely recommend this book.
March 31, 2022
To enjoy a novel, I find that there must be at least one character who appeals to me, or whose eventual fate I am interested in. Sadly, I found all the characters in this book flat and boring and there was insufficient tension in the plot to compensate. There was the occasional felicitous sentence where Christopher Fowler displayed his talent for metaphor and description but there was none of the wit and humour that pervades his Bryant and May books. It must be difficult to try something new after a long string of successful books and I applaud the effort but this book is disappointing.
April 1, 2022
While it doesn’t quite have the quirky charm and smart wordsmithery of the Bryant & May series, Hot Water is still eminently readable. With a nicely unpredictable plot and pleasingly unpleasant main characters to enjoy hating, there are some neat twists and turns to be found. Some judicious editing could have been helpful as it does drag a little in the middle, but Fowler’s atmospheric description of the storm-induced claustrophobia of a Southern French holiday villa (and the troubled guests within it) gets you through the slower parts. Well worth a read.
August 23, 2023
Uneven but redeemed by a thoroughly unexpected ending. Having heard good things about the author I was surprised it was full of such unsubtle characters, unnecessary backstory and then unexplained events.
Nice setting but I couldn’t quite picture the villa and there seemed to be lots of driving about to somewhere or other. It would’ve benefitted from a female editor but the big reveal was really chilling and rather strange.
* Thanks to Libby *
Nice setting but I couldn’t quite picture the villa and there seemed to be lots of driving about to somewhere or other. It would’ve benefitted from a female editor but the big reveal was really chilling and rather strange.
* Thanks to Libby *
February 18, 2022
3.5 stars
A new Fowler book is always a good thing, and this stand alone is definitely entertaining.
Filled to the brim with unlikeable characters, there's one stand alone nice female, trying to find out what happened to her friend.
The waters are muddied quite a bit along the way, so that it's not so much a whodunnit, but a what happened????
Keeps you on your toes right to last page.
A new Fowler book is always a good thing, and this stand alone is definitely entertaining.
Filled to the brim with unlikeable characters, there's one stand alone nice female, trying to find out what happened to her friend.
The waters are muddied quite a bit along the way, so that it's not so much a whodunnit, but a what happened????
Keeps you on your toes right to last page.
June 6, 2022
This is a decent, atmospheric thriller with an interesting protagonist, Hannah. It's clever and well written, entertainingly poking fun at well-heeled Brits behaving badly in the sun.
Christopher Fowler is a good writer, making it an above-average good holiday read (soak it up beside the pool but watch out for broken glass).
Christopher Fowler is a good writer, making it an above-average good holiday read (soak it up beside the pool but watch out for broken glass).
November 12, 2024
A book is always enjoyable when instead of saying what the characters their thoughts are shown, always witty, humorous and can make you laugh out loud.
There was a lot of this particularly when Steve is setting up his affair with Summer, half his age.
However l don't think the story was worth more than 3 stars , as at times it got a bit tedious and far fetched.
There was a lot of this particularly when Steve is setting up his affair with Summer, half his age.
However l don't think the story was worth more than 3 stars , as at times it got a bit tedious and far fetched.
April 9, 2025
I really enjoyed this book. It was easy to read but well written with many words that stretched my vocabulary which was refreshing. I thought a lot about the story and characters when I wasn’t reading the book, which is also the sign of a good book. The ending was good and not what I was expecting. I’d definitely like to read more from this author.
March 25, 2022
Christopher Fowler never disappoints me. Most of the people in this story are pretty unlikeable but so well observed that I really wanted to find out what would happen to them. Part love story, part mystery, always thrilling and very definitely unputdownable!
April 17, 2022
Interesting whodunnit and the author can turn a phrase really well. I’m not sure if there’s an American version and so some of the UK references were obscure; full disclosure, the author is a friend of mine. :)
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