Publishers Weekly
★ 08/17/2020
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.)
From the Publisher
Named a Best Book of 2020 by The Guardian, Daily Mail, Financial Times, The Independent, Publishers Weekly, and more.
"Compulsively readable...perfect for readers who like a little occult with their mystery." — The New York Times
"A devilish sea saga that never runs out of cutthroat conspiracies." — Kirkus Reviews, STARRED Review
"[An] outstanding whodunit... Fans of impossible crime fiction won't want to miss this one." — Publishers Weekly, STARRED Review
"Artfully combines intriguing characters, fascinating historical details and a seafaring labyrinth of twists and turns-not to mention a demon named Old Tom...History and mystery lovers alike will delight in the heart-racing escapades of The Devil and the Dark Water." — BookPage, STARRED Review
"A successful novel that will be welcome in all fiction/mystery collections." — Library Journal, STARRED Review
"If you read one book this year, make sure it's this one." — Daily Mail
"And unlike most whodunits I wouldn't recommend it for pre-lights-out reading, not just because of the spooky bits, but because such a lovingly complex construct needs readers who are fully awake." — The Sunday Telegraph
"Brilliant... intoxicating... There are some great villains and terrific heroes, especially the gentle (and gory) giant Hayes. The Devil and the Dark Water overflows with wonderful descriptions, neat similes, and enough horror, mystery, and crime to keep anyone enthralled." — The Independent
"The locked room murder meets a Michael Bay movie, by way of Treasure Island; you can't know what's going on, if only because the author won't let you know until he's delivered the final surprise - and another one after that. The effect is irresistible." — The Guardian
"A genre sampling epic that sets outrageous traps for the reader and builds an atmosphere of dread up to an operatic final twist." — Financial Times
Library Journal - Audio
★ 01/01/2021
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
Library Journal
10/09/2020
In 1634, seven ships of the Dutch East India Company set sail for a home laden with pepper, mace, spices, and silk. The governor-general of Dutch Batavia sails on the Saardam, along with his family and mistress. A renowned thief-taker is aboard too, but in chains. He's been arrested but nobody knows why. From the start, tension abounds. The murderous crew hates the guards, who are there to protect them in case of pirate attack. The governor-general abuses his wife. Passengers pursue hidden agendas. Signs and menaces happen with disturbing frequency. Before they depart, a leper with no tongue speaks to them in warning, then bursts into flames. A devil's sign is inscribed on a sail. Voices whisper in the darkness. A ship follows the fleet at night but vanishes when searched for. In succession come two murders, a near-deadly knife fight, a theft. The governor-general is found stabbed to death in a sealed room. Mutiny and shipwreck follow. Everything's sorted out in the end, but it's a long twisty journey getting there. VERDICT Blended with elements of mystery and high seas adventure, Turton's second book (after The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle) is an enjoyable throwback to the exaggeratedly intellectual plotting of Golden Age crime fiction, not terribly believable but great fun to read.—David Keymer, Cleveland
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2020-07-14
After an outbreak of ghastly events aboard the Saardam, a merchant vessel returning from the East Indies to Amsterdam in 1634, fear spreads that an evil spirit is responsible.
Before the ship's departure, a leper issued a stark warning about the "merciless ruin" that awaited it—and then burst into flames. Only prisoner Sammy Pipps, an alleged British spy with uncanny powers of deduction, took the threat seriously. Soon enough at sea, on a vessel populated by "murderers, cutpurses and malcontents," throats are slit, bodies are stashed, and dark secrets are exposed. Ultimately, a monster storm upends the Saardam and destroys two other ships in the fleet. Amid the evil doings, human decency is largely limited to Sammy's bodyguard, Arent Hayes, a physically imposing specimen with a kind soul and a "poisoned" past, and healer Sara Wessel, abused wife of soulless Governor General Jan Haan, who happens to be Arent's uncle. With their congenial Holmes and Watson act, Sammy and Arent seem on track to emerge as the heroes of this perpetually revealing tale. But Turton, who brings a pointed social conscience to bear in his commentary on the ill treatment of women and the exploitation of the lower class, has something else in mind. With all its characters, hidden identities, and backstories, this epic sometimes sags. As one character declares, "There are too many damn secrets on this ship, and I swear all of them are marching toward him with swords in their hands." But Turton, whose brain-twisting first novel, The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle (2018), posed knotty challenges for readers, has a colorful tale to tell and does so in highly entertaining fashion.
A devilish sea saga that never runs out of cutthroat conspiracies.
