"The Kelly family has always been trouble."
The Backwater follows Sabine Kelly who is living as a fugtive on the river after she got accused of a fire that killed nine people. Now Rachel who is a journalist ends up crossing paths with Sabine and now Sabine wants to tell her side of the story. The book had a slow start for me and the characteres were interesting. It was written well and I did enjoy the setting of the book, which was a small town. Overall, it was a decent read that I enjoyed and would recommend to any reader who likes crime reads. Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this read in exchange of my honest review of The Backwater by Vikki Wakefield.

ARC provided by Poisoned Pen Press

Vikki Wakefield’s The Backwater is an emotionally raw and deeply atmospheric thriller that explores the tension between memory, trauma, and the darkness that festers in small towns when no one is looking.

From the very start, this book had a grip on me. The setting—isolated, dusty, and steeped in secrets—feels like a character in its own right. Wakefield conjures a vivid and almost claustrophobic sense of place, where the past clings to everything like swamp air, and nothing ever truly stays buried.

The story unfolds with a deliberate, haunting pace that rewards patience. As the main character digs into the mysteries that shaped her life and the town around her, the tension builds in a way that feels almost unbearable at times. There’s a constant undercurrent of dread, made worse by the way truth and memory blur, and how danger often hides behind familiar faces.

What I especially appreciated was the emotional weight behind the mystery. This isn’t just a story about uncovering what happened—it’s about reckoning with grief, anger, and generational silence. The protagonist is fierce, vulnerable, and impossible not to root for, even when she makes decisions that lead her straight into danger.

Wakefield writes with a sharp, evocative style that pulls you under and refuses to let you surface until the final page. The twists are clever without being flashy, and the resolution left me unsettled in the best possible way.

The Backwater, by Vikki Wakefield, took me a little bit to get into but then it was a great thriller from there on out! Sabine has been in hiding ever since a fire broke out at the trailer park lived at and killed nine people, including her mom and sister. She is the presumed murderer, but she's finally ready for the truth to come out. She finds an unlikely ally in journalist Rachel Weidermann, and together the two are determined to make sure the truth gets out there. It looks like this is being republished under a new name and cover and I hope it gets some new attention! Reminds me a little of Where the Crawdad Sings. Solid 4 stars.

I struggled quite a bit with this book. The premise seemed solid enough going into it, and I enjoyed the setting of the river quite a bit, but aside for that, this story just didn't work for me. I couldn't for the life of me rationalize the main characters' actions. Why did Sabine decide to talk to Rachel at all? She kept saying that things couldn't continue the way they were, but it wasn't clear why she felt that way, or why after all of that time hiding she would suddenly go to a reporter and tell her everything. Why did Rachel decide to trust Sabine? From the beginning its clear that Rachel is not that kind of woman, and there wasn't any significant bonding between these two women to suggest that Rachel would go out of her way to help Sabine. And then at the end, the author tries to pull a "this is all exactly how the main character wanted everything to go down" bit that just feels lazy. There is no way that Sabine could have predicted half of the things that ended up happening, and it just felt like a cheap way for the author to try to tie everything together in the end. I did not particularly enjoy this book. 2/5

I want to thank Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with a free digital ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Wow. What a stunning novel. I absolutely LOVED it.
The Backwater was full of suspense, mystery, drama, secrets, and betrayal.
It was very well written. I was drawn in immediately and couldn't put it down.

Sabine and Rachel were great main characters. They were both charismatic, interesting, and strong.

Vikki Wakefield is a very talented author. Her writing is beautifully descriptive. This is the first book I've read from her, and it definitely won't be the last. I look forward to reading more of Vikki's novels.

Thanks to Netgalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and Vikki Wakefield for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a slow paced mystery that’s a solid read. I wasn’t shocked by the ending, but it was an enjoyable ride getting there. The writing is strong, and the setting really adds to the atmosphere. A good one if you’re in the mood for something more reflective than twisty.

Thank you NetGalley & Poisoned Pen Press for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

The Backwater by Vikki Wakefield

Intense, compelling, and immersive story that had me asking myself what I would have done if in the shoes of characters in this book.

What I liked:
* Sabine Kelly: admired her grit and determination, pragmatic, strong, loved her sister, mother an addict, difficult childhood, has trust issues, loves Ryan, deserves a break
* Ryan Franklin: works in the mines, protective, loving, kind, grew up with loving family, knew what he wanted when he met Sabine, honest, loyal, there for and loves Sabine
* Rachel Weidermann: divorced, mother of grown children, freelance journalist, wants to write a big story, known for her integrity, wants to interview Sabine and find out the truth
* Blue: Sabine’s dog, getting older, strong, protective, supportive, there for Sabine
* The plot, pacing, setting, and writing
* The way the truth about the Trailer Park Murders was shared and how compelling it was
* Learning more about Sabine’s backstory and realizing how strong she really was
* Thinking about morals, shades of gray, truth, vengeance, right and wrong…a lot to contemplate
* That Ray, Sabine’s grandfather, was there for her and supportive even though there were aspects of him that I didn’t like at all
* The ending and the way it left me hopeful

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* The murderer and accomplice

Did I like this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Yes

Thank you to NetGally and Sourcebooks-Poisoned Pen for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

This was an interesting read with a strong sense of place and atmosphere. The writing is poetic and thoughtful, but I found the story a bit slow at times and struggled to fully connect with the characters.

It’s definitely a different kind of novel — more mood and reflection than fast-paced plot. If you enjoy literary fiction with a quiet, introspective vibe, it could be for you.

Thank you Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for a copy of the e-Arc in exchange for an honest review.
This book certainly didn't grip me as a thriller. See normally in a thriller there is that one person you hate the entire book who ends up not being the one who did the crime. The problem with this was I fell in love with all the characters so at the end of the book I was crying, not mad, not throwing the book across the room because the person I didn't want it to be done it. This book gripped me and I loved it.

Vikki Wakefield’s The Backwater is a taut, atmospheric thriller that explores the murky line between justice and vengeance. At the heart of the novel is Sabine Kelly, a woman forced into hiding after being accused of a horrific crime—the death of nine of her neighbors. Condemned as guilty by a town eager to vilify her due to her troubled past, Sabine’s story becomes a powerful exploration of prejudice, systemic failure, and the struggle to bring the truth to light.

Wakefield masterfully balances suspense with social commentary, painting a stark portrait of a community quick to condemn and slow to question. Sabine, hardened by a life on the fringes, is a compelling protagonist—deeply flawed, fierce, and unforgettable.

The novel confronts uncomfortable truths about privilege, corruption, and the illusion of justice for those with neither power nor protection.

With its rich emotional depth and razor-sharp insight, The Backwater is more than a mystery—it’s a searing examination of what it means to survive when the world refuses to see your humanity. A haunting, thought-provoking read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Vikki Wakefield, and Poisoned Pen Press for the eARC. The Backwater is a slow burn that completely hooked me from the start. It’s a gripping, emotional story with layers that unfold in such a compelling way—hard to put down!

This book was originally published as [book:To the River|200825406] and is being republished under this title. It's a standalone book and the second I have read by this author.
Sabine Kelly is almost thirty and has been running from the law since she was seventeen. Accused of murdering her mother, sister, a police officer and several other families in a fire she is believed to have deliberately lit.
Rachel is a journalist, fresh off the back of a bitter divorce and needing to get back to work to generate some income. She is living in a large house overlooking the Murray River with a cranky neighbour who is driving her insane, but who is Sabine's grandfather, Pop Kelly.
With Pop's help, Sabine lives in an old houseboat on the river with her loyal dog, Blue, constantly moving and keeping a low profile. After a chance encounter with Rachel, Sabine decides she has been running long enough and it's time to change things up.
A thrilling book with a few twists and tense moments. Happy to recommend this.
Thank you Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read this digital ARC.

Thank you poisoned pen press! This was a great read, Vikki Wakefield wrote compelling plot that deftly and complexly examines the fall out of a crime and criminal justice systems, social class and power, with a moody, atmospheric style that drew me in. An impressive and unexpectedly well crafted read!

Slow burn, gripping novel that explores class and justice. Heart breaking, and really tugs on your heart strings throughout. A must read.

This was such an intense and gripping read, the dynamic and differences between Sabine and Rachel was very compelling overall.

A slow-burning thriller with strong atmosphere but uneven pacing. I liked the writing style, but it didn’t fully grip me. Solid, but not unforgettable. 3 stars.

4.5 stars. Fantastic thriller. Sabine is a complex character, and Rachel is very interesting. The supporting characters flesh out the river town and make it seem like if you dropped by, you might meet some of them. The river is almost its own character - it definitely exerts its push and pull on the characters. The twists keep coming until the very last pages.

"The Kelly family has always been trouble

When a fire in a remote trailer park community kills nine people, including 17-year-old Sabine Kelly's mother and sister, Sabine confesses to the murders. Shortly after, she escapes custody, flees her broken hometown, and disappears into the thick forest and winding backwaters of her childhood refuge, the river.

Recently let go from marriage, motherhood and her career, journalist Rachel Weidermann has long suspected Sabine made her way back to the river—and now, twelve years after the "Trailer Park Murders," she has the time and the tenacity to corner a fugitive and land the story of the year, hoping the success would allow her to stitch back together the ragged edges of her life. But Rachel's ambition lights the fuse leading to a brutal chain of events, and the web Sabine weaves will force Rachel to question everything she believes."

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

This is the story of Sabine Kelley and a community that says she started a fire that killed 9 people. Little do they know she was supposed to be killed in the fire. She escaped into the forest with the help of her grandfather. Now 12 years later she wants to set the record straight with a journalist, Rachel. But the town isn't ready to forgive and forget and the arsonist family wants the story to remain hidden. Very convincing read.

Some Things Are Just Universal. In all honesty, reading this book as a former trailer park kid in the southeastern US (I grew up in exurban Atlanta, on the border between Atlanta and Appalachia), I couldn't ever really tell that it was set in Australia other than occasionally weird terms like paracetamol for Tylenol, and I'm now assuming that what this text calls a "tilly" is what we would call in the Southern US a "john boat".

But seriously, with this tale of a now young woman still on the run and the life that she has created hiding out along the backwaters after being accused of a devastating crime and the local corrupt cops seeking her... yeah, this is one that reads pretty damn universally, at least to those of certain backgrounds.

Wakefield does an excellent job with both characterization and pacing here, constantly dangling the secrets to get the reader to stay invested until finally the explosive playoff that by that point reads like some of Christopher Swann's finest works - which is high praise indeed, given that his books are quite awesome. (Also that he, too, lives in the Atlanta area and several of his books are set there among Atlanta's poorer underbelly as well.)

For those looking for a fairly action packed, cat and mouse kind of game that very much bleeds into the psychological, this really is quite a remarkable book. For those looking to be exposed to a side of life that they are fortunate enough to have never been anywhere near, again, this is a very well done tale showing some of the worse realities of life near the very bottom of the socioeconomic scale - particularly when you refuse government "assistance". And for those who have lived that life and too close to it for comfort... this is one of those rare indeed tales where *our* voices get to be heard in particularly strong and emotional ways.

Truly a complex tale that works at every level.

Very much recommended.

Rachel is almost less interested in the truth than she is in herself in this atmospheric mystery. Sabine has been hiding from others and really from herself since the fire in her trailer park killed nine people. She's made a sort of life but it's a dark one. Rachel believes that her journalism career can be revived if she can get Sabine's story. She's not a very likable person but she is persistent. It's Sabine you'll feel for. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.