This is an interesting quick thriller with a very intriguing web of characters and experiences that weave so well together.
You meet Calvin and his wife Vicky. Calvin recently opened a local coffee and bakery but it’s not taking off like he hoped. After a lot of pushing he is convinced to use social media to gain interest and new business. What could it hurt … him becoming an instant local social media sensation overnight? Turns out a lot when you have a twisted secret from your past you want to keep quiet.
Alternatively you also learn of the local murder of a man that has the police , especially new Detective Imogen scrambling and locals on edge. How do these stories connect ? In a twisted web of lies and madness!!
The author did a good job with character development, but I will admit at times there were a lot of side characters popping in to keep up with. This was an easy read with some twists and ultimately all the pieces come together well in the end! I enjoyed this book and it kept me interested.

Thank you to the Author, Netgalley, and Thomas and Mercer for the ARC!

Any book that starts with a man buried in the sand up to his head and left to the tides is a book for me. After that gruesome start, we meet Calvin, a bakery owner whose new business isn’t doing as well as hoped. His wife, Vicky, convinces him to advertise on social media, and with a little help from some sassy elderly fans, he goes viral. Now he has the opposite problem – he’s too busy and his only worker is hurt during an attempted robbery of the bakery. Enter the woman who has started messaging Calvin, much to Vicky’s dismay. He’s a bit naïve about the timing and nature of her communications, so when they discover she’s the walk-in that he hires on the spot, Vicky is livid. But business is booming, and he doesn’t want to disappoint any customers, so he doesn’t fire her.

There aren’t any leads to body in the sand, except that he lives in the woods off the grid and is spotted occasionally by the locals in town. But the detective in charge of the case, Imogen Evans, soon realizes he’s living under a fake name, and no one can figure out his true identity. If you’re a fan of this author, you may recall her from one of his previous stories, which is a fun inside tidbit. But what’s not fun is when Imogen and Calvin cross paths due to terrible circumstances. What is going on in this previously quiet unassuming little town? Will the madness be stopped before anyone else gets hurt?

I enjoyed the sections from Imogen’s point of view, but not so much Calvin’s. The man is clueless, and you’d think he'd listen when every person in his life (which isn’t many at all) gives him the same advice regarding his obsessive fan-turned-coworker. It shouldn’t take a life-altering event to make him realize he’s made too many bad decisions from trusting the wrong people. But I’d rather a character be too much of a nice guy than an unrelatable jerk, so it didn’t bother me that much. It’s a fun story that you’ll find yourself breezing through, waiting to see how it all comes together. A sure new hit for this author!

This was a nice easy read, it was different from other Mark Edwards books that I have read, this one wasn't as scary it was more wanting to work out where the strands fitted together. Saying that I just devoured it in one sitting as it was easy to read. What I am really looking forward to as it has all the hallmarks of setting up a new series for the detective which will work quite well. I seem to be seeing a lot of police procedurals set in the Lake District right now - has something happened.

Everything got resolved in the end, yes so many coincidences but sometimes that is life.

I was given an advance copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the eARC.
This book was terrific, I enjoyed it so much. The protagonist, Calvin was likeable and the fact he embraced social media for his cafe, despite his misgivings, endeared him to me. Even though it ended up biting him in the rear!
Fast moving, well written with a terrific plot, I highly recommend this read. I will definitely jump on the bandwagon and start reading more of Mark Edwards' books.

Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer Publishing for access to this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I found this book to be amazing.

The story is deep and complex, yet easy to follow. The characters are relatable and interesting.

If you love numerous good twists, endless suspense and a whole pile of mystery, this book is highly recommended!

Now if you'll excuse me, I am craving some carrot cake.

Mark Edwards' books are pure escapism and undeniably readable. As far as I can make out, this is the second book in a series featuring DI Imogen Evans, following The Lucky Ones (which I haven't read). I was a bit confused by a reference to the Magpies' Lucy Newton, but maybe this relates to another book I haven't read. To be honest, though these are enjoyable stories to read they are not ones that tend to stick in my mind for very long.

Anyway, the story concerns coffee shop owner Calvin, his wife Vicky, the body of a man found on the beach, the disappearance of a woman, a social media witch hunt, a possible stalker, and a bit of Britpop. It's an engaging read with some effective misdirection. I didn't feel that DI Imogen - a bit of a celebrity due to her previous case - was overly prominent for a returning character, but it did make me want to go and read the first book in her series. In fact I've already downloaded it.

A good, undemanding read. Mark Edwards has written a lot of books now and I've had mixed feelings about some of them, but I do think he's improved as a writer and is definitely better than a lot of other popular writers in this crowded genre.

Calvin has opened a coffee and cake shop in a small town in the north of England. It isn't doing well, so Tara, a young woman who works there, suggests creating some buzz on social media. There has been a grisly murder in town, a friendly woman/stalker has been chatting with Calvin online much to the dismay of his wife Vicky, and Calvin has a secret from his past that clouds his life. When Vicky goes missing, some online trolls suggest that it's Calvin's fault, but the truth is, indeed, much darker, as the past comes back to haunt Calvin. A well-known detective, Imogen, is on the case; she learns that someone with a long standing grudge is now seeking the ultimate revenge. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

The Darkest Water by Mark Edwards is a chilling thriller from an author who has quickly and easily become an absolute favourite.

Calvin owns a bakery in the Lake District, a dream that has finally come to fruition. But business is slow, and with the help and encouragement of both his wife and his sole employee, he turns to social media in an effort to generate some new custom. Almost immediately, he receives a message from a woman named Mel who is flirtingly complimentary in a way that Calvin finds difficult to resist. Meanwhile, the murder of a local recluse has the police scrambling for answers.

These parallel storylines, in addition to the background of Calvin's sister Freya's death, will weave together a narrative so compelling that you will not be able to put it down. I cannot wait to see what twisted tale the clever mind of Mark Edwards will dream up next.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an ARC.

This book grips you from page one, from the dead body found on the beach to a seemingly normal couple trying to make his coffee shop work, the two stories run alongside each other, no one appears to know the identity of the man, Calvin's business takes off but then lots of strange things happen to him and his wife!
Who is behind it all, are the two stories connected, is Mel harmful or just enthusiastic in her pursuit of Calvin.
These are just a few questions running through my head throughout the story, I really did not see that ending at all.
Great book highly recommended

Mark Edwards has blessed us with yet another phenomenal, twisty thriller that had me reading like my life depended on it! He could write the phone book and I'd gladly stand in line on publication day to purchase a copy or two for myself. Edwards is the master of creepy weirdness, and this book did not disappoint. The reveal became somewhat predictable closer to the end, but there were still more surprises waiting to be had. It was a pleasure to see DI Imogen Evans again from his previous book, The Lucky Ones. All in all, it was another successful thriller read by this author. Edwards is one of my favorites and I've enjoyed every single one of his books. I highly recommend all of them!!

Thank you to the author, Thomas & Mercer, and NetGalley for granting me early digital access in exchange for my honest review!

"𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒏𝒅," 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅.

Calvin's dream was to become a baker, and his wife Vicky invested her savings into making his dream a reality. The problem lies in the location, a quaint English town that already has a bakery that the locals frequent. His legendary cakes and pastries are no good if no one is buying them. When his wife tells social media shy Calvin that one sure way to grow his business it to put it online, he initially balks, but then he reluctantly agrees. He finds that he likes the dopamine hit that comes with every like, share, and comment.

When he receives a cheery DM from a local fan, his spirits soar. Soon, he is engaging this person is conversation, and then she shows up at the bakery, his "biggest fan," and while in the middle of a rush, Calvin unknowingly hires her since his assistant was injured in a freak accident and needs the help. Vicky is not pleased, but Calvin reassures her that everything is fine.

Everything is NOT fine.

Meanwhile, a local man who is known as a recluse has been found on the beach, buried up to his neck in sand. Who would do such an awful thing, and why? Detective Imogen Evans is determined to find out.

This book had everything I loved in a thriller--an engaging storyline, the author's signature characters who are normal people experiencing scary things, a jaw dropping twist, and the potential of (please, please) a series based around the detective. Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer Publishing for the early copy. This book will publish April 16, 2024.

A really wonderful book by Mark Edwards ,kept me engrossed all the way to the end with a powerful story running right through .

Another brilliant book from Mark Edwards., this one kept me turning the pages and I couldn't put it down. Full of twists and turns and shocks. Fantastic, loved it!

I throughly enjoyed this book! It sucked me in right from the beginning and had me on the edge of my seat the entire book.
Well written and easy to read.
The plot was great! There was so much going on that I had no idea what was going to happen but it came together so well in the end and in a way I was not expecting. I have not heard of this author before but I will definitely be reading more of his book!

Most definitely a page turner!
Sped through it , because I HAD to know how it all held together.
I'd picked the who out quite early , but could not work out the why at all until very near the end.
Lots of twists along the way, that made this a very entertaining read.

Great book!! So many secrets!! Very chilling! This book had a bit of everything! It had suspense, Action packed, intrigue, mystery, murder, revenge, a great who done it, great plot twist, great police work, and some crazy twists and turns! The storyline was very interesting and kept me glued to my Kindle!! I definitely recommend reading this book as it was well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

RATING: 5 out of 5 stars. Best thriller I've read in awhile.

This book.... WOW. This made my thriller loving heart so happy. This book was made available to me through NetGalley to provide an early review before the pub date and I have no words about how much I loved it.

Just reading the prologue caught my attention and I was immediately pulled in. The connections you make with these characters, the mystery, the level of depth built into the way the chapters are written out and the chapter layout is so thoughtful of how the reader will be roped into reading this. I find with other thrillers, I can want to skip past the "fluff" but this had ZERO fluff.

I will definitely be reading more works from Mark Edwards.