Book Review: Into the Water by Paula Hawkins
Hello again!
This week I'm reviewing Paula Hawkins' Into the Water. I had high expectations for this, having loved Girl on the Train (even though I saw the film of that one before I read it....oops). I can safely say that it didn't disappoint!
Into the Water is set in the UK town of Beckford, and is centred around the investigation into the murder of Nel Abbott, a local woman who was found drowned in the river that runs through the town. The 'Drowning Pool' as it is known locally, is known throughout the town as the scene of the deaths of several Beckford women throughout history, and is an obsession of Nel's during her lifetime.
Returning to Beckford in the wake of Nel's death is her estranged younger sister, Jules. After a difficult relationship as children, Jules moved away and began ignoring her sister's calls, also missing out on a relationship with her niece - Nel's daughter, Lena. Jules moves into her sister's old home to look after Lena shortly after Nel's body is found, and the investigation begins amid huge speculation and suspicion from the rest of the town. It's clear Nel wasn't very popular with those who knew of her, mainly due to her fixation on the river and the lives it has claimed over the years. Louise Whittaker, whose daughter, Katie, drowned in the river only a few years previously, is convinced that it was Nel's obsession that drove her daughter to her death.
As the investigation develops, it becomes clear that not all is as it appears to be on the surface, and Beckford's residents know more than they're letting on. Is it possible that Nel's death could be linked to that of a woman who lived hundreds of years ago?
I loved this book, and even though I wouldn't say I liked it as much as Girl on the Train, I also don't feel it's fair to compare the two as they are such different stories. However, like its predecessor, Into the Water has a complex and detailed plot, with so many characters that there's a helpful character list on a page at the beginning of the book that I kept bookmarked for easy access until about halfway through when I was confident as to who everyone was!
I love crime novels set in towns and villages rather than big cities; the small town feel and the intimacy of poking your nose into everyone's lives makes the whole narrative so much richer and more intense, and the residents of Beckford range from an old lady with supposed spiritual powers to an old man in love with his daughter in law. What's brilliant about it, though, is that there are no filler characters; each person is integral to the flow of the story, each person has a fully fleshed out background and story of their own, which I loved.
There was a real focus on the spiritual and mental side of crime and the effects it has on those involved, which I thought was a refreshing change from those that focus on facts and hard evidence. The unexpected twist at the end was, I felt, really quite poignant and demonstrated how even the most outwardly tough, privileged, and self-assured among us can be walking a very isolated and mentally challenging path in life.
All in all, a great read. If I could compare it to another book, it would be J. K. Rowling's The Casual Vacancy, which also focuses on small town mentality, the minutiae of every day life in a small town and the veneer of respectability that often masks the darkness underneath.
Would wholly recommend to those looking for their next thriller; it's a razor sharp novel that kept me guessing until - quite literally - the last page.
This week I'm reviewing Paula Hawkins' Into the Water. I had high expectations for this, having loved Girl on the Train (even though I saw the film of that one before I read it....oops). I can safely say that it didn't disappoint!
Into the Water is set in the UK town of Beckford, and is centred around the investigation into the murder of Nel Abbott, a local woman who was found drowned in the river that runs through the town. The 'Drowning Pool' as it is known locally, is known throughout the town as the scene of the deaths of several Beckford women throughout history, and is an obsession of Nel's during her lifetime.
Returning to Beckford in the wake of Nel's death is her estranged younger sister, Jules. After a difficult relationship as children, Jules moved away and began ignoring her sister's calls, also missing out on a relationship with her niece - Nel's daughter, Lena. Jules moves into her sister's old home to look after Lena shortly after Nel's body is found, and the investigation begins amid huge speculation and suspicion from the rest of the town. It's clear Nel wasn't very popular with those who knew of her, mainly due to her fixation on the river and the lives it has claimed over the years. Louise Whittaker, whose daughter, Katie, drowned in the river only a few years previously, is convinced that it was Nel's obsession that drove her daughter to her death.
As the investigation develops, it becomes clear that not all is as it appears to be on the surface, and Beckford's residents know more than they're letting on. Is it possible that Nel's death could be linked to that of a woman who lived hundreds of years ago?
I loved this book, and even though I wouldn't say I liked it as much as Girl on the Train, I also don't feel it's fair to compare the two as they are such different stories. However, like its predecessor, Into the Water has a complex and detailed plot, with so many characters that there's a helpful character list on a page at the beginning of the book that I kept bookmarked for easy access until about halfway through when I was confident as to who everyone was!
I love crime novels set in towns and villages rather than big cities; the small town feel and the intimacy of poking your nose into everyone's lives makes the whole narrative so much richer and more intense, and the residents of Beckford range from an old lady with supposed spiritual powers to an old man in love with his daughter in law. What's brilliant about it, though, is that there are no filler characters; each person is integral to the flow of the story, each person has a fully fleshed out background and story of their own, which I loved.
There was a real focus on the spiritual and mental side of crime and the effects it has on those involved, which I thought was a refreshing change from those that focus on facts and hard evidence. The unexpected twist at the end was, I felt, really quite poignant and demonstrated how even the most outwardly tough, privileged, and self-assured among us can be walking a very isolated and mentally challenging path in life.
All in all, a great read. If I could compare it to another book, it would be J. K. Rowling's The Casual Vacancy, which also focuses on small town mentality, the minutiae of every day life in a small town and the veneer of respectability that often masks the darkness underneath.
Would wholly recommend to those looking for their next thriller; it's a razor sharp novel that kept me guessing until - quite literally - the last page.
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