So, Black Water Rising was one of those books I really wanted to love. It’s Sean Watkin’s debut novel, and honestly, it’s not a bad story—especially for a first-time author. The premise seemed promising, and the cover/blurb totally pulled me in. I went in with pretty high hopes.

But… I really struggled with this one.

I listened to the audiobook version, which was narrated by Jane Hamlet, and I think that was a big part of the problem for me. The narration was painfully slow, and at times, it kind of sounded like even the narrator wasn’t enjoying herself. It made it super hard to stay engaged, especially since the story itself already has a pretty slow pace.

The book focuses a lot on the characters and their personal struggles, which can definitely work in some stories—but here, it came at the expense of the mystery/thriller elements. When I pick up something labeled as a mystery thriller, I’m expecting some sense of urgency or suspense. Unfortunately, the actual murder case felt more like a side plot, and I just couldn’t stay invested in what was happening.

That said, I did appreciate the Liverpool accent in the narration—it added a nice sense of place and helped me picture the characters more vividly. I love when audiobooks do that; it makes the story feel a bit more grounded and real.

Overall, I don’t think it was a bad book, and there’s definitely an audience for slower, more character-driven mysteries. But it just wasn’t what I was looking for, and the audiobook didn’t help. Maybe with a different narrator or format, I’d have felt differently. Still, I’ll be keeping an eye on what Sean Watkin does next—there’s definitely potential here.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bolinda Audio for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

This is a so,I’d start to a new series and I’ve listened to the audio version in a single sitting. It’s well narrated, although perhaps a little flat throughout; there’s little variation in pace but the local accent is in keeping. I’m familiar with Liverpool so I found the description of the various scenes interesting and very visual. The story features two central characters DCI da Silva, traumatised by the death of her husband and only partly functioning and Barclay, a colleague who’s gay, married and also struggling.

There’s quite a lot going on. A serial killer if young girls, a cop suffering from PTSD and a gay man with relationship and colleague issues. These individuals have detailed back stories which, at times seem to digress from the tightness of the plotting around the murder investigation. There’s a lot to take in and a lot revealed in a first story, but it works, in the main. It’s tense with unexpected twists and well defined characters and I’ll certainly watch fir more. My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley fir an early review copy.

A gripping and engaging story with compelling characters. Set in Liverpool, DS Barclay is working on a serial killer case with DCI de Silva, who has been eased back to work after a bereavement. Neither detective is comfortable with their workload - de Silva, as she is dealing with personal guilt and trauma after her husband’s suicide; Barclay, who has a severe case of imposter syndrome as a gay man worried his promotion is due to the force’s diversity policies rather than merit. The story has plenty of twists to keep you listening and the narrator does a great job with the storytelling. I did not want the book to finish and look forward to a sequel.

A debut novel is always a great thing to discover, with the hope of finding a new author to follow as series & careers progress.
You could tell that this was a new author, certainly that the book had taken many years to come to fruition, as there seemed to be an awful lot of backstory crammed into the description of the two main characters, to the point where it seemed there was more focus on that that the actual solving of a murder. Usually a backstory comes to light over a number of books whereas this definitely felt like the author was trying to explain everything about the characters in this first book.
The flawed or damaged detective is a bit of a trope, and in this book we have not just one but two, and at times DiSilva’s self-flagellation about her husband’s suicide (although I’m guessing this will be the subject of a twist in another book) became a little overkill.
The story itself is good and kept me listening, although the narrator made it sound rather dull - the tone & speed of her narration barely changed which I think let the book down.
This is definitely an author to keep an eye out for, as first novels go this is pretty good and I will definitely listen to further books in the series as they come as there is so much potential for the characters and storylines to develop.

A gripping and engaging psychological thriller. I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook and the narrator was excellent on her narration.

I can’t wait for the next instalment of the book.

Thank you NetGalley and to the publisher Bolinda Audio.

Some real potential here. It might not be a new idea but it's a cliche for a reason - the interplay of institutional abuse, patriarchy and powerful institutions in the UK. Here Watkin asks if the same institutions that abuse young boys are the ones churning men out into the protecting forces then how can they protect the victims of the cycle? And how many women will be collateral damage while they try and work it out. It's gruesome and hopeless and everyone has trauma, denial and dangerous coping strategies.

Some of the emotional language falls flat, the ptsd coming across more as numbness, and we are given a few too many clues for my taste. DI silva is annoyingly stupid, but i can blame that on the booze. However, the biggest flaw is the pacing which jumps between too slow and too fast without setting down enough to allow for suspense. Never the less I will look out for the sequel.

Black Water Rising by Sean Watkin
Narrated by Jane Hamlet
Provided by NetGalley
Overall, this was an okay story. I liked the plot and the twists (although somewhat predictable, they were neatly done). However, the story was very slow, bogged down by extraneous information (detailed trips to the station, home, crimes scenes, etc that added absolutely nothing to the story—nor to the characters). The self-flagellation of both the main characters became almost unbearable. There was no light relief, not even for the reader. We just went from one characters failings to the others.

Oddly, the tone of the narrator seemed to almost echo my sentiments. I did wonder whether it was the cause of it but decided not. At times, it sounded as though the narrator was as bored as I was with the belabouring of the characters shortcomings. But then an ‘action’ (more an active than action) scene would come and the narrator would brighten up and give a dazzling performance.
I understand this was a debut, so there is time for this writer to mature and tighten up their stories. Although I give only two stars, this could be a writer to watch in the future.

I've just finished listening to Black water rising and i can't say that i am totally sold by it, its book one of a new series it reads like there is books before it which ket me feeling like i was missing something to bring the characters to full fruitition, the audiobook isn't heped by the choice of narrator Jane Hamlet, her voice wasn't big enough fr this and it was read really slowly , so much so I had to speed it up, I almost gave up on the story but it was redeemed in the latter half of the story but i'm not sure if i would listen to a sequel, maybe i would read the novel instead.

*Black Water Rising* by Sean Watkin is a tense and gripping crime thriller set in Liverpool. The story follows DCI de Silva, a detective grappling with PTSD and the recent loss of her husband, as she is pulled back into action to investigate a series of missing teenage girls. Alongside DS Barclay, who faces his own challenges of proving himself, they must confront their personal demons while racing against time to stop an escalating killer. Watkin masterfully blends emotional depth with suspense, creating a compelling narrative that keeps readers on edge. Perfect for fans of complex characters and thrilling mysteries.

This is the first psychological thriller I've read / listened to recently ot maybe even at all that gives more than a plot and storyline from the pov of the detectives or victims. The Black Water Rising gives a lot of detail to the killer and allows you to see from this perspective. Although this at times was most definitely extremely detailed and disturbing, it most definitely adds a different dynamic to this genre, making it stand out from others. Id go as far as to say moments of this book were horror. However, it all fits for the plot and storyline.

This was fantasticly narrated and outwith the monstrous details it was an easy listen. All characters were interesting in their own way and brought something different to this audiobook. The fact that it impacted me as it did shows bot only fantastic writing by the author but also well narrated in that I was invested.

With thanks to Netgalley & Bolinda Audio for this ARC in return for an honest review. Best wishes for publication in April 📚🎧🙏🏼❤️

An accomplished debut novel that kept my attention.

At times it was a tad repetitive but this may well resolve as the author continues developing the characters. They were quite well rounded with quite a lot of emphasis on the back stories too.

Be aware the subject matter, is, by nature of the storyline disturbing at times, albeit on the whole necessary.

I shall look forward to the series continuing.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC (audio) which was very much appreciated.

The first half of the book is fairly slow paced. The focus is more on the development of the two main characters rather than the crimes they are trying to solve. DCI de Silva and DS Barclay are both interesting with great back stories and I'm sure we'll hear more in future books.. The pace picks up considerably in the second half of the book and I really started to enjoy it. I love the setting of Liverpool, which I know a little having lived there for 6 months a few years ago, and the author described the area well. The book is a little gruesome in places which was right up my street, and the identity of the killer came as a surprise to me. I look forward to the next in the series.

I wasn't sure about the narrator at first, but she grew on me. I think I'd have liked someone with a broader Scouse accent.

I really enjoyed this book.

The story was centred around the hunt for a serial killer who preys on young girls.

I enjoyed the two main characters and felt there was lots of depth into which the series will probably further delve as it continues.

I felt the book paced well, however it was the age old tale of abused becomes the abuser, with an extra twist thrown in at the end.

A bit predictable, but well written and really enjoyable.

I listened to the audio book and thought the narration was spot on, including the scouse accent.

Loved the mystery and loved the characters, including the dislikeable ones, because, just as De Silva could be irritating at times, it all fit the story well.

The narrator did an excellent job but was perhaps not the best fit for the book.

This was absolutely excellent. However I have to be really honest and say that while it may seem obvious. It’s graphic, and really quite unsettling. I’d caution triggers warnings for graphic suicide references, Sexual violence, rape, brutality and murder. We also get insight into the killers thoughts which made me want to crawl out of my own skin.

The storyline is fabulous. The writing is excellent and I loved the scouse accent throughout. I’d be really keen to read further instalments in the series.

Distressing. Disturbing but fantastic. An amazing debut.

The narration was brilliant.

Huge thanks to Bolinda Audio via NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ALC 🎧

A fabulous debut, introducing some complex and fascinating characters in DCI Da Silva and DS Barclay.

Three teenage girls are murdered and dumped on the banks of the River Mersey, There are some very gruesome descriptions, brilliantly written but also very disturbing. The perp is revealed relatively early, but don't be fooled, there is plenty more to come and some shocking twists that I really wasn't expecting.

I thought the split between the murder investigation and the introduction of new characters, their relationships and their personal lives was really well balanced and with some unresolved matters, I am very much looking forward to book 2 in this series.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator, Jane Hamlet, did an excellent job of voicing so many different characters effectively and bringing them to life.

5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Sean Watkin and Bolinda for an ARC in return for an honest review.