3.5 rounded to 4. This is a good, fast, entertaining read and thriller fans will enjoy it. I wasn’t really invested in the characters except for the sister and I wish there were more of her and the end didn’t work all that well for me. That said, this is well written and engaging and a great summer read.

Holt Davidson essentially fled his hometown of Thompsonville, Colorado, as soon as he was old enough. After he receives news that his estranged mother has committed suicide, he decides it has to be done; he has to go back for the first time in over twenty-years.

The dread he is feeling about returning is substantial, but he's also hoping to maybe fill in some pieces of his murky childhood memories. He wants to finally be able to make peace with it all and put it behind him. Until this point, Holt has been haunted by his past, but it's actually unclear as to why.

Once he returns to Thompsonville, he even stays at his mother's home in his old bedroom. Alone in the house, he begins exploring, searching for clues from the past. Instead of your typical nostalgic childhood items, however, Holt discovers a gun, a mysterious love letter and a picture of a dead man lying in his own blood.

These aren't the type of things you can ignore, so Holt begins an investigation. He's determined to discover the secrets of his past, whether he's going to like it or not. He enlists the help of his mother's oldest, dearest friend and gains a lot of useful information from her, including insight into his sister who has been institutionalized since she was a teen. It's not long before Holt's own traumatic memories begin to resurface.

One of my favorite tropes in a Thriller is when a main character returns to their hometown after an extended absence, so in theory this was the perfect set-up for me. Luckily, the theory was proven correct in this case. I enjoyed this one a lot. Once I started I didn't want to put it down.

I found Bassoff's writing to be highly readable. It was fast-paced and smooth, with just the right amount of details. I love the POVs coming from both past and present to help to piece the truth together. I thought the reveals were well handled. Although predictable, it still managed to keep me fully captivated so it didn't really influence my opinion of the overall story.

I was really surprised by this one and definitely recommend it to fans of Crime Thrillers, especially if you enjoy the use of both past and present perspectives together.

Thank you to the publisher, Blackstone Publishing, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I'm looking forward to reading more from Bassoff!

4.5 *
A psychological thriller with family drama that is very disturbing encountering many trigger warnings. You've been warned. It will not leave your mind, but put you on edge for the ones that fight their demons daily. All of the characters are battling within some form or fashion. Reaching into these characters' minds is depressing and emotionally disturbing, but it is a fictional book that you cannot put down. When the author is that talented to wrap all of the shocking details into one book and consume me to finish, you know he has done his job well.

The story begins in 1984 with Vivian walking into a house and shooting a man several times. In 2018, she returned to that house to kill herself. Unraveling this grim story is her son Holt who receives word his mother has committed suicide. Looking for answers, he uncovers a gun, a Polaroid picture of a man who had been shot. As he begins to question his mom's secrets and lies, memories flood his mind at different intervals in the story. Holt's sister, has spent 30 years in an institution. His memories are sketchy and chilling with visuals of his sister being carried out of the house by men in white uniforms.

For those of you who can handle all of the dark, grim and domestic violence with episodes of flashbacks then it will not bother you. The extreme religious beliefs was hard to stomach and does not conform to my beliefs, but stepping over that and putting it behind the real elements of the story will get you through this incredible fiction.

Thank you NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my review.

2.5⭐️⭐️. Making this short and to the point. Didn’t really care for this one. The synopsis sounded good, the reviews are high and it really had potential but it fell short for me for many reasons.

1. I didn’t like any of the characters. Not even a little bit.
2. I predicted VERY EARLY on exactly what was going to happen and was correct, so there was zero excitement in the ending for me.
3. The religious parts just didn’t mesh with this book. I am Christian and it doesn’t bother me if religious subjects are in books but when it’s in the context that this book portrayed, it just made no sense. Vivian is supposed to be religious but yet she’s involved in everything that goes against the Bible. Such as murder, abortions, rape, and suicide just to name a few. And then the whole “baptizing themselves” it was just written really weird.
4. The ending did nothing for me except make me happy that I was finished with the book.

Sadly I would not recommend this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

To see other reviews I’ve left on previous books that I’ve read, check out my Goodreads and Instagram pages.
*Goodreads - Cherihy808
*Instagram - bookworm_traveler808

BENEATH CRUEL WATERS was a very detailed and dark read. It was thought provoking and twisty. The suspense throughout this book made it a fast read.

This is a family drama set over duel timelines of 1984 and 2018 in Colorado. Holt returns home after decades away for his estranged mother's funeral and begins unravelling some dark family secrets and long buried memories.

A very dark mystery with plenty of suspense but I found it very predictable. A short, extremely sad read, but still worth picking up.

3.5 stars

This book takes place across two time periods, 2018 and 1984-85. In 2018, Holt, a firefighter, has just learned that his estranged mother has committed suicide. When he goes back home for the funeral, he discovers some disturbing items hidden away under a floorboard in her house: a polaroid photo of a dead body, a gun, a love letter of unknown origin. Investigating these items leads him down a rabbit hole into a tangled web of dark secrets long buried.

The main character, Holt, is pretty bland in the beginning. He seems somehow both intimately involved in and not all that important to the real story, which is the mystery of why his mother killed herself, what the items under the floorboard mean, and what happened in the 1980s. He’s just the guy putting the pieces together and at first, his connection is just that the mystery involves his family and that’s what drives him to look into it, but as the mystery unravels, he finds that he’s the only person left who holds the final pieces, which are only vague memories from childhood. The story is really all about the other characters: his mother Vivian, his sister Ophelia, his uncle Bobby, and mother’s ex-boyfriend Ruben. And Holt plays a fairly minor role – or so it seems at first.

This is a mystery novel, though an atypical one, and the secrets unearthed over the course of it are disturbing. The pacing of the book is a little uneven – it’s slow to start but picks up considerably towards the end as secrets are revealed and Holt’s memories are uncovered.

Representation: Asian side characters

CW: suicide, verbal abuse, emotional abuse, physical abuse, child abuse and neglect, religion-based abuse, rape, incest, mention of abortion, PTSD, depression, psychosis, delusions, gaslighting, murder of a child, false imprisonment

Beneath Cruel Waters



Jon Bassoff



Thank you Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC



Beneath Cruel Waters follows Holt Davidson as he returns to his hometown to attend his mother’s funeral.  He finds him so going through things in his childhood home that brings up memories and questions.  



This is my first book by Jon Bassoff, and although it wasn’t what I had expected, I couldn’t put it down.

This book is heavy, tense and sad.   You get to venture into three pov’s, Holt, Vivian and Ophelia.  And it’s a great deal of darkness. The writing is beautifully disturbing.  There are many sensitive subjects in this book, but very well done.  I highly recommend this book, it will weigh on you, but it’s so worth it.  





⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Beneath Cruel Waters
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 6/21/22
Author: Jon Bassoff
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
Pages: 313
Goodreads Rating: 4.48

TW ⚠️: Mental Illness, religion, and suicide.

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for providing a digital copy of the book for me to read in exchange for my honest opinion.

Synopsis: Holt Davidson returns for his mothers funeral after she commits suicide. In his childhood home, instead of nostalgic souvenirs, he discovers a gun, a love letter, and a Polaroid photograph of a man lying in his own blood. Who is the dead man? Was his mother the one who killed him, and, if so, why? Who sent the love letter? As his own traumatic memories begin to resurface, Holt begins an investigation into his mother’s and sister’s pasts—as well as his own.

My Thoughts: This is categorized as a thriller but I feel it is more of a literary fiction. The story is narrated by the three MCs, Holt, Ophelia (sister), and Vivian (mother), by their own perspectives, respectively with dual timelines from 1984 and the present. This is a character driven book and a great character driven book. The characters were dark, complex, had depth, having to deal with their own personal demons, and just wow! The author’s writing style flowed so well, was complex, emotional, disturbing (in a good way, if there can be a good way), and while not twisty, there was definitely a suspense aspect to it. The writing was also so descriptive, that I felt as I was right there with Holt on this journey. While to story was very sad, I still enjoyed this book immensely. Please do yourself a favor and preorder this book today!!!!

Thoroughly enjoyed this! This was a mystery made for me - multiple timelines and a character returning to their small hometown to uncover secrets. I could not put this book down! I had to know what was going to happen and how it would affect our main character Holt. Heartbreaking, mysterious, and entertaining.

Here that?

That is me finally releasing the breath I didn't even realize I was holding.

Oh my, was this ever good and sad, so very sad.

Holt, a fireman, returns home to Colorado to attend the funeral of his mother who recently killed herself. It has been decades since he has last seen his mom or returned to his hometown. While roaming around his childhood home he makes a discovery that has him questioning everything he was meant to believe.

"A gun, a photograph, and a letter."

We go back to the 80's when Holt was a five year old happy-go-lucky kid living with his kind and loving mother, Vivian, and his exuberant 16 year old sister, Ophelia, whom he thinks is the most amazing person in the world.

He remembers when things got bad too. When Ophelia was ripped from their house kicking and screaming with the men in white. When his mother turned to the Bible with a fanatics ferocity in the wake of what happened. When his world turned from good to bad in what seemed a matter of minutes.

This is Holts story and it's about as heartbreaking as a story can get. There are no winners here. It's bleak from start to finish. My heart aches for these broken souls, these broken people who only wanted to do right but in the end got it all so wrong.

"The past tortures the present."

While this story is like a punch to the gut Basoff's writing is nothing short of exquisite. I am in awe of what he accomplished here. I wanted to reach into the pages to hug some, to shake others, and to kill a few. I have a feeling I'll be thinking about Holt for a long time to come. 5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for my complimentary copy.

This was such a tension filled story yet so melancholy at the same time.. I was totally mesmerised by the plot despite figuring some things out early on. (I think the reader is meant to figure these things out and it doesn't make the tale any less captivating.)

A mess of secrets, misguided love, loyalty, grief and ultimately consequences. I found myself unable to look away and almost holding my breath at times.

The final pages held a clever reveal and a heartbreaking revelation.

This will definitely be going on our library's buying list.

I received this arc from netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I thought this book was dark and at times gut wrenching in its depictions of a family fractured but that was the point, For me to feel and feel i did. The characters all had a depth and watching there innocence at times morph into something darker with the passage of time was sometimes hard to see but still well worth the read, its a wonderful book with fantastic writing. The truth is not all books will leave you with a warm and fuzzy feeling at the end. Some will leave you breathless a little sad and with a sense of no real finality. just like life itself witch i think again is deliberate by the author. I thought it was a fantastic book. I will warn there are some dark themes involving rape and things in the rape family so be advised before reading if those things trigger you but aside from that i loved the book. Will definitely be checking out more by this author.

EXCERPT: 'You can do better,' he said. 'But you knew that.'

'We all knew that!' Joyce said.

Mike glanced at his wife and then back at Vivian.

'Listen to me. He bothers you again, you let me know. And in the meantime, it's probably a good idea for you to make sure you can protect yourself.'

He reached into his pocket and took out a little .38 Special revolver and placed it on the counter.

Vivian shook her head. 'I don't need that Mike.'

'I'm sure you won't. But with a fellow like Ruben around, I just figured . . . well, only take it if you want to. Only if you feel comfortable.'

For a few moments, Vivian remained where she was. Mike and Joyce watched her, waiting. She squeezed her eyes shut and visualized Ruben and his dead fish eyes, and her skin began to itch and she wanted to scream.

She opened her eyes and took a deep breath. Then she took a few steps over to the counter. She grabbed the gun and held it in her hand.

It felt cold and heavy and terrible.

ABOUT 'BENEATH CRUEL WATERS': Holt Davidson, a Kansas firefighter, hasn’t been back to his hometown of Thompsonville, Colorado, for more than two decades, but when he learns that his estranged mother has taken her own life, he returns for the funeral, hoping to make peace with her memory. He spends the night at his childhood home, rummaging through each room, exploring the past. But instead of nostalgic souvenirs, he discovers a gun, a love letter, and a Polaroid photograph of a man lying in his own blood.

Who is the dead man? Was his mother the one who killed him, and, if so, why? Who sent the love letter? And what role did his sister, institutionalized since she was a teenager, play in this act of violence? As his own traumatic memories begin to resurface, Holt begins an investigation into his mother’s and sister’s pasts—as well as his own.

MY THOUGHTS: 'The past tortures the present.'

The timeline moves between the past, the 1970/80s and 2018, and Holt's, Vivian's and Ophelia's perspectives.

Beneath Cruel Waters is a dark and disturbing psychological family drama with layers of obfuscation, lies and secrets.

Vivian is a single mother, lonely, and becomes obsessed with religion. She has a brother, Bobby, who blows in and out of her life like the restless, rootless soul he is, but other than that, appears to have no other family. She believes that if you ignore something for long enough, it will go away.

Ophelia is the older of Vivian's two children. She is a teenager, full of hormones and angst and starved of love. She idolises her Uncle Bobby, fantasizing about going on the road with him, writing songs and making music.

Holt is her much younger brother. Ophelia both loves and resents him. As a child, he witnesses many things he doesn't understand. As an adult, he is haunted by snatches of memory, some conflicting. Although it's not his intention, when he returns home for his mother's funeral he finds himself trying to make sense of these memories.

Beneath Cruel Waters is written in a quiet, almost dispassionate manner. The pace is steady. There's no fireworks, no fanfare, no tricks - just good, plain storytelling. It's not a story that I could say I 'enjoyed' - it's far too melancholy for that; but it gripped and consumed and ate away at me until I read the last word and closed the cover, relieved that I hadn't been born into that family.

If you're looking for a thriller, Beneath Cruel Waters isn't it. The same applies if you're looking for a HAE. But if you're looking for characters that are going to crawl from the page into your head, you've found them. But a warning; these characters are like earworm. Once they're in your head, they're near impossible to get rid of. And other than the tragic Ophelia (how could she be anything but with her name?) you're not going to like them. You may feel sorry for them, for their circumstances, but you won't like them.

⭐⭐⭐.7

#BeneathCruelWaters #NetGalley

I: @jonbassoff @blackstonepublishing

T: @jonbassoff @BlackstonePub1

#contemporaryfiction #domesticdrama #mystery #psychologicaldrama

THE AUTHOR: For his day job, Bassoff teaches high school English where he is known by students and faculty alike as the deranged writer guy. He is a connoisseur of tequila, hot sauces, psychobilly music, and flea-bag motels.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Blackstone Publishing via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Beneath Cruel Waters by Jon Bassoff for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage.

Unquestionably a 5 star rating !

Holt returns to his hometown after the suicide of his estranged mother. Once in his childhood home, he find a polaroid of a dead man, a love letter and a small revolver. Because he wants to understand his mothers' final deed, he starts digging. Who is the dead man? Why did his mother keep a strange love letter? What about the revolver? His quest brings him to his mom best friend, but also to his sister who was institutionalized as a teen. He was barely five when this happened, but he still remembers his beautiful, vibrant sister very well.

Of course, nothing good can come out of his search for truth, which is very grim for sure. The more I advanced in the story, the more dread and gloomy scenarios played out in my mind, and with every step it turned out to be even bleaker than expected. Be aware, this is not a cheerful book, and if mental illness, child abuse or religious fanaticism triggers you, then stay well away.

This melancholy story is being told by three people: Vivian the mother, Holt the little brother and Ophelia, his big sister. These three characters are so well drawn, so real flesh and bones that they could be your own family, that's how well I feel to know them now. It also makes me feel that their story is a bit mine, that's how invested I was in this family chronicle.

I just need to add how I liked the writing. Fluent and rhythmic sentences; delightful imagery with a lot of music on the backdrop and realistic dialogues. Don't be put off by the dark themes, if anything this is your must read of 2022. Bravo !

A most sincere thanks to NetGalley, Blackstone publishing and Jon Bassoff for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

After his mother's suicide, Holt returns home for the funeral and makes a startling discovery. Beneath a loose floorboard in Vivian's room is a love note, a gun, and a photo of a murdered man. Haunted by his own past, Holt begins unearthing his dead, church-going mother's secrets and the events of 1984-1985 that ended in bloodshed and the lifelong institutionalizing of his sister.

Although the opening pages of Beneath Cruel Waters details Vivian murdering her ex-boyfriend, a violent ex-con named Reuben Ray, there's a surprising amount of mystery left to explore as the story unfolds between the past and present-day. Readers who make it through that first chapter and think they know it all will soon discovery they - and author Jon Bassoff - have really only scratched the surface. Even as further mysteries develop and additional complications wrinkle the story, some whose answers initially seem self-evident, Bassoff throws a few more curve balls to keep readers on their toes, right until the very end.

In some respects, this book reminds me a bit of a Penn & Teller magic show. We're shown the trick and given the big reveal right up front, and then we're taken behind the curtain for a thorough, laborious examination of all the various components and missing elements we weren't previously privy to that make the magic happen. Until, finally, all the cards on the table, and then the real magic happens.

I've been reading Jon Bassoff's books for a number of years now, and Beneath Cruel Waters is not only his greatest work to date, but also one of his absolute pitch-black darkest. In its excavations of a troubled family and the childhood memories, Bassoff explores the impermanence of memory, as well as the psychological impacts of grief and trauma, obsession, religious mania, and an absolutely insane level of gaslighting. Beneath Cruel Waters is a pitch-perfect, and thoroughly haunting, noir.

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Jon Bassoff, and Blackstone Publishing for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

Never one to shy away from adding new authors to my radar, I willingly agreed to try this book by Jon Bassoff. A psychological thriller like no other, Bassoff weaves a tale that is sure to capture the reader’s attention from the opening pages. Holt Davidson thought that he left his hometown in the rearview mirror, but receives a startling call one day. His mother has committed suicide, forcing Holt to make his way back to Colorado. What he finds is a collection of items that opens up a world of pain for Holt, as well as a pile of questions, some of which include his institutionalised sister. What follows is a secret that Holt may have wished he’d never tried to solve. Bassoff does well to keep the reader intrigued throughout, proving that he has something worth noticing.

While Holt Davidson has made a name for himself, he’s not returned to Thompsonville, Colorado, for years. All that changes when he learns that his mother committed suicide. Holt returns, in hopes of attending the funeral and making a quick exit back to Kansas, but that’s not in the cards. Instead, a night in his family home turns up some new mysteries.

Holt finds himself trying to make peace with his mother and the childhood he fled. When he finds a gun, a gory photograph, and a love letter from someone he does not know, the mystery only thickens. Holt will have to piece it all together, in hopes of learning what his mother did all those years ago.

If this were not enough, the mystery extends to Holt’s sister, who has been institutionalised for years. What role might she have played in the mystery and could sue hold additional clues as to what Holt has stumbled upon? Dark secrets re-emerge at the worst possible times, forcing Holt Davidson to face them before returning to his life in the Midwest. A great story that keeps the reader guessing until the final page turn.

While I love all things psych thriller, not all books are able to capture the essence of a chilling tale. Jon Bassoff does well to present his story in a straightforward fashion, while keeping the reader on their toes throughout the process. A strong underlying story is complemented by decent writing that adds the addictive factor many seek in books within the genre. While I was not as gobsmacked as many others who appear to have reviewed it, I can see strong writing abilities emerging throughout the reading journey.

Holt Davidson proves to be a worthwhile protagonist, holding his own as his life is turned upside down. He’s fairly level headed from start to finish, taking only a little time to appear shocked and in awe, particularly when things take turns he could not have predicted. Holt appears unsure how to handle much f what he learns, particularly when his memory of his childhood is fogged by a certain belief system. Bassoff does well to keep the reader wondering about this man and how his past collides with the present he thought he knew, keeping the narrative strong and the character development ever-present.

The sign of a great writer is one who can capture the reader’s attention from the early pages and hold it throughout. Bassoff does that here with a strong narrative style that does not stop, irrespective of what is going on around him. With strong characters and the ability to have them weather different timelines in the narrative, these individuals pop and come to life throughout the reading experience. Bassoff knows his craft and presents it well. Leaving me wondering things on numerous occasions. While I was not as stunned by what I read as many others, I appreciate the strength of the author’s ability and will look to see what else he has out there for me to try in the coming months.

Kudos, Mr. Bassoff, for a great piece that piqued my interest from the opening pages.

It was clear as moonlight that this one was going to be dark with a capital “ark,” and not because the epigraph references Noah. The folk lyric “No more water, but fire next time” lays a damp washcloth over the reader’s eyes and the bleakness lingers until the bitter end of “Beneath Cruel Waters.” Suffice to say, I loved every excruciating minute of it.

On the road trip home to bury his mom, Holt Davidson sleeps with a waitress — notable because it’s just about the last thing that goes right for him. Burdened by the grief of his mother’s suicide, Davidson reluctantly peels back the layers of distorted memory that separate him from an excruciating childhood. What he finds is a macabre implosion on Main Street, forgotten but not gone.

An omnipresent sense of foreboding stalks the reader as Holt pieces together the story of his broken family. One can feel the knot in Davidson’s stomach tighten as he gets closer to a truth from his past so appalling, it might break him in the here and now.

Holy crap, what did I just read! Man, oh man. So this one started out strong, then got a little slow but it most definitely picked up. The ending almost felt a little rushed but it was so good but so very sad. My heart broke for Ophelia and what her mother put her through and what she was forced to lie about. This book was hard to put down once it got started and I had to known what happened to Holt's sister, Ophelia. Definitely recommend.

Firefighter Holt Davidson returns to his hometown in Thompsonville, Colorado after over twenty years for his mother’s funeral after she commits suicide by hanging herself from a tree. While sorting through his mother’s belongings in his childhood home he finds an old Polaroid photo of a dead man, an old music box, a love letter and a gun hidden underneath the floorboards of his mother’s room. His mother Vivian was a devout church-going woman and a kindergarten teacher who raised both her children as a single mother after Holt’s father abandoned them before he was even born. His older sister Ophelia who he has not seen for over thirty years had been institutionalized on account of mental illness when Holt was a child, though Holt does have some fond memories of her. His mother’s suicide and the discovery of these hidden objects raise questions in Holt’s mind. Who is this dead man and why does his mother have a picture of him? Who wrote that letter to his mother? What prompted his devout mother to take her own life? What happened to his sister thirty years ago that led to her being committed? As the story progresses Holy leaves no stone unturned in finding answers in an attempt to unravel the mysteries surrounding his family. In the course of his search, he also must face his own suppressed memories, face his sister who now resides in a care home and wade through the sea of lies, deception and secrets that destroyed his family.

Beneath Cruel Waters by Jon Basoff is a dark, atmospheric and absorbing read. Though some content might be disturbing for some, the author does exercise considerable restraint in describing sensitive topics such as religion, suicide and mental illness. The well-paced and gripping narrative switches between 1984 and the present-day ( 2018) and takes us through Holt’s childhood and his mother’s life as a single parent and his present-day experiences in his hometown. The writing is crisp and concise without any unnecessary embellishment. Each of the characters in this story is immensely flawed, complex and battling their own demons and each of their trajectories are very well-structured. This is not a particularly ”twisty” thriller and even though it is not difficult to predict some of the secrets that are gradually unraveled, the author does manage to keep the element of surprise going till the end. I was hooked to the story from the very first page and finished the book in one sitting.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the digital review copy of this gripping read. All opinions expressed here are my own.