Dead Water is an atmospheric horror novel. The story explores themes of isolation and fear in a remote Scottish community being overtaken by a mysterious water-borne blight. Fans of atmospheric horror and creepy folk tales will love this book. But sadly, I didn't love this book as much as I thought I would.

I usually love fast-paced books. This one is extremely slow-paced, so, it took more than half of the book to get into the plot. I really do love the atmospheric descriptions they were so mesmerizing. But there was too much of it thus overshadowing the main story. The promised horror elements are sparse, so the book lacks suspense for a big part of it.

Things pick up around the near end of the book. but the climax feels abrupt.
"Dead Water" has some good parts, but the slow pace, too many descriptions, and not enough scary moments make me give it a 3-star rating.

Dead Water is a fabulously constructed slow burn folklore horror novel set on a remote Scottish Island only reachable by ferry.

I loved the sense of cloying atmosphere and suffocating horror that gradually builds throughout.

The first half is more character driven as we meet the islanders and learn how they are woven together. They are fleshed out, complex characters, each with their own backstories and I really enjoyed delving into their physiology. Sig was a particular favourite of mine, a free diver trying to escape her reality.

I felt this formatting worked really well, as the plot starts to reach its crescendo, I was invested in them all and what was going to happen to them.

The second half of the novel really picks up pace, and becomes more plot driven. The sense of foreboding rapidly increases, and the real horror starts. I could not put it down!

The writing is wonderful and really encapsulates Island life and human behaviour. I was transported away into their world and felt every emotion with them - my heart was in my mouth!

The linking of Norse Mythology and water elements was a spellbinding concept that was perfect on an Island setting.

Dead Water is an original and engaging read that I would happily recommend.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers Little Brown Book Group for the eArc in exchange for a honest review.

Dead Water by CA Fletcher is a chilling and atmospheric contemporary horror novel that delves into the depths of illness and its effects on an island community. Set in a secluded locale, the story follows the inhabitants as they grapple with a mysterious and deadly affliction. Fletcher's writing is haunting and immersive, painting a vivid picture of the community's despair and desperation. The suspense builds steadily, keeping readers on edge until the spine-tingling climax. With its exploration of illness, isolation, and the fragility of human life, Dead Water is a gripping and unnerving tale that will leave readers questioning their own mortality.

On a small Scottish island we meet a cast of characters; the new island nurse and his family - a new wife, new baby and his son from his previous marriage -, Sig, who free dives every morning, Walter and his dog, who watch her, every morning, the shopkeeper, the fisher, the tech people who are supposed to upgrade the islands phone and internet connections ... people who have lived on the island all their lives and people who have just arrived on the last ferry. Half the island has gone to a music festival that happens every year, and the people who remain have no idea what's coming for them.
This was a very fun read! I enjoyed following most of the characters, although I thought there were too many whos points of view the reader is shown. A few less would have worked better in my opinion. The slow build up and the way the dread that came with it was constructed was very well done. I wasn't too too fond of some things happening towards the end because they felt like they broke with the genre the rest of the book had, but all in all this was a very enjoyable read and I would read this author again!

I was fascinated by the premise of this book, particularly due to its setting on a remote Scottish island, and I'm glad to say that it didn't disappoint. The sprawling but interconnected cast were differentiated enough to feel like distinct characters, but also meshed together so well that I did feel genuinely invested in them all surviving the night (well, perhaps I didn't particularly care for Kevo). I very much enjoyed the slow build up of the first day on the island, giving plenty of time to establish the big cast of characters, their particular skills and idiosyncrasies, and the layout of the island and its community, so that by the time everything started to go downhill, I felt very invested in the characters and their struggle. It reminded me a lot of Midnight Mass, both in terms of its large cast and island community, but also in its embracing of the supernatural, which I really enjoyed. My only criticism is that, as punchy as the ending was, I personally would have liked to see something of an epilogue to tie up the characters' stories once they were back in contact with the outside and the islanders who went to the Modh.

Not my cup of tea but well put together.
Slow burning plot.
Understated folk horror.
A touch too subtle for my taste.

The well’s vengeance ★★★☆☆

When an old curse is disturbed on a remote Scottish island, locals and outsiders alike are at the mercy of the dark water until the next ferry comes….

Dead Water combines snippets of the fate of an ancient Varangian warrior with the present day struggles of the islanders with their stories of grief, loneliness, violence, and regret.

As a malignant presence gradually overtakes the island, those trapped there are forced out of their personal tragedies into a battle for survival.

A slow-burning novel which delves into the islanders’ hearts as a dark force unfolds around them.

Review originally published on: https://jamreads.com/reviews/dead-water-by-ca-fletcher

Dead Water is a folkloric horror novel, written by C.A. Fletcher, and published by Orbit Books. A slow-burn story, which takes its time to build complex characters to later introduce the horror elements, making a great combination for those that loved horror in the style of Stephen King.

On a remote Scottish island, which is only accessible by ferry, we are introduced to a large cast of characters, each one with some secrets and flaws. Fletcher takes its time to introduce us to them, letting us observe how their lives were before a curse is unburied from the sea.
The island becomes aisled from the rest of the world, as a big storm hits and the communications are interrupted.

In this situation, the population starts to dwindle, getting attracted to the water and becoming Drowneds. The few survivors are having to deal with this situation without being aware of what is happening, thinking it's mostly a collective hysteria.

The aspect that worked better in this novel is how detailed and complex the characters become, something that later is used to generate a huge pay-off once the situation goes out of control; most of them are hugely flawed, and those flaws tend to act against them during the novel (we can think of Sigi as an example, who almost dies during to her diving activities).
Said that, this way of building characters affects heavily pacing, as approximately 50% of this novel is used for this aspect; but the payoff works well enough to don't think much about it.

Fletcher decides to go for the folkloric horror way, introducing elements related to the water and Norse mythology; those elements mixed with the aisled nature of the island are more than enough to create a really tense situation, diving into some of my favourite horror subgenres, the one that plays with human psychology.

If you like slow-burn horror, novels that have deeply developed characters, Dead Water is certainly a book you should read. A recommended novel for fans of Stephen King.

I started off really enjoying this, but by the end it wasn't really my thing.
I loved how Fletcher weaves all the characters' storylines together as the plot thickens, and the writing style is very atmospheric. The plot itself is quite slow for most of the book, but I didn't mind this, especially as the descriptions of setting and the gradual reveal of each character's backstory kept me reading.

As it got into the later part of the book and more was revealed about the horror element, I sort of lost interest - I feel like this went from being a folk-horror where the horror is all the more chilling because of its ambiguity, to a more typical zombie-apocalypse story. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it just wasn't for me as I'd expected it to be more like 'Pine' which is more subtle in its folk-horror.

Overall though, I did enjoy this - the highlights for me were the setting and characters. I think ultimately whether you'll enjoy this just depends on whether you like horror that is more about the tone/atmosphere, or more overt.

Thank you so much to the publisher & to Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A horror novel set on an isolated scottish island? Count me in! I didn't realise I was a folk horror fan but this book has completely sold me on the genre, I am well and truly hooked.

This book is told through the eyes of a wide variety of characters that inhabit (or maybe are just visiting) a small island. Everyone has their issues but they're all plodding along, that is, until the WiFi and phone signals are cut out and the ferry carrying many of the inhabitants has left, leaving the remaining population behind with an unknown evil lurking somewhere nearby.

Due to the multiple points of view the plot can be a bit slow going at times, however I really enjoyed knowing each of the characters on a personal level and feel like it really added to the story and I always love a good slow burn! When the horror elements were present they were thrilling and spine chilling - exactly how you want them to be! I was on the edge of my seat for most of the second half of it. The ending of the book felt somewhat abrupt and unsatisfying as I would have liked to know the consequences of what occurred on the island, but it didn't ruin the overall experience I had while reading, it was still 100% worth it.

This book was brilliant and I'll be ordering myself a physical copy for my bookshelf ASAP!

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was unfortunately not a fan. This is a slow-paced, atmospheric novel and I was first interested on it from because of its gorgeous cover, but also by the plague plot and water themes. I also love stories taking place in islands cut off from the world, it just always works for me. But this was so, so slow, and it did not quite pay off in the end. The many POVs were interested but they slowed the sstory down even further and even so, I didn't feel like I got a well-rounded view of the characters. There was literally no action until maybe 70% into the book and then it just moves so predictably I was very disappointed! And as said, I was not a fan of the ending. A bit too sudden, after all the buildup and maybe a bit silly.

This is an odd book - not in its delivery or storytelling but in that I found myself wanting to take breaks and savour it like a well made TV show.

Folk horror is my jam and this enchantingly creepy Scottish tale is certainly well spun - the plot much like the dread creeps - this isn’t a typical 300 page horror. The knife twists and rests before increasing in intensity.

A great effort and we’ll worth a read.

This was a slow burn and ominous horror set on a Scottish Island and predominantly focused on the characters, and I really enjoyed it. For most of the first half of the novel, we are introduced to a variety of characters and spend time living their lives with them, all the while knowing that something bad is coming. This created a really great sense of impending doom and I spent a lot of time worried about the people (and dogs) I had grown fond of. When the horror hits, it has all the more impact for this reason. The action sequences were tightly woven and fast paced and there was enough down time to catch your breath before the next one. This book won't work for everyone - it is definitely slow and quiet for the most part - but it definitely worked for me.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Dead Water’s a bit different! My reading pace sped up with the story’s events as they went from mildly unsettling to “ahhhh, run away!!” This creepy folk horror novel is set on a remote Scottish Island and follows the progression of an old curse as it seeps through the neighbourhood. Beware the walking water.

#netgalley #bookstagram #ebook #fiction #folkhorror #horror #creepy

Dead Water is a new novel of folk horror by C. A. Fletcher.
The story is about a remote Scottish island that is cursed by an old malediction that destroys the outwardly harmonious fabric of the local community.
This book has a complex story with many points of view. That makes reading slow and you need to wait for the plot. And how that happens - when you have more POVs the chance for the presence of boring characters is even higher. I liked the best Sig.
Three-quarters of the story didn't feel like a horror at all. But the storytelling and character-building are strong and interesting. I liked the descriptions of the psychological side of the characters. That was enlivening.
For me, the ending wasn't enough satisfying. I haven't seen a real solution or a catharsis.
Thank you, Little, Brown Book Group UK, Orbit for an eARC!

Quite slow to get going, and doesn't reach any real resolution. However, if you're looking for an easy read with a big dollop of folk horror, then you can't go far wrong with this.

On a remote Hebridean island, an ancient curse is released from its dormant slumber, ready to wreak havoc on the lives of the unsuspecting inhabitants.

I absolutely adored this book. It’s a long book and a very slow burn, in the best possible way. Fletcher gives you a chance to get to know the island and its inhabitants in the first half of the story, while the tension slowly builds. And then in the second half, the horror really comes into being. It’s a fantastically told story and I was enthralled, but the best thing about it is the characters: they’re so well observed and I really fell in love with them.

This is probably one of my favourite reads of this year so far, a perfect slow-burn folk horror with hints of Norse mythology. Dead Water will be out in paperback on May 25th. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the advance copy in return for an honest review.

This story is set on a remote island in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. Its a gentle introduction to begin with, getting to know the main characters, thier roles and their connections to each other. I say gentle introduction as it is definitely not what I would class as a slow burn, it had my full attention from the start, with a very subtle drip feed of the horror that was about to unfold. Once the peace and quiet on the island is fully shattered, you understand the importance of the introduction. All those pages on the different islanders fully comes into play, and makes the horror and tragedy even more tangible. There are some genuinely scary moments, and towards the end I felt like i was holding my breath.
A really well written captivating read. A good selection of characters with real depth (no pun intended!) to them. It flows really well and some really beautiful imagery mixed up with some very unnerving scenes. Fans of light fantasy, thrillers and mysteries, this one is for you.