Review: The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton

A unique mix of whodunnit (with a detective and side kick) and adventure on the high seas. Stuart Turton’s The 7 and 1/2 deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle was an original twist on the standard murder mystery. This book has plenty of twists and originality of its own:

• It takes place aboard a Dutch East India ship in the 17th century, which is a fun setting for a mystery.
• It features a brilliant detective and his seemingly dumber sidekick, but the detective is arrested right at the beginning of the story, so it’s up to the sidekick to resolve the mystery.
• The side kick is not alone, as there’s a well-developed set of characters who join him on this voyage.
• There are supernatural elements thrown in too. What’s clever is that both you, the reader, and the passengers on the voyage, have to figure out if there really are supernatural things going on, or if it’s all part of someone’s clever scheme.

The book does a good job of resolving the mystery and tying up most of the loose ends, though I must admit, the solution is exceptionally, over-the-top convoluted. But I suppose it often is to be able to sustain a story for more than a few pages.

Overall, a worthy read!

Rating: 4.5 stars