Review: Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman

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Synopsis:

A shocking discovery on a honeymoon in paradise changes the lives of a picture-perfect couple in this taut psychological thriller debut--for readers of Ruth Ware, Paula Hawkins, and Shari Lapena.

If you could make one simple choice that would change your life forever, would you?

Erin is a documentary filmmaker on the brink of a professional breakthrough, Mark a handsome investment banker with big plans. Passionately in love, they embark on a dream honeymoon to the tropical island of Bora Bora, where they enjoy the sun, the sand, and each other. Then, while scuba diving in the crystal blue sea, they find something in the water. . . .

Could the life of your dreams be the stuff of nightmares?

Suddenly the newlyweds must make a dangerous choice: to speak out or to protect their secret. After all, if no one else knows, who would be hurt? Their decision will trigger a devastating chain of events. . . .

Have you ever wondered how long it takes to dig a grave?

Wonder no longer. Catherine Steadman's enthralling voice shines throughout this spellbinding debut novel. With piercing insight and fascinating twists, Something in the Water challenges the reader to confront the hopes we desperately cling to, the ideals we're tempted to abandon, and the perfect lies we tell ourselves.

Review:

Something in the Water was one of the most disappointing reads. The first chapter drew me right in. I loved it. I thought oh, this is going to be amazing! It starts off with Erin digging a grave and how it really is vs the TV shows and such you see. It is hard work, much harder than they make it seem. Then the story is Erin telling you how she got there. What happened that she ended up digging a grave to bury a body. The story goes back three months and you get to know Erin and Mark and see what happens from there. 

Now Erin and Mark are getting married soon. They are fairly well off - I mean their house cost over a million so you know they are not poor. Mark is the real breadwinner investment banker and he weathered the financial crisis fairly well, better than most of his colleges. But he wants to move on from the job he has at the moment, only it doesn't work out the way he planned. They are planning their wedding and honeymoon and suddenly have to start worrying about money. Now Erin was not the brightest bulb in the box. I mean she suddenly is the income earner, and she doesn't make a ton as a documentary filmmaker, she doesn't realize that without more income they can't keep spending money like usual. Mark brings it up with her at one point and she is just like oh...I never thought about that. Okay, so that tells me she has been fairly privileged because she has never had to think about money or she is an idiot. Either way she is not the brightest. 

So Mark and Erin get married and head off on their honeymoon in Bora Bora and everything is wonderful until they go out scuba diving and find something in the water. Now here is where the story started to go downhill for me and it just kept getting worse. They find something in the water and the decisions they make after that didn't make a whole lot of sense for me. That and some of the things they did I didn't believe would have been that easy. It is just a good thing that Erin was interviewing a mob boss who is in jail for her documentary because she has to keep turning to him for help when she is in trouble. These two were a bit...this story started off so well and then it just dive bombed until I got to the end and was just like okay...well that was a book I read. After that amazing opening I can't believe it was so lame. It made me so sad. 

Oh, the other thing is I didn't really understand is what Mark was doing by the end. Like how did he get to that point? Was he always planning something like this or was this a sudden inspiration once they found the thing in the water? I didn't understand it. Plus by the end I was really questioning why these two even got married in the first place. They never talked to each other about anything of consequence and hid lots of stuff from each other. That is not a marriage that would work. If you can't trust your partner with what is happening in your life why are you with them? Oh, such a disappointment. Oh well. If the author writes another story I would give it a try as I did enjoy the writing it was the storyline that did me in. 

Rating: ★ ★

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