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In Too Deep: A Short Suspenseful Read
Godfrey's Island is the worst place to be stranded when someone is out to get you… The fog hangs low in the day. And at night, no one leaves. Rose, a talented young artist, travels to the island to paint a portrait of renowned opera singer Anita Low. As Rose temporarily moves in with Anita and her husband Oliver, she can't help but notice an undercurrent of tension running through their seemingly perfect marriage. Oliver seethes with resentment, consumed by Anita's success. Anita remains haunted by the memory of her first husband, David, whose life was cut short by a tragic accident. Driven by an insatiable curiosity, Rose is consumed by the mystery surrounding David's death. Why did he drive into the depths of the sea that fateful night? Was it an accident, or did someone want David dead? As Rose digs deeper, she uncovers a web of hidden truths and secret desires. The longer she stays on the island, the more she's convinced that she's living with the people who hold the key to David's demise. Someone wants the past to stay buried, and they will go to any lengths to keep it that way. A short, suspenseful read by the bestselling author of Silent Child.
- GenresThriller
166 pages, Paperback
Published September 22, 2023
18 people are currently reading
163 people want to read
About the author
Sarah A. Denzil
58 books2,575 followersSarah A. Denzil is a Wall Street Journal bestselling suspense writer. She is also known as young adult author Sarah Dalton.
Sarah lives in Yorkshire with her partner, enjoying the scenic countryside and rather unpredictable weather.
She is the author of international bestselling psychological thriller SILENT CHILD, which topped the bestseller lists on Amazon in the US, UK and Australia.
You can read now read AIDEN'S STORY, a short story and sequel to SILENT CHILD. It's completely free here: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/n7lb74chp3
Find out more at: http://www.sarahdenzil.com/
Join the newsletter for updates: http://eepurl.com/cwAmZD
Follow her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarahadenzil
Check out her Instagram page:
https://www.instagram.com/sarahadenzil/
Email: sarah@sarahdenzil.com
Sarah lives in Yorkshire with her partner, enjoying the scenic countryside and rather unpredictable weather.
She is the author of international bestselling psychological thriller SILENT CHILD, which topped the bestseller lists on Amazon in the US, UK and Australia.
You can read now read AIDEN'S STORY, a short story and sequel to SILENT CHILD. It's completely free here: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/n7lb74chp3
Find out more at: http://www.sarahdenzil.com/
Join the newsletter for updates: http://eepurl.com/cwAmZD
Follow her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarahadenzil
Check out her Instagram page:
https://www.instagram.com/sarahadenzil/
Email: sarah@sarahdenzil.com
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 17, 2023
3⭐️
Summery
Rose has been commissioned to do a painting of the most famous opera singers of the 21st century, Anita Low. She even gets to stay at their mansion until it's completion.
Things aren't all wonderful. First, it's Rose's uncomfortable attraction to Anita's husband, a man more than twice her age, accompanied by the obvious tension between him and his wife. Next is the spooky stories surrounding the home, coupled with the supposed spectral apparitions of her late husband and the rumors surrounding his death. Lastly, all the secrets that lie buried on the island. Is Rose "In Too Deep?"
My Thoughts
My first complaint is that all the "old" or "older" people in the book seem to be around 40s. Seeing as I'm quickly approaching that age myself, I found that to be a tad insulting. I do understand that our main fmc is only in her early 20s, and that would seem oldish to her, but still......
I can honestly say this is my least favorite read from this author. It starts slow and stays slow. The twist, though we'll done and I didn't see coming, was kinda just blah. Even the writing did not live up to her other works.
I own ALL the authors' books and novellas. I fully understand that a short story is not going to be as good as a full length. Even taking that into account, I didn't fully enjoy this one. It took me way too long to read. The whole time, I felt like I was just pushing through due to the fact she is a TOP author for me.
It's not a bad read. It just didn't live up to expectations. I did give it 3⭐️s. More felt like pushed out book instead of one that was carefully planned and written with love.
Summery
Rose has been commissioned to do a painting of the most famous opera singers of the 21st century, Anita Low. She even gets to stay at their mansion until it's completion.
Things aren't all wonderful. First, it's Rose's uncomfortable attraction to Anita's husband, a man more than twice her age, accompanied by the obvious tension between him and his wife. Next is the spooky stories surrounding the home, coupled with the supposed spectral apparitions of her late husband and the rumors surrounding his death. Lastly, all the secrets that lie buried on the island. Is Rose "In Too Deep?"
My Thoughts
My first complaint is that all the "old" or "older" people in the book seem to be around 40s. Seeing as I'm quickly approaching that age myself, I found that to be a tad insulting. I do understand that our main fmc is only in her early 20s, and that would seem oldish to her, but still......
I can honestly say this is my least favorite read from this author. It starts slow and stays slow. The twist, though we'll done and I didn't see coming, was kinda just blah. Even the writing did not live up to her other works.
I own ALL the authors' books and novellas. I fully understand that a short story is not going to be as good as a full length. Even taking that into account, I didn't fully enjoy this one. It took me way too long to read. The whole time, I felt like I was just pushing through due to the fact she is a TOP author for me.
It's not a bad read. It just didn't live up to expectations. I did give it 3⭐️s. More felt like pushed out book instead of one that was carefully planned and written with love.
October 5, 2023
"In Too Deep" by Sarah A. Denzil, from the pen of a seasoned author, indeed took me on a chilling journey to a desolate island shrouded in winter's eerie embrace. The setting itself was profoundly atmospheric, proficiently adding a layer of creepiness that gripped my senses.
The protagonist, Rose, certainly wasn't the most likeable character I've encountered in literature. Her initial actions, knowingly entering into an affair without regard for the marital bonds of others, left me questioning her moral compass. Regrettably, her lack of remorse only intensified my reservations about her character, making it challenging to empathise with her plight.
Nevertheless, Denzil managed to inject a welcome twist towards the story's conclusion, which, I must admit, caught me off guard. It added a refreshing element to the narrative, even though some aspects of the story did feel a tad far-fetched.
"In Too Deep" may suffice as a quick and engaging read for those seeking a brief escape into the suspense genre, but I couldn't help but feel it didn't quite reach the lofty standards I've come to expect from this talented author. Nonetheless, it provided an adequate diversion for a few hours of literary exploration.
The protagonist, Rose, certainly wasn't the most likeable character I've encountered in literature. Her initial actions, knowingly entering into an affair without regard for the marital bonds of others, left me questioning her moral compass. Regrettably, her lack of remorse only intensified my reservations about her character, making it challenging to empathise with her plight.
Nevertheless, Denzil managed to inject a welcome twist towards the story's conclusion, which, I must admit, caught me off guard. It added a refreshing element to the narrative, even though some aspects of the story did feel a tad far-fetched.
"In Too Deep" may suffice as a quick and engaging read for those seeking a brief escape into the suspense genre, but I couldn't help but feel it didn't quite reach the lofty standards I've come to expect from this talented author. Nonetheless, it provided an adequate diversion for a few hours of literary exploration.
March 4, 2025
2.5 stars rounded up for one big secret I didn't see coming.
Rose is an artist, and she is hired by a man named Oliver to paint a portrait of his wife, Anita Low, a famous opera singer. Oliver invites Rose to their house on an island so that she can work. Rose begins her job immediately, but shortly after her arrival on the island, she learns about Rose's first marriage to a man named David. Apparently he died, driving his car off a cliff, and Rose gets curious about David's death. Was it suicide? Or did someone kill him?
SPOILERS AHEAD
Some claimed that David was an amazing husband and he and Anita were deeply in love, but the truth was that David cheated on Anita every chance he got. Once, he had an affair with a woman in Birmingham, and it was the last time. Anita was so fed up with her husband's infidelity that she killed him.
But Oliver knew them both very well, and he guessed what happened that night. He used this info to get closer to Anita, but even though they did get married, Anita never loved him the way she loved David, and Oliver got bored of being the second man for Anita. He found out the woman from Birnigham had a daugher from David, and he made a plan. Rose was that daughter, and he hired her to get her on the island.
What he didn't know, however, was that, Rose's abusive stalker of a boyfriend, a man named Sam followed Rose to the island. Sam tried to attack Rose, and Rose killed him in self-defence. Oliver saw this and blackmailed Rose to get her to lie to Anita, saying that she found out about her father and Anita on her own, and that was why she came all this way to the island. Which she did so that she wouldn't get arrested for the murder of Sam.
Before I forget, Rose had already fell in love with Anita at this point and they had a brief affair before all these took place, so, that made the story a lot more twisted.
Some time later, Rose wrote a note to Anita telling the truth about Oliver's schemes, and Anita, with the help of her housekeeper, Anita killed Oliver, too. Rose learned about this incident on the newspaper, and having closure, she went on with her life.
I liked the trapped feeling on the island, I liked that Rose was David's illegitimate daughter, and Oliver's plan was interesting, too, but the fact that Rose had an affair with her step-mother was a bit too much for me.
Rose is an artist, and she is hired by a man named Oliver to paint a portrait of his wife, Anita Low, a famous opera singer. Oliver invites Rose to their house on an island so that she can work. Rose begins her job immediately, but shortly after her arrival on the island, she learns about Rose's first marriage to a man named David. Apparently he died, driving his car off a cliff, and Rose gets curious about David's death. Was it suicide? Or did someone kill him?
SPOILERS AHEAD
Some claimed that David was an amazing husband and he and Anita were deeply in love, but the truth was that David cheated on Anita every chance he got. Once, he had an affair with a woman in Birmingham, and it was the last time. Anita was so fed up with her husband's infidelity that she killed him.
But Oliver knew them both very well, and he guessed what happened that night. He used this info to get closer to Anita, but even though they did get married, Anita never loved him the way she loved David, and Oliver got bored of being the second man for Anita. He found out the woman from Birnigham had a daugher from David, and he made a plan. Rose was that daughter, and he hired her to get her on the island.
What he didn't know, however, was that, Rose's abusive stalker of a boyfriend, a man named Sam followed Rose to the island. Sam tried to attack Rose, and Rose killed him in self-defence. Oliver saw this and blackmailed Rose to get her to lie to Anita, saying that she found out about her father and Anita on her own, and that was why she came all this way to the island. Which she did so that she wouldn't get arrested for the murder of Sam.
Before I forget, Rose had already fell in love with Anita at this point and they had a brief affair before all these took place, so, that made the story a lot more twisted.
Some time later, Rose wrote a note to Anita telling the truth about Oliver's schemes, and Anita, with the help of her housekeeper, Anita killed Oliver, too. Rose learned about this incident on the newspaper, and having closure, she went on with her life.
I liked the trapped feeling on the island, I liked that Rose was David's illegitimate daughter, and Oliver's plan was interesting, too, but the fact that Rose had an affair with her step-mother was a bit too much for me.
March 10, 2025
"In Too Deep" oferă o lectură scurtă și captivantă, potrivită pentru iubitorii de thrillere psihologice care caută o poveste rapidă și tensionată. Cu toate acestea, cititorii care preferă o dezvoltare mai profundă a personajelor și a intrigii ar putea găsi această nuvelă mai puțin satisfăcătoare
October 15, 2023
3.5 stars
October 20, 2023
Terrific
A really good storey unfolds slowly keeping you guessing making you turn the pages marvellous characters first-class plot really enjoyed reading this book
A really good storey unfolds slowly keeping you guessing making you turn the pages marvellous characters first-class plot really enjoyed reading this book
January 26, 2024
This one really kept me entertained! I thought the end was a bit rushed and underdeveloped, but still satisfying. Unique, thrilling domestic suspense!
March 31, 2024
3.5 Stars
February 19, 2025
Started off really well but, was disappointed with the plot…
November 17, 2025
Another brilliant book by Sarah Denzil x This is a short book but wow what a brilliant storyline and Sarah always leaves you guessing until the end with the twists. Again totally recommend x
July 20, 2024
🌟🌟🌟
3/5
3/5
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews