The author takes one to the heart of human darkness in a tense, evocative story that is claustrophobic and set in a time when the world has been ravaged by apocalyptic climate change. The writing is impressive, addressing through fiction some of the real problems facing an over-populated world today. I loved the uniqueness of the central quartet of characters; Marie, Malcolm, the newly arrived vicar and the young policeman

Starting with the good - I loved Maggie Allder's writing style. She is a very talented writer and should keep on writing! I also really enjoyed the imagery of the island. Was very enjoyable!

Sadly, this story just didn't do it for me. Firstly, I would not classify this as a thriller. It was way too slow and boring, lacking any "thrill" to be classified as a thriller. The themes such as climate change and human rights did not really tie into a thriller genre book. There were quite a few times when I wanted to give up as I was bored out of my mind. I think Maggie has potential to develop a great novel, so long as more suspense is added in!

Thank you to Matador and NetGalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have devoured this book in one sitting. Once I was pulled in, I couldn’t put it down. I was desperate to find out what was going on. Also, I didn’t want this books to end.

Everything about this book has been brilliant. I absolutely loved getting between the covers of this. This was everything I hoped for and so much more. This is a book which should be on everyone’s radar.

I absolutely recommend this book to other readers.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

“Dark Waters” by Maggie Allder is a gripping tale that transports readers to the stormy and enigmatic En-Somi, an island in the wild North Atlantic. The novel opens with Marie, a resident of the island, discovering a small girl barely clinging to life on the beach. This discovery sets off a chain of events that entangles Marie and Malcolm, a man returning to the island after years away, in a mystery that deepens with every turn of the page.

Allder masterfully weaves a narrative rich in the culture and ancient customs of En-Somi, with a dialect that is as unique as the island itself. The story is populated with a diverse cast of characters, from the young Marigold, born into a life of servitude, to Frankie, the leader of the climate refugees, and Olaf, the ancient bard. Each character is meticulously crafted, with their own stories contributing to the tapestry of the island’s lore.

The novel is more than just a mystery; it’s a poignant commentary on contemporary issues such as climate change, human rights, and the refugee crisis. Allder’s storytelling is both a warning and a call to action, wrapped in a narrative that is as entertaining as it is thought-provoking.

The pacing of “Dark Waters” is relentless, with each chapter drawing the reader deeper into the island’s secrets. The romance that blossoms between Marie and Malcolm offers a tender counterpoint to the darker themes explored in the book. However, the true strength of the novel lies in its ability to immerse the reader in the setting so completely that one can almost hear the gales and feel the spray of the sea.

Just an okay read for me. I didn’t give up and I made it through. However, I wasn’t super invested.
Overall, I’m glad I read it. I do like a good mystery

Thank you

Such an enjoyable read. I could not put this down until I knew what had happened to the little girl. Highly recommend

Awesome read. It was twisty enough to keep my attention, and I while I found it a little slow in some parts, I enjoyed it overall. Recommend as a great beach read!

Thank you Netgalley for the advance reader copy of Dark Waters by Maggie Allder in exchange for an honest review. I love books that take place in remote areas and I love murder mysteries, so this book had it all. It also had a little romance thrown in.

I simply love stories written with a picturesque backdrop. The Scottish Islands have always fascinated me and unfortunately, I am yet to discover them physically. Since I can't do that yet, I choose the next best thing: find talented authors that give me the experience of not just being there but getting to know the culture and the hidden beauties. Maggie Allder has delivered this for me in buckets! I was there with Marie, the main character residing in the islands. I really need to book my trip as the beauty of the Shetlands are very appealing indeed.
The fact that there is a murder mystery just made it perfect for me. I also enjoyed the issues raised with regard climate change devastating consequences, human rights and refugees issues all sadly too relevant to our modern society.
Very well done. I look forward to reading the next book on the series.

Really well written with a compelling and intriguing story line and well developed characters. The way it was told was original. I couldn't put it down

This book sat on my dashboard for so long. Thank you Natgalley for the ARC! I cannot, for the life of me, get into this book. I have had to DNF and move on to the next book. I am so sorry!

If you like to read about an island population and what happens when they find a girl who nobody knows is missing this is for you. I kinda liked it, but it felt slow to me, others will love it. IT's a series.

Who is the little girl that Marie finds? The mysterious island is atmospheric and the dialogue is different. A little mystery that hooked me hook line and sinker.

I was excited for this one but it didn’t live up to the thriller expectations I had. I found that it felt more fictional to me. but I did enjoy its real life themes like refugees and notes to climate change! I really enjoyed how the author wrote the dialogue with the Scottish accent, I am definitely a sucker for an accent! I just felt a the story fell a little flat and there wasn't enough action to make it thrilling, maybe it will pick up in the next book in the series? i'm interested to see.

This book has great potential but it’s really chaotically written. The story line is good but for me, it falls short in the actual writing.

Marie lives on a remote island that does not have access to the mainland much of the time. The body of a child washes up and Marie wonders who she was and what her story was. Marie and Malcolm reach out to refugees on the island who it turns out have been turned into slaves. How are the dead child and the refugees linked?

I loved the setting and the story. I thought it was great. The characters were perfectly realized and written. I loved the dialogue and the use of the dialect. The only thing is it takes a while to really get into the story as the first half is a lot of daily life of the islanders. It felt like we were not getting to the mystery of what happened to Lavender. I did enjoy the daily life part but felt like it was a little too drawn out.

I just reviewed Dark Waters by Maggie Allder. #DarkWaters #NetGalley

I’ve given this two stars as it was well-written but I’m afraid this story just didn’t grip me at all.

A young girls body is found barely alive and she seems to be a complete stranger to the island, nobody is missing a child.

This wasn’t so much a thriller as it leads the reader to a refugee camp where the plot becomes somewhat lost.

"Dark Waters" by Maggie Allder does exactly what I like a book to do .I want it to transport me to a different place, learn about the people that live there and at the same time teach me some things I didn't know- along with a compelling story of course.
En-Somi Island is a rocky rather inhospitable place off the coast of Scotland-often called The Lonely Island. Most of the inhabitants have lived spent their whole lives and share customs and words that go back for generations. Marie grew up in Edinburgh on the "mainland ", she met Bjorn at school and fell in love and followed him to his ancestral home. Marie and her son Duncan stayed on to make a life when the marriage didn't work out.
On a stormy night Marie hears something odd and investigating finds a young girl nearly frozen at the waters the edge on the rocky stretch of beach near her home.


I really enjoyed this book- it seems the author is planning more about these characters - I will definitely read if she does.

I was intrigued by the title and the cover design.

This was a beautifully written book. It reminded me a little bit of books I've read by Peter May and Ann Cleeves. The characters felt real, and came to life while I was reading, so the story felt like an escape. It was a mystery, and not really a cosy read, but something about it felt comforting.

I understand that this is part of a series, so I would probably be interested in reading the others.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.