I thought the concept behind Deadly Waters was fantastic and on concept alone, this book would have gotten 5 stars. I also applaud the author for her honest and open discussion and treatment of sexual assault and rape, harassment, and the overall treatment of girls and women in modern society. I think the author made many valid points that I wholeheartedly agreed with. However, my rating was brought down by two things that frustrated me. The first was the unnecessary level of detail, which slowed down the action and made me start skimming certain parts. I am all for being descriptive but I found it to be a little much at times. The second was the pervasive idea that all men are monsters. I understand that the author was writing from the perspectives of the characters but it felt like every male, except for one, was depicted as a terrible, sexist pig. I would have liked a little more variety and depth to the male characters because not all men in the fictional and real world are monsters.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for an advance copy of Deadly Waters, the first novel in a projected series about vigilantism, set in Gainesville, Florida.

When a body is found in alligator infested waters the students on campus are told to be careful. When a second body with links to the first is found Detective Corby is convinced there is more to the deaths than an accident. Meanwhile Rebecca Sorley and her room mates are trying to get through the exam period and protect Ellie, whose behaviour brings her under suspicion.

I have very mixed feelings about Deadly Waters. I really like Ms Hutchison’s writing, her ability to tell a compulsive story with twists and her easily digestible prose. This is no different with a straightforward narrative about the students’ doings and reactions interspersed with a first person narrative from the unnamed vigilante. As with all students there are lengthy discussions about guilt, friendship and what they should which become quite boring but Ellie’s actions and reactions liven things up considerably. The vigilante’s narrative is extremely chilling in its cold-bloodedness.

My reservations lie in the atmosphere of the novel. The victims are all sexual predators who have managed to get away with their crimes. There are many reasons for this, including law enforcement indifference, burden of proof, he said/she said, in fact anything covered by #MeToo. I would like to think that it is exaggerated but probably not. I’m not sure how to explain it but the condemnation of the majority of men and the precautions the women take to avoid attack give the novel an oppressive vibe, especially given that it’s set on a university campus where life is supposed to relatively carefree. I’m not young and I don’t live in a city so I can’t comment on the reality of it, only on my impression of the read.

I must admit that I did guess the identity of the vigilante as the novel progressed but I suspect that the reader is supposed to, in a compare and contrast way. The final chapter, however, is the best part of the novel, providing explanations and a wicked twist.

Deadly Waters is an interesting read as a one off but I don’t think I would want to read more of the same in a sequel.

I have reviewed a book by Dot Hutchison before so I was eager to jump into the first book of a reported new series. I was not disappointed.

Her writing is solid and her setting descriptions really make you feel the oppressive humidity of Florida. The only two draw backs I found in this novel were the large amount of characters you are hit with in the beginning. They are hard to keep track of at times and I hope they are fleshed out more in the future books. Also, the topic. Young male predators and the women they sexually assault. This is an important topic to be discussed but there were a few moments that it felt like the message overpowered the book and was a bit preachy.

That being said, let's get to the good stuff! Rebecca Sorley is a college student at the UF campus in Florida. One body pops up and then another. The connection between them? They have previously assaulted a female student. It seems that we have a vigilante on our hands. How many more bodies will there be? Is anyone safe?

I was able to guess who the killer was early on in the story and you would think that it would make it less enjoyable. That's not the case. The author intertwines the story of Rebecca with the killer and her room mates, most notably Ellie and Hafsah. Ellie, especially, has a history of violence against men and speaking her thoughts with no filter. She's immediately made the number one suspect in the reader's mind and in Rebecca's. Quiet and strong Hafsah shares the same thoughts. If you thought your best friend was a killer, would you be able to turn her in? Would you agree with her motives?

The story makes you think "well maybe I was wrong and the killer is X" and then there is a little swerve that makes you doubt yourself again.

Without giving too much away, the killer disposes of her victims with the help of a familiar Florida native. The gator. As the story goes on, I was made to question whether or not the killer was really evil. I mean, the guys she was killing were scum. Wasn't she doing the world a favor?

It also makes you take a good look about how secretive many women are about sexual assault and reporting it. If your offender was only going to get a slap on the wrist from the court system, wouldn't having someone erase him from the planet be a better option? If that happened, would you actually feel justice and closure?

This book is intense and gripping and the ending, though for some predictable, will leave you wondering...what is going to happen next? I've asked so many questions here and I must say, the book makes you question a lot of things as well.

I sincerely hope that I am offered the chance to request the next book in the series once it becomes available. I won't be satisfied until I read the whole story.

A million thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to review this book. Especially to NetGalley for introducing me to Dot Hutchison back when she wrote her debut novel. I'm forever grateful as she has a true talent and a joy to read.

I'll admit, I wasn't a fan of the authors novel, The Butterfly Garden. However, I am so glad I took another chance on her work because this book is DARKLY PHENOMENAL! I didn't expect to devour this one like I did. I was hooked on it from beginning to end! What a book! I highly recommend it to all thriller readers. You won't want to miss this one!

Rating: 4.5 stars

Full Review to come on release!

This is one of the most disturbing murder mystery I have ever read. It is about a college campus and the double standards for male and female relationships. Male predators meet their match with a lethal female vigilante. I think the ending was most shocking and left me wondering is this justice?

After reading her Collector series I will read anything Dot Hutchison puts on paper. It was a thrill ride from beginning to shocking end. I need more!

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy! This was obviously a very dark read. I was intrigued by the idea of potential rapists being killed by alligators. The main characters were likable enough and the content is important concerning sexual assault but too many elements of the book seemed like afterthoughts. It almost seemed as if every guy on campus was capable of sexual assault and there was only one redeemable male character throughout the whole book. I understand the current atmosphere with #MeToo but this seemed over the top. I enjoy this author and her previous books including “The Butterfly Garden”. Deadly Waters is the first book in a new series by the author but I did not like it as much as her previous series.

On the UF CPUs in Gainesville, Fl, men with reputations for raping women are disappearing in ... creative ways. Told from the first person of the killer along with a third person perspective in alternating chapters, this novel will keep you in the edge of your seat.

I really enjoyed this book. It pulled me in from the first page and I soon became caught up in the story. The main characters were fun and engaging, although some of the other girls in the 'suite' weren't very fleshed out, I felt. I loved the writing style, which was vivid and witty. I was transported from a chilly Scottish January to a muggy Florida summer!

The only negative was that it was fairly easy to guess what was happening. This didn't detract from my overall enjoyment, though.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this entertaining thriller.

3.5 Stars - Strangely endearing YA thriller.

The gator killings that were mysteriously wiping out college campus rapists, and the story of the strength of sisterhood.

I'm not sure how to sum it up. Reading through the majority of the book felt like being immersed in a vapid prattle of college age shenanigans and immature discourse. I even struggled with being bombarded with that many characters at the beginning and felt my eyes glaze over. But as I read on, there was an intelligent and heart-warming solidarity amongst characters, and a surprising ending. A sisterhood story that I think benefits younger readers, and that's why I will say this is an excellent read for young minds. There's a strong message in there. This felt like a teen dramedy more than a thriller, I believe this should be re-categorised as Young Adult fiction & Thriller.

As to whodunit - I have to say my initial guess was strangely right, but I was still kept guessing throughout.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for this free ARC.

Set in University of Florida at Gainesville, this book is about how the seemingly endemic sexual assault of female students is miss-handled or dismissed by the authorities causing someone to take justice into their own hands. Rebecca and her friends are at the heart of the story with the growing possibility that one of them Ellie, is responsible for the growing number of male bodies, all belonging to frat groups associated with hurting women, being killed by alligators.
Beautifully written and extremely readable, another winner by Dot Hutchison.

3.5 stars*** Deadly Waters is a suspense mystery-ish story about a vigilante who is getting revenge for all the women who have been getting attacked by the males at their university. Male students are going missing during alligator courting season. Overall a pretty good read but it felt like it droned at times. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

This is the first book I read from this author and I was happily surprised with the quality of his work. At the beginning I was not sure I’d like to read it because It talks about sexual assault of young women, but I m glad I decide to download the book. The story is very well written and the characters engaging, with a few moments I had to hold my breath.. I will definitely read other books from the author.

RR Rating: 3 kinda-extreme stars
Format: Ebook*, 302 pgs, pub. 5/19/20
RR Synopsis: Boy college co-eds attack girl college co-eds, and what goes around comes around.
RR POV: Hutchison sure knows her way around a compelling story and a well-crafted sentence, though the generalization that pretty much all guys assault women was a bit much for me.
Recommended Readers: Twenty-something women who want to indulge in a fictional revenge fantasy against years of #metoo treatment.
Also of Note: For those who like their thrillers on the darker side, check out the author’s Collector Series.
*I received an Advanced Reader Copy from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. #DeadlyWaters

5 stars

Sexual assault is endemic on the University of Florida campus in Gainesville in this novel. Someone has taken it upon themselves to deal some justice. While I don't necessarily agree with vigilante justice all the time, it seems there is place for it. The women in this story are completely unable to get anyone to listen to them, let alone to prosecute the offenders. Okay, enough soapbox.

This book is difficult to read because it deals with the sexual assault of young women. Having gone through the experience myself, I could really feel for the characters in the story.

While a mystery/police procedural (in some ways), I was fascinated with the subject matter. I must admit that I was rooting for the murderer (“insta- gator”), all the way. I am embarrassed to admit that and perhaps my reaction is heavily colored with my memories of my experiences.

This book illustrates clearly what the victims of sexual violence must face if they report it. The writing is most excellent as was the plotting. Despite the content of the story, I was both entranced and engaged with Rebecca, Ellie, Hasfeh and all the other women in the book. The men who committed the heinous acts were deplorable and I disliked them intensely. This is my first Dot Hutchison book and I will certainly go to Amazon to look at her other novels.

I want to thank NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for forwarding to me a copy of this very good book for me to read, enjoy and review.

What can i say that others haven't already said? I absolutely enjoyed this book, despite my reservations at first. That is mainly because i am not fond of stories based around collage students. I would say that 'Deadly Waters' must be one of my favourite reads over the past few months. I have never read any books by this author before and was so pleased to find that there are a few books by Dot Hutchison on Kindle Unlimited and have just downloaded 'The Butterfly Garden'. Recommended.

My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for my copy. This is my honest review, which i have voluntarily given.

This book. Wow. I have so many thoughts , so let me try to summarize. Several roommates at the University of Florida are united by something that is happening all over campus. Women are being raped, assaulted, drugged, and basically treated like crap by the majority of the male student body. In this moment of #metoo, I have to admit that I didn’t really think about college students, since I probably assumed (hopefully) that men/boys of this generation were a little more enlightened than those of my era. The fear of these women stands out on the page. Someone in their ranks is getting revenge though. She is feeding the worst offenders to the gators, which is actually a little tongue-in-cheek (lots of Gator/gator humor in this book) and the women on campus are celebrating. A very timely book and one I enjoyed a lot. Hutchinson has definitely given me some things to think about. Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy!

Talk about a suspense filled book! I absolutely Loved Deadly Waters! It was well written and sucked me in right from the start. I couldn’t put it down. Great read.

For those who read the Butterfly Garden you will know that this author does not disappoint and yet again we have another thrilling rollercoaster read, focusing on student life we get to see what happens when matters are taken into hand and vigilantes strike

Highly recommend

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for a free ARC of this book.

This is definitely one of those blow-you-away reads that I wish I could award 10 Stars instead of 5. What can I say ... this is an amazingly good book. So good, in fact, that I feel any review I offer, even an absolutely raving one, will not be able to do it justice.

For sure, I will be following this author around from now (online, lol!) and reading more of her books.

So, what got me so hooked? When I came across this book on NetGalley, the cover caught my attention, and then I read the book description ... oh boy. I was delighted when I received the ARC but thrilled as soon as I started reading. It is rare that a narrative will grab me like that on the first line and keep hold of me until and even after the very last word.

In many ways, the subject matter is not an easy one to read; however, the author flipped it on its head and interspersed some much-needed humour at the darkest moments ... I found myself rollercoasting from frowning deeply and trying not to leak tears to not just laughing out loud but actually guffawing. And much to my husband's dismay, even went so far as to read him some of the cornier jokes, which I felt were just perfect for that specific point in the story.

It's a sad testament to modern life that what happened to these young college students is all too common, as is the reaction (or lack of) to such awful events. When the police and authorities fail to protect them or take the perpetrators of sexual assault into hand, one student enacts her own vigilante justice. We don't find out the reveal of which one of a group of seven she is until the end of the book; however, I did have a vague idea before then but my hunch only added to the fun of the read, watching the subterfuge that abounded.

Normally, I'm not at all one for vigilante justice or revenge killings ... or revenge at all for that matter ... but, most surprisingly, I found myself rooting for all of the girls, even the one leading the drunken young men to hungry alligators. I absolutley did not want her to get caught or punished. Yep ... I'm still chewing over that one.

Not a single one of the characters was a cardboard cut out, not even the most minor of them. I connected with them all, and felt as though I was tagging along with the main character and her friends, rather than simply reading about them. The scene setting, plot, and pacing were spot on. The only negative is that the book had to end, lol. I call that a job way well done.

So, in case you haven't guessed yet, Deadly Waters gets a resounding 5 (wishing for 10) stars from me.

***

NOTE ON RATINGS: I consider a 3-star rating a positive review. Picky about which books I give 5 stars to, I reserve this highest rating for the stories I find stunning and which moved me.

5 STARS: IT WAS AMAZING! I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! — Highly Recommended.
4 STARS: I WOULD PULL AN ALL-NIGHTER — Go read this book.
3 STARS: IT WAS GOOD! — An okay read. Didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it.
2 STARS: I MAY HAVE LIKED A FEW THINGS —Lacking in some areas: writing, characterisation, and/or problematic plot lines.
1 STAR: NOT MY CUP OF TEA —Lots of issues with this book.