Wow! Nothing about this story is what it seems. Oozing suspense, this one will have you holding your breath through an insane amount of twists and turns. The setting was so well done I actually had to google it to see this place in real life! The plot was freaking amazing! I was so sad when I finished this book I was so invested and absolutly loved it. Fast paced and a thrill ride from cover to cover
I can not reccomend this enough.

The Water Lies by Amy Meyerson is a tense, twin‑perspective domestic thriller that grips you from the first page and doesn't let go. Think submerged secrets, unreliable perceptions, and motherhood pushed to the edge.

This has to be one of my favorite books so far this year. I have no doubt that this is going to be a best seller. The mystery vibes it gives makes you want to just keep reading. I did not want to put this book down at all. It has everything a great story needs! The character development was top notch. I didn't even suspect the ending at all! This will be one that I buy a physical copy to add to my shelf of favorites! Praise for Amy Meyerson!
Thank you to Netgalley, Amy Meyerson and publishers for letting me have access to this arc!

Barb is looking for answers about the death of her daughter and Tessa is looking for answers about her son and how he recognizes a lady at the coffee shop he’s never met. Barb goes to LA to try and uncover the truth about her daughter’s untimely death but when she crosses paths with Tessa things get a lot more complicated. This book took me on a wild journey of twists and turns. I loved the characters and mystery behind the whole plot. I like how clues were slowly dispersed throughout the book and was shocked by the reveals. I highly recommend this book to lovers of psychological thrillers.

This reviewer absolutely loved the premise of The Water Lies and was hooked by page one. The story and setting are unique, offering glimpses into an elite neighborhood on the California canals. The protagonist, Tessa, is nine months pregnant and a full-time mom to an active toddler. Her scientist husband seems devoted to his family. As Tessa's due date nears, and a body is discovered in the canal behind her home, her life upends. Then the mother of the dead woman arrives to find answers.

Author Amy Meyerson expertly weaves each plotline and character together over the course of the novel, where no obvious early connections existed. The book is well-written, the pacing is good, and the characters relatable. The story offers unexpected twists and turns to keep the reader engaged until the final pages. Recommended.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for providing an advance copy of the book to read and review. This review will post to Bayside Book Reviews.com at https://baysidebookreviews.com and its Instagram page on release day. Follow us! *NetGalley Top Reviewer*

I had absolutely no idea where this story was going to end up from the moment baby Jasper yelled “Gigi!” - I was hooked and it never slowed down along the way. The Venice, California canals setting was so vividly drawn and while reading I truly felt like I was inside one of the exhibitionist-style homes along one of the canals. A great thriller!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5 stars)
The Water Lies is a suspenseful and emotionally charged novel that pulls you in from the first page. With haunting secrets and a slow-burning mystery, the story weaves together betrayal, family drama, and the search for truth. The characters are layered and flawed, making their journey feel raw and real. While some parts unfold a bit slowly, the payoff is worth it. A great read for fans of atmospheric thrillers and psychological twists.

The Water Lies —Amy Meyerson (ARC provided by @netgalley!)

I hadn't known quite to expect going into this one, and I was very pleasantly surprised by it (though those who have experienced fertility and medical abuse and trauma would doubtlessly appreciate a heads-up on the content). I'd classify it more as a suspense novel than a thriller, but it's well-plotted and paced.

I always prefer when a story's willing to show its hand over prioritizing shock value or unpredictability over plot cohesion, and that's the case here; this plot isn't trying to be jaw-dropping with what you can't expect, but what you realize you can. Misdirects come down to significance, not withheld or irrelevant details.

There are a few moments of frustrating non-communication between characters (one notable instance is when one of the narrators is disturbed by a revelation that she doesn't share, despite there being no reason for her to lie or withhold it), but the plot never hinges on miscommunication—there's nothing that would have saved everyone a lot of trouble if it'd only been discussed.

It does discuss sensitive subject matter—while this might be something some readers are conflicted about, I really appreciated that it had something to say, as well as highlighted the capacity for exploitation and abuse of vulnerable individuals within the fertility industry.

While some verbiage is used that's insensitive at best (in regards to parentage and genetics), this occurs during shock and personal (as well as physical) trauma and the revelation of an extreme violation of consent, and acknowledged to be a flawed premise. so I don't mention it to say it shouldn't have been portrayed, but just as a heads-up to readers. As someone who is not a mother and has no desire to be, I'm not a sensitivity reader candidate for this book, so I'm very interested to see what others have to say about it!

With the caveat of checking content warnings to take care of yourself, I highly recommend it to anyone seeking a suspense novel with depth, women coming together in the face of unconscionable loss, a nuanced look at imperfect and flawed humans who are victimized as well as the people who love them.

This was my first book by this author, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. I found it to be well-written overall, though I did struggle to connect to the story, and I felt large portions of the story were more slowly paced than I generally prefer in a thriller. I did enjoy the pacing as we began to reach the climax of the story, which helped keep me engaged. It might not have been the perfect fit for me as a reader, but I’m sure others will appreciate it to its fullness.

Thanks to NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of this book was so intriguing! Tess’s son recognizes a stranger in a coffee shop and calls out to her but Tessa has no idea who this woman is. The next day she is found dead in the canals next to their home. How did they know each other?

This book started out a tad slow for me as I had no idea yet what was going on and how it would all make sense in the end. Once things started to be revealed, it picked up.

I love that the book started fast because a mystery novel dragged on is actually a nightmare. The synopsis was intriguing and it delivered. My main issues were in the storytelling and repetitiveness of certain details that I weren’t sure mattered (i.e. mom’s knee pain). Some parts felt clunky because of certain plot and storytelling choices, but otherwise I had a good time and would honestly recommend.

Thank you to netgalley for the ARC <3

Out with her toddler son, Tessa is confused when he appears to recognise a woman she has never met. When the same woman's body shows up in a canal near her house soon afterwards, it leaves Tessa with a feeling of considerable disquiet.

When the dead women's mother, Barb Geller, refuses to accept that there is nothing suspicious about her daughter's death, Tessa and Barb become an unlikely duo in search of justice.

But even with the odds stacked against them, it is never wise to underestimate the power of a mother's love...

A gripping mystery and a well told story, this one is worth reading.

I really liked this book. I had trouble putting it down. Really good mystery and a glimpse into a mother's love. Thank you Netgalley.com for the advanced copy. Highly recommended.

I really enjoyed this book. One of the things I enjoyed most was being unable to figure out who the bad guy was. The characters were well drawn and Tessa and Bard were especially likable and relatable. The story has a subject that is not written about often which made it more interesting . I also liked reading about the canals in Venice California. Lots of twists and turns to keep you turning pages. All in all really good book.. I definitely recommend.
Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to read this fabulous ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Utterly engaging!!!

I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book to the finish. The blurb itself is intriguing and as the story evolves you keep wondering how the events will unfold.

What I liked about the book was that I couldn't predict who the killer was going to be. The plot oscillates between 2 people and the unveiling of the secondary plot is absolutely astonishing. The characters of Barb and Tessa were thoughtfully written and their inevitable bonding was heartwarming. The plot, the red herrings, the underlying crimes and focus on women's fertility was illuminating. Even the worst of the characters were given a background that gives you food for thought.

The ending did feel a tad exaggerated but overall I was hooked till the end even giving up my afternoon nap.

I am giving this book 4 stars.

I thank NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for the E-Arc and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The Water Lies was a great read. It had me hooked and trying to figure out what was happening the whole time. I thought I had things figured out but I did not and I really liked that about the story. It went in a direction that I didn't predict and I loved it.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book told from two perspectives of Tessa and Barb was captivating. Tessa`s child seemed to know the woman and Barb was the mother to the woman who drowned. The police and Tessa`s husband do not believe them so they come together to search for the truth. There are some twists and turns along the way to keep you guessing. Overall a well written mystery that kept me very well entertained.

I enjoyed the descriptions of the canals in the watery neighborhood of Venice, California, In this mystery, the reader immediately gravitates to the persona of a heavily pregnant woman, Tessa, who tries to protect her toddler Jasper, after he calls out to a woman she just met at a local cafe. Jasper seems to recognize her and calls out her name, Gigi, several times. When Gigi turns up drowned in the canal in front of her house, Tessa becomes unnerved and bent on finding out how her son's connected to the woman.

Gigi's mom, Barb, who travels to LA to find out about Gigi's death, is also an interesting woman, another mother determined to find out the truth behind her adult child's death.

I liked that these two women, Tessa and Barb, begin to work together, in their quest. The plot gives enough twists and turns towards the ending that keep the reader engaged. The themes of fertility and fertility clinics are eye opening and timely topics, central to the novel.

I couldn’t put this down. I’m not one for this genre normally but I like it being told from two perspectives. Both main characters draw you in and you follow the twists and turns at such a pace, it’s hard to stick to reading ‘just one more page’what transpires really wasn’t where I expected it to go but if you like or even need a book to keep you on your toes this is one to go for.

Thank you so much to Thomas and Mercer for this ARC!

Without giving too much away, the story is split between the perspectives of two women whose lives become mysteriously intertwined following a death.

On the surface the story is a very well written mystery thriller that kept me guessing until the end, with a few good twists and great pacing that kept me on the edge of my seat! On a deeper level though the story explores motherhood in many forms and the importance of trusting your maternal instincts. I thought the book dealt very well with a lot of ways the role of mother is overlooked in society and it was obvious to me that this book is written by a woman who has experienced motherhood herself. As a mother myself I felt seen and heard which I really loved.

The Water Lies is due to be published 28th October 2025!