I didn't take well to this book as much as I wanted to.

I found it lagging and it was really difficult to get through.

Thank you Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the advance ebook.

This book is about secrets, lies and questionable choices. It features documentary-maker, Erin, and her London banker husband Mark, and a discovery made on their honeymoon in Bora Bora that changes their lives forever. It grabs you from the beginning, has some very unexpected twists and, in a way, it's sort of like watching a train wreck -- you can't turn away. from the story. The ending is fast-paced, and the premise of this book is quite original, making it a worthwhile read.

Well...that was a wild freaking ride! One of the best first chapters I've ever read--seriously, I would've punched someone if they had tried to take this book away from me after I finished that opening! So good!!

I had no clue how the book would get from point a to point b, and it was intense, to say the least. Perhaps not completely believable, but wholly entertaining! The setup had me hooked, two normal people go on their honeymoon and discover...something in the water...and human nature takes over. All of that felt believable to me (their decision, the greed, the relationship dynamics), but as the story progressed it spiraled a bit. I was still glued to the pages, but it started to feel less like a psychological thriller (which I prefer to remain in the realm of realism) and more like a wild adventure novel. Not a complaint, but more of an observation. I went with it and enjoyed every second.

A perfect summer escape in my opinion!

**I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**

My attention was cut with the opening sentence.

"Have you ever wondered how long it takes to dig a grave? Wonder no longer. It takes an age. However long you think it takes, double that"

The suspense was build; however, there was no pay off. The twist was very much predictable , therefore, disappointing.

This book is nonstop action from the moment it begins. The hits come fast and the pace doesn’t let up until the very last page when you’re wrapping up the book and putting the pieces together.

It’s hard to know how to describe this book without giving spoilers, but I’ll try: Mark and Erin are newlyweds who head out on their honeymoon to romantic and exotic Bora Bora when they discover something. And that something will start a chain of events that changes the course of their lives. And two ordinary young people find themselves possibly in over their heads.

Like I said, it’s hard not to spoil things, but suffice it to say that this is the type of book where every decision and every choice leads to the conclusion, which then you look back on and say “Ahhh...” It all fits together pretty well and is satisfying. Although I wish there would have been a little more explanation as to the “why.” We get only a bare bones explanation and it’s a little jarring.

This book is also perfect for the type of person who like to wonder what they would have done in the characters’ place. I know I was questioning myself at every point. I think I could have avoided everything, but I am a scaredy cat who can walk away from things and not really wonder about them if I’m getting a bad feeling. Let’s just say Mark and Erin are not those people.

This book is perfect for action lovers and people who enjoy a good who-dunnit.

This book was the reason I started awake for 2 days straight. Gripping excitement from the very first page!!!

I just could not get into this book :( - the premise of this book sounded great, but it was lacking in something - in my opinion. I might give it another try at some point.

This should have been a better book. It had a great hook, but it did not deliver on the promise of those opening pages. The plot is ok, but the motivations of both husband and wife are not fully explored. I was mystified by some of their actions. I would read something else from this author as I think she has a clever imagination.

Erin and Mark are newlyweds, they've started off their marriage in style on their dream honeymoon in Bora Bora. While out on an excursion all alone, they find something in the water, their curiosity gets the best of them and suddenly they're thrown into a potentially dangerous situation.

I thought this book was alright. I'm not upset that I read it, but I kind of don't understand the point. This couple's main issue was their greed, but Erin's choices went beyond greed into the bizarre. To me, it made her seem irrational, when the whole first part of the book proved that she was pretty level headed.

The unrealistic qualities of this book didn't sit well with me, I didn't enjoy the relationships, it felt contrived. I wish it had felt more real to me, because I think I would have enjoyed it much more if it had.

"Have you ever wondered how long it takes to dig a grave? Wonder no longer. It takes an age. However long you think it takes, double that."

Let me start by giving credit where it’s due—Catherine Steadman nails the first chapter . . . hands down. Very few openers have acquired my attention as adeptly as those four simple sentences.

How could any suspense reader not be enthralled with a woman who turns to Google to learn the proper depth to bury a body or look away as she carries on, one painstaking shovel-full at a time? Erin proves with her narrative, ridding yourself of a pesky body, in dirt, might not be as easy as the movies portray. *wink*

“I’m not a bad person. Or maybe I am. You decide.”

I think we can all agree—there’s not much subjectivity allowed here, is there?—anyone who finds themselves in a situation that requires the disposal of a body, pretty much guarantees they’re not a good person. What kind of reader would that make me though, if I didn’t give Erin the chance to explain herself?

From Erin’s declaration on her moral character, Catherine Steadman flips the calendar back three months—setting to work the events that land her leading lady in the woods committing a major felony.

Let me dip my toe in the plot here for a bit. Erin is a budding documentary filmmaker, while her soon to be husband, an investment banker, has recently found himself without a job. Less money means less of a fuss over their nuptials and a mere two weeks in Bora Bora, instead of the planned three. It’s in the turquoise waters off the island, in the midst of what anyone would consider a dream honeymoon, that the couple happens across something in the water. A few unfathomable items, just floating along, minding their own business, tucked securely away in a locked black bag. I think we’d all be kidding ourselves if we said we’d just leave it alone. What's that saying—curiousity killed the cat? The circumstances pose a bit of a moral dilemma, as they should; do Erin and Mark alert someone to what they found or shove the guilt down somewhere deep and live a more “prosperous” life, instead? Any guesses at the decision the couple makes?

Things start to get a bit dicey when Erin and Mark find themselves back home in London, pretending to carry on as if nothing has changed. We all know, that scenario never holds up. What ensues is a non-stop decline in believability, a flagrant lack of storyline development and one absurd decision followed by another. From curiosity in the beginning, to waning feelings in the middle, to disdain for the crippling ridiculousness of the back half, this is one I’m labeling as a major upset. What kills me, this could should have been so much more.

The entire story is told from Erin’s perspective and it’s my belief, the author’s writing style will be hit-or-miss with readers. Catherine Steadman’s words are extremely choppy, but in some ways, I felt her voice fed into the suspense of the novel and lessened the impact of the drivel. If you think about it, our own thoughts are far from linear and polished—there’s a rawness, a flitting from one thought to another . . . constantly. Well, that’s the best justification I can come up with for the messiness presented on the page.

Was the story written this way intentionally? I’m not quite sure. What I am sure of, this story would have benefited from more editing. Quite a few times, Catherine Steadman wrote herself into a corner and continued to turn in circles, spewing bits of useless information, while trying to get back on track. Again, that’s just my take on the steady diet of nonsense the author chose to spoon-feed the reader.

I'm going to end things on this note: when writing a story, or heck, even in real life, simply thinking about something, doesn’t necessarily breath it in to fruition—regardless of how many times this plot tries to persuade you otherwise. If that was the case, the ending of this book would have been something else entirely.

Erin and Mark are about to get married. Before their wedding day, they have a few things to deal with. Erin has to prepare everything for the documentary she is working on, about how inmates re-enter the real world. And Mark, loses his job as an investment banker, which was their main source of income. This forces them to change some plans of their wedding and honeymoon, but also make the break that much more needed.

While honeymooning in Bora Bora, they go on a scuba diving excursion where they find a bag floating in the water. What's inside will lead them on a journey where they will find out more about each other than they ever expected.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Someting In The Water, gives you the ending of the book first, then goes back three months for us to see what could have possibly happened. The book starts with Erin digging a grave to bury Mark in. If they are newlyweds, what could he have done in such a short time that she is now burying his body in the middle of nowhere.

This book started out really well and it was hard to put down at first. But, as the story went along, the details just became more and more implausible. To me, Erin was an idiot and the fact that she couldn't see what was happening right under her nose, and some of her actions were just ridiculous. The things that occurred in this book did not seem possible for an investment banker and a film maker to pull off (Eg. cutting the lining of their luggage to hide money). It's said this book is supposed to be a psychological thriller, but to me it was just psychotic.

This is debut novel from this author, so I'm willing to give her another chance, if she rights another book. This one reminded me of the movie Into the Blue with Paul Walker and Jessica Alba.

Mark and Erin went on what was to be a dream honeymoon to Bora Bora. It was to be the beginning of their perfect life together, their perfect marriage. But then they find something in the water and everything changes.

This book opens with Erin digging a hole to bury a body in, the body of her husband. That caught my attention. I wanted to know why she was burying his body out where no one would find it soon. I wanted to know why he died. Did she kill him?

Then the story goes back in time to not too long before their wedding. They have money and have no fears for the future. Then Mark loses his job. Erin still works (she is making a documentary), but what she brings home isn’t enough to support them in the way this rich, spoiled couple are used to living. At least they have their savings.

When they find the bag full of money and diamonds, it should be the answer to their dreams. Who wouldn’t want to find such a bag? That would be nice unless it was attached to criminals that will kill to get it back.

Reading what Erin and Mark went through over this bag was like reading about someone’s slow descent into the criminal world. The law is never meant to be broken, just tweaked a bit to make things work out.

I’m a sucker for psychological thrillers, and this one was no exception. Filled with murder, deception, distrust, and Russian spies, Something in the Water was hard to put down once I started reading it. Why let things like housework get in the way of reading a book that your mind won’t let go of?

I was sent a copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Steadman's book is somewhat reminiscent of Gone Girl. While the characters are not openly abusive to one another, the married couple does not know one another at all. Each of them have the capability to totally surprise the other, with unexpected results.

Erin and Mark go diving on their honeymoon in Bora Bora and discover 'something in the water,' a black bag loaded with a cell phone, a gun, cash and diamonds. Then the wreck of an airplane. Because it's obvious that the contents are on the wrong side of the law, Erin and Mark decide to smuggle them out and keep the ill gotten goods. But, Erin turned the phone on and it appears they are being stalked by the unknown but frightening owners of the bag. Each of them devises different strategies to ensure that they can keep the loot. Suspense and murder follow. Recommended for those who enjoy thrillers..

ReviewIf you could make one simple choice that would change your life forever, would you?

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in an exchange for an honest review. Honestly I really enjoyed the first part of the book and had high hopes for the rest of the book. In the opening we meet Erin who goes on to tell us she is not a bad person. The question for me is, does this mean you are a good person? She then proceeds to fill us in on how she got to this point of the story. We go back to meet her fiance and take the journey with them through planning the wedding, the wedding and their honeymoon. They appear to be a young adventurous couple in love, until the moment where things start to go wrong. They make a decision which ultimately spirals down reckless and amateurish decisions. This is where I decide that no, Erin you are not a good person. Don't blame her though, she is only working with what the Author gives her which becomes incohesive and distracting to the reader. There are too many plots that seem unnecessary to the story and the story begins to seem rushed. I started to give a higher rating but honestly I felt that the story did not live up to the hype. We have all made decisions that have changed our lives and maybe I don't see what other's see in this story but that is how I felt.

You take a good first sentence, a decent plot line, then just cover it in crap. What the hell happened to this story? The unreliable, implausible narrator? This had the makings of a great suspense novel. And then the author just threw some ideas up in the air, and the crappy ones stuck, so she went with it. Uh, have you ever heard of doing some research? When an iPhone is turned off, you can't see any missed calls! And isn't the hubby as the bad guy been done like, I don't know, a million times??!

For me, the lack of information regarding other “things” they find in the water is frustrating to no end. I know it doesn’t necessarily contribute to the overall message of the story. But if you need closure, don’t read this.

Nobody would have reacted how she did.... "Oh, my husband was greedy, wanted to take my money, fool me, then leave me. Oh, he's dead? Let me just call one of my criminal buddies and take care of this real quick. Oh well, onto something new."

Just give me one, small friggin' break.

I enjoyed this fast-paced, creepy psychological thriller. The author did a good job developing characters and then messing with your mind on if they were really good or evil.

I really enjoyed this book! So many twists and turns! I will definitely recommend this book. I rate it a 4.2.

There were definitely some twists and turns, but documentary filmmaker Erin just didn't play out very well as a character.

A good fun beach read that really makes you yearn for a vacation, but also second guessing it. Emotionally invested characters, but a tad predictable at times.

This book is amazing! Erin, the female lead, slows emerges as a force to be reckoned with - nobody puts Erin in the corner! The author's descriptive writing made me yearn to be on a Bora Bora beach with a fruity cocktail. The banking industry jargon/regulations made my eyes glaze over but it really didn't detract from the story.
As a female I will admit I giggled joyously at the conclusion of the novel. Men may not appreciate the justice/comeuppance the 'villain' receives though.
This is a fantastic tale of female empowerment, strength, and learning to be the captain of your own destiny.