Dark Water

Wild Water #2

by Jan Ruth

Part Two of Wild Water
The tragedy and comedy that is Jack's life; is there a future for him and Anna, or is the past too destructive?
Jack Redman, estate agent to the Cheshire set and skilled juggler of complex relationships. Someone to break all the rules, or an unlikely hero?
In this sequel to Wild Water Jack and Anna return to discover that history repeats itself. Anna's long-awaited success as a serious artist is poised to happen, but her joy, along with her relationship with Jack, is threatened by old scores.
Simon Banks is a depressed and unstable man with a plan. He wants to wipe out his past by buying a brighter future, but Jack Redman stands in his way.
Will Jack ever escape the legacy of lies and deceit left by his ex-wife? Can Jack and Anna hold it all together, or will tragic repercussions from Jack's past blow them apart forever?
Jaffareadstoo (top 500 Amazon reviewer): 'There is never a lull in the narrative, the plot is allowed to evolve beautifully, and there some really lovely, light moments which offset the darker elements of the story. All too often sequels can become a bit of damp squib with less on offer than what has gone before, but rest assured that this is not the case with Dark Water.'
Other titles by Jan Ruth: Wild Water, Midnight Sky, White Horizon Silver Rain & two collections of short stories.
*Please note: these books are written in British English. Spellings and grammatical conventions are conversant with the UK and appropriate to the setting.

Genres: Contemporary

Unknown Binding

First published July 5, 2014

About the author

Jan Ruth lives in Snowdonia, a mountainous area of North Wales, UK. Jan writes contemporary fiction about the darker side of the family dynamic, often blending life in rural Wales with a touch of city business. Her style is best described as fast-paced and realistic, with a sprinkling of dry humour.

The real story began at school, with prizes for short stories and poetry. She failed all things mathematical and scientific, and to this day struggles to make sense of anything numerical.
Her first novel – written in 1986 – attracted the attention of editor Anne Dewe, Andrew Mann Literary Agency, London. Dewe’s own company, Love Stories Ltd, was a project aiming to champion those books of substance which contained a romantic element but were perhaps directed towards the more mature reader and consistently fell through the net in traditional publishing. Summer in October was contracted immediately but sadly, the project failed to get the right financial backing and the company dissolved.
Many years later Jan’s second novel, Wild Water, was taken on by Jane C Judd Literary Agency, London. Despite Judd’s enthusiasm, the book failed to find the right niche with a publisher – one brave enough to expand on those established, traditional genre stereotypes. And then Amazon changed the face of the industry with the advent of self-publishing and Jan went on to successfully publish several works of fiction under her own imprint, Celtic Connections. After a brief partnership with Accent Press in 2015, Jan chose to return to the freedom of independent publishing.

Wild Water won the Cornerstones competition for the most popular self-published book in 2011, and Midnight Sky won the Romantic Review Magazine Award (2013). Silver Rain (2015) and Wild Water (2016) were both finalists in the Wishing Shelf Awards.

Jan’s books are available globally via Amazon as ebooks or paperbacks.

Reviews

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Jan Ruth’s ‘Wild Water’, the first book in this series, and was really looking forward to re-joining Jack Redman and following more of his trials and tribulations. I had high hopes, and I wasn’t disappointed.
The story begins with Jack once again trying to please everybody, to do the right thing, and failing. Torn between being with Anna, whose independent nature prevents her from committing, and trying to do the right thing for his children, Jack unwillingly creates a situation that jeopardises his happiness and his future. And to make things worse, daughter Chelsey’s real father arrives on the scene. Unstable and disturbed, Simon Banks poses a real threat and this storyline gives a much darker thread to the story that prevents this (as does the skilful writing) from being chick lit or light romance. There are dark, threatening twists and turns that add another layer and that, in my opinion, make this novel far more accomplished and more interesting than ‘Wild Water’, as good as that is. That said, there is still plenty of humour and lots of lovely lighter moments that make this a thoroughly enjoyable read.
Once again, the characters are believable, empathetic and well-drawn and the settings and events bring a realism to the narrative that anchor the story in both time and place. This is a great read, a lovely way to escape on a miserable post-Christmas chilly evening and is definitely recommended.

[Hannah Symonds · Rating 5 out of 5]

You have to read the first book which is called Wild Water to understand and know the characters, I was so glad to read the next part of Jack's story. I got a sense right from the start that things weren't looking very good for Jack and his family, he is torn between Anna and his children but which will he choose. I still found Patsy horrible some of the things she does is awful. I was so intrigued by what would happen I read this book in a day. It was brilliant.

[Bernadette Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

My oh my. Just as Jack Redman thought things were going well for him, his life begins to disintegrate before his eyes. With spending most of his time in Cheshire, he only has the weekends usually in Wales when he goes home to Anna. The descriptions of the Welsh countryside make you feel like you're there and it's plain to see that it's a place dear to Jan Ruth's heart.

Jack is a successful estate agent and has a nice stable relationship with Anna, but sadly the status quo doesn't last long. History often has the habit of rearing it's ugly head just when you least expect it. Patsy his ex-wife and mother to his children, is always in the background as he shares custody of his children wth her. Patsy knows how to manipulate Jack and she manages to do this very well, usually appearing to get her own way most of the time or setting the seeds for situations to work in her favour.

Simon Banks is a blast from the past, and is a man on a mission. How his mission affects the extended Redman clan is revealed slowly. He is a past acquaintance of Jack, Patsy and Anna but whether he is an acquaintance that they are happy to be reacquainted with remains to be seen.

Poor Jack, just when you think things can't get any worse for him, that's just what they seem to do. He can't seem to do right for doing wrong.

Anna tries her best to keep everyone happy and often goes the extra mile to please other people in the family, but she is soon at the end of her tether with certain situations that arise.

In Wild Water I found Patsy despicable, but at times in this story I found myself feeling a little sorry for her, don't ask me why though. Leopards never seem to change their spots and this much can be said of Patsy too. She unfortunately is her own worst enemy.

With a great mix of secondary characters, with the extended Redman clan and their friends, we have the makings of a great story with lots to tell and believe me there is plenty to tell.

I was sent an ARC of this story from the Author in exchange for an honest review. This is a definite 10/10 from me and will be a cracker of the month. It's well written and is a darker read than Wild Water. There are plenty of moments of humour and comedy, having me laughing at times to myself. Mixed with this humour though, are darker parts and as the story develops you'll be wondering where the story is taking you. At times I found myself hoping that all was going to work out well in the end, but there is no guarantee at all that it will. No one ever said life was all hearts and flowers all the time.

So grab yourself a cuppa or a nice glass of wine and settle yourself down and enjoy the rollercoaster of a ride that you'll be taken on.

[Sarah G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goes down as another off my 2016 Bookworm Bingo Challenge – a book with water on the cover. So many twists and turns that will have you guessing throughout at what will happen next and why certain people are acting the way they are.

The author has the ability to take you on a journey along with the characters, a skill of a good piece of writing. Nothing feels rushed. It just flows at a believable pace where you can imagine things happening.

Poor old Jack, he does tend to make all the wrongs decisions first before seeing the light. Not sure what he was thinking when he started to trust his ex Pasty again, and then to move her and the kids to the same village as Anna’s home made my mind boggle. Jack always wants to do what’s best for everyone but doesn’t always do what’s right. The story starts three years after his daughters wedding where he found out he wasn’t really her biological father. If he had just sat her down along with Pasty then they might have saved themselves an awful lot of trouble. Trouble which comes in the form of Simon Banks, the real biological father, who has got it into his head that he wants his daughter back and will stop at nothing to get to her – a very interesting but unstable character. There’s also the fact that Jack still hasn’t had a DNA test done to see if Pasty’s son, now three, is his. Denial pays a major part for Jack for the first half of this book.

Anna has had enough of everything that keeps happening with Jack and his baggage. She loves him completely but seems to have lost herself along the way the past few years, just like she did with her ex. A new opportunity appears and she finally starts to feel like she is doing something professional with her paintings. But then when Jack goes and moves Pasty to her village she just feels hemmed in. Everywhere she goes she fears of bumping into her. Its like she is constantly on guard, and along with the threat of Simon Banks, feels like the only way out is to move out. Her friend Hilly is also acting strange. Takes a while to understand why she is suddenly so off with her but once you do everything else slowly falls into place.

Drastic actions are needed from all sides and it seems like its all leading to a major climax – which it is. What a ride you are taken on throughout. I feel for Anna as she is always in the middle, having to settle and she shouldn’t have to. Cleverly interlinked sections that come together to create a great story. Lets hope Jack and Anna can get their HEA without too much more trouble brewing in the Welsh hills from now on.

I received this ARC from the author for my honest review.
https://readingnook84.wordpress.com/2...

[Jaffareadstoo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jack Redman, estate agent to the smart Cheshire set, should be living the life of his dreams in North Wales with his partner Anna. But his commute from the leafy suburbs of Wilmslow, to the rural bliss of Gwern farm on the outskirts of Conwy, is fraught with anxiety. Caught between a rock and hard place, Jack struggles to organize a life which is made all the more complicated by his increasingly demanding ex-wife Patsy, his precocious daughter Lottie, and the uncertain paternity of two of his children. Whilst he struggles to keep the peace with Anna, the phrase, oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practise to deceive, springs to mind as Jack Redman tries to juggle his increasingly difficult personal life.

All too often sequels can become a bit of damp squib with less on offer than what has gone before, but rest assured that this is not the case with Dark Water. This follow-on story picks up on the threads which were left hanging at the end of Wild Water. With her usual panache and fine attention to detail Jan Ruth brings together all the pieces of a story which very quickly become a roller coaster of emotional turmoil and smouldering resentments. There is never a lull in the narrative, the plot is allowed to evolve beautifully, and there some really lovely, light moments which offset the darker elements of the story. The banter between Jack and his small daughter, Lottie, is quite irresistible and I found myself laughing out loud at some of their dialogue, and likewise the touching moments between Anna and her dog Benson, brought tears to my eyes and echoed the memories of what it feels like to lose something precious. With the tension is racked up to an almost impossible level, Jack, Anna and Patsy get caught up in a dark and deadly story of long buried secrets, which threatens not just their relationship with each other, but which also has a profound effect on their family and friends.

As with any part-two story, it is almost essential to have read the first book, and whilst it’s not impossible to pick up the story, you will miss the finer points and that would be to do both the story and the author a disservice as the books should be read sequentially. I am heartened that the ending of Dark Water could almost lend itself to another visit to this beautiful part of Wales and I’m sure that Jack Redman and company have a lot more life in them for future stories. I really hope so....

[Jenny Lloyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review of Dark Water by Jan Ruth.
Secrets from the past, untold truths, are about to catch up with Jack Redman in the form of nutter, Simon Banks, who wants to help himself to a large slice of Jack’s life. Simon doesn’t need to do much to get it – he just has to spill the beans. He’s relying on his old lover, Patsy, who will do pretty much anything for money, to help him do it.

You know how it is when the most important decisions (the one’s that might, just might, fuck up your life if you get them wrong) thrust themselves upon you and demand to be answered when too much else is already happening in your life and you can’t deal with this, too? So, you follow the choice that tugs at your emotional heart strings, even though alarm bells are ringing in your head; you barely hear your own voice of reason above the clatter and clutter of your life and, anyway, you don’t have the time or energy to think straight.
This is what happens to Jack and the choice he makes is to let bygones be bygones and go along with his ex- wife’s plea to move herself and their children into Jack’s cottage, just down the road from Jack’s love nest with Anna.

Everyone but Anna thinks the devious and manipulative Patsy has reformed and is finally acting in her children’s best interest. Anna is the voice in the wilderness, ignored and increasingly marginalised.
Jack is torn between his two great loves – Anna, and his kids from his marriage to Patsy. He has to do what is right for his kids but it seems that Anna is unwilling to compromise. As the strain on their relationship takes its toll, Simon Banks is watching and waiting to destroy all that Jack holds dear.

Jan Ruth is a master story-teller. Her characters and their predicaments are so human and so real that you are immediately immersed in their lives; feeling their pain, their joy, and sharing in their laughter, their fears and insecurities. I was rooting for Anna in this one, clasping my forehead with my hand and thinking, oh no, Jack, you IDIOT! Read it, you will see what I mean!

[Shani Struthers · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know what it's like, you've got a load of books to pile through, you look forward to starting them but book after book just doesn't grab you. When that happens I need a break. And for that break I go to Jan Ruth - this is the fourth book of hers I've read and I know one thing when I turn that first page, I'm going to love it! Jan's style of writing is fluid and easy to read, the stories are cracking and the characters ones you come to care about. It's all very real - the people, the settings and what's happening along the way - if ever I was in Conwy, I'd be looking out for Jack Redman that's for sure. Poor Jack, in this superb sequel to Wild Water, he is as beleaguered as ever by his family, which impacts on his new relationship with artist Anna Williams. There's serious repercussions in fact, but you'll just have to read the book to find out what they are - suffice to say, the epilogue will blow your socks off! I also love the Welsh background to it all. Jan's prose is also so beautiful at times, e.g. When it became the taste of sunlight, the sound of distant snowfall, black birds flying at midnight and the perfume of water. There are only a few writers I highlight passages from - Dean Koontz and Ian Banks are two of them and now Jan Ruth - some of the writing really is poetic. I hope there's a third in this series because heaven knows, if there is, it's going to be a blockbuster!

[Elizabeth Lloyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark Water is the sequel to Jan Ruth’s roller-coaster family drama, Wild Water. Once again Jack, 40 something estate agent, with 4 children and his expensive ex-wife, Patsy, to support, is juggling work, family life and miles of driving. He should, however, be much happier now that he is together with his first love, Anna, spending weekends at her farmhouse in north Wales.

But the title of the book begins to be fulfilled when Simon Banks, oddball father of Patsy’s first child comes back into their lives. As Anna’s beloved dog, Benson becomes weaker and more sickly, Simon’s unhealthy obsessions and threatening behaviour begin to impinge on all their lives.

As in the best of dramas, Jack is the cause of his own undoing. Both he and Anna make mistakes and when life should be improving with the recognition of Anna’s artistic talent in a new gallery, disaster strikes.

This compelling action packed story is difficult to put down. Jack’s character is less empathetic but understandable. Seeing the action through the eyes of Jack, Anna and even Simon gives the reader a more complete picture of their motivation and also a suggestion of impending doom.

The conclusion to this dark but exciting novel is both satisfying and thrilling and it could so easily be transferred to the screen.

[Valerie Poore · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the second in the series of books about the complicated life of Jack Redman, I am happy to report that it was even better than the first. I love these books for all sorts of reasons, not least of which is the wonderful setting in and around Conwy in north Wales, an area I just adore. Other reasons are the heart wrenching realism of the predicaments and emotions that beset poor Jack and his girlfriend Anna. Then there is the brilliant characterisation of some of the other characters, most notable of which is Lottie, Jack's home grown English eccentric in a child's body. And of course, there are the animals. Well, I won't say more about those, but they are just as important as the people in Jan Ruth's books, which is another aspect I love. This book kept me up until 4a.m. as I could not put it down until I had reached the nail-biting ending, which like all good serials, ends with a cliffhanging portent of further trials - just when you think Jack has it sorted too. There is much more dark tension in this book than in the first one, so I'm itching to read the third in the series....but I'll have to wait a bit. I need a rest first! Excellent writing from Ms Ruth, and I am thrilled to see there are plenty more books on her list that I can work my way through.

[Eleri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seamless, Jack is back, as if he never left :) Hard to believe it was a few years ago I read Wild Water, I was instantly back with the characters, who in all honesty I probably hadn't fully left behind anyway.
It's even harder to believe these characters actually only exist in Ms Ruth's imagination and that it's fifteen years since she created them in Wild Water! They are colourful and alive and jumping out of the page - they must have been waiting there for her to write them another book.
I loved the sequel as much as the first, it was seamless, great to get back into the story, to love Jack and hate Patsy, read about their highs and lows again.
The book is much darker than the first as the title suggests, which just adds to the page turning quality of it.
I loved it. I just wish I didn't alwaysread her books too fast!! At the end of another one now and the wait begins again .....

[Alex Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh Jack, Jack. I could wring your neck sometimes! When I started reading Dark Water I wondered why he was so cross all the time when life had panned out quite well for him, living part time with the delectable Anna. It was almost as if the drama was foreshadowed by his mood before it happened. Despite my annoyance with his short fuse, his big heart drew me in and I was rooting for him all the way. The self serving Patsy also irritates but Ms Ruth has the gift of letting you inside the heads of the most abject failures, even the sinister and very well drawn Simon, whose tentacles menace the main characters throughout the alternating comedy and drama that is Dark Water. I recommended read for those who love great characterisation, beautiful scenery, well described, and a taut, gripping story. Great stuff.

[Rosie Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark Water is a contemporary read and the sequel to Wild Water. It takes place approximately three years after the first book and continues with the complicated life of Jack Redman. Owner of Redman Estate agents. He has three children, an ex-wife, a new partner and a whole handful of problems.

Juggling far too many balls in the air at once and attempts to work only part-time are failing badly. Jack tries very hard to please everyone and his life spirals out of control.

This book definitely has a darker side to it than the first and I actually think I preferred the first book. I had more sympathy for Jack. In this book I just wanted to shake him and sit him down and have a good talk to him about the mess his life was in.

Still an enjoyable read.

[Lesley Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful to be reacquainted with Jack and his dysfunctional but (mostly) endearing extended family again. All are a few years older but not necessarily any wiser...thankfully! Love's path is bumpier than ever thanks to some ill-judged but well-meant decisions from Jack. But he's not the only culprit...both his ex-wife Patsy and lover Anna engage in distinctly dodgy behaviour triggered by the unwelcome reappearance of figure from all their pasts...an increasingly menacing presence which turns this tale of complicated everyday life into something much, much darker...
This is a love story for grown-ups with a sinister twist...a real page turner and great sequel to the excellent White Water.

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second instalment in the gripping tale of Jack Redman – an attractive, middle-aged man, struggling to do right by all the people he loves. Jan has the enviable knack of writing cleverly and concisely – evoking real emotion in the imagination of the reader rather than spelling everything out. This brings the complex and appealing characters to life, as they are revealed through their interactions, meaning they stay with you long after you have put the book down. There are some dark moments, but also those which are deeply touching and those which made me chuckle out loud – a thoroughly satisfying read.

[Lorraine Pestell · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second book in the Wild Water series is every bit as good as the first, and it was nice to recognise these very believable characters as old friends. Everything should be so perfect for Jack and Anna, and yet it's not!

The intertwined stories run along very cleverly, weaving each character in and out. Each twist seems at first outrageous, until we find out how easily it could happen to any one of us.

I did not anticipate the ending at all - a great segue into "Silent Water". Do I wait a while or get straight into it?

[Hayley Bardsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this on my kindle when I was looking for something new to read I must of bought it over a year ago. Upon starting I found myself thinking why have I left it this long before reading. Jan Ruth has created some great characters in this book and everything she has written about is real and enables people to relate to it.

[Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great follow on to Jack, Anna & Patsys story. Another great read.

[LindyLouMac · Rating 5 out of 5]

I must start with an admission that when I picked this novel up to read a few weeks ago I was under the impression that I had already reviewed Wild Water to which this is a sequel. Unfortunately it seems I never did. Having read it in 2013 not a good year for me, I must have got distracted so I must apologise to the author who had kindly supplied me with a copy for my Kindle. I read the sequel as a paperback edition and I will admit to still preferring a book in my hands. Do not get me wrong though I do love my Kindle, perfect for travel situations.

My memories of how I first came across the author Jan Ruth are I am sorry to say confused in my mind, the year I have had I think I can be forgiven. It was I know early in the year when I discovered that she is based in Wales and that some of her wrting is actually set in the Snowdonia National Park, which I am now living right on the edge of. Well I just had to read her books as the locations of a novel are always of great interest to me. It was very evident from her writing that the author has a strong connection with the Welsh landscape. I will definitely be reading this author's work in the future as she writes with passion about the landscape and her characters come alive in ones mind with her humorous and skilful story telling.

Although Dark Water will have you smiling at times it is also a very sinister and dramatic read as you are drawn into Jack's tragic life. Living part time with his gorgeous girlfriend Anna, you just keep wondering how life is going to pan out for these two? Will the menacing presence of Simon Banks ruin things for ever. You will not know unless you read this for yourself, if you enjoy a narrative that is both set in reality, yet never dull this is one for you.

Recommended to all fans of Contemporary Romantic Fiction, Country Life and Wales.

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[Pauline Barclay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark is the word here and Jan Ruth has delivered a stunning sequel to Wild Water. There is to be a follow on from Dark Water and I can not wait. I have read all Jan's books and all are great reads. No pressure Ms Ruth but more soon, please!