Somethins in My Water

What would I do, if I were the one to find something in the water? I wanted to avoid saying much about the plot beyond the discovery, because readers will absolutely love the ride this book will take them on! I look forward to more from this author. I want to sincerely thank Netgalley, Catherine Steadman, and Ballantine Books at Random House Publishing for an opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review. It was my pleasure! Full disclosure I was running behind on my reviews so I purchased this on audio on release day and I was even a little hesitant because I saw the author was narrating Seriously if I could I would give her narration six stars, it was really exceptional!

Erin and Mark are a happy newly married couple on their honeymoon in Bora Bora What is the ethical thing to do? Erin and Mark were both fabulous characters Mark on the other hand was more cautious, not much of a risk taker, although he was usually fine with his wife taking a risk I have to say I was both surprised and a little disappointed by both of these characters at points in this book There is also a very fascinating side story in this book Erin is filming a documentary about prisoners about to be released Eddie, Holly, and Alexa were all strong, interesting, and well-developed characters I found each of their storys compelling and unique This really was a book unlike any other I have read before View all 56 comments.

The audio was incredible. The author is an actress from Downton Abby. If you do read a lot of thrillers you might find it just ok. On to the next! View all 50 comments. May 23, Kendall rated it liked it Shelves: I had a really hard time rating this one Erin and Mark are a newly married couple that don't have the best honest relationship. I noticed that Erin and Mark both have been keeping secrets from one another.

Erin is trusting Mark a little more then she should despite all the red flags. But, Er I had a really hard time rating this one But, Erin isn't so innocent either and has been keeping just as much from her husband Mark. Seems like a disaster waiting to happen.. Erin is a filmmaker who has an interest in the world of crime. She begins a filming project about three people who are being released from prison. The documentary examines closely the lives of these three individuals and starts out as a project but ends up taking a sinister turn.

While on their honeymoon, Mark and Erin find a mysterious black bag in the ocean. I had some issues with this book which is why I only gave it three stars. One, my god was this book slow up until 50 percent for me. I felt like nothing was happening and I was struggling to complete chapter after chapter. Finally it picked up half way through! I felt that some of the events that transpired from Mark and Erin's decisions were just too unbelievable.

I felt that it would be almost impossible to get away with some of the things that Mark and Erin got away with. Too much security etc currently. I feel like this was an overall average thriller for me with a decent ending: View all 31 comments. Jul 28, Julie rated it really liked it Shelves: Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman is a Ballantine publication. That's what newlyweds Erin and Mark plan on doing before they head back to reality and an uncertain future. But, on a standard scuba dive they discover something in the water, a discovery that puts them in a very prickly position.

However, the bottom line is they probably hit the Motherload. But, they also make another, very grisly discovery, and in their paranoid horror and glee, make a few whopping mistakes that could come back to haunt them. What if someone finds out? The pressure they were under before is nothing like the pressure they are under now. As they work to cover all their bases, they face one moral dilemma after another, as lies and rationalizations take over and they slide further into moral bankruptcy every day.

Erin, a documentary filmmaker, is our narrator, laying out the full story going back to when she and Mark first met. The treasure they find is the answer to all their problems, but they aren't prepared for the lengths they will have to go to to profit from their discoveries, while trying not to get caught. They soon find themselves rubbing elbows with less than trustworthy people, justifying their moral compromises and keeping secrets from each other.

Right now, psychological thrillers are so popular publishers are rushing subpar novels with interchangeable plotlines into the marketplace in record numbers. Sort of reminds me of the fever pitch PNR and Urban Fantasy reached back at the peak of 'Twilight's' popularity- thank God that's over! Maybe Fifty Shades of Grey knockoffs are on the way out too- one can only hope! This book, however, had a very intriguing synopsis and the ratings were mostly favorable, so I had to see why it was popular.

While I was hopeful, I also approached the book with cautious optimism. It was an interesting journey, from that standpoint. Overall, the story is a little predictable, but I was very engaged, and very interested to see how everything would turn out in the end. Overall, I ended up enjoying this one for the most part. Perhaps, Steadman will try her hand at this more often- in between her acting roles, of course. View all 65 comments. All that buzzy attention heaped on one lil ole debut novel can make some of us okay No need to worry.

You are in expert hands with Catherine Steadman. Maybe you live on a deserted island and haven't heard, but Steadman is a fabulous, gorgeous actress working in the U. She, most notably, was a cast member of Britain's Downton Abbey. She can also write like the pros, if not better. So much talent in one person!

Quit your day job or not, Ms. Steadman, you are a superstar either way! There are tons of summaries out there. Please don't read them. Don't look for more about the story. I would have enjoyed it so much more if I didn't already know what the something in the water was! Take my word for it. You guys know how much I abhor the hand-wringing heroine.

But here, our protagonist is VERY pro-action. True, she doesn't always make the best decisions omg! It's my favorite kind of suspense-building story. One bad decision leads to another, leads to one more and so on It's the ultimate "what would you do" situational structure. Steadman writes in a slick, sophisticated manner.

I'm completely infatuated with her wit and style. The audiobook is stellar! Steadman acts as her own icy, sexy narrator and you will quickly understand why she is such a wonderful actress! I am so excited to discover this new, gifted author. Looking forward to her career in this difficult-to-write genre. View all 33 comments.

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Jul 27, Rose Traveling Sister rated it liked it Shelves: Erin is a filmmaker working on a prison documentary, and she is about to marry a banker named Mark Roberts. When Mark loses his job, they're forced to downsize their wedding and their honeymoon. The thunks are not good thunks. Telling you about the thunks would be the single bi 3. Telling you about the thunks would be the single biggest spoiler, so I ain't doin' it. What follows are a series of rash decisions that leave this couple questioning what the difference is between legal and criminal, safety and danger, sane and insane.

Both Mark's banking contacts and Erin's ties with her prison documentary subjects drive the suspense in this novel, although there is a syndicate-level undertone that leaves literally everything up in the air. I found this novel to be successful because, for the most part, it leaves out all the procedural detective work of a typical thriller. It's about two seemingly average people who get in over their heads and are toeing the line between getting themselves out and, as it were, diving in deeper.

Mark and Erin's relationship has both beautiful synchronicity and juxtaposition: They respect each other's ideas but have different ways of getting what they want. Erin is the only narrator, so it is heavy with internal monologue. As is often the case, things get a bit repetitive as she asks herself the same questions over and over again, hoping for a brilliant breakthrough. However, I found her to be far less annoying than your average "female in trouble" trope.

Yes, her dedication to her husband was unwavering. Yes, she wanted desperately to prove that she was capable of making smart decisions on her own. I have a soft spot for female MCs who prove to themselves, other characters, and readers that they are so much stronger than initially thought.

And, frankly, I liked the narration: You'll always fall short of your own potential. Any achievement will be the minimum expected of you.. It's the single most important subject for the whole of humanity and yet I feel like I'm trying to read Urdu. Cashiers seem to get so flustered by them they rarely pay attention to the rest of your purchases.

They'll want to get that box in a bag for you as fast as possible. There's a delicate line between mystery writers making their plots too tame or too audacious - a task I don't envy. While Steadman kept a steady pace, and all of the characters were vivid in both their strengths and their flaws, I wanted a bit more oomph. I was expecting the reveal at the end to be a little more complex and nefarious. And finally, though I'm not British, I have several British friends and loved this bit: On about it forever.

Really excited about the bleeding Nando's. View all 19 comments. I love psychological thrillers, so when I saw this on Audible I gave it a shot. I love that the book is narrated by the author. I thought she was perfect and had no issues there. The story just sort of fell flat for me. Erin writes documentaries for a living, while her husband Mark is an investment banker.

Plans to have a family are on the horizon. While scuba diving in Bora Bora, they discover something in the water that has the potential to change their lives forever. One decision after another; they seem to have it all planned out. Not only that, Mark can be a jerk when he wants to be and I had a hard time figuring him out in the beginning. The question is, can they stick together and really pull this off?

See a Problem?

After the first big introduction, the book starts out slow and boring and gradually just keeps getting better. For me though, it fell flat—probably because of the way it started and knowing a crucial detail from the very start. The ending was fairly predictable and I could see where it was going though. One of my biggest issues with the book was all the added details and some of the secondary characters.

I just found them sort of worthless and they took away from the main plot. With that said, I did still enjoy the book and there were a few times where I was on edge. I was very anxious a few times in the story. If you like thrillers, I would still recommend you give this one a try! View all 24 comments. Apr 11, Crumb rated it it was amazing Shelves: My rating system is very simple.

If I read a book straight through the night, can't put it down at work, interrupt meals to get back to it, it's worthy of five stars. And this was the case for Something in the Water. Very few books , achem, thrillers deserve five stars, imho. They are either lacking in character development, plot development or a mixture of the two. I thought this thriller was expertly plotted and quick-paced. Although I found the beginning to be a little odd, it does make sense within the larger context of the book.

What is Something in the Water about? A couple, Erin and Mark, having just gotten married, set forth on their honeymoon in Bora, Bora. Although, instead of having a relaxing vacation on the beach they find a shocking discovery that upends their entire life. I'm not going to say anymore, you'll just have to read the book!

This was a buddy read for me and it made my enjoyment of the book even greater. As my reading buddy pointed out, you'll have to suspend your belief in sections of this novel. There are definitely moments that are too coincidental or where the protagonist is just "too lucky. All in all, I found this to be extremely fun. I could easily equate this with a roller coaster, having so many twists and turns. I couldn't put it down, and for me, that is the mark of killer thriller.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for review What dynamite first chapter! I found myself screaming at Erin and Mike, Not to open the duffel bag! For the most part I enjoyed the ride. You do need to put your believability issues aside to stay with the plot. Though I will say I liked it and would recommend this one for an easy vacation read! A Traveling Friend read! View all 68 comments.

May 02, Linda rated it really liked it Shelves: Step back from the flame, honey. You're gonna get burned. Mark and Erin are on a stellar honeymoon in Bora Bora.

Something in the Water

Sun, sea, and each other. She's a documentary film producer and he's a successful investment banker. Or so it seems until they find something floating in the water. The depth of that ocean pales in comparison to the depth of problems that are gonna follow this couple home like stink on the back of a wayward skunk. How deep is deep enough? Catherine Steadman creates quite the Step back from the flame, honey. The opening scene finds our lovely Erin digging someone's grave.

She quickly adjusts her calculations from the usual 6-footer job. A little lady can only do so much. Steadman ratchets her storyline back a few months to where Erin is setting up her latest documentary commitment within the walls of Pentonville Prison. Erin and her camerman will follow the lives of three individuals before and after their release.

Face-to-face interviews are going to leave their mark not only for the intended audience but heavily upon Erin herself. We, as readers, are going to remember their faces as well. Just keep in mind your usual response in a darkened movie theater to the girl who has her hand on the doorknob: Don't, please don't, go down in that creepy basement alone, sweetheart. There's bad, bad things waiting for you in the shadows We're talkin' the two legged kind that mean serious business. And Erin is going to find out the hard way what that's all about even before the web is spun.

I've got to hand it to Catherine Steadman for keeping the tension on high voltage throughout this one. You'll probably be smacking the book alongside the spine just to take out your frustration at what our girl is going to be up to. This is a fast-paced, believe-it-or-not trip from the lapping waves of Bora Bora to the hard reality of North London.

But well worth the flight, dear readers. Well worth the flight. My thanks to Random House and to Catherine Steadman for the opportunity. View all 38 comments.

Full review here This might seem harsh but I really don't understand how this book got published in the way it is. There is A LOT in this book. In the beginning I thought: Then the more I read, the more I became sure: Steadman literally talks about everything in this book. The character boards onto a plane and we have a lecture about first classes. The character dives into sea and we have a lecture and description about different types of sharks. There is a lot more. Do people really enjoy reading these, hence so many 5 stars?

Then it just started tumbling down to the cliff into the water!

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The plot is absurd. They go to honeymoon. Then hell breaks lose. Erin is an idiot, I understand. Mark is as flat as an A4 paper but he does the job. Then there is a whole storyline of 3 prisoners, Holli, Eddie and Alexa. Every time Erin has a criminal problem, she rings Eddie. There are so many silly things about the plot that makes your eyes roll: First Gaziantep, a big city in Turkey with nearly 2 million inhabitants is told as: Yes, with this exact words.

Also Steadman invents a Turkish guy called Ashar Farooq. I found this very offensive, to be honest. Turks and Arabs don't share a language and a culture. They share a religion in a way Catholics and Protestants share theirs. This is a bit like saying: Oh well, if these countries are next to each other, why not. Will I read again from Steadman? SorryNotSorry Thanks for Netgalley and publisher for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

View all 48 comments. This one starts with a bang! The opening chapter was one of the most intriguing I've read in a very long time. The timeline shifts back to tell the story of Erin and Mark, who are newlyweds, passionately in love and pl This one starts with a bang! The timeline shifts back to tell the story of Erin and Mark, who are newlyweds, passionately in love and planning a trip in the sun to Bora, Bora.

Sunbathing, scuba diving, champagne drinking. What could possibly go wrong? Well, turns out plenty. I loved the unreliable characters, the twisty edge of your seat plot, and rather frantic pace. View all 64 comments. They fly to the honeymoon of a lifetime to Bora Bora. Everything is tropical and picture-perfect, until they find something in the water while scuba diving. Erin and Mark have to decide if they will tell the truth or keep a secret. Either way, danger potentially awaits This book starts out with a bombshell when Erin and Mark find something in the water.

This book starts out with a bombshell when Erin and Mark find something in the water The next chunk of the book is slower-building until you get towards the last third, where the tension builds and my heartrate soared! I loved Erin and Mark and was completely intrigued by their relationship and how they balanced each other out. They each struggle with what decision to make and how to make the decision together as a couple. The side characters who are prisoners Erin is filming in her documentary added a secondary story that I found enthralling.

Something in the Water is both thrilling and engaging. The premise was fresh, and the writing was taut. Something in the Water will be released on June 5, My reviews can also be found on my blog: May 31, Laura rated it it was ok Shelves: And with an opening sentence like that, I was in. I cannot deny that the suspense build was good here and certainly had me glued to the pages in front of me.

I was desperate to know what it is this passionately in love couple found in the water on their honeymoon in Bora Bora that would set them on this course of destruction. The big twist was predictable. And the random tangents the narrator would go off on to give paragraphs of information that is completely irrelevant to the plot at hand I should've known this would be a thing when the detail of what it takes to dig a grave in that first chapter was so elaborate that I could've then gone to dig a grave myself without needing to google any of the specifications including depth necessary to be successful.

I copped it to a build of suspense.. I figured the author was painting a picture of a desperate woman completely out of her element just doing what she needs to in order to resolve the insane situation she's found herself in. Steadman does this again later on a specific kind of gun with so much detail.

I don't even understand why it was included. It felt like I was reading the handbook that came with the gun. None of it mattered to the plot at all. In fact, only one small detail did. And it didn't need to be thrown in with a bunch of useless, unimportant facts to make sure we knew about it. The writing felt sloppy when it came to this. Those two constantly tugging needs: I kept reading in hopes of a big pay-off or blow-your-mind kind of twist, but that never happened.

What I did love was the detail that went into traveling to Bora Bora with all the connecting flights and whatnot. And the vacation itself was intriguing. This is where I truly appreciated the detail that bothered me otherwise. And maybe it's that I find traveling interesting as opposed to guns or digging holes.

I know besides the setting change, all the detail about the flights and resort are just unnecessary. But these were my favorite parts of the book. Somehow throughout the hubbub of detail, Steadman still managed to keep me intrigued enough by the mystery. It also didn't make sense that at times the characters were very smart about handling things, but at others seemed to lack all common sense.

It's unfortunate because this could've been so much better.. View all 13 comments. I have never been so unsure about my feelings about a book after finishing as I was with this one. There were so many parts that I enjoyed and was totally entertained by, but then after finishing it, I was a little underwhelmed and disappointed by the whole story in general.

I thought this story had so much potential to be a great one. Here is a quote from the book that I absolutely loved. The novel has an interesting enough premise with a touch of unease to the storyline and characters that well - I will let you experience for yourself. I felt like she was true to herself and telling us a totally unedited version of her story and events. Overall, even though I had some reservations about this story, I still found it to be a compulsive read with a few good twists.

I was very engaged and interested in how this story was going to all play out.

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View all 44 comments. This is a thriller about a couple who find themselves in financial distress weeks before their wedding and the decisions they make afterwards will have life-changing consequences. Erin is a documentary filmmaker and Mark is a banker who loses his job days before the big day. They live in a very nice home and decide to go through with their planned wedding as well as the honeymoon despite the fact that they could make wiser financial decisions under the circumstances. Once in their dreamy Bora-Bor This is a thriller about a couple who find themselves in financial distress weeks before their wedding and the decisions they make afterwards will have life-changing consequences.

Once in their dreamy Bora-Bora honeymoon, they find "something in the water" view spoiler [that could resolve all their money troubles hide spoiler ] but may also end up putting their lives in danger. The book opens up with an engaging scene where Erin is digging a grave to bury a body. Then the timeline moves back into the past and describes the events that led up to that moment. I liked the characters but at some points I was frustrated by their decisions. It is true that the factors such as motivation and opportunity were present for Erin and Mark to behave the way they did, but still.

Overall, the novel was engaging and the author kept the plot moving forward. I recommend it to readers of thrillers and contemporary fiction. I received an advance copy from the publisher via Netgalley View all 20 comments. Jul 31, Liz rated it liked it Shelves: Yes, you know within the first few minutes that Erin is digging a grave. But then we go back and it reads more like chick lit. I found Erin initially very irritating.

She had no clue about adjusting to her circumstances. She did grow on me and by the end of the book I liked her and appreciated her initiative. This is a very slow burn leading up to the big discovery. Jun 05, Minutes. What unfolds makes for a wild, page-turning ride!

Erin is a documentary filmmaker on the brink of a professional breakthrough, Mark a handsome investment banker with big plans. Passionately in love, they embark on a dream honeymoon to the tropical island of Bora Bora, where they enjoy the sun, the sand, and each other. Then, while scuba diving in the crystal blue sea, they find something in the water. Could the life of your dreams be the stuff of nightmares?

Suddenly the newlyweds must make a dangerous choice: After all, if no one else knows, who would be hurt? Their decision will trigger a devastating chain of events. Have you ever wondered how long it takes to dig a grave? A shocking discovery on a honeymoon in paradise changes the lives of a picture-perfect couple in this taut psychological thriller debut—for readers of Ruth Ware, Paula Hawkins, and Shari Lapena. A darkly glittering gem of a thriller from a new writer to watch. The threats and increasingly bad decisions accelerate with Bourne-like velocity. Steadman [is] a newcomer worth watching.

She has appeared in leading roles on British television as well as on stage in the West End. In she was… More about Catherine Steadman. What would I do? You may find yourself increasingly uncomfortable with your answers. But what if the opportunity for the perfect crime appeared right in front of your eyes? How many rules would you break in pursuit of the perfect life?