3.5 stars! I explained this to my husband like: picture a cartoon train driving down some train tracks, normal as can be. The train is approaching a bridge over a deep canyon. The conductor is chug, chug, chugging along like nothing is amiss. We -- as readers/ outside viewers -- can see that the tracks over the canyon are broken and the train is most certainly going to fall to the depths. We know disaster is imminent but the train (a.k.a. the book characters) are none the wiser.

This was wild! I pretty much had several of the twists figured out pretty early on, maybe with a few details still questionable. There were definitely some that were surprising though and that was great! This was very fast paced and well-written to the point I was feeling real feelings towards the characters. (like anger, annoyance and pure dumbfoundedness [<that isn't even a word but you get the idea] at how freaking blindly trusting Calvin was being). I liked Imogen's character but what was the big deal with her past with the serial killer? Was it just to make it so she was "famous" and would be easily recognized in this small town?

Overall I liked this and it was a super quick read. Out now & free on KU!

Mark Edwards is an excellent author and I have enjoyed many of his suspenseful books including his latest, The Darkest Water. When Calvin opens a bakery in a small village, he has no idea that he’s going to attract some creeps on social media. Around the same time as the bakery opens, a man is found dead on the beach. The community is obviously scared and nervous.

Calvin’s wife Vicky encourages him to be active on social media to bring in more business, and it does…but it also brings in a strange woman who is a little too good to be true.

Here is the plot:

Calvin finally owns the bakery of his dreams, in an idyllic village in the Lake District. After reluctantly following his wife Vicky’s advice to promote it on social media, he’s thrilled when a viral clip makes him a legend overnight. But then the creepy DMs start flooding in—all from a stranger who claims she’s his biggest fan.

Meanwhile, a local recluse is found on a nearby beach, buried to his neck and left to drown, and the community goes into shock. Why would anyone want him dead? And who exactly was he? Detective Imogen Evans, new to the Lake District, is under pressure to find out before the killer strikes again.

As the murder hunt gathers pace, Calvin’s obsessive admirer turns up right on cue after his assistant is injured in an accident, and to Vicky’s horror, she’s here to stay. As events begin spiraling into darkness, is there anyone in this quiet backwater Calvin can trust—or have his mistakes already put him, and everyone he loves, in terrible danger?

Out now.

Another fantastic book by Mark Edwards who is one of my favourite authors. It had a unique storyline full of twists and it all tied together brilliantly at the end. It was very easy to read and I flew through the pages. His books never disappoint and I absolutely loved it.

Diving into a Mark Edwards book is akin to settling down with a gripping Netflix series. You'll be hooked from the start which — in this case — contains one of the most harrowing murder scenarios I've had the dubious pleasure of reading about.
What I love most about the author is his ability to deliver a tense and twisted tale with a simplicity that belies its complexity. Which might be an oxymoron, but he writes in such a way the story flows with ease.
I sincerely hope to see more of Detective Imogen Evans. And many, many more books by this author. He delivers every single time.

The Darkest Water by Mark Edwards was an excellent read with well developed characters, lots of suspense and twists.
This book had me hooked from the start with its twists that kept me guessing.
Relentlessly suspenseful and furiously paced, imperfect characters who leap from the page, The Darkest Water is a searing novel.

Thank You NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

I thoroughly enjoy every book Mark Edwards puts out, and this one was no exception. It kept me guessing until the very end - each time I thought I had something figured out, he surprised me again! It was a rollercoaster read, as always. As the book went on, I just couldn't put it down.

He goes to great lengths to try and keep his books from becoming repetitive which shows in his work. It was so fun to see a character from a previous book while not technically having made a sequel to anything else he's written.

I just know I'll be reading this again and again!

He’s done it again! The King of domestic horror is back with another sinister story fueled with adrenaline. Just make sure you don’t have other plans, because you’ll be cancelling them to read this once you’ve started. I inhaled it in one sitting; shackled to the pages by the scalpel-sharp tension and my desperate need for answers.

The body of local recluse Leo James is found on a beach in the Lake District buried up to his neck and left to drown. The shocking murder rocks this small, idyllic village to its core and puts its new detective, Imogen Evans, under pressure to find the culprit quickly. It is soon clear that some of Elderbridge’s residents are hiding dark secrets. But which of them will kill to keep it that way?

Mark Edwards never misses and The Darkest Water showcases why his books are a highlight of my reading year. Expertly written, shrewdly choreographed, and darkly atmospheric, this was a masterclass in misdirection. As part one came to a close I was sure I had it all figured out. But I was wrong. Moving between the dual timelines, dark secrets and surprising connections were unveiled piece by piece until the full, shocking picture emerged.

The story is told by multiple narrators, one of whom is a blast from the past for fans of this author. Detective Imogen Evans, first seen in Edwards’ book The Lucky Ones, is the detective charged with solving Leo James’ murder. I loved revisiting a loved character in a new world as it felt like the ideal mix of standalone and series; some familiarity for fans but also not excluding new readers. The characters are all compelling and richly drawn, however briefly they appear on the pages, and you get a real sense of community in this picturesque village, which was the ideal backdrop for this story. Idyllic but also isolated and bleak, Elderbridge has a sense of danger simmering under its surface, while foreboding hangs in the air. Its idyll is fractured by the crime and the horror is compounded by the reminder that these things can happen anywhere, even in the most beautiful and seemingly safe places.

A dark and brooding thriller filled with breath-sucking tension, The Darkest Water is a must-read for fans of this genre.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of The Darkest Water by Mark Edwards in return for my honest review.
I really enjoy reading Mark Edwards books and this is another great read that will have you reading late into the night. There’s lots of twists and a few red herrings to keep you guessing till the end. I defiantly recommend reading.

Just when you think that Mark has written his best book ever, another comes along which knocks it out of the park. All I can say is wow! The master of suspense and misdirection had me convinced I knew what was going on, but I didn’t.
Calvin is a chef with a brand new cafe. His wife Vicky runs an animal shelter. Mel is a lady who turns up just at the right time to help out at the cafe. A recluse turns up on the beach, buried from the neck down and drowned. Detective Imogen Jones has recently moved to the area with a lot to prove. Feted as a super-cop the pressure is on Imogen to solve the murder. Unfortunately, rather than being able to solve the murder eople are either going missing or dying.
A brilliantly thought out story, which will keep you gripped to the last page, and beyond. Mark Edwards is truly the master of suspense!

4.5 stars
The Darkest Water exemplifies what author Mark Edwards does best—he writes about a “regular” guy who is living an ordinary life, but somehow ends up involved in a murder mystery.
Calvin owns a coffee shop in Elderbridge, a town in the Lake District of England. As he struggles to make business a success, he is urged to promote the shop and pastries on social media. The instant success and recognition of “Chef Calvin” go to his head, and he unwittingly invites attention from stalkers, parasocial followers, and unsavory characters from his past.
Meanwhile, Detective Inspector Imogen Evans is new to town, and tasked with investigating a brutal homicide on the local beach.
Their lives intersect in a complicated storyline, which is an immersive, action-packed mystery/thriller.
I like the way the story unfolds in two timelines—present—and past, circa1995, when Cal was a teenager. There is just enough back and forth to satisfyingly fill in his back story which very much informs his actions in the present.
Edwards has a deft touch with his character development, imbuing Cal and DI Evans with attributes that make them likeable, engaging characters.
The descriptions of the Lake District setting are evocative. The prose has nice touches of irony and wit, and the short chapters each have a punchy “what’s next?” ending, leaving the reader eager for more of the story. The reward is an action-packed finale, and an intriguing epilogue!
I highly recommend this thriller to readers who like suspense novels set in the English countryside with a bit of a challenge to unraveling the mystery within.
I look forward to Mark Edwards’ next work!

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the ARC. This is my honest review.

This twisted tale finds us on Drigg Beach near the village of Drigg on the shore in Cumbria. Also on the beach is the body of a man buried in the sand up to his neck! DI Imogen Evans is handed charge of the investigation into the dead man, a local recluse, Leo James. This is well written, told in dual timeline, present day and flashbacks to 1995 and from the POV’s of Imogen and Calvin and as expected from this author the storyline is dark and twisty.

Briefly, meanwhile in Drigg itself coffee shop owner Calvin is struggling to understand why he has so few customers and his wife Vicky encourages him to try social media. Almost immediately he goes viral when an elderly lady comments on his cakes. The increased business soon forces him to take on extra staff including local woman Mel who has “stalked” him on line. Not his best moment. Calvin and his family are soon dragged into danger.

This is a twisted and sordid tale of long kept secrets, now finally coming to light. Just when I thought I had worked it out there’s another twist heading my way. As the police investigation continues the threads start to merge, and there are a lot of coincidences, but there are some shocking discoveries coming. A dark, at times creepy, thriller with some torturous events and a shocking conclusion.

Mark Edwards does not disappoint with his latest novel, with a plot that makes you want to keep turning those pages.
Lots of unusual events keep happening and it takes a while to realise that one person links them all, but how and why, what has he done to cause all these problems. This story unfolds as it goes along with some twists along the way.

Thank you to Netgalley, Thomas & Mercer and Mark Edwards for an ARC in return for an honest review.

★★★★ 4.5 stars

If you don’t take your dark secrets to the grave, maybe they’ll take you there first...

I've been a Mark Edwards fan since reading "Follow You Home" and "The Magpies" many moons ago and, while not all his books are my faves, this one is most definitely one of his more compelling and gripping psychological thrillers. I love how he has combined a bit police procedural with the thriller aspect making it a perfect blend of psychological crime fiction.

The prologue opens with a most gruesome discovery on Drigg beach. And if you have ever read a Mark Edwards thriller, you'll know he loves to shock, and this was no different. A somewhat different death to contend with as Detective Imogen Evans, from a couple of previous thrillers, returns to head up the investigation.

Meanwhile in Elderbridge, Calvin Matheson has dreams of owning a successful bakery/cafe. Preferably one to outdo the chain bakery Peggy's to which everyone flocks, leaving Calvin's empty. It was his wife Vicky's idea to go online with a few videos to help drum up business. Overnight, "Chef Calvin" goes viral and becomes a social media sensation, his cafe/bakery now centrestage to showcase all his delicious delights. Business becomes so busy he needs to take on an assistant after his current one breaks her wrist in a burglary.

Enter Mel. Or should that be BlondieMel? She has been messaging Calvin for the past few days till Vicky put a stop to his naivete of "internet shoppers" and possible catfishing. But then Mel answers the ad that Calvin posts for an assistant and he is so desperate for help he doesn't stop to check references, asking her start immediately. But Vicky is not best pleased. Why has this Mel suddenly turned up when help was most needed?

But it's not long before the internet interest switches sides and suddenly Calvin finds himself the centre of a murder investigation, the disappearance of his wife and a sordid interest in young women! His business soon drops off and Calvin finds he must fight to clear his name.

All the while, the murder of the mysterious man who lived a hermit lifestyle surrounded by gloomy paintings of death and hell begins to grow colder by the day. The police are having difficulty identifying him and while his paintings are all signed Leo James, the man himself is a mystery. Is Leo James his real name? Is he hiding from something? Or someone? Locals have him down as someone in witness protection with his past having caught up with him. But who is he? And why was he murdered in such a slow and purposeful way?

This is a dark and gripping read that I devoured in a day. I love Mark Edwards' dry wit and dark humour which is peppered throughout. The story unfolds mainly around Calvin, set in two timelines both the present day and 1995. Throw in a stalker and a body on the beach and you have a gripping twisty thriller from one of the most devious minds and talented of writers. While there was a deluge of characters that all seemed to be thrown together, making the story seem a little far fetched, it strangely worked because what is fiction if not far fetched in some form or another? Especially if penned so cleverly as Edwards does.

Another gripping read that I thoroughly enjoyed.

I would like to thank #MarkEdwards #Netgalley and #AmazonPub for an ARC of #TheDarkestWater in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

He finally has achieved all he ever wanted…

In the small village of Elderbridge in the Lake District, Calvin Matheson has opened his own bakery/coffee shop called Therapy. His wife Vicky provided the support, both emotionally and financially, for him to take the professional leap and start his own business. It hasn’t quite caught on, though, and he is worried that his dream will be over quickly. Vicky and Tara, the local whom he has employed as an assistant, urge him to create a social media account to attract attention to the business, and though he is initially reluctant he goes along with their advice. A quirky post catches on, and soon Calvin has developed a following both online and in the shop, including a local baking enthusiast named Mel. Calvin and Mel exchange some DM’s which might fall into the slightly flirty category; when she sees them Vicky finds them off-putting and warns the somewhat naive Calvin about the dangers of an online presence. All of that pales in comparison to the discovery on nearby Drigg Beach of a dead man, Leo James, buried in the sand with only his head visible. DI Imogen Evans, who had relocated to this part of Cumbria to escape the notoriety she achieved when she brought a serial killer to justice a few years earlier (in author Mark Edwards’ The Lucky Ones), is called in to investigate this unusual case. Imogen has to find out not only who killed Leo, but who Leo actually was. Meanwhile, Tara is attacked in the bakery, Calvin accidentally hires Mel to take her place, and VIcky disappears. Social media is fickle, and Calvin goes from being the cool and trendy Chef Calvin to a husband who clearly must have killed his wife while having an affair with his employee. Could secrets from Calvin’s past surrounding the death of his younger sister Freda decades ago shed light on the current crimes? Who was Leo James? Is Mel a stalker of the Fatal Attraction variety? What has happened to Vicky? As more people turn up dead, there is no shortage of suspects, just a lack of tangible proof…can Imogen or Calvin discover who is behind the crimes before more lives are taken?
The Darkest Water starts out with a jolt, with a local man stumbling upon Leo James’ exposed head on the beach early one morning. Then the story turns to Calvin, an average guy trying to make a go of his business. It’s clear that he has some emotional baggage, but he and Vicky seem to have a solid and supportive relationship, and its amusing to see Calvin trying to make sense out of the brave new (for him) world of social media. As a reader I, like Vicky, had my doubts about Mel and had her on my watchlist of potential suspects. But from the local miscreant to the vicar, there were soon others who seemed like they were popping up too often for it to be a coincidence…although coincidences do happen, so determining who was genuinely up to no good and who was a red herring was hard to suss out. The characters were appealing, and the slow intertwining of Isobel’s case and Calvin’s troubles intriguing. Not until late in the book do past events start to come into focus, and then the game is afoot. It is a well-paced book and an enjoyable read for those who like a good psychological thriller, including fans of authors like John Marrs, Mary Kubica and Araminta Hall. Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercier for allowing me early access to The Darkest Water

I really enjoyed this book, I didn’t realise that it was the sequel to another book but book definitely works well as a standalone.

Calvin and his wife Vicky live in the Lake District with their cat Jarvis. Calvin was fulfilling his dream of owning his own coffee shop and selling homemade cakes. Business wasn’t so good so Vicky and his assistant Tara encouraged him to use social media to boast business and raise awareness of the coffee shop. Calvin regretted this when a woman kept sending him personal messages and ended up besotted with him.

DI Imogen Evans is called to the discovery of a body on the beach- the man had been buried alive in the sand and left to drown. A local man recognised who the body was but the police had no further information as the man didn't seem to exist and they couldn't find any information relating to him.

Both stories run in tangent and there are some crossovers but I didn't make the connection at all. The book was packed full of surprises and kept me guessing right to the end.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’d like to thank Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Darkest Water’ written by Mark Edwards in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Calvin owns ‘Therapy’ a coffee shop that is promoted on social media by his wife Vicky and assistant Tara. He’s flattered when an unknown woman, Mel, sends him flirty messages and then offers to help when Tara breaks her wrist and he needs help serving the customers. Meanwhile, DI Imogen Evans who’s new to the Lake District is called in to investigate when the body of a man is found drowned after being buried in the sand.

‘The Darkest Water’ is an exciting thriller with two well thought-out threads, the man in the sand and the disappearance of Calvin’s wife, which may be a coincidence but DI Imogen Evans doesn’t think so. I’ve been gripped by this well-written thriller from the first page to the last as the drama, suspense and twists and turns gradually increase the tension until I’ve been so engrossed I’ve not been able to put my Kindle down, ignoring the housework and finishing it in the one day. It’s a thoroughly entertaining thriller with interesting characters that I’ve enjoyed immersing myself in and I wholeheartedly recommend it.

WOW - another superb read from Mark Edwards. I read this one in one sitting as it was completely unputdownable. Mark Edwards has a way of writing thrillers on the cusp of horror that make the hairs on the back of your neck rise. The Darkest Water is no different. Gripping and unputdownable. 4 stars

Married couple Calvin and Vicky are loving life; they have fulfilling jobs and live in the idyllic Lakes.  Calvin finally owns his own bakery, and after being convinced to use social media to promote the business, he becomes an overnight success.  All is good until the DMs start appearing – it look as if Calvin has a rather over enthusiastic fan.  Bad times.
 
Another man, not having the best time, was found dead on the beach.  He’d been buried in the sand, with just his head visible, awaiting the tide change and his final breaths.  Understandably the local village is panicked – who would do this, and why?  Cue the return of Detective Evans (first introduced in The Lucky Ones), and one hell of a case to solve.
 
Calvin’s assistant is injured and almost immediately, his aforementioned super fan turns up to save the day. As things get even darker, Calvin is unsure who he can trust, and worries about what he may have already set in motion.
 
According to the list on my phone, this is my 17th Mark Edwards book.  You’ll not be surprised to hear, this was another winner for me.  I love Mark’s writing style: always engaging and fast-paced with lots of red herrings and twists.
 
I love a mixed timeline!  This is set predominantly in the present, with flashback chapters taking place in 1995 (great year for music!)  Another great example of the past shaping the future.  We have some wonderfully unhinged characters, and some you feel empathy for – even when their actions have been, at best, questionable.
 
John Marrs is quoted to have said “master of the last-minute twist” - shockingly for me, I did guess the twist early on.  But then Mark, bested me with a couple of doozies, that I did NOT see coming.  Kudos.

A huge thanks to Thomas and Mercer, the author, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book for review consideration.  All opinions are my own.

To be honest, I didn't have high expectations about this book. Well, I was so wrong. All the things going on, the links between the characters and the past and the present just blew my mind. Each chapter reveals something, and just when you think you have all figured out... well not. I enjoyed every single page and I'm so glad that I have read it. Big congratulations to the author. Can't wait to read his next book!

Calvin owns his dream bakery and tries to promote it on social media, thrilled when it goes viral but at the same time getting multiple creepy messages from one stranger. Meanwhile a buried body is found on the beach and Detective Imogen Evans is down to solve the case. Will she discover who the victim is?

This book is split within the two narratives of Calvin and Imogen, which was intriguing and I found myself interested in both storylines, although probably leaning more towards Calvin’s. Calvin as a character however, was slightly irritating as he came across as quite naive at times and I found I didn’t really connect to him and some of the other characters.

The story felt like quite a slow burn, however was atmospheric, written well and easy to read. The storylines all came together well by the end of the novel. Although this wasn’t my favourite book it definitely wasn’t bad and I would pick up more books by this author in the future. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.