Into the Water

Nel Abbot was found dead in the river, just a few short months after the death of her daughter's best friend Katie in similar circumstances.

Nel had lived in Mill House by the river her entire life, and most of her memories pretty much revolved around this dark and forbidding body of water, particularly 'The Drowning Pool'. It's a place of secrets, mysteries and witchcraft. Nel was completely obsessed with stories of 'troublesome' women who had lost their lives in the 'Drowning Pool' including a 14 year old girl pronounced as a witch during the Witchfinder Trials in the seventeenth century.

Nel leaves behind a daughter, (15 year old Lena) who appears to harbour secrets of her own, and she's just one of many in this small town of Beckford. It's a small town with big secrets.

The tragedy brings Nel's sister, Jules back to the place she swore she'd never return to. She's Lena's only family now but they've never met and relations between the two are somewhat strained to say the least.

The narrative is told from many viewpoints, with each chapter being devoted to a different character. I particularly enjoyed the way this worked; as it gave each character plenty of depth. The fact that they were bite sized chapters too, was an added bonus.

There was something of a slow start, but not enough to spoil my enjoyment of it, as the hints at witchcraft and mysteries, and where this story was actually going, really kept me gripped. There's a sinister air throughout, with unknown voices and footsteps on creaking floorboards in the dead of night. There are lots of threads to the storyline, lots of frayed edges, but Paula Hawkins pulls them all together to create a fascinating read.