Into the Water

History is a pandora’s box. There are times when it is not meant to be opened. Nel Abbott is working on a history of an area in Beckford known as the Drowning Pool. It is known to be a suicide spot, but Nel feels differently. There are townspeople who wish her book would go away, and they get their wish when Nel meets her end in the aforementioned Drowning Pool. Her estranged sister, Jules, is less than thrilled to receive the call about her sister’s demise, especially now that she will have to take care of Nel’s troubled daughter, Lena. Nel and Jules’ relationship was tumultuous, marred by cruel words and lack of contact. As the police look into Nel’s death, questions are raised regarding the previous death of a local girl, which some blame on Nel. Jules and Lena are sucked into a world of mystery and misery, and it will take time and some of their sanity to get answers. Can anyone really be trusted? Only time will tell.

Into the Water is a brilliant follow up to The Girl on the Train. The mysteries consume the reader from the initial pages, and the cast of characters summon many feelings, from sympathy to pity to loathing. The story’s acts move at the rate of an accelerated heartbeat with each twist and turn. A surefire best-seller!