Getting ready to go to Bora Bora, so I was drawn to this book. Enjoyed it. First time reading anything by this author.

Not sure why but I couldn't get into this book, which seems a shame as I like mysteryish books. Will attempt rereading it again when published.

Something in the Water is the debut novel from Author Catherine Steadman. The story begins with main character Erin in a bit of a...predicament, from there she tells the story from the beginning. And what a story it is!
We follow couple Erin and Mark sometime before their wedding, going into their marriage with high hopes. Just before the wedding though, Mark gets some crushing news and their plans have to change. The wedding is still on, just not as extravagant as what had been planned. Erin still gets her first class flight to their honeymoon in Bora Bora though.
The author does a fantastic job at describing Bora Bora. The couple is having a great time up until returning from one of their diving trips only to find something mysterious in the water. Up until this point, the pace has been extremely slow in the novel. Not boring, but slow. This changes after their discovery.
The rest of the novel seems to be one bad decision after another. By the time we got there, the ending wasn't a surprise at all really. I really enjoyed the novel, but I feel like the plot would not have unfolded had Erin exercised any common sense and the ending really was anticlimactic.

This was an excellent book, a very gripping thriller. I look forward to reading more from this author!

I think of the first half of this book at 3 stars, and the last half as 4. I did round up, but I would give this a 3.5 star rating. It took me two weeks to read, which is about twice as long as I normally take on a book this length. I was never fully grabbed. I enjoyed the second half much more, where the pace was picked up. I was satisfied with the ending. I thought parts of the plot where predictable, but I mostly had the sense that I didn't know how the book was going to end - and I do love when that happens!! My absolute favorite thing about this book was the author's talented way of building up suspense. Possibly one of the most talented authors in this regard. They way she describes things - you FEEL it. Also, had no idea until after I finished the book that Catherine Steadman was Mabel in Downton Abbey! Overall happy, and I will recommend.

4.5/5.

<i>Thank you NetGalley, the author and the publisher for my free ARC in exchange for my honest review.</i>

<i>I wonder at what stage all of this started. If I could wind it back, how far back would I have to wind?</i>

This book blew my out of the water. <i>Haha, see what I did there?</i>

From the first chapter, we know something bad has happened. I was immediately drawn to Erin, our narrator and main character of the book. Erin is a documentary filmmaker who is engaged to Mark, who works in finance.

After the first chapter, we travel back in time and learn how Mark and Erin met and how they fell in love. We pick up a few weeks from the wedding, which is also when Erin is beginning her film on prisoners transitioning back into real world.

Erin and Mark then head to Bora Bora for their dream honeymoon, and while scuba diving, they discover something that serves as the catalyst for the rest of the book. From there, we follow Erin and Mark as they deal with the ramifications for what they found until we finally circle back to the events in the first chapter.

<i>I promise myself that once this is all over I'll be honest; I'll never lie again. I'll be the best wife in the world. I promise.</i>

And what a circle it is. I've read a number of thrillers in the last couple years, but this one is up there as one of the best ones. I loved it. The writing style is near perfection. Without being overly descriptive and wordy, the author clearly paints an image of everything we (the reader) sees. From what I see on Goodreads, this is the author's first book, which is quite surprising. It is so well done and I'm very much looking forward to reading what she writes next.

I'd highly recommend this--even better if you can read it by the ocean/pool/lake.

<i>But what could I have done? What can you do? You can't save everyone. Sometimes you just have to save yourself.</i>

Oh my! This plot pulls you in deep. Erin and Mark seem to be one with the 'beautiful people'. Then I've event and then the unbelievable starts to play out. I really like that most of the questions get answered. If you like the psychological thrillers this is for you.

Such a great character study, this novel. I loved how we went from Erin burying the body, then back-tracked to the beginning--it's been done many times, but in this case it was superbly executed.

Great character insights through Erin's eyes throughout, and although the plot line is a bit of stretch, I was happy to go along because of the great writing. A book that lives up to its description and comparison to Ruth Ware, etc.

I'll be putting this author on my favorite list.

Wow what can I say I loved it, loved how the first chapter just pulls you into the story and sets it up that you have to continue on with it to see how and why there is a body, how the main characters got to where they are , just wow , with that said thinks Netgalley for giving me a chance at reading and reviewing Something in the Water .

Wow! This was a great read!!! The opening chapter completely hooks you as our main character Erin is burying a body in the woods. We quickly go back in time to figure out how she got to this point, and one would never believe that Erin could find herself in this situation. It was such a great ride to see how one small, but big decision, snowballs into such a big event that we get to our opening scene of her burying a body. What a thrilling plot with all kinds of twists and turns as Erin and her husband Mark deal with a sudden ethically and legally challenging issue. Love the characters, the plot, and the ending. Such a great read; can't wait to read more from this author!

Although the ending was predictable and the storyline was far fetched, it was a fun ride. The fast pace and action packed novel makes for a entertaining and satisfying summer read.

'Something in the Water' is a fast-pacing, nail-biting mystery-thriller that grabbed me from the first page. The opening pages are fantastic--the main character, Erin is digging a grave, but whose grave is it? Flashback to several months previously, and Erin is happily engaged to man she adores, enjoying a successful career, and planning her wedding and honeymoon. So what went so horribly wrong?

Reading this book is like watching a car crash in slow motion. You know things are going to end very badly, but you are powerless to stop it. All you can do is hang on (and shout at the main characters for their self-destructive choices).

I recommend to anyone who likes a fast-paced, enjoyable thriller that will keep them guessing. This will be a great summer read!

This was such a great, entertaining read. I absolutely couldn’t put it down and when I had to, I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Mark and Erin were such a lovely couple who seemed to have everything - but who couldn’t seem to keep from wanting more. The situations that arose from that desire were terrifying and also delicious to watch -you know that guilty deliciousness that comes from watching someone else’s train wreck? And I loved every minute of it. Not sure what that says about me but it’s what I read this genre for in part. And this one served that up in spades, that whew! I’m so glad this isn’t happening to me feeling.

I don’t think I will ever look out at the ocean in quite the same way ever again and I may be taking Bora Bora off my bucket list. No, not really. Actually the descriptions of Bora Bora were gorgeous and I loved the locations in Switzerland and England as well. They definitely set the stage well for this dark and twisty tale.

I highly recommend this one to lovers of psychological suspense. This was a delicious one!

This book was very interesting. I was intrigued throughout the whole book just because I wanted to see what Erin would do next. It definitely caught my attention in the beginning and I was anxious to see how it would end.

Wow!!! Gone Girl and Girl On A Train have nothing on Something In The Water. This book begins with dirt flying. Erin is working on a documentary about prisoners that will be paroled soon and what they want to do after they leave the prison environment. Erin and Mark are engaged to be married. Shortly before the big event, Mark is let go from his job as a financial advisor. Understandably, some things about the wedding must be trimmed back. One thing they both agree on though is to keep their honeymoon in Bora Bora. Instead of the original 3 weeks, they will pare it down to 2 weeks. While enjoying Erin and Mark find something in the water that will change their lives forever. Something In The Water makes the couple question how well they know themselves, how well do they know each other and how well do they really know others. What choices would you make? Terrifying psychological thriller and a great read.

Something In The Water is difficult for me to review as there wasn't much original about it and it was one of those books where the outcome was a little too overtly foreshadowed throughout the beginning chapters. Those two issues, just compounded my frustration with the lead character, Erin, who made so many ill-conceived decisions throughout the novel that it was honestly just hard to swallow. Erin and her husband find "something in the water". Literally almost every decision she makes after that point is what ANY reader can see is the wrong one. In most thriller novels, there are one or two moments like that, which if few enough, the reader can forgive. In Something In The Water, it happened too frequently for me to forgive. It was enough to make me want to quit reading multiple times. Alas, I have a problem quitting any book I have invested time into, so I did finish it. The ending was ok.

Full disclosure, I had my hopes way up high for this novel when I added it to my TBR list over a year ago after reading that Reese Witherspoon's production company had bought the film rights for it. It sounded so good! Therefore, my disappointment was a bit greater than it would have been if this had just been a novel I picked up without any built up anticipation. I think most readers will enjoy this as a routine thriller to pass a few hours with this summer. I ultimately decided to give the book three stars rather than two because after it was over, I determined the book wasn't aiming to be high literature, just a soapy, fun summer-thriller. And based on that description, Something In The Water was enjoyable enough.

A newlywed couple decides to keep a suitcase of diamonds and cash they find while scuba diving off the coast of Bora Bora and the inevitable results ensue.

The lead character in this story was very annoying. She just couldn't leave well enough alone. A lot talking about trust but none given. The boyfriend was always saying everything is fine, but of course it wasn't. The story was too slow moving and too much detail and information about things that weren't important to story. The ending seemed to come out of nowhere.

This novel just grabbed me and I couldn't let go if I wanted to and when it was done I was left in this bewildered mess like what just happened? Definitely recommend this if you need some adventure in your life...but need it safely through books.

Erin and Mark are excited to go on their honeymoon to Bora Bora. It's an expensive trip that they can't afford, since Mark has recently lost his job. (It's hard to feel sorry for this couple as they talk about being nervous about losing their million dollar house and having to downsize their lavish wedding. They clearly don't live in the real world, so it's difficult to connect with them.) Without providing any spoilers, they find something while on vacation that could make a huge difference in their lives, but keeping it could clearly put them in danger.

Erin's poor decision-making skills lead to most of the tension in the novel, but also to a lot of frustration for the reader. It's hard to imagine anyone making the decisions she does, so it stretches credulity a bit. It's a bit cheesy, and definitely has some unbelievable moments, but overall it's a fun little page-turner.