Title: Something in The Water: A Novel by Catherine Steadman

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Verdict: 2/5

In a nutshell:

A newly-wed couple, Erin and Mark embarked on a dream honeymoon to the tropical island of Bora Bora, where they enjoyed the sun, the sand, and each other. Then, while scuba diving in the crystal blue sea, they found something in the water that changed their dream vacation into a nightmare, and their lives, forever.

Erin started to doubt her relationship with Mark, but time and time again, Mark proved her wrong. Should she trust him or her intuition? Mark on the other hand, was frustrated with his failed attempts to find a new job, to secure them a better, more promising future. And whatever they found in the water didn’t, in any case, improve their situation, instead it strained their relationship even further.

What was it that they found? How did it change their lives?

My thoughts:

I was hoping to enjoy this book as much as many others had. Plus I LOVE giving positive reviews! And the premise and plot sounded so promising!

The first chapter definitely hooked me right away. The setup was perfect – digging of a grave. “WHO OR WHAT IS BEING BURIED IN THAT GRAVE?!” I wondered…

Then the story took me back 3 months, to how it all started. I started anticipating lots of twists and turns, and suspense. This was going to be a thrilling ride! The introduction was not too bad, where I was introduced to the other secondary characters (whom I paid special attention to as well) with interesting background and history, and of course, her most beloved Mark, with whom she was head over heels.

AND, then when Erin started detailing her wedding details…the story sank…

And sank…

And sank…

All the way down from there….

There were the unnecessary chapters and pages and details that did little to the plot. The details of her wedding and food-tasting, hotel bookings, the five-star lounge, and Glocks. At first, I paid attention to all those details (except her wedding and food tasting) thinking there might be some hidden clues, but later felt that they were unimportant in solving the mystery, so I decided to skim through/skip those pages.

And my,….I missed nothing…None of them were needed to solve the mystery.

And the secondary characters were a little weak too. The only one that made an impact on the entire plot was I think Eddie Bishop, whose character was way more ‘likable’ than Erin. And Alexa sounded much too pleasant for someone who had been in prison for more than a decade.

And the ending…WOW. I’m not going to give anything away in case you intend to read it. But to me, it felt a little implausible.

Have you read this book before? Did you enjoy it? Would you consider reading it?

Till then, HAPPY READING!