What looks like an accidental drowning might actually be a suicide. Told in alternating voices, this suspense-saturated drama is Hawkins' second novel.
If you missed it the first time around, like I did, your library probably has plenty of copies.
Nel isn't very well liked in her small community. Even her sister bears a grudge against her. The community resents that she's writing a book about the witchcraft trials and other historical events that took place in Beckford.
Nel chooses to write not only about the historical deaths by drowning but also the more recent drownings. This infuriates Louise, the mother of a girl who recently committed suicide in the pool.
Soon afterward Katie's death, Nel also drowns in the drowning pool. Some family members think she has killed herself but others suspect something more sinister.
Among the suspects, there is a jealous sister, a handsome male teacher, a dangerous ex-boyfriend, an outraged mother, and a cantankerous cop.
Nel's teenaged daughter is also in danger, leaving readers to wonder if she will suffer the same fate as her mother and all the other "troublesome" women.
Though some have said they enjoyed this book less, its actually more enjoyable than The Girl on the Train. Into the Water is multi-faceted and surprising, thought-provoking and riveting.
Hannah's life is upended when her boyfriend Matt disappears. Hannah lives in the Wirral peninsula and is on the fast track for promotion at the company where she works.
Matt doesn't just disappear. He obliterates his presence by taking every single item he owns from her apartment and deleting every photo and text from her computer and phone.
A quick call to the architectural firm where Matt worked establishes the fact that he no longer works there. His mother has also changed residences. No one can give Hannah any answers. Worst of all, she has been receiving strange text messages and believes someone has been entering her house without her permission. When she goes for a jog, someone films her, and then sends the video to her phone.
While this tense-filled situation has no easy explanation, several characters are suspect. Katie, Hannah's best friend, has always been insanely competitive with Hannah. Her next door neighbors, members of the neighborhood watch, are seriously creepy. Her co-worker seems to be on her side but he also seems deceitful.
Given how shady her close associations are, any one of these characters could be gas lighting Hannah. Matt has always seen supportive but maybe she's seeing a side of Matt she never knew existed?
Torjussen gives her character an intriguing puzzle to decipher. The reader gets a jolt when a surprising twist is thrown in to the mix. A thrilling, yet well-developed novel with a unexpected conclusion.
This is a novel that pulls readers in immediately because there’s so
much at stake for Yasmin and her daughter, Ruby. The pair hope to rescue
Matt, Yasmin’s husband and Ruby’s father, from an outpost in Northern
Alaska that burned to the ground.
Despite a terrible childhood, Yasmin has found the love of her life
in Matt whose adventurous spirit matches her own. Even with a few
challenges–like her daughter’s disability and Matt’s tendency to wander,
Yasmin believes in his love.
Police, however, have decided there are no survivors. Refusing to
give up hope, Yasmin and Ruby make their way North by convincing a truck
driver to take them to DeadHorse. From there they hope to take a taxi
plane to Anaktue.
Yasmin takes matters into her own hands when he becomes ill; she drives the truck herself across dangerous icy roads.Fans of psychological suspense will love Lupton’s foray into the
world of ice trucking. This is a complex novel about motherhood,
disability, and ethical choices.
On one hand, Yasmin has felt that becoming a mother (especially a
mother to a child who is so vulnerable) has made her invisible:
“It shocked her to realize that for years she’d felt bland, dull even
to herself. Around her, everyone else’s characters were clearly
defined, the borders of their personalities etched sharply, but not
hers. She’d had tasks and chores and love for Ruby, huge love for her,
but how would she have described who she was? Somewhere along the line
she’d lost the idea of herself.”
Thus, the mother’s dangerous quest to find her husband is also quest
to find her lost self. Yasmin endures the bitter cold of the Dalton
highway, a possible stalker and the hazards of trucking during a storm.
Equally brave, Ruby decides how and when she’ll use her voice.
Despite her mother’s repeated requests that she use her real voice, Ruby
uses “Voice Magic” and twitter. In one courageous move at the end, Ruby
uses this technology to thwart the evil doers who wish to harm her
family.
