"Deep Water" by Emma Bamford

 

The dark side of paradise is exposed when a terrified couple reveals their daunting experience on a remote island to their rescuers—only to realize they’re still in the grips of the island’s secrets—in this intense and startling debut in the tradition of Into the Jungle and The Ruins.

When a Navy vessel comes across a yacht in distress in the middle of the vast Indian Ocean, Captain Danial Tengku orders his ship to rush to its aid. On board the yacht is a British couple: a horribly injured man, Jake, and his traumatized wife, Virginie, who breathlessly confesses, “It’s all my fault. I killed them.”

Trembling with fear, she reveals their shocking story to Danial. Months earlier, the couple had spent all their savings on a yacht, full of excitement for exploring the high seas and exotic lands together. They start at the busy harbors of Malaysia and, through word of mouth, Jake and Virginie learn about a tiny, isolated island full of unspoiled beaches. When they arrive, they discover they are not the only visitors and quickly become entangled with a motley crew of expat sailors. Soon, Jake and Virginie’s adventurous dream turns into a terrifying nightmare.

Now, it’s up to Danial to determine just how much truth there is in Virginie’s alarming tale. But when his crew make a shocking discovery, he realizes that if he doesn’t act soon, they could all fall under the dark spell of the island. ~taken from Goodreads

This book was...something. I was so excited to read this! I hadn't even heard about it until I received a Netgalley email highlighting this new 2020 thriller and it sounded amazing so I decided to request and read it. The first chapter started out strong. I had high hopes. I was wrong. 

I am not sure I can even classify this as a thriller. It's the most slow moving book I have ever read. It's really more of a "how-to-sail" handbook. The minute details the author gives on how to operate a boat was mind-numbing. Chapter after chapter of useless information that added no thrill to the overall story whatsoever. 

If you can get past the mindless chit-chat about absolutely nothing there are some characters that will bore the hell out of you. The main characters are unlikeable while being unrelatable and unbelievable all at once. Throw in even more unlikable characters and it's a big pot of disappointment.

Not once while reading this "thriller" was I remotely interested in the plot, let alone on the edge of my seat. Absolutely nothing happens for the first 3 quarters of the story. There's not even an intense build up. The ending came fast and was anticlimactic.

This was an ARC provided by Netgalley and Gallery Books for me to read and give my honest review. It was a 1 star read for me.

"Deep Water" is set to be released on May 31, 2022 here in the U.S. 

Happy Reading!