Book review: The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton

Title: The Devil and the Dark Water

Author: Stuart Turton

Genre: Historical Fiction/Mystery

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Publication date: 1st October 2020

My rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Summary:

“It’s 1634 and Samuel Pipps, the world’s greatest detective, is being transported to Amsterdam to be executed for a crime he may, or may not, have committed. Travelling with him is his loyal bodyguard, Arent Hayes, who is determined to prove his friend innocent.
But no sooner are they out to sea than devilry begins to blight the voyage. A twice-dead leper stalks the decks. Strange symbols appear on the sails. Livestock is slaughtered.
And then three passengers are marked for death, including Samuel.
Could a demon be responsible for their misfortunes?
With Pipps imprisoned, only Arent can solve a mystery that connects every passenger onboard. A mystery that stretches back into their past and now threatens to sink the ship, killing everybody on board.”

My review:

The Devil and the Dark Water is a saga consisting of a long and treacherous journey on the Sardaam, a ship travelling from Batavia to Amsterdam. It is listed in the genre of both Historical Fiction and Mystery but this is where the similarities between this book and Stuart Turton’s last book end. While The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle contained a large mix of eccentric characters and the wild element of time travel, The Devil and the Dark Water focuses more on the voyage and setting but still manages to captivate from the beginning.

The atmospheric and brilliant setting of the Sardaam is a marvelous way to set the scene and I was immediately transported onboard the ship and eager to discover how the mystery would unfold. After several strange supernatural events, I began to doubt the potency of this book compared to its predecessor as it seemed more tame and slow paced at the beginning. However, this was contrasted by the fantastic descriptions of the sea and ship, once again setting Stuart Turton apart from other authors in this genre.

Although I found the mystery to be slightly underwhelming, I connected with this set of characters much more than in Seven Deaths. I immediately warmed to Sara and Lia and started to doubt Arent’s intentions. I had already chosen a clear favourite as the murderer but I missed once again as I underestimated the powers and daring nature of Stuart Turton’s writing, ambitious to prove the reader wrong with his intricate story telling and plot twists.

This tale features a wide range of interesting characters, slight elements of supernatural and a plot thick with tension and adventure. It was a turbulent ride from beginning to end and I was left surprised and shocked several times. Stuart Turton is quickly marking his name as an author with amazing talent and potential and I cannot wait to find out what he has next in store.