An Amazon Charts and Washington Post bestseller.From USA Today bestselling author Debbie Herbert comes a thrilling story of murder and madness set in the darkest corner of Alabama.Everyone thinks fourteen-year-old Violet is a murderer. After a summer-night swim with her best friend, Ainsley, Violet is found confused, wandering in the forest—and Ainsley’s never seen again. But without a body, … Ainsley’s never seen again. But without a body, murder charges won’t stick, so Violet is sent away.
After more than a decade in a psychiatric ward, Violet returns to her broken-down hometown of Normal, Alabama, to claim her dead mother’s inheritance and help her overworked sister care for their unstable, alcoholic father. Violet, still haunted by that night eleven years ago, endures horrific flashbacks and twisted hallucinations while townsfolk spit accusations—and for all she knows, they’re right.
As the summer heats up, details of Ainsley’s fate appear like a beast’s wild eyes, watching in the darkness, and grim revelations about Violet’s family threaten to devour her. Already on the edge of madness, Violet must fight to keep her sanity long enough for the terrible truth to burst from the cold, dark waters.
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Cold Waters is a fast mysterie with a great plot twist that I didn’t see coming. It starts when Violet finally come back home after staying more than a decade in a mental hospital after supposedly having kill her best friend Ainsley. Everyone in town including her own sister, Delaney, think she’s a murderer. But Violet doesn’t remember anything that had happened that night. She was found that wandering and confused in that forest. As she really kill her friend? (less)
Cold Waters gripped me and tugged me into its pages until the very end. Full of suspense, twists and turns, seat of your pants mystery and surprise. I could not let it go until the very end. A definite psychological roller-coaster which made me gasp and turn the next page to see what would happen next. This is a definite must read and will have a permanent spot on my bookshelf. I intend to read it again.
From the blurb, I knew I had to read this book. I was not disappointed. the tragic events that happened 11 years prior were sad and made me really start to love Violet a little. I could not stand Delaney at all there was just nothing redeemable she was manipulative and shady from the get-go. I really enjoyed how this book was laid out and the crows and superstitions of a small town just a great book all around.
I absolutely loved this book, it is by far her best work to date….It has so many twist and turns you think you have the story figured out, you turn the page and everything has been turned upside down…I love the Gothic suspense and all the superstition….Debbie Herbert is so exceptional with her writing that within a few pages you get the feel of the characters, and the book takes you away….Deb this book is AMAZEBALLS, thank you for transporting me to another time and place….
This book pulled me in from the beginning and not let go…. a very emotional, intriguing, heart pounding and action packed mystery that kept me guessing and excited with every twist and turn. So hard to put this one down, the thrilling danger, shrouded mystery and dynamic charters are just a few of the reasons I really enjoyed reading this journey.
Am amazing psychological thriller. The suspense keeps you on the edge of your seat and to continue reading until the end. Violet is 14 when her friend goes missing and she remembers nothing from that night. 10 years later Violet is released from a mental hospital and returns home to Normal, Alabama. The way the author takes you from past to present is done in a way to make it seamless. I would recommend this book to any reader.
As I slowly learned the truth about a troubled woman, I became totally caught up in her life where questions about the past and present keep mounting. I have read many of the prior books written by Debbie Herbert, and was thrilled to get her latest release. She has a knack for creating original plots plus unique characters, and the first story in the Normal, Alabama series is a great example of her talent. There are numerous uncertainties from the very start of COLD WATERS, and as each unknown fact is eventually divulged, my thoughts became increasingly engrossed in uncovering what actually happened that tragic night.
When the friend of Violet Henderson disappeared one night after the two teenagers went for a forbidden swim, most folks in her hometown of Normal, Alabama thought she had more than likely killed her friend. But a crime could not be proven, and she is committed to a mental hospital because of her abnormal behavior after having no memory of that night. Eleven years later, Violet comes back home since her father is not well, and she also would like to get her share of money from when her mother passed away. What was supposed to be a short stay turns into a visit filled with disturbing recollections and revealing facts.
Colorful details let me experience the circumstances that occur in the story as though I am there, and what the characters are feelings at each moment is also made perfectly clear. Violet has been tangled up in way too many bad incidents in her life, and the events that take place when she comes back home are often extremely stressful and lead to her feeling much self-doubt. I especially felt sympathy for her when everything seemed so hopeless. With all the possibilities for what is happening, my own guesses were constantly changing. Debbie Herbert tells the situations from the point of view of various characters and different time periods, thus letting me realize what really occurred and who was involved. COLD WATERS is grippingly suspenseful with intriguing developments.
I selected this book as my Amazon Prime First Read choice a few months ago. I generally use this service to try out authors and genres I might not typically read. The book is intriguing but sometimes due to the subject matter difficult to read. I’m not sure there was one character in the book that didn’t have major baggage they were lugging around. Most were difficult to sympathize with. That said the book was fascinating to read simply to follow the main character on her journey to healing.
There were some unexpected twist interns in this book which surprised me. I can’t say I liked all of the characters in the book but that’s not always a bad thing. I would recommend this book to others.
Great read! I always thought I had it figured out and then another curve ball would happen. Do yourself a favor and grab this one to read!
Enjoyable read and good start to a new series with room to improvement. Evil Delany, kindhearted Violet and an old murder mystery kept me reading, wanting to know what had happened and I enjoyed the twist in the end.
Have you ever wondered what happens in Normal Alabama? Well it certainly isn’t anything normal that’s for sure! This is a great quirky book about a messed up family in a messed up town. Nuff said!! Would I recommend it, oh I most certainly would!! Thanks for a great read!
I spent most of the book thinking how stupid Violet was. You would think that eleven years in mental institutions and halfway houses would have taught her something. Evidently, not.
I saw where the plot was going early on, when I first encountered Delaney. But, I have to say, Hyacinth did surprise me.
Instead of Normal, AL, should have been Abnormal.