Book Review: ‘Into the Water’ by Paula Hawkins

Having read and enjoyed Paula’s successful first novel: ‘The Girl on the Train’ (I’ve only read the book, I haven’t bothered to watch the film!), I was intrigued to see if her follow-up novel would live up to expectations.

As with her previous novel, the book is divided into very short, readable chapters which always appeals to male readers with short attention spans like myself! Each chapter tells the story from a different character’s perspective and this adds to the complexity of the plot (although, as there are quite a number of characters in the story, this technique can be difficult to keep up with – remembering who’s who!).

The ‘Water’ in the title refers to a river running through a small village/town in England linked to many local stories and folklore of drownings and witchcraft.  The story is based in modern times however, and begins with another drowning occurrence as a result of an apparent suicide.

As the story unfolds, we learn of the intricacies and complexities of the lives of the local families who are closely involved with the victim.  Who was she?  Why did she jump? What impact will this tragic event have on the people she left behind?

I found the book a thrilling read and the characters were particularly fascinating, demonstrating again, Paula Hawkins’ great skill at creating characters with real depth.  The author weaves a web of suspense using psychology and emotional trauma to make the characters unpredictable and engaging.

If you enjoy a fast-moving plot with plenty of twists and surprises then you will love this new novel by Paula Hawkins!

‘What shall I read?’ rating: 8/10

So bookbloggers, as I have asked many times before, what shall I read next?  Have you read any of the books that feature on my blog? Can you suggest a book that you think I might enjoy?  Any suggestions very welcome…