“Compulsively readable.”—New York Times Book Review
Named a Best Book of 2020 by The Guardian, Daily Mail, Financial Times, The Independent, Publishers Weekly, and more.
The extraordinary new thriller from Stuart Turton, author of the bestselling murder mystery The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, winner of the Costa Best First Novel Award.
A murder on the high seas. A remarkable detective … of Evelyn Hardcastle, winner of the Costa Best First Novel Award.
A murder on the high seas. A remarkable detective duo. A demon who may or may not exist.
It’s 1634, and Samuel Pipps, the world’s greatest detective, is being transported to Amsterdam to be executed for a crime he may, or may not, have committed. Traveling with him is his loyal bodyguard, Arent Hayes, who is determined to prove his friend innocent. Among the other guests is Sara Wessel, a noblewoman with a secret.
But no sooner is their ship out to sea than devilry begins to blight the voyage. A strange symbol appears on the sail. A dead leper stalks the decks. Livestock dies in the night.
And then the passengers hear a terrible voice, whispering to them in the darkness, promising three unholy miracles, followed by a slaughter. First an impossible pursuit. Second an impossible theft. And third an impossible murder.
Could a demon be responsible for their misfortunes?
With Pipps imprisoned, only Arent and Sara can solve a mystery that stretches back into their past and now threatens to sink the ship, killing everybody on board.
Shirley Jackson meets Sherlock Holmes in this chilling thriller of supernatural horror, occult suspicion, and paranormal mystery on the high seas.
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As the author states at the end of the book, this is not one for the detail-obsessed historians. This genre-agnostic voyage is engaging, entertaining, but also a little silly as it struggles under the weight of its numerous twists and turns.
Overall though, well worth your time!
I had enjoyed Stuart Turton’s debut novel, The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle and was excited when I heard he had another book out. My daughter gave The Devil and the Dark Water to me as part of my birthday present. She always chooses such thoughtful gifts.
The Blurb
Three impossible crimes
Two unlikely detectives
One deadly voyage
It’s 1634 and Samuel Pipps, the world’s greatest detective, is being transported from the Dutch East Indies to Amsterdam, where he is set to face trial for a crime that no one dares speak of.
But no sooner is the ship out to sea than devilry begins to blight the voyage. Strange symbols appear on the sails. A figure stalks the decks. Livestock are slaughtered. Passengers are plagued with ominous threats, promising them three unholy miracles. First: an impossible pursuit. Second: an impossible theft.
Then: an impossible murder.
With Pipps imprisoned in the depths of the ship, can his loyal bodyguard, Arent Hayes solve the mystery before the ship descends into anarchy?
The Review
The Devil and the Dark Water is only the second novel by Stuart Turton, but he does not write as a new or inexperienced author. This novel is set in the seventeenth century and the story takes place on a ship, which is part of a convoy, during a journey from the Dutch East Indies to Amsterdam. The main characters are The Governor General Jan Haan, his wife Sarah and daughter Lia, Lieutenant Arent Hayes and Samuel Pipps. Although Pipps is the world’s most famous and successful detective, The Governor General insists he is held prisoner, even when questions arise about the safety of the ship, its passengers and crew.
This leaves his assistant, Arent, to investigate the problems that occur. He seeks the assistance of Sarah and other women on the ship because he lacks the self-confidence to solve the mysteries that he is sure Pipps would work out efforlessly.
There is a mysterious Countess on board who will not come out of her luxury cabin and Pipps is only permitted to come out of his cell during the hours of darkness when there is nobody else around.
Descriptions of the cabins, the cell and all the other areas of the ship are vivid and often inspire revulsion in the reader. The picture the author paints of Pipps after prolongued periods in his cell are graphic.
The is a bit of an information dump at the end of the novel, but I am willing to forgive that because of the clever twist that I felt I should have picked up on, but didn’t. This is an extremely clever novel that I really enjoyed. I highly recommend it.
The Author
Stuart lives in London with his amazing wife and daughter. He drinks lots of tea.
What else?
When he left university he went travelling for three months and stayed away for five years. Every time his parents asked when he’d be back he told them next week, and meant it.
Stuart is not to be trusted. In the nicest possible way.
He’s got a degree in English and Philosophy, which makes him excellent at arguing and terrible at choosing degrees.
Having trained for no particular career, he has dabbled in most of them. He stocked shelves in a Darwin bookshop, taught English in Shanghai, worked for a technology magazine in London, wrote travel articles in Dubai, and now he’s a freelance journalist. None of this was planned, he just kept getting lost on his way to other places.
He likes a chat. He likes books. He likes people who write books and people who read books. He doesn’t know how to write a biography, so should probably stop before he tells you about his dreams or something. It was lovely to meet you, though.
Stuart’s debut novel is called The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle in the UK and The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle in the US. They’re the same book. Don’t fret.
@Stu_Turton
The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton is an historical fiction mystery. Characters are complex and interesting. Plot and story lines twist and turn. What seemed to be a fantasy paranormal adventure turned out to be something quite different. All in all, this book was a fascinating, thrilling read that was hard to put down.
If you’re looking for a big adventure then The Devil and The Dark Water by Stuart Turton is the one for you. Set in the 1600s on a merchant vessel, it mainly follows the characters of Arent and Sara as they try to identify a murderer, stop a devilish curse and survive a high seas storm. Interesting characters, plot and atmosphere. I love a locked-room type of mystery and trapped on a boat in the middle of the ocean with increasing tension doesn’t disappoint. This one has it all, great fun!
Lots of twists including the ultimate one.
A very unusual and absorbing mystery. A novel which uses the old-fashioned notion of sleuthing and the careful piecing together of clues to solve the puzzle. This story hinges on a curious mark which, when it appears, instils fear and panic. The action takes place aboard a sailing boat heading to Amsterdam and whose cargo contains a mysterious object, known as The Folly, which the powerful group, Gentlemen 17, are desperate to get their hands on. At the heart of this mystery is a famous detective, Samuel Pipps, whose massive fall from grace means that, when he gets to Holland, he is going to be executed for a crime unknown either to him or the reader. He is imprisoned, deep within the belly of the Indiaman, packed to the gunnels with vast amounts of cargo. Turton’s description of life on board a ship in 1634 is vivid; the disgusting food and cramped conditions of those unlucky enough not to have the means to afford a cabin; frightening animosity between the sailors and the musketeers and dark hiding places at every corner. I was glad of the clever map to keep a track of everyone’s location.
Lieutenant Arent Hayes is a great hero. I love his loyalty, bravery and his blossoming relationship with Sara Wessel whose husband, the most important man on the ship, Jan Hann, is cruel and violent although Arent has conflicting feelings for him because he remembers him fondly from his youth. Are there more unknown connections between the other passengers which will help solve what’s going on? The prospect of the devil, aka Old Tom, forcing members of the voyage to wreak havoc and commit crimes, becomes a self-perpetuating cycle of disaster. The reader cannot comprehend how these acts of violence and the re-appearance of a mute, dead leper, who can suddenly speak again, are possible. Turton’s prose is full of vivid scenes bursting with hidden treasure, gunpowder, curious Nornish utterances, gruesome floggings and lashing of bilge water. The Saardam is a ship where the passengers are cheek by jowl with cruel boatswains, zealous preachers and witchfinders and where the appearance of a mysterious eighth lantern forebodes disaster. Turton is great at writing on the dark side and his writing drips with ominous foreshadowing as he blends reality and mystery with the supernatural. I love the mash up of genres and the very clever and satisfying conclusion.
Thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me an ARC copy of this book, which I freely chose to review.
Although I’d heard about Turton’s first novel, I haven’t read The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, but I was sufficiently intrigued by the comments about it, by the description of his second novel and by its setting to request a copy on NetGalley. I’ve seen The Devil and the Dark Water mentioned in many of the 2020’s lists and that was the final push I required to read it. I enjoyed the novel (what a romp!), although I suspect some readers might find it problematic, and I wouldn’t recommend it without a few words of caution. Also, I read a pretty early ARC copy, with formatting issues, and from some of the more detailed reviews I’ve read it’s evident that there are some added elements I had no access to, and there might be other changes, so I won’t go into too many specifics, to avoid confusing readers of the final published version.
The description above gives plenty of clues as to the plot, and I want to avoid spoilers. I’ve read some reviewers comparing it to a cross between a classical mystery (more Sherlock Holmes than Poirot, in my opinion) with a pirate adventure novel, and that is pretty accurate. It did remind me of an old-fashioned adventure/mystery novel (Dumas, Scott, or even Poe), but also what other authors used to call romance (not in the sense of a love story, although that might play a part as well, but a bit more of a supernatural/”magical” touch, not fitting totally in the fantasy realm or what we understand as magical realism either, but not that far from them), like some of Hawthorne’s novellas and short stories. As is sometimes the case in some of those, there are plenty of flights of fancy, detours and small paths visited, and the story is not written completely in keeping with the modern tenets of avoiding any telling and only including information that is necessary to the furthering of the plot. Quite a few of the negative reviews insisted that the book could have been edited and made much shorter, and the plot would not have suffered, and they were right, but I wasn’t too bothered about that, as I was enjoying the ride. As I came to the end of the novel, what it made me think about the most, was one of those very elaborate magic tricks, where a lot of attention is played to the staging, in order to ensure our attention is misdirected, and we are distracted, losing track of the main action, and therefore being taken by surprise at the grand reveal. I think Turton would be a great magician.
I was curious about the setting of the novel and the fact that it all takes place (or almost all of it) inside a big ship makes this the equivalent of a mystery in a grand mansion, with important twists, as they are even more isolated than the inhabitants of an isolated big house. I recently read and reviewed a modern take on that kind of mystery (Banville’s Snow) and although this is completely different, it proves that the genre keeps inspiring authors, at least to find new ways to subvert it. Even though the novel appears to fit into the historical fiction bracket, the author —on a note not included in the ARC copy I read that I’ve seen mentioned by other readers— has explained it has to be considered fiction and not expected to accurately reflect the era, and it is true that he took too many liberties with the period and even the nautical setting for history buffs or seafaring connoisseurs not to be disappointed if they read it expecting precision. Despite that, there were some general reflections about the colonial enterprise, witch-hunting, wars, and the differences in social order that made the novel go beyond a standard uncomplicated entertaining adventure. That is not to say that any of those subjects were treated in depth, but I felt they added to the story.
I won’t dissect all the characters, as there are far too many (some readers complained that it was difficult to tell them apart, the Dutch names didn’t always help matters, and that was the case as well for the many roles, positions, and aristocratic titles of some of the characters), and not all of them play important parts. Samuel Pipps is, if you want, the Sherlock Holmes of the story, brilliant and incredibly gifted, but not always the best at mixing with people or being sympathetic to their feelings or needs. In the novel, he is locked up due to some accusation, and we hear of him more than get to see him in action, and that means that Arent Hayes, the Dr Watson of the story and the one writing their adventures, gets to be the investigator. He is quite a character, and we learn plenty about him during the book, most of it interesting and some quite surprising. He is the most complex character, and I liked him a lot. Apart from him, I also liked most of the main female characters, especially Sarah and her daughter Lia, who seem to fall into the category of women going beyond their historical role of the period that has become quite popular these days. Isabel was another favourite of mine, especially because she is not of aristocratic blood but has managed to rise by virtue of her effort, her smarts, and her thirst of knowledge, and she can see beyond the stories and rumours that scare others. There are many grey and dark characters as well, some we get to know better than others, some pretty ambiguous, but there are a lot that we don’t learn anything about, because they are little more than a part of the cargo, like the animals or the spices they carried, and far less valuable when it came to the company. That felt quite true to life, although it was not one of the aspects of the story that challenged the genre (and I don’t think that was the aim of the author either).
The story is told from many different points of view, although more attention seems to be paid to Arent and Sarah, but not exclusively. That does not mean that we are given more clues than they are and, in fact, as I’ve said before, there are plenty of distractions, blind alleys, and there are many twists and red herrings that make it easy to lose sight of what is important and what is not. The author manages to draw some vivid pictures in one’s mind, and some of the scenes seem taken from a movie (and I’m sure it would turn into a spectacular one with the right creative team), although as I’ve said, the style is not exactly what many would expect from a modern book. The language is not historically accurate either, but that does not seem to have been the author’s intention. I won’t share any fragments, as I’ve already mentioned that the ARC copy had some issues that I’m sure have been solved in the published version, but I would advise people interested in reading it to check a sample. I found it easy to read in general, but as is the case with many classic mysteries, it’s necessary to remain attentive and try not to miss any clues. I understand from some reviews that the published version of the novel also contains a map of the ship, and I’m sure that would help follow the action and see how some of the scenes connect more easily than by just reading the text.
Did I guess the guilty party? Well, I worked out some of the mysteries involved, but not all, and although I reached the right conclusion pretty close to the end, I wouldn’t say I had dotted all the “i”s and crossed all the “t”s. We do get the expected big reveal scene at the end, so don’t fret too much about having missed anything. Some of the conventions are adhered to, mystery fans will be relieved to hear. The ending is happy (?) although perhaps morally ambiguous, and I know some readers weren’t too pleased about it. I enjoyed the wrapping up of everything (yes, it is far-fetched, but I’ve already said it reminds me of a high-end magic trick, so that’s not surprising), although I’m not so sure about the implications of the actual ending, if one were to take it seriously. But I don’t.
I recommend it to people who aren’t looking for an accurate historical novel but enjoy old-style adventure novels and mysteries, and appreciate more varied and enterprising female characters than tend to be the rule in that genre. Also, to those who don’t mind a touch of the magical and the unexpected (although I don’t think the classification of metaphysical I’ve seen it under is correct) and aren’t after a hard-hitting modern narrative. I am aware that some readers of Turton’s first novel weren’t impressed by this one, although some enjoyed it as well, so you might want to temper your expectations if you have read him before. I can’t comment on it directly, but after reading this one I’m more intrigued to catch up on his debut novel. In sum, it is great fun, especially if you love adventures and don’t take it too seriously.
Readers who enjoy mind-bending mystery novels may expect Stuart Turton’s The Devil and the Dark Water to follow the same plot lines as other novels in the genre. However, this novel breaks barriers in terms of location, character development, point of view, and much-needed humour mixed in throughout this dark and twisted mystery.
In Stuart Turton’s second novel, The Devil and the Dark Water follows the story of Lieutenant Arent Hayes and renown detective Samuel Pipps as they prepare to board one of the East Indian Trading Company’s ships, the Sardaam, to travel to Amsterdam where Pipps will be executed for a crime he is suspected of committing. Upon their arrival at the docks in Batavia, it is made clear to both Sammy and Arent that their voyage to Amsterdam would not be an easy one when a leper rumoured to be dead proclaims that the Sardaam is cursed and that every person who takes the voyage to Amsterdam will die before they reach their destination. Once a slew of unholy miracles begin tormenting the ship, Arent, Sammy, and their new comrade Sara Wessel decide to take matters into their own hands and find who, or what, is tormenting the ship and its passengers.
Throughout The Devil and the Dark Water, there were enough twists and turns throughout each chapter of the novel that proves to keep the reader interested until the very end. Like authors such as Stephen King and Agatha Christie, Turton is able to convince readers of many characters’ innocence, even if they may not be innocent at all. Sara Wessel, Creesjie Jens, Arent Hayes, among other characters prove to be zealous in banishing the demon called Old Tom—but what if Old Tom is lurking inside of one of these main “innocent” characters? Turton is able to continuously push the suspicion from one character to another throughout the novel, ultimately causing the reader much difficulty in finding a reliable narrator. With some comedic aspects sprinkled in with the action and mystery, Turton continuously keeps readers’ attention and wondering who, exactly, is the cause of this chaos.
With the mix of humour, suspense, plot twists, and action scenes, The Devil and the Dark Water proves to be a novel all kinds of readers will enjoy. There are important social themes such as feminism and tyranny present throughout the text including fierce women characters like Sara and her daughter Lia who push for female equality throughout. With the strong push for feminist ideals along with the strength shown through men and women working together, the novel aspires to show the power that comes forth when people come together for the greater good.
While many of the characters are well developed, witty, and even a little untrustworthy, there is still room for some of the characters to be developed even more by the end of the novel. Sammy and Arent’s story is only briefly explained in the text and it would have been helpful to understand just how deep their friendship goes. Additionally, it becomes quite hard for the reader to fully comprehend why Arent is so enveloped with the task of protecting Sammy—even if it means that Arent himself is in danger. Furthermore, the governor general, Jan Haan, was much more underdeveloped than other characters in this novel. It would be helpful for the reader to know how he turned from the loving uncle Arent remembers into a cunning and vicious leader and husband.
Overall, The Devil and the Dark Water is a thrilling take of friendship, loyalty, betrayal, and just how far some people will go to protect the innocent. Avid mystery readers and new mystery readers alike will find something they like about this novel, whether it be the relationships characters form between themselves or the constant twists and turns that entice them to continue turning the pages.
The Devil and the Dark Water is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of October 6th 2020.
After reading The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle I figured I had at least a vague notion of what to expect from The Devil and the Dark Water. Boy was I wrong. These two books are worlds apart in every way possible. Even better, I enjoyed them both!
The year is 1634 and a whole cast of characters is boarding the Saardam to journey from Batvia to Amsterdam. The voyage starts off shockingly when a mysterious leper delivers an ominous message and then bursts into flames. Arent Hayes and Sara Wessel quickly run to aid the leper but to no avail. Hayes, the bodyguard of the famous detective Samuel Pipps, wants nothing more than to prove his friend Sammy’s innocence and save him from a death sentence. Sara, a noblewoman, wants only to find a way to break free of her abusive husband, Governor General Jan Haan.
As the voyage continues, a series of events start to unfold resulting in death and destruction. Who or what is trying to sabotage the Saardam and the people aboard? How far are the people hiding secrets willing to go to keep them hidden? Will Hayes and Pipps be able to solve the mystery before it’s too late?
I really enjoyed this book. I have to say that it’s quite important to familiarize yourself with the cast of characters because it’s rather extensive though. Luckily, there is a manifest of notable passengers at the beginning of the book for the reader to refer back to. Once you have a better feel for who everyone is, the book is much more enjoyable in my opinion. Then, get set to read a mystery filled with twists and turns galore. There are so many suspects and secrets that you’ll find yourself continually guessing throughout.
My main complaint about this book was that at times I felt it got weighed down by unnecessary verbiage that added little to the overall plot. There were sections that could have been left out entirely. The only other thing I struggled a bit with was with the layout of the ship. I had a difficult time imagining some of the scenes. Fortunately, there is also an image of the ship and its corresponding parts drawn in the front cover for reference. Beyond those two minor problems, I found this book to be a fascinating read with great writing and well developed characters.
I would definitely recommend this book to others, but I caution it’s a book that requires dedicated time and attention to detail.
I found the book a tough read.
Excellent writing! I was completely immersed in the story. The only downfall for me was that it was a little slow in terms of plot.
If Stuart Turton’s first novel, The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle can be viewed as an homage to Agatha Christie, then his latest, The Devil and the Dark Water is a parallel ode to Arthur Conan Doyle. The many fans of his first book will welcome Turton’s return with a second outing that preserves Turton’s evocative prose and wonderful pacing despite the two books’ divergent subjects and settings. The Devil and the Dark Water takes place primarily at sea, a “closed-room” mystery that duly portrays a claustrophobic and dark journey that takes place in the 1600’s between Batavia and Amsterdam. The grime and desperation of the period is apparent, as is the severe disparities between lives of the lower and upper classes. The Saardam is being commandeered by Jan Haan, who is acting as the representative of a shipping company akin to the historical East India Trade Company. The book launches the reader in an immediate atmosphere of dread, when the trip is declared doomed by a prophetic figure that calls out his curses at its onset. There are a multitude of characters and mysteries to be deciphered, so it is good thing that Samuel Pipps and Arent Hayes are along for the ride. Pipps is the Sherlockian genius who is being protected by Hayes as he is being transported as a prisoner. Why the estimable Pipps is in shackles is unknown, as is the nature of the secret cargo being loaded onto the ship and the motive for the warnings and dramatic death of the man at the dock. Are all the subsequent deaths and unexplained events the diabolical efforts of “Old Tom,” a legendary entity whose prior feats of destruction have become well-known and feared by all? Or is it the workings of a criminal mastermind with unknown designs and motivations? Turton weaves a layered and cerebral tale that is engrossing and skillfully depicted. The reader may become overwhelmed by the number of characters and plotlines that unfold, especially if unfamiliar with shipping and military rank terminology. A “manifest” given at the beginning helps as a reference but untangling the propulsive action may require some repeated backtracking. The surprising and clever conclusion of The Devil and the Dark Water is well worth the effort, however, and Turton proves once again that he is an author with talent to spare.
Thanks to the author, Sourcebooks and Edelweiss for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.
As a reader of naval historical fiction (e.g. David Donachie), I got very excited by the premise of best selling author Stuart Turton’s latest publication, “The Devil and the Dark Water”.
Set in the 1600’s in Batavia (present day Jakarta, Indonesia) we are taken on a voyage on the merchant ship ‘Saardam’ an Indiaman laden with spices, under the charter of the East India Company across the high seas. Together with some fantastic naval scenes, intrigue, suspense and a hint of the supernatural, the three weeks the story is set at sea was atmospheric, thrilling and at times scarily entertaining.
The author’s writing is so expressive and stirring from the very start there’s no escaping the reader being transported to the port at Batavia, where the sights, sounds and smells encourage you to feel you’re actually standing watching the opening chapters, with a leper appearing to pronounce the devil.
For an author to be able to engage the reader into the depths of the story to the degree I did, I felt this a genuine skill not many writers can accomplish. Intricately detailed in a casual and entertaining way, this ensured you knew exactly how the scene was playing out and many a time I could sense the salt air and the grimy smell of the unwashed sailors. Not a pleasant sensory but a very necessary one, considering most toilet routines were carried out at the end of the ship and sailors often washed their clothes in their own urine.
The characters were all superbly portrayed and in my mind I couldn’t decide if Samuel Pipps was a vision of Benedict Cumberbatch as a Sherlock Holmes persona or Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow – maybe both, so even better! I really enjoyed the relationship Sammy had with Arent, they worked so well together as a detective duo and a partnership that deserves being delved into further.
My favourite word in the story was ‘daemonologica’ ( a taxonomy of devils), a book I’d love to have though I very much doubt one exists!
There was without doubt some pulse pounding moments and the cold shiver of fear ran down my spine on more than one occasion. “The Devil and the Dark Water” reminded me why I love reading historical fiction and it’s a book I will return to again and again to read, it was that good. A complex plot filled with trepidation, excellently thought out and executed, which was fully explained and recounted towards the end. This enabled any questions you may have had to be completely answered and with an opening for a possible second in the series, I’m hoping there’ll be more from Sammy, Arent and company.
The author intimated that when you finish reading his story, you’d look up and be ever grateful you’re back at home, safe and sound and no longer at sea and never were there truer words. My sea legs were totally gone and I’m very happy now to be sitting in a chair, on land, writing this!
A five star read (which I would award more to if I could) that kept me enraptured and entertained from start to finish! Would I recommend? Aye,aye captain I would!
5 stars