This is such a fantastic read, although it is a bit graphic with a lot of attention to detail. It is hard to believe this is a debut novel and I do hope there is more to come from this author. Set in Liverpool, a mixture of psychological thriller and police procedural, with excellent well rounded characters, I was hooked from the first page. There is a great twist at the end, hopefully leaving it nicely set up for a follow up. Well done to the author for such a brilliant first novel and one I would highly recommend. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

Sean Watkins’ Black Water Rising delivers a gripping narrative that skillfully blends crime, suspense, and psychological tension. At its core, the novel explores the dark underbelly of human nature, a theme underscored by vivid, sometimes unsettling depictions of violence and death. Some of the more gruesome scenes—particularly those involving the discovery of dead bodies—are haunting and visceral, adding to the chilling atmosphere that pervades the story.

Despite the graphic content, Watkins handles the material with purpose. The gruesomeness never feels gratuitous; instead, it serves to heighten the stakes and deepen the emotional impact of the unfolding mystery. The story is tightly woven and well-paced, drawing readers into a world where moral ambiguity reigns and danger lurks in unexpected places.

Character development is another strength of the novel. The protagonist is complex and relatable, shaped by a past that continues to echo through present events. Watkins excels at building tension and maintaining narrative momentum, guiding the reader through twists and revelations with a sure hand.

Black Water Rising is not for the faint of heart, but for those who can handle its darker moments, it offers a richly developed story that lingers long after the final page. A must-read for fans of gritty thrillers with psychological depth.

First book I have read from this author.. It had plenty of suspense to keep me guessing. Great characters. Enjoyed the style of writing and the premise. All round great book. Look forward to the next one. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it

We begin with DCI Win de Silva suffering in her personal life with the loss of her husband Ritchie. She isn't coping but she is called into work by her boss, DSI O'Brien to help her partner DS Benjamin Barclay on a case of a murdered girl. Is she a lone victim or part of a string of killings in Liverpool? How are they connected? Who is doing the killing? Why are they being killed? Win and Benjamin discover a few unsettling truths when they investigate the cases. I found the book to be well written with a taut and terrifying storyline. I loved the team dynamic between Win, Benjamin and their boss and they worked well together. All the sub plots came together with dramtic ending.

DCI Winifred de Silva is on leave and suffering survivor's guilt since the recent suicide of her husband.
DS Barclay has his own demons of the past and present and has been working on getting de Silva's approval even now that she has been asked to return to duty in an unofficial capacity for this case.
The killer is more than just messed up and simply keeps on murdering teenaged girls and avoiding capture by the police.
The author takes us into the minds of these important characters as the coppers work hard to sort out the evidence and nuances that make up this truly challenging investigation. Riveting.
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected e-galley from Canelo Crime via NetGalley.
#BlackWaterRising by @seanwatkinauthor #DCIdeSilvaCrimeThrillersBk1 @canelo_co
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This was a good book and I did really enjoy iy. My one suggestion though would be to potentially have some kind of Scouse glossary at the end as I spent a lot of time Googling certain words as I had no idea what was going on. I understand the setting was Liverpool, but for someone not even from the UK, it can make it a difficult read to not have definitions handy.

This is a nice start of this series. It's slow paced but not in a bad way. The 'troubled' main character is likeable and well developed. I liked the storyline. It keeps you guessing until the end. In general the whole thing (writing style, slow pace) still has to grow a bit on me but I'm sure the second book will make that happen.
I received an advance review copy via NetGalley/Canelo and I'm leaving my voluntary and honest review.

Dark, intense, twisty, and utterly compelling! Complex characters with their own battles search for a disturbed and obsessed killer - begs the question is evil born or made or a bit of both. Answers lead to more questions and some truths long hidden. A solid and addictive mystery

I struggled to finish Black Water Rising. The pacing felt slow, and I kept waiting for the investigation to take center stage, but it never really did. The focus seemed to lean more on the personal struggles of the detectives, which left the actual murder case feeling underdeveloped. I wanted more suspense and a deeper dive into the investigation. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite hold my attention the way I hoped.

This book… I am blown away!
An exciting, thrilling, twisted and chilling read that packs a punch and then some.
Despite being exhausted I had NO choice but to devour every single page, drawn like a moth to the flame to the FANTASTIC and EPIC finale.
Magnificent This is THE author to watch out for and I CANNOT WAIT for the next installment.
Fans of the late, great Mo Hayder will LOVE this.
No hesitation in a Five Star rating and HIGHLY recommended.

A tense and gripping crime thriller set in Liverpool.
Time is running out to catch a killer…
Wow!… So many twists it had my mind BLOWN every page down to the last sentence!!!… My mind was spinning to keep up with all the twists… A must read for those who love a mind-blowing thriller!

With many thanks to Netgalley for this free arc and I am leaving this unbiased review voluntarily

An engaging debut from Sean Watkin in this police procedural set in Liverpool. The two main characters are strong with interesting back stories that take up most of the first half as the author lays his foundations. This almost reads like the second in the series as it does feel like there has been a book before that you haven’t read and should have, to know what has gone on before. Well written and with a touch of originality in the way Di Silva uses her psychological assessment as she tries to solve the case. The second half of the book is where the pace really starts to ramp up as the chase is on to find the killer. There is no definitive ending to this although there is a great twist, which paves the way, hopefully for a second book. A very good read and a promising start from Sean Watkin

Black Water Rising is a good debut novel set in Liverpool. The case at its centre sees a number of teenage girls taken, killed and their bodies dumped on the banks of the Mersey. The main characters are the "by the book" DS Barclay and DCI Win de Sliva.

Win is on leave when the novel begins following the suicide of her husband. Racked with guilt because she was having an affair with a colleague at the time, Win is in a bad way. But she is persuaded to give a few hours to the case, inevitably becoming pulled in.

The first part of the novel is slow paced as the setting and characters are established. There are a lot of references to the back stories of both main characters, and it feels like a great deal has been missed - almost as of this was the second in the series rather than the first. But in the second section the pace heats up as the case progresses. There are twists but it's ultimately a fairly straightforward narrative. Overall, Black Water Rising is well written and engaging.

This was such a unique book in that it was set in Liverpool! No books in my chosen genre are ever set in the North of England, with the exception of some of Daniel Hurst’s books. So being from Liverpool I could picture the streets and places described which made the book all the more serious and thrilling. I’d say this definitely aired on the more graphic side when it came to some injuries of young girls so I would recommend checking your triggers before reading. I would also try to get hold of a ‘scouse dictionary’ because I’m not sure some of the words and phrases translate easy outside of Liverpool. For example ‘the baggy’, ‘birds’ (not the animal) and ‘you’ll look sound’, I could be wrong- but either way I loved it! The book was a combination of a crime thriller and a police procedural read. But I loved it! The ending left me wanting some more closure but equally this means there could be more in the series? I look forward to reading more by this author.

I devoured this book it was great first start to series! A new and upcoming author it was full twists and turns that made me quickly turn the pages.


This author is definitely one to watch really looking forward to reading more of his books. Also I loved the Liverpool setting!

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 stars!

Black Water Rising is about the mysterious disappearances of teenage girls in Liverpool. The tension ramps up with the discovery of the third victim, setting the stage for a gripping investigation led by DCI de Silva. However, while the initial setup is compelling, the execution falters at times. DCI de Silva is an okay character whose personal struggles with grief and PTSD add depth to the story, but I had a difficult time connecting with her for some reason. The exploration of her vulnerabilities is important, yet it occasionally slows down the pacing. DS Barclay, another key character, faces his own set of challenges as he tries to prove himself beyond mere tokenism. Their partnership presents an interesting dynamic.

Overall, Black Water Rising was a good introduction to this author and this new series. Sometimes, the story struggles to balance character development and plot momentum. But I think it is a compelling crime thriller, and I will check out more books in this series.

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