Gripping

What an amazing debut thriller from Emma. I didn't know what to expect but I couldn't stop listening, so wonderfully written I could picture all the characters and scenes so clearly in my mind, a story truly brought to life!

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5 star for first 3/4 then went to a 4 star!

I was wary of getting "Deep Water" as recently I have been picking such stinkers I have taken to scouring the reviews on "Good Reads" where the majority of reviewers seem to think a review is a very detailed synopsis often with spoilers.
However this telling of the entire story in summary is proving to be very helpful for discounting Audio books which have fabulous and tempting premises but end up to be hugely disappointing and often with distasteful or unpleasant major themes which are left unmentioned.
So back to "Deep Water" ........... it sounded fab, a gorgeous uninhabited desert island paradise and a very much in love newly wed couple setting sail in their newly bought yacht. The sample tells us however that all will not end well and it looks like it is murder and mayhem ahoy!
I was very disheartened when I read a good number of reviews of Good Reads giving it only 3 stars and some even less.
Some compared it to "Reckless Girls" by Rachel Hawkins, which I adored - some compared it to "Breathless" by Amy McColloch, which I also adored and the complaint that as there was too much climbing and not enough murder mystery. Personally I found the balance of Breathess to be perfect and loved learning about mountaineering so this did not put me off as I was well up for a leisurely sail in the Indian Ocean picking learning all about yachting andthen endless sunbaked days lolling in the sun and surf with a bit of survivalist activities thrown in.
I am so delighted that I went ahead as it was the first audiobook I have finished and did not want to return for an embarrassingly long time.

I found the narrators very easy to listen too though Sophie Roberts endless mispronunciation of "Dinghy" and Dinnggheee" was a bit wearing plus there were a couple of other words mangled too which I would have really hoped the prodcer/editor might have picked up on.

I found most of the book to be 5 star. The excitement of setting off for such an adventure, the way the story unfolded with the promise of this mysterious and breathtakingly beautiful island and then how the story developed and unfolded.

I do have to say that up as far as this it was very similar to "Reckless Girls" but I enjoyed both to the max.

Then I began to dislike the husband and find the wife rather wimpy.

Then it became a little silly and implausible.

Without any spoilers so keeping it vague I would have thought anyone knew "not to pay the ferryman until he gets you to the otherside" and I do wonder how much of a temptation someone who has not had a shower for about three weeks, has cracked, parched lips from dehydration, chopped off all their hair as short as possible and has been living rough on survival rations would be ............... but hey ho, each to their own.

I was would have been more willing to suspend disbelief had I not really started to dislike the honeymooners and wand to give the wife Vee/Virginie a good boot for letting down the reputation of French women everywhere who I am sure would have been brimming with far more gumption, cop-on and general joie de vivre.

All in all I recommend this though and would give it a solid 4.5 stars if I could.

PS Just so glad I did not go for my other choice "The Ruins" by Phoebe Wynn which intrigued me with its crumbling British owned French Chateau and tale of two people trying to buy it. According to many Goodreads reviews this is about negligent parents exploiting their children in the worse possible way and the trauma it caused. I am all for not giving away too much but there was not even a hint of this in the blurb where is seems like an enjoyable mystery not a dark depressing tale of innocents being abused.
I just wish for better descriptions of Audiobooks - like the one for "Deep Water" which gives you a real idea of the book you are buying and very unlike "The Island of Lost Girls" by Alex Marwood which I recently returned as it really was a lot darker and bizarre, verging on a fantasy worlds of an Italian Island which is somehow ruled by Dukes and is lost in very weird customs from another century. You would never guess that from the blurb either - does not do what it says on the tin at all, and just a waste of time and a lot of awkwardness when you have to return it ... horrified and disappointed wondering how you ever picked such a book.

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3 people found this helpful

A gripping plot, great writing, wonderfully read.

I listened to this in one sitting on day eight of having covid! What a great plot, wonderful story line and very well written. I thought the two readers did a marvellous job, which isn't hard when your have a great manuscript, and it was great to have the two voices reading not just one. I can imagine listening to this on a long haul flight, on holiday by the pool, on the way to work, or even on a cruise in the Med! I can highly recommend this audible book - you won't be disappointed.

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great listen

recommended to me by the author's sister, and as good as she said it would be.
Well performed and gripping tale.

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I really wanted to like this.

I really wanted to like this but I was bored from beginning to end. I didn’t find it atmospheric, I didn’t like the characters much and there was no depth to it. Considering that and the fact that barely anything happens it just didn’t keep my attention. I only finished it because I was hoping that there’d be an interesting turn or twist but no. Nothing. The female narrator who reads most of the book brought no life or energy to it which didn’t help and there were places where she’d describe something sad or a bit from with a smile in her voice. Really wish I’d have switched off after an hour.

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