Published by Blackstone Publishing Genres: Crime, Fiction, Mystery, suspense
Format: ARC, eBook
Holt Davidson has returned to his hometown after receiving word that his estranged mother has committed suicide. He hasn’t been back for twenty years but has returned to pay his respects then move on. But sometimes returning home, can be difficult. Going through someone’s belongings, can be a difficult experience. Sometimes you find things and…
While going through his childhood home, Holt finds a gun, a love letter, and a Polaroid photograph of a man lying in his own blood. Why does his mother have these items and who wrote the love letter?
Spurred on by his nagging questions about what he found, Holt takes a very bumpy ride down memory lane. He visits his older sister, Ophelia who was placed in an inpatient psychiatric hospital when she was a teenager to reconnect and ask her questions. Plus, his mother’s best friend is there to give support and answers some of his questions.
WOWZA! This book was so good. It is gritty, raw, and full of family secrets. The writing was beautiful and evoked emotion. I read this book in one day as I did not want to put it down. It was so good. The author had me from the very first page – I mean, come on, what a way to start a book. It grabbed my attention and did not let go. I had so many questions and like, Holt, I wanted answers.
There are books I read and think they are very good and then there are books like Beneath Cruel Waters which are excellent reads. This is how you do it! This book was so well written, the characters are so beautifully crafted, and the plot is so riveting that left me awe struck. There is an undercurrent of gloom and heartache running throughout this book. This was so expertly done, so gripping that I felt like a silent observer following Holt around as he delved into the past to make sense of the present.
This book deals with many difficult subjects, but do not let that scare you away. They are done with care, nothing is sugarcoated and yet, the author presents them in a way, that had me wanting more of the story.
I look forward to reading more of Bassoff’s work!
Gritty, raw, heartbreaking brilliant
#BeneathCruelWaters #NetGalley
Thank you to Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.