Deep Water

by Amanda James

[zooloo1983]

Happy publication day to Ann and Robert ♥

I do not think I will be able to sleep again! If I could swear through this whole post I would too! I think I spent most of that book so anxious about what was going to happen next, even in the lighter scenes with Paul and Sally happily in love. I even made the mistake of reading it in the dark, so obviously my imagination went wild, I kept thinking if I looked away from the Kindle light I will see the witches face next to me. I can confess I freaked myself out when I read this book! Credit to both authors for creating such a creepy suspenseful book and well that front cover just did not help me!!!

We start the story in a concentration camp, where Hitler is, as widely speculated, dealing with the occult in such he is possessed by Lamia, a demonic entity. This entity then passes to a woman, the sole survivor of her family now trapped in her own body. We jump some years and see our main protagonist as a young boy, Paul Christian with his best friend Owen. Regularly, and reluctantly on Paul's part, playing knock up ginger on the "old witch"' house. I mean it is such an innocent game because let us be honest we have all probably done it at some point, but not to the devasting end of when Paul was nine and a half. Fast forward a few years and we watch another devasting act in Pauls life, witnessing the death of his wife, I mean seriously give this guy a break! 

Then present day! Paul has found love again with Sally. He is moving in with her, to his old town! Hmmm....nothing is going to happen, is it...WRONG!! They move into her quaint cottage, which sounded so beautiful, in the middle of nowhere!!!!!!  He then sees the old outhouse and there is an axe hanging on the wall, my nerves really could not take it anymore by then! He finds a passion for carving wood, and somehow it absolutely brilliant at it as if someone is guiding him along, to the right wood and instruments. Any scene with that bloody axe just had me on tenterhooks! As you can imagine things begin to escalate.

It just all gets so creepy and dark and intense and downright scary, apparitions, familiars, more deaths and shocking events. Even at the end of the book I really did not, and still DO NOT, feel like I can relax! The ending is semi-wrapped up, but I feel there is more to the story and I really do hope there is a second book. I really did not want to put this book down the first night I picked it up, and I kept picturing scenes from the book when trying to sleep - well that was not helpful! This book has stayed with me! I can't look at crows the same way now, and I will be staying away from knitting needles - I urge you to do the same!! 

The writing just flows in this book, every word counted, nothing was added in to fill in. Every word had me hooked, every page I was dreading the end of the story. Yet at the same time hoping for a relief that it was the end.  I could imagine this being on the big screen, I think I would be holding my breath all over again if I watched it.

What a fantastic debut for Robert and a fab 31st book to Ann!! I will definitely be picking up more by them.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE tell me there is a second book. I need to unwind......