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Dead Waters (Simon Canderous #4)

by Anton Strout (Goodreads Author)

3.83 of 5 stars 3.83 · rating details · 289 ratings · 34 reviews

Simon Canderous, of the Department of Extraordinary Affairs, is used to fighting vampires and zombies. But the strange murder of a professor has everyone stumped. And it's making some people crazy. Literally.

Paperback, 335 pages

Published February 22nd 2011 by Ace

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Urban Fantasy non romance/action

104th out of 142 books — 88 voters

The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon

Fantasy/SF Atlas--New York City

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Jun 08, 2011 Ratkin rated it 5 of 5 stars

I've been reading Anton Strout's Simon Canderous series since the very beginning (this fourth entry in the series follows "Dead To Me," "Deader Still," and "Dead Matter"). Based on the evidence here, I expect to be following it for the forseeable future. Mr. Strout has come up with a perfect balance of excellent stories, a strong supporting case, and an abundance of humor.

Probably my favorite 'character' in the series is Simon's employer, the Department of Extraordinary Affairs. Being employed b...more

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Feb 20, 2011 Qwill / The Qwillery rated it 5 of 5 stars

Dead Waters is the 4th book in the Simon Canderous series and the very best of the series so far.

Simon is a psychometrist. He can read the history of an object by touching it. In Dead Waters, Simon is still somewhat impulsive and reckless but he is maturing. He still makes his trademark wise-cracks, but he is growing emotionally as he must deal with some personal issues. I always find that Simon's heart is in the right place... despite the various creatures that want to remove it. Simon is a ver...more Dead Waters is the 4th book in the Simon Canderous series and the very best of the series so far.

Simon is a psychometrist. He can read the history of an object by touching it. In Dead Waters, Simon is still somewhat impulsive and reckless but he is maturing. He still makes his trademark wise-cracks, but he is growing emotionally as he must deal with some personal issues. I always find that Simon's heart is in the right place... despite the various creatures that want to remove it. Simon is a very likable protagonist.

I adore the supporting characters in this series: Jane Clayton-Forrester (Simon's technomancer girlfriend), Connor Christos (Simon's partner), Inspectre Argyle Quimbley (Simon's and Connor's boss), and Godfrey Candella (the D.E.A. Archivist). While Simon is the main character, the book really feels like an ensemble piece. I love the back and forth between the characters. There is genuine camaraderie.

Simon, Jane, and Connor must solve the mystery surrounding a university professor's unusual death. The murder deeply affects Inspectre Quimbley as he used to know the professor well. The storyline dealing the aging Inspectre is very well done. I really enjoyed learning more about his past.

Anton Strout deftly continues to lampoon bureaucratic red tape with New York City's Department of Extraordinary Affairs. I find the inner workings of the D.E.A. both fascinating and amusing. While the D.E.A. is facing severe budget cuts, fortunately none of my favorite characters lose their jobs. New York City is a great backdrop for this series.

Dead Waters borrows from mythology in an inventive way. I won't reveal which mythology or what was borrowed as it would be a major spoiler.

This is the darkest of the four books. I cried at one part of the story though there are far more moments that brought laughter. The pacing is excellent with a lot of action. The plot is really engaging. The mystery and its conclusion are handled beautifully. Dead Waters is a tasty mélange of murder, mystery, and mythology, with a dash of mayhem thrown in for good measure.

I give Dead Waters 5 Qwills.

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Mar 13, 2011 Paul Genesse rated it 5 of 5 stars

Dead Waters by Anton Strout is the best of the series so far. Strout’s comedic writing style has matured, though his main character still has a way to go, which is part of the fun. Simon is a wise-cracking machine—and a zombie skull crushing machine, with his telescoping metal bat. Add in his psychometry powers, he can tell an object’s history by touching it, and you have a very fascinating character.

I really enjoyed this book was surprised at all the twists and turns as the murder investigation...more

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Mar 01, 2011 Hobart rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-reads

Dead Waters displays the growth of Anton Strout as a novelist as much as it shows Simon Canderous' growth as a person. This fourth installment in the Simon Canderous series is (like each installment before) better than its predecessors -- which works out great for me, because I've enjoyed all four of them.

The best part of this series (next to the characters) is the way Strout mixes magic into the real world. The adversary in this go 'round brings the challenge in the best mix of magic, myth and...more Dead Waters displays the growth of Anton Strout as a novelist as much as it shows Simon Canderous' growth as a person. This fourth installment in the Simon Canderous series is (like each installment before) better than its predecessors -- which works out great for me, because I've enjoyed all four of them.

The best part of this series (next to the characters) is the way Strout mixes magic into the real world. The adversary in this go 'round brings the challenge in the best mix of magic, myth and technology I can remember. Worth the read just for this.

The humor sprinkled (sometimes heavily) throughout the tale isn't forced, like I think it was earlier in the series. It flows from the characters and the situations naturally.

Simon's partner, Connor, still doesn't get as much screen time as he should, but the partnership does seem stronger this go around -- and Connor's character feels more like a person. Maybe its because Connor's family situation is a bit more settled, or maybe it's just the nature of the case. Doesn't matter, it's a lot of fun.

Speaking of fun, Jane, Simon's girlfriend really gets to strut her stuff magically here, frankly, I'd love to read a solo adventure or two featuring her. More pressing for our hero, however, is the fact that she's putting pressure on him to deepen their relationship -- which causes Simon to go through a good amount of maturing (or at least to consider it).

The ending of Dead Waters is one I should've seen coming, it was telegraphed like crazy. BUT, I'd spent most of the book convinced Strout was telegraphing something else, so what do I know? Frankly, I'm not crazy about the major character development that happened at the end, I'm afraid it will lead to this series losing some of what sets it apart from the rest of the genre and become a little more like typical Urban Fantasies. But I figure Strout's gonna pull this off right and show me I'm worrying for nothing.

I should add here, that almost immediately after finishing this, I sent a tweet Strout's way bemoaning the ending, and in only a few minutes got a reply that made me laugh. Gotta love an author who'll take a moment for a fan and this Internet thingy that makes that interaction possible.(less)

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Feb 22, 2011 Joshua Palmatier rated it 3 of 5 stars

Dead Waters is the fourth Simon Canderous novel from Anton Strout and when I first started reading it, I was beginning to think that it wouldn’t be as good at the third novel, Dead Matter. And it isn’t, at first. The book takes a little time before it kicks into gear, so if you’re reading Anton Strout for the first time, I’d say give it some time. Because when the book DOES kick into gear, it gets good.

The main premise is that Simon and friends must investigate the murder of one of the departmen...more Dead Waters is the fourth Simon Canderous novel from Anton Strout and when I first started reading it, I was beginning to think that it wouldn’t be as good at the third novel, Dead Matter. And it isn’t, at first. The book takes a little time before it kicks into gear, so if you’re reading Anton Strout for the first time, I’d say give it some time. Because when the book DOES kick into gear, it gets good.

The main premise is that Simon and friends must investigate the murder of one of the department’s head honcho friends, who apparently drowned while in the middle of his apartment. Getting that investigation started is the part of the novel that’s slow. But once Simon gets a lead, the plot picks WAY up and things kick into action. And the plot has many, many twists and turns, more so than in any other Canderous novel in my opinion. I also feel that the plot is more tightly woven here. Most of the "looseness" that I had issues with in previous books is gone. And while this book doesn’t have as much of the character development as the previous one (it was more focused on plot), there are some good character issues here, mostly dealing with Simon and his girlfriend Jane. Again, those issues are rocky at the beginning, but I felt that they were handled well once the book took off.

One of the aspects of Simon Canderous novels that I’ve liked is the use of some of the New York City setting and history. We got glimpses of this in the previous books, with one of them even using Bryant Park and its history to great effect. Here, though, I think Anton has upped the ante, bringing in the Hell Gate Bridge and its history and actually using it for a significant portion of the book and the plot. And then there’s the slew of characters and creatures that feature in this book. I’d mention some of them, but each is discovered as the plot progresses, and I don’t want to spoil anything.

THEN there’s the major twist at the end . . . which I also can’t mention. *grin*

So, a good book, definitely one of the best in the Simon Canderous series so far, with a few minor drawbacks: it takes a while to really get the plot moving, and I didn’t really need to be reminded over and over and over again that some of Simon’s actions were being influenced by the experience with the ghost in the first chapter. But those things aside, much tighter plotting here, and some interesting bad guys all around.
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Feb 20, 2011 All Things Urban Fantasy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-by-abigail

Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy

I get stupidly excited by acronyms in Urban Fantasy. Covert, or otherwise, organizations that deal with the supernatural and have names like the IS (Inderland Security) from the Rachel Morgan series, the UDA (Underworld Detection Agency) from the upcoming series of the same name by Hannah Jayne, or the ITF (Integration Task Force) from the Charlie Madigan series. I’m fascinated by the bureaucratic side of paranormal worlds. It’s that little element of o...more Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy

I get stupidly excited by acronyms in Urban Fantasy. Covert, or otherwise, organizations that deal with the supernatural and have names like the IS (Inderland Security) from the Rachel Morgan series, the UDA (Underworld Detection Agency) from the upcoming series of the same name by Hannah Jayne, or the ITF (Integration Task Force) from the Charlie Madigan series. I’m fascinated by the bureaucratic side of paranormal worlds. It’s that little element of order in a world that breaks all the rules that draws me in every time.

In this case it’s the DEA (Department Of Extraordinary Affairs) from the Simon Canderous series. Other Worldly Division field agent Simon is a bit of a head scratcher for me. He’s a capable early 20’s psychometric (meaning he has the ability to ‘read’ the history of an object by touching it), he has a longtime girlfriend in the form of fellow agent Jane Clayton-Forrester with whom he’s considering taking a big relationship step with, and he’s often the go to guy for jobs no one else can--or wants--to handle. Given all that, I was really caught off guard by how immature he was. It probably didn’t help that most of the other men in DEAD WATERS kept calling him ‘Kid’ or ‘Son.’ I had to keep reminding myself that I wasn’t reading about some fourteen year old.

I also had some issues with the pacing and plot. There’s always a whole lot of talking around an issue before someone cuts in with a ‘so the real issue is…’ or ‘so here’s what we know…’ It was frustrating and severely stunted the pace. On top of that, the basic plot was just not compelling until the very end. Simon and Jane spend most of of DEAD WATERS running around Manhattan trying to solve a supernatural murder and track down a water nymph.

There was a nice twist at the end that involved some Greek mythology which I always love, and the relationship issues between Simon and Jane provided a few nice occasional breaks, but overall I found myself just treading water through most of this book. Jumping in mid series is always a gamble as you never know how much backstory you’re missing, or if you’re lacking some vital piece of information that’s integral to the enjoyment of the latest book. Maybe that’s the case with DEAD WATERS. If not, I’m sorry to say that the potential of this book was wasted on me.

Sexual Content:
Kissing(less)

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Jan 14, 2012 Caroline rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy, read-in-2012

I started this with some misgivings. The pacing at first was really off, to the point I was worried this series had already hit its high point. Luckily, after some drawn out relationship drama between Simon and Jane, things get more paranormal and interesting as the main plot takes over.

Some real interesting infusion of mythology in here. The ending did feel super abrupt, however, but during the climatic battle it was nice to see Jane take such charge of things. It's always refreshing to see an...more

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Feb 17, 2011 Day rated it 4 of 5 stars

In this fourth installment of the Simon Canderous adventures readers will be pleased to find that author Anton Strout has brought his A-game! With all the supernatural going ons in the Canderous world the action picks up in Chapter 1 and doesn't relent until the last page!

Dead Waters is darker than the previous books in this series, but it is full of great dialogue and snarky wise cracks from the fantastic array of characters that lighten the tone. The story is well written and thoroughly engro...more

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Nov 22, 2011 David rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'm really enjoying this series. Simon Canderous, a former thief, is now working for an agency called Department of Extraordinary Affairs. He has the gift of psychometry. You'd think a gift like that would be kind of cool. But, as this series shows, a talent like psycomtry could be a real pain in the butt when it comes to forming relationships. Simon is the snarky kind of character I enjoy reading.

This story begins with Simon investigating a mysterious case of a man found drowned in his very dr...more

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Apr 07, 2011 Cathy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: series-reminder, paranormal, magic-users, twitter-author, mythology, romance, fantasy, urban, vampire, zombies-ghouls, read-in-2011

The only bad thing about this book is that I've finally caught up with the publication schedule and now I'm going to have to wait a long time for the next installment in the series! That and the fact that although the book featured one of my favorite characters, Inspectre Quimbley, quite a bit, he was portrayed as a bit older than I imagined him; to me he's still quite the dashing fellow. Nevertheless, it was a typical Simon, Jane and Connor adventure; if you like the series, you'll like this bo...more

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Oct 03, 2011 James rated it 3 of 5 stars

I must say that this book is a definite improvement on the series as a whole, even if, somehow, it still only manages to remain a three stars. In all the ways that the first three books felt a bit flat this book was pumped full of writing steroids.

The plot was really intriguing, with the title Dead Waters having way more than one meaning. Okay, so some parts were a tad obvious - (view spoiler) - but for the most part it was fresh, for example Aqua...more I must say that this book is a definite improvement on the series as a whole, even if, somehow, it still only manages to remain a three stars. In all the ways that the first three books felt a bit flat this book was pumped full of writing steroids.

The plot was really intriguing, with the title Dead Waters having way more than one meaning. Okay, so some parts were a tad obvious - (view spoiler) - but for the most part it was fresh, for example Aqua Zombies, a woman made of water and films being used to create monsters/people. Yes, some of these may have been used before, but I doubt anyone has done it quite like this.

And the characters... I was really enjoying the development in Simon's powers that made him susceptible to emotions from objects, and couldn't wait to see where it went. Which was very disappointing, because it led no where. About halfway through they just dropped it all together, with only a slight nod of the head towards the fact that it had ever happened. The rest of the cast, whilst not sterling, were dependable and all right. However, I hate the way that Strout dealt with the cliff hanger regarding Jane - I personally think it would have worked much better if she had had an absense of a book or two, only to return with The shocking twist. That way we could have had the emotional turmoil and the surprise, instead smashing them together only served to cheapen both and to ruin a great plot device.

Having said that though, for the most part the book was really well written and put together. You had none of those moments where you were shaken out of the book by bad grammar, and there were no obvious loopholes. So the writing isn't going to be winning any awards any time soon, but it plays its part well like a well oiled cog in the machine.

So, for those of you who love Urban Fantasy then this series is definitely worth the read. However, if you are looking to dip your figurative toes into this genre then may I suggest the Dresden Files first. If you enjoy that - which you should - then you can take another look at this series.

Have Fun Reading. (less)

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Apr 07, 2011 Amy rated it 3 of 5 stars

In this fourth installment of the Simon Canderous series, Simon and Connor are called to a murder scene. It may have been that I have spring fever, or it may have been the book, but I did have a hard time reading the first half of the book. It was a regurgitation of facts from the first three books that include unlikely dialog. Simon spends a lot of pages getting teased whether he understands the cohabitation hints Jane is giving him. The second half of the book, I read in two days. It was a pag...more

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Jun 18, 2012 Keri ★TX rated it 4 of 5 stars

Actually listened to the Audible version of this book. I haven't been that big a fan of Simon having a girlfriend (Jane) but must say (without spoiling) that I was surprised by the ending and hope there will be another book following this one. The plot for this book was pretty interesting, so it helped with the relationship aspect that sometimes I got tired hearing about. Although I gave 4 stars, I would say it's more of a 3 1/2 stars instead.

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Mar 24, 2012 Aivel rated it 2 of 5 stars

Dead waters is actually ok urban fantasy novel. My only problem is their cutesy-cutesy names for their department. It kept me from taking the story seriously. I don't know, the cutesy names work for percy jackson and harry potter series but i don't think it works with this books. Also the ending feels kinda rushed. I'll give the series onother go, Simon Canderous seem interesting enough.

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Sep 25, 2011 Tina Kennedy rated it 2 of 5 stars

I picked this up without reading the other books so it was probably a 2.5 stars book but I might find the rest of the series if I remember it. It was entertaining enough for me to finish it but I did find Simeon and Jane's relationship to be a little annoying.

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May 16, 2013 Emma rated it 5 of 5 stars

One of the few male writers in the urban fantasy genre, Antonio Strout can hold his own with any of his female counterparts. A fantastic read - his best so far. Can't wait for the next instalment.

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Apr 01, 2011 Nocturne Romance Reads rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal

Come read Sarah Conerty Jordan's review at Nocturne Romance Reads!

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Feb 25, 2011 Garrett Jones rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

DUDE. Anton's writing has improved SO much over the course of this series, and this installment cements my belief that Simon ain't going away any time soon. The banter, of course, is phenomenal, and the characters very enthralling. However, the plot is what sold me on this one. It's trippy. It's very much like a pinball ride, as the reviews state. The antagonists are many, subtle, and deceiving. And the ending... well. It was a thrill to finish. And leave me craving more. WANT NEXT ONE NOW PLEAS...more

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Mar 25, 2011 Jenny rated it 3 of 5 stars

Not bad enough for two stars, but not as good as the previous two in the series. The uneven writing kept distracting me, and the plot was familiar: I'd seen the major points before, in an episode of Torchwood and in the Dresden Files series. At this point I'm not sure if I'll read the next one, whenver it gets published.

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Feb 24, 2011 aaron rated it 4 of 5 stars

and chalk another good read into the simon canderous series by anton strout. this one finds simon and his girlfriend jane fighting a ghost for their recently made vampire friends. then things get fishy...literally. a woman appears to have killed a professor from the inside out, by drowning him. plus, she's made of water! thus starts off a very good novel and the two of them (as well as simon's mentor, connor) looking for clues into the death of this professor and also to the identity of their wa...more

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Mar 20, 2012 Sharon rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

Enjoyed it, I like this series.

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Feb 04, 2012 Sierra rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: signed-copies

I know the author personally :)

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May 23, 2011 Lisa Beamer rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorite-authors, novels

Loved this book, one of my favorites overall in the series. I'm giving it five stars, however, I have to note that I pretty much HATED the way it ended for one of the main characters in this book. But! I have faith in the author to bring this around and make it good as opposed to it being a "jump the shark" kind of thing for the series. Here's hoping!

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Jan 07, 2012 Kathy rated it 2 of 5 stars

I don't think I'll bother with any more books in this series.

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Feb 24, 2012 Maggie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Another fun read.

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Oct 27, 2012 Stephanie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

What a horrible way to end the series. I was disappointed when Strout made Connor's brother a vampire but to do the same thing to Simon's girlfriend! So disappointed.

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Nov 02, 2011 Karen Desmond rated it 5 of 5 stars

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Feb 05, 2011 Wicked Lil Pixie (Natasha) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Review Coming

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Sep 27, 2012 S rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paul-marron

Poor Simon gets beaten up again but at least he did tell Jane that he loved her, albeit right before the big showdown. I just hope Jane doesn't go the way of Harry's Susan. *grumble, grumble*

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Apr 05, 2011 Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

I liked this book as well as all the rest:) keep my attention:)can't wait for his next one.

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About Anton Strout

When not plotting against his mortal enemy Patrick Rothfuss, Anton Strout is the author of the Simon Canderous urban fantasy series for Ace Books including Dead To Me, Deader Still, Dead Matter and Dead Waters.
His new series with Ace Books is entitled The Spellmason Chronicles. Alchemystic is first in the series with the upcoming second book Stonecast due out on 9/24/12.

He is also the host and c...more

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Books by Anton Strout

Alchemystic (The Spellmason Chronicles, #1)

Stonecast (The Spellmason Chronicles, #2)

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Dead Waters (Simon Canderous #4)

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