The devil and the dark water

Title:

Author:

Summary:

"Samuel Pipps is the greatest detective of his day... but now he's a prisoner, accused of an unknown crime by one of the world's most powerful men. Along with his faithful sidekick, Arent Hayes, they're sailing back to Amsterdam from the East Indies, where he'll stand trial. But no sooner are they out to sea than devilry begins to blight the voyage. Still shackled in his cell, Pipps sends Hayes to solve a mystery that connects every passenger on board. All hope is pinned on Hayes solving the mystery, but when he goes missing, Pipps is faced with the most dangerous puzzle of his career... All the while, voices whisper to him in the dark. But are those whispers clues? Warnings? Or the devil himself."-- Provided by publisher.

Physical Description:

463 pages ; 24 cm

Genre:

Detective and mystery fiction.

Subject Term:

Missing persons -- Fiction.

Secrecy -- Fiction.

Demonology -- Fiction.

Sea stories.

Publisher:

Sourcebooks Landmark,

Publication Date:

2020

ISBN:

9781728206028

Publication Information:

Naperville, IL : Sourcebooks Landmark, 2020.

Call Number:

TURTON

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003479378	Adult Fiction	TURTON Stuart	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

"Compulsively readable."--New York Times Book Review

From Stuart Turton, author of The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, comes an extraordinary new locked-room murder mystery.

A murder on the high seas. A remarkable detective duo. A demon who may or may not exist.

It's 1634, and Samuel Pipps, the world's greatest detective, is being transported to Amsterdam to be executed for a crime he may, or may not, have committed. Traveling with him is his loyal bodyguard, Arent Hayes, who is determined to prove his friend innocent. Among the other guests is Sara Wessel, a noblewoman with a secret.

But no sooner is their ship out to sea than devilry begins to blight the voyage. A strange symbol appears on the sail. A dead leper stalks the decks. Livestock dies in the night.

And then the passengers hear a terrible voice, whispering to them in the darkness, promising three unholy miracles, followed by a slaughter. First an impossible pursuit. Second an impossible theft. And third an impossible murder.

Could a demon be responsible for their misfortunes?

With Pipps imprisoned, only Arent and Sara can solve a mystery that stretches back into their past and now threatens to sink the ship, killing everybody on board.

Shirley Jackson meets Sherlock Holmes in this chilling thriller of supernatural horror, occult suspicion, and paranormal mystery on the high seas.

Author Notes

Stuart Turton is a freelance travel journalist, born in the United Kingdom. He holds degrees in English and Philosophy. His career has included working in a bookshop, teaching English in Shanghai, working for a technology magazine in London, and writing various travel articles.

He is the author of The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. The title in the U.S. is, The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. It won the Costa Book Award 2018 category, First Novel.

(Bowker Author Biography)

Reviews (2)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Set in 1634, this outstanding whodunit from Turton (The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle) opens in Batavia, where celebrated investigator Samuel Pipps, who was working in the Dutch East Indies until his arrest for an unknown reason, is about to be transported to Amsterdam aboard the Saardam, along with his longtime sidekick, Arent Hayes. From the dock, a bloody man issues a dire warning to the Saardam's crew and passengers. As the grim figure, who appears to have leprosy, prophesies that the ship won't reach its destination, his clothing bursts into flame. Hayes and another passenger, the governor-general's wife, rush to help the dying man, only to find that his tongue had been cut out, making any speech impossible. The puzzles only continue once the vessel sets sail, including a locked-room murder, the reappearance of the dead leper, and a ghost ship dogging the Saardam. As Turton ratchets up the tension en route to the brilliant resolution of the plot, he keeps readers in doubt as to whether a rational explanation is possible. Fans of impossible crime fiction won't want to miss this one. Agent: Harry Illingworth, DHH Literary Agency. (Oct.)

Library Journal Review

The year is 1634. A ship heading to Amsterdam with important passengers and cargo is under siege. Even before the voyage begins a leper threatens the passengers and ship, then bursts into flame. But once the ship sets sail, he keeps appearing. Strange symbols pop up all over the ship. And rumors begin about an old devil who has come back to collect his due. The world's greatest detective, Samuel Pipps, along with his faithful bodyguard, Arent Hayes, are on the passenger manifest. Unfortunately, Pipps is in manacles, leaving Arent, who insists he isn't in Pipps's class, tasked with solving the case. If Arent, and Sarah, one of the important personages, aren't able sort fact from fiction, the ship and all aboard are doomed. Narrator James Cameron Stewart imbues Turton's story with constant tension, relying on pacing and accented characterizations to bring the story to its unnatural crescendo and satisfying conclusion. Hearing Sarah blossom under Arent's genuine interest; feeling the fear when the ghost ship appears nightly; listening as allegiances break and old grudges are satisfied--Stewart has much to work with here and he masters it. VERDICT A successful novel that will be welcome in all fiction/mystery collections.--Jodi L. Israel, Orlando, FL