Lee Allen's Blog - Posts Tagged "paula-hawkins"

Into the Water by Paula Hawkins

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


‘Into the Water’ is the second thriller by Paula Hawkins, author of ‘The Girl on the Train’, which was always going to be a hard act to follow considering its success. However, Hawkins’ second novel more than lives up to expectations – an enthralling mystery featuring an ensemble of characters which steadily submerge you in their stories.

At the heart of the novel is the Drowning Pool and the legends and mysteries that circle around it. There are the tales of alleged witches, drowned during trials determining whether they will sink or swim (an allegation of practicing witchcraft was a death sentence; surviving the test would only be held as proof they were in allegiance with the Devil); and speculation surrounding numerous suicides – a woman who murdered her husband, a mother whose son saw her jump, a teenage girl whose reason for taking her own life remains unknown. Legend says, if you go to the water at night or submerge yourself in its depths, you can almost hear its victims calling out to you...

As the novel begins, Nel Abbott is the latest whose life came to an end in the water, falling from the cliff above. But did she jump or was she pushed? Her sister, Jules, becomes convinced she must have been murdered, while her daughter, Lena, seems convinced she killed herself.

There are quite a few characters we get to know throughout the course of the book. As well as the Abbotts, we are introduced to the Whittakers, family of Katie, the teenage girl who took her own life; the Townsends, the DI investigating the case, his wife, and father; as well as several others. I particularly liked Erin, the DS who is new to the area, and all the scenes featuring Nickie, the town psychic, were incredibly entertaining. I almost immediately took a dislike to Patrick, though his obvious commitment to his family remained throughout his redeeming quality. With so many characters, every reader will take away something different from the story, which is undoubtedly one of the novel's strengths.

Told through each of the character's perspectives, the mysteries and secrets of the small town and its inhabitants, past and present, are unveiled, leading to the final revelation in the last few pages.

'Into the Water' proves to be as immersive as the Drowning Pool itself, a thriller that has you hooked to the very end and a perfect companion for a long train ride and sitting atop the cliffs beside the sea.



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A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A smouldering psychological thriller.

A murder of Daniel Sutherland on his houseboat rocks the community of a London suburb.

As speculation runs rife and the police conduct their investigation, it becomes clear that more than one person had a reason to harm Daniel.

For trauma runs deep and festers, never without the threat it will one day combust into vengeance.

‘A Slow Fire Burning’ is Paula Hawkins’ third novel, exploring the circumstances surrounding a brutal murder and the lives of several people tangled with the victim's own, excavating their traumatic history. A finely orchestrated psychological thriller, blending elements of its close cousins the domestic thriller and police procedural, this is a superbly written novel, the story told from multiple perspectives, delving into the past, moving back and forth along the timeline to reveal resentment, deception and betrayal. Everyone has something to hide, the threat of their secrets bubbling to the surface a constant anxiety.

Primarily, the novel focuses on the experiences of three women – Laura, still suffering as the result of a head injury she sustained as a child and struggling to function, who hooked up with the victim prior to his death; Clara, the victim’s aunt, whose son died tragically when he was still a child; and Miriam, the victim’s neighbour, kidnapped as a teenager along with her friend. Also sharing the lead on the narrative are Clara’s husband, Theo, who authored a novel which appears to mirror Miriam’s experience, and Irene, who becomes drawn into the unfolding events from several angles. Each of these characters is impeccably developed, backstories and relationships with the victim entwined to create a complex character-driven plot. I particularly warmed to Irene's character, who channels a little of Miss Marple and tackles many of society’s assumptions about the elderly.

At its heart, the novel is a classic whodunnit, unpeeling the layers of the motivations of many characters and peering into the murkiness surrounding their opportunities to kill. Simmering with suspense, the plot perfectly balances its lightning pace with emotional depth. It deals with some heavy themes – including the loss of a child, kidnap and sexual violence, mental health issues and the deep impact of trauma. In Paula Hawkins’ work, we meet potentially unreliable narrators, whose memories may not be as accurate as they seem, nevertheless developing much empathy for them, and this novel is once again a shining example of that.

Atmospheric and gripping, ‘A Slow Fire Burning’ is a tightly-coiled crime thriller with a quiet yet searing intensity.



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