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Anderson & Costello #3
Dark Water
A bitterly cold February in Glasgow. Hanging from a rope in the attic of a deserted tenement is the body of a criminal believed to have been hiding out on the Costa del Sol these last ten years. His face has been hideously disfigured.
Investigating officers DI Anderson and DS Costello believe the dead man to be a suspect in a decade-old case- the rape and attempted murder of a young student by two men. And there are other, similar cases on file.
But what has happened to the dead man's accomplice, 'Mr Click'?
And with the discovery of another young woman who has been brutally attacked, detectives Anderson and Costello realise this terrifying psychopath has started working once more. They must use every trick in the book to stop him. For Mr Click has developed a taste for his bloodthirsty trade. And to satisfy his lust he will strike again and again . . .
Investigating officers DI Anderson and DS Costello believe the dead man to be a suspect in a decade-old case- the rape and attempted murder of a young student by two men. And there are other, similar cases on file.
But what has happened to the dead man's accomplice, 'Mr Click'?
And with the discovery of another young woman who has been brutally attacked, detectives Anderson and Costello realise this terrifying psychopath has started working once more. They must use every trick in the book to stop him. For Mr Click has developed a taste for his bloodthirsty trade. And to satisfy his lust he will strike again and again . . .
480 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2010
323 people are currently reading
331 people want to read
About the author
Caro Ramsay
34 books204 followersCaro Ramsay was born and educated in Glasgow. She has been writing stories since she was five years old, developing a keen interest in crime fiction and a passion for the genre that lead her to write Absolution, her first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
September 10, 2022
Dark Water is a crime thriller. I had to think to remember this subgenre term. I have rarely read books of that type. I have read plenty of spy thrillers from the previous decade and also a few uncategorised books that were hybrids of sorts. Dark Water is a proper crime book. It is frighteningly good. Literally. I was reading this at a point where the suspense was ramping up, reading it late night to early morning, and I was very jumpy. This book gets to you. I read it purely on my Kindle - no accompanied audiobook - and each of the chapters that mattered were 1 hour or 50 minutes. All of them savoury, and also criminally sickly sweet.
The secret ingredient of such a mystery book is finely seasoned crime. This book found an unlikely fan in me. I have been acquainted with the Anderson and Costello detective duo, assisted by a brilliant supporting cast. I usually do not enjoy grisly murder inquiries, but Dark Water was so well written, it seemed like Ramsay, the fine author of the book, had only me in mind when penning it. This book speaks to you. I have DNFed a lot of hyped procedurals in the past. Heavy hitters like J.D. Robb, Mel Sherratt, and faceless others who simply were not my cup of tea. They seem like weird stepsisters compared to Ramsay.
The prose behind the plot and the crime in the book is old fashioned storytelling. Soon this type of writing will become extinct. The new authors out of Creative Writing classes either use romantic tropes disguised as Fantasy, or use heavily borrowed research as the voice in their crime books. In Ramsay I found an able writer. A writer who knows how to crank up the tension effortlessly. Ramsay's red herrings are like chameleons camouflaged an inch away from your eyes. This book was terrific fun to read.
I did not solve this serial killing case. Cold cases butted in with current ones. The body count was unobtrusive but very prolific. One of the temporary characters, DS Lambie's relationship with the cold cases ended up in a very surprising twist. I will not divulge further, except that his thread in this tangled knot was a perfectly startling and natural reveal. I thought that one of the well off people committed the crime. This book has no cheap thrills in it. And the way with which it sketched each character was pleasing to the mind.
The big disappointment here is the identity of the murderer - or one of them. I expected someone with a high IQ, like a pocket Moriarty. Someone with a philosophy related to his drive, his motive. I wanted the murderer to be someone who simply did not exist in this book. And deep down, I knew I was going to be disappointed. To meet my childish and exuberant expectations of the big reveal would need to involve quasi supernatural touchups.
This book, I decided, while being a bit classic prose, was also dynamic. The timelines are sporadic. The previous book happened a couple of years before this one. Then the duration of the book occurred in mere days, with hours of police work squeezed into pages of action. I have no idea who will appear in the next novel... some people are going to recede beyond the background. Others will be transferred. Indeed both Anderson and Costello were removed from Partickhill (the detectives' headquarters) for stints on consulting or detective work in exile, so to speak. It seems like the book heralded the end of an era. The next one will be with different protagonists but hopefully with the same grungy energy as this one.
The secret ingredient of such a mystery book is finely seasoned crime. This book found an unlikely fan in me. I have been acquainted with the Anderson and Costello detective duo, assisted by a brilliant supporting cast. I usually do not enjoy grisly murder inquiries, but Dark Water was so well written, it seemed like Ramsay, the fine author of the book, had only me in mind when penning it. This book speaks to you. I have DNFed a lot of hyped procedurals in the past. Heavy hitters like J.D. Robb, Mel Sherratt, and faceless others who simply were not my cup of tea. They seem like weird stepsisters compared to Ramsay.
The prose behind the plot and the crime in the book is old fashioned storytelling. Soon this type of writing will become extinct. The new authors out of Creative Writing classes either use romantic tropes disguised as Fantasy, or use heavily borrowed research as the voice in their crime books. In Ramsay I found an able writer. A writer who knows how to crank up the tension effortlessly. Ramsay's red herrings are like chameleons camouflaged an inch away from your eyes. This book was terrific fun to read.
I did not solve this serial killing case. Cold cases butted in with current ones. The body count was unobtrusive but very prolific. One of the temporary characters, DS Lambie's relationship with the cold cases ended up in a very surprising twist. I will not divulge further, except that his thread in this tangled knot was a perfectly startling and natural reveal. I thought that one of the well off people committed the crime. This book has no cheap thrills in it. And the way with which it sketched each character was pleasing to the mind.
The big disappointment here is the identity of the murderer - or one of them. I expected someone with a high IQ, like a pocket Moriarty. Someone with a philosophy related to his drive, his motive. I wanted the murderer to be someone who simply did not exist in this book. And deep down, I knew I was going to be disappointed. To meet my childish and exuberant expectations of the big reveal would need to involve quasi supernatural touchups.
This book, I decided, while being a bit classic prose, was also dynamic. The timelines are sporadic. The previous book happened a couple of years before this one. Then the duration of the book occurred in mere days, with hours of police work squeezed into pages of action. I have no idea who will appear in the next novel... some people are going to recede beyond the background. Others will be transferred. Indeed both Anderson and Costello were removed from Partickhill (the detectives' headquarters) for stints on consulting or detective work in exile, so to speak. It seems like the book heralded the end of an era. The next one will be with different protagonists but hopefully with the same grungy energy as this one.
April 7, 2012
The One Sentence Summary: The prime suspect of a rape and mutilation from ten years earlier is found hanging in an empty tenement in Glasgow, a string of similar attacks is uncovered, and an entire police squad on the brink of closure is pulled into the case.
The Meat and Potatoes: On New Year’s Eve in 2000 a young girl is attacked, raped, and severely beaten outside Glasgow, Scotland. She is able to identify one of her two attackers, but he flees the country before an arrest can be made. Ten years later he’s founded murdered—beaten in the same manner as the girl he helped violate. Then another young female victim surfaces, this one a member of a wealthy family. Soon connections to other cases begin to appear, and the detectives of Partickhill Station are left on the trail of a serial offender operating all over Scotland, who now appears to have come home.
Dark Water is a novel written in the third person, past tense, with an omniscient narrator. The story focuses on the detectives of the nearly defunct Partickhill Station in Glasgow as they try to solve the crimes, the complexity of which increase with every page. Caro Ramsay has set Dark Water in a bitterly cold winter when the city has been blanketed with thick fog that never lifts in the four days that the novel takes place. While the fog creates added mystery (since the detectives can’t see more than a few feet in any direction at any time), it’s a little hard to believe that such a heavy fog could last so long.
Other than the prologue, which follows the first victim as she’s attacked, the novel is exclusively a cop story. The only characters in Dark Water are police, forensic investigators, victims and their families, witnesses, and a small camera crew set to follow the police for PR photos, and rarely, if ever, are these other characters described outside their interactions with the police. Even the detectives are almost exclusively shown in their working lives, and we hardly get a sense of them as real people. These characters end up interchangeable in the readers' minds because we’re given very little to differentiate them, and they are almost always referred to by their last names, all of which are very generic.
Ramsay spends a lot of time building up the evidence, but fails to work it into the story with any nuance. The first half of the book describes the tedious gathering of evidence on two crimes that may or may not be related. The story picks up some pace when a task force of sorts is created and other victims are discovered across Scotland, but on the whole the novel is a slow march to ten or so pages of action, with an unsatisfying conclusion. Ramsay’s writing is technically proficient but includes nothing that makes it especially enjoyable to read.
The Praiseworthy: Interspersed through the third person narrative are short accounts written in the first person present tense, which are the thoughts and observations of a mysterious outside character. This technique helps to liven up the story and keep the reader guessing.
The Shortcomings: The plot. And the characters. The mystery that Ramsay has created is not bad, but her choice in focusing completely on the police in telling that story is a poor one. While reading Dark Water I kept confusing the characters with each other. At first I thought I was simply tired, but I came to realize it was because every character had a nearly identical personality. Similarly, I often got lost in the unattributed dialogue because all of the characters had the same voice. The only detective who stood out was DC Browne, and that was only because she was a wimpy, whiney female who even goes so far as to exclaim “I’m scared!” when walking through the fog with her partner to confront a suspect.
Another major failing is Ramsay’s excessive use of initialisms:
The writing in Dark Water also suffers from weak transitions that do little to ground us in the new scene. For example, Ramsay starts a section about an interrogation with a description of a swinging light bulb, which could be any light bulb in any building, and adds nothing to the scene.
Ramsay’s writing is also rife with repetition. In one scene she describes a character as “sinking into a big chair as though he was thinking of taking root in it,” and just two paragraphs later mentions that he “felt himself sink deeper into the leather chair.” Later she includes a thought by the chief investigator that an officer’s actions were “strange behaviour for one so dedicated.” With a mere sentence between, another character repeats “Strange, for one so committed to the case.” Even considering that the point was for one character to speak aloud the other’s thoughts, a resourceful writer would have used different words.
The Verdict: I would recommend Dark Water only to readers who enjoy crime stories that focus exclusively on police investigations, and aren’t deterred by proficient but mediocre writing.
*For your convenience, a list of Ramsay’s unexplained initialisms and their meanings:
The Meat and Potatoes: On New Year’s Eve in 2000 a young girl is attacked, raped, and severely beaten outside Glasgow, Scotland. She is able to identify one of her two attackers, but he flees the country before an arrest can be made. Ten years later he’s founded murdered—beaten in the same manner as the girl he helped violate. Then another young female victim surfaces, this one a member of a wealthy family. Soon connections to other cases begin to appear, and the detectives of Partickhill Station are left on the trail of a serial offender operating all over Scotland, who now appears to have come home.
Dark Water is a novel written in the third person, past tense, with an omniscient narrator. The story focuses on the detectives of the nearly defunct Partickhill Station in Glasgow as they try to solve the crimes, the complexity of which increase with every page. Caro Ramsay has set Dark Water in a bitterly cold winter when the city has been blanketed with thick fog that never lifts in the four days that the novel takes place. While the fog creates added mystery (since the detectives can’t see more than a few feet in any direction at any time), it’s a little hard to believe that such a heavy fog could last so long.
Other than the prologue, which follows the first victim as she’s attacked, the novel is exclusively a cop story. The only characters in Dark Water are police, forensic investigators, victims and their families, witnesses, and a small camera crew set to follow the police for PR photos, and rarely, if ever, are these other characters described outside their interactions with the police. Even the detectives are almost exclusively shown in their working lives, and we hardly get a sense of them as real people. These characters end up interchangeable in the readers' minds because we’re given very little to differentiate them, and they are almost always referred to by their last names, all of which are very generic.
Ramsay spends a lot of time building up the evidence, but fails to work it into the story with any nuance. The first half of the book describes the tedious gathering of evidence on two crimes that may or may not be related. The story picks up some pace when a task force of sorts is created and other victims are discovered across Scotland, but on the whole the novel is a slow march to ten or so pages of action, with an unsatisfying conclusion. Ramsay’s writing is technically proficient but includes nothing that makes it especially enjoyable to read.
The Praiseworthy: Interspersed through the third person narrative are short accounts written in the first person present tense, which are the thoughts and observations of a mysterious outside character. This technique helps to liven up the story and keep the reader guessing.
The Shortcomings: The plot. And the characters. The mystery that Ramsay has created is not bad, but her choice in focusing completely on the police in telling that story is a poor one. While reading Dark Water I kept confusing the characters with each other. At first I thought I was simply tired, but I came to realize it was because every character had a nearly identical personality. Similarly, I often got lost in the unattributed dialogue because all of the characters had the same voice. The only detective who stood out was DC Browne, and that was only because she was a wimpy, whiney female who even goes so far as to exclaim “I’m scared!” when walking through the fog with her partner to confront a suspect.
Another major failing is Ramsay’s excessive use of initialisms:
DS Lambie, I’d like to see you in my office. DI Anderson, can you join us please? DS Littlewood, please make sure DS Mullholland is OK; take him to hospital if necessary. DC Browne, can you clean the place up? DS Costello will help you.Even if it’s true that the police in Glasgow always refer to each other by title, one would think Ramsay could have dropped a few of these for the sake of the narrative flow. Another problem is that Ramsay gives us these initialisms (as well as DCI, SOCO, SIO, ACC, PC, and CID*) with only context clues to determine their meanings. While the police titles may be familiar to Glasgow readers, a good writer would spell out each at least once so as not to alienate others.
The writing in Dark Water also suffers from weak transitions that do little to ground us in the new scene. For example, Ramsay starts a section about an interrogation with a description of a swinging light bulb, which could be any light bulb in any building, and adds nothing to the scene.
Ramsay’s writing is also rife with repetition. In one scene she describes a character as “sinking into a big chair as though he was thinking of taking root in it,” and just two paragraphs later mentions that he “felt himself sink deeper into the leather chair.” Later she includes a thought by the chief investigator that an officer’s actions were “strange behaviour for one so dedicated.” With a mere sentence between, another character repeats “Strange, for one so committed to the case.” Even considering that the point was for one character to speak aloud the other’s thoughts, a resourceful writer would have used different words.
The Verdict: I would recommend Dark Water only to readers who enjoy crime stories that focus exclusively on police investigations, and aren’t deterred by proficient but mediocre writing.
*For your convenience, a list of Ramsay’s unexplained initialisms and their meanings:
ACC- Assistant Chief Constable
DCI- Detective Chief Investigator
DI- Detective Inspector
DS- Detective Sergeant
DC- Detective Constable
PC- Police Constable
SOCO- Scene of Crime Officer
SIO- Senior Investigating Officer
CID- Criminal Investigative Division
October 25, 2011
Okay, so I'm a more than a bit of a fan of Caro Ramsay for a lot of reasons. DARK WATER is her third book, featuring a number of ongoing characters, but somehow there's not quite a feeling of a series about these. If you've not read ABSOLUTION, the first book, that will probably sound a bit odd - but let's just say at the end of that book something I've always thought of as quite brave from an author happens. The second book SINGING TO THE DEAD has to move on as a result, and again here, we've got a slight switch in the pairings, the characters and the goings on in this book.
We are talking Tartan Noir here - so there is the obligatory setting of dense fog, cold and a series of violent deaths that seem to have all the markings of a serial killer. There's also a former beauty queen, her mentally ill sister, a rather attractive photographer and his well dodgy assistant and a healthy sprinkling of odd types hanging around the edges. Adding to the obligatory list is the team being stuffed around by their bosses and all, some romantic tension in the ranks, a rookie who is prepared ot push the boundaries and the required tension within any well functioning police team.
Sounds all very predictable doesn't it. Luckily in Ramsay's hands there's an edge, a certain something that makes the basic elements of a Tartan Noir police procedural just that little bit better than you'd think. When I say I'm a bit of a fan - I'm talking a very very big bit.
We are talking Tartan Noir here - so there is the obligatory setting of dense fog, cold and a series of violent deaths that seem to have all the markings of a serial killer. There's also a former beauty queen, her mentally ill sister, a rather attractive photographer and his well dodgy assistant and a healthy sprinkling of odd types hanging around the edges. Adding to the obligatory list is the team being stuffed around by their bosses and all, some romantic tension in the ranks, a rookie who is prepared ot push the boundaries and the required tension within any well functioning police team.
Sounds all very predictable doesn't it. Luckily in Ramsay's hands there's an edge, a certain something that makes the basic elements of a Tartan Noir police procedural just that little bit better than you'd think. When I say I'm a bit of a fan - I'm talking a very very big bit.
October 31, 2023
Another very good instalment, with a complex plot. A very enjoyable read.
January 9, 2022
Caro Ramsay is such a good writer and this is what I would call a 'proper' police procedural. As the story progressed I felt like I was a fly on the wall of the investigation and party to every decision that the police made while investigating a complex case involving rape and murder. The book is set in Glasgowduring a foggy spell which adds to the dark themes of the book.
I usually increase the speed when I listen to audiobooks but this one was quite complicated and I listened at normal speed so that I could concentrate better on what was happening. I love the characters of Anderson and Costello because they feel very real and I like the way they have developed with each new book.
I did guess who Mr Click was about halfway through the book, but I certainly didn't guess the 'why' which came as a huge shock at the end!
James Macpherson's narration was spot on and enhanced my enjoyment of the book.
I usually increase the speed when I listen to audiobooks but this one was quite complicated and I listened at normal speed so that I could concentrate better on what was happening. I love the characters of Anderson and Costello because they feel very real and I like the way they have developed with each new book.
I did guess who Mr Click was about halfway through the book, but I certainly didn't guess the 'why' which came as a huge shock at the end!
James Macpherson's narration was spot on and enhanced my enjoyment of the book.
March 5, 2011
This is the third book by Caro Ramsay set in Partickhill Police Station in Glasgow and, whilst each book is a 'stand alone' story, it helps with the character development if you start with the first book: 'Absolution' and then read 'Singing to the dead'.
This story is set in the midst of a very dense foggy spell in Glasgow and the 'team' are investigating a series of violent deaths which are starting to look like the work of serial killer. The cast of characters include a former beauty queen living in luxury in a big house desperate for any kind of publicity, her mentally damaged sister, a couple of strange guys who live and work in the grounds of 'the big house', a handsome, beguiling photographer and his suspect assistant. Added to these folk, we have the internal tension brought about by two of Paisley cop shop's finest having to move into Partickhill Station to help with the investigation. Oh and we also have a 'rookie' female, ex psychiatric nurse, policewoman with a crush on her senior colleague!
I enjoyed the book and one gets a real sense of what being a police detective is like, which is not necessarily a good thing! Spending your time chasing after sick and deranged people obviously takes it's toll, especially if the hunter and the hunted have a lot in common!
This story is set in the midst of a very dense foggy spell in Glasgow and the 'team' are investigating a series of violent deaths which are starting to look like the work of serial killer. The cast of characters include a former beauty queen living in luxury in a big house desperate for any kind of publicity, her mentally damaged sister, a couple of strange guys who live and work in the grounds of 'the big house', a handsome, beguiling photographer and his suspect assistant. Added to these folk, we have the internal tension brought about by two of Paisley cop shop's finest having to move into Partickhill Station to help with the investigation. Oh and we also have a 'rookie' female, ex psychiatric nurse, policewoman with a crush on her senior colleague!
I enjoyed the book and one gets a real sense of what being a police detective is like, which is not necessarily a good thing! Spending your time chasing after sick and deranged people obviously takes it's toll, especially if the hunter and the hunted have a lot in common!
May 23, 2018
I got a great deal from this book. However, my description of it may appear a little contradictory so please bear with me.
It was absorbing but it wasn't a book I read rapidly and breathlessly in expectation of the denouement.
It wasn't easy to read but the prose flowed well, the characters were rounded and plausible.
The plot was poised at that delightful point where 'highly unusual' stops short of being 'illogical'. It was highly logical, well plotted, coherent, and consistent.
What set the book apart was that the crimes under investigation and the behaviour of the culprit were not normal...but, to be honest, run-of-the-mill, heat of the moment 'normal' crimes don't make for good fiction or drama!
It's a while since I read the first two in the series and have an only sketchy memory of some events that are referenced in passing. I do recall the importance and descriptions of place in the previous ones. In this one, the weather was an extra character - dense fog and freezing temperatures, proper cold, below zero.
There;s a criminal profiler who males a reappearance in this book, and he is currently interested in narcissism. I don't think that I have any greater understanding of the condition as a result, but it sustained my interest/puzzlement at how narcissists and sociopaths can live their lives devoid of the normal emotions that the majority of us possess. Serves a reminder that narcissism and vanity are not interchangeable terms. Many/most of us are vain up to a point - in many cases it's merely an extension of pride in or anxiety about our appearance. But narcissism is something entirely different.
As the author/psychologist remind us, Narcissus was a Greek myth who fell in love with his own image reflected in a pond, which seems to me to be an extension of extreme vanity, whereas the behaviour described by the psychologist and exhibited by several characters is more than just self-destructive - it is demonstrably harmful to individuals and to society.
There's a theme running through of relationships - difficult marriages, inappropriate sexual liaisons, complicated nuclear family relationships. Thought provoking but not overdone.
As I say, it's not a light beach read, but is a good example of how crime/police procedurals, perhaps especially series, allow the author to examine aspects of human behaviour and society that would never make it into so-called 'literary' fiction.
It was absorbing but it wasn't a book I read rapidly and breathlessly in expectation of the denouement.
It wasn't easy to read but the prose flowed well, the characters were rounded and plausible.
The plot was poised at that delightful point where 'highly unusual' stops short of being 'illogical'. It was highly logical, well plotted, coherent, and consistent.
What set the book apart was that the crimes under investigation and the behaviour of the culprit were not normal...but, to be honest, run-of-the-mill, heat of the moment 'normal' crimes don't make for good fiction or drama!
It's a while since I read the first two in the series and have an only sketchy memory of some events that are referenced in passing. I do recall the importance and descriptions of place in the previous ones. In this one, the weather was an extra character - dense fog and freezing temperatures, proper cold, below zero.
There;s a criminal profiler who males a reappearance in this book, and he is currently interested in narcissism. I don't think that I have any greater understanding of the condition as a result, but it sustained my interest/puzzlement at how narcissists and sociopaths can live their lives devoid of the normal emotions that the majority of us possess. Serves a reminder that narcissism and vanity are not interchangeable terms. Many/most of us are vain up to a point - in many cases it's merely an extension of pride in or anxiety about our appearance. But narcissism is something entirely different.
As the author/psychologist remind us, Narcissus was a Greek myth who fell in love with his own image reflected in a pond, which seems to me to be an extension of extreme vanity, whereas the behaviour described by the psychologist and exhibited by several characters is more than just self-destructive - it is demonstrably harmful to individuals and to society.
There's a theme running through of relationships - difficult marriages, inappropriate sexual liaisons, complicated nuclear family relationships. Thought provoking but not overdone.
As I say, it's not a light beach read, but is a good example of how crime/police procedurals, perhaps especially series, allow the author to examine aspects of human behaviour and society that would never make it into so-called 'literary' fiction.
December 20, 2021
The third in this crime series, I had high hopes as I’ve seen many praise this series in online crime book forums, and the book has an amazingly high rating.
But though the idea behind it was intriguing - it’s basically a revenge story without giving too much away - I found the writing style a real struggle, with a highly improbable ending. The final reveal of who was behind the crimes (well, most of them) requires such a large leap of faith, you’re left feeling very unsatisfied.
Overall, it was mostly average, with the ending irritating me enough to think of it as below average. Having read the first two and thought similarly, won’t be rushing back to follow the rest of the series any time soon.
Most people know the phrase “less is more”, but it also works the other round. This felt like the writer threw too much at this book. Frequently found my attention wandering.
Maybe later books in the series benefit from stricter editing? But here, there were too many long passages packed full of unnecessary and clunky adjectives and adverbs that didn’t add to the story. Too many characters, with lots of confusing passages where A was talking to B and C, while D and E were over the other side of the room trying to talk to F and G about what H and I had been doing.
The police characters all start to blur together after a while, and some of the interactions (especially with two detectives who join the investigation from another force) just feel awkward and unrealistic.
The dialogue also varies from sounding OK to sounding weirdly implausible. If you find yourself reading a conversation and thinking, but real people don’t talk like that, then you know you’re not really enjoying the book.
Overall, there was just way too much going on with this book, resulting in a very long and at times confusing read that feels about a third longer than it needed to be.
But though the idea behind it was intriguing - it’s basically a revenge story without giving too much away - I found the writing style a real struggle, with a highly improbable ending. The final reveal of who was behind the crimes (well, most of them) requires such a large leap of faith, you’re left feeling very unsatisfied.
Overall, it was mostly average, with the ending irritating me enough to think of it as below average. Having read the first two and thought similarly, won’t be rushing back to follow the rest of the series any time soon.
Most people know the phrase “less is more”, but it also works the other round. This felt like the writer threw too much at this book. Frequently found my attention wandering.
Maybe later books in the series benefit from stricter editing? But here, there were too many long passages packed full of unnecessary and clunky adjectives and adverbs that didn’t add to the story. Too many characters, with lots of confusing passages where A was talking to B and C, while D and E were over the other side of the room trying to talk to F and G about what H and I had been doing.
The police characters all start to blur together after a while, and some of the interactions (especially with two detectives who join the investigation from another force) just feel awkward and unrealistic.
The dialogue also varies from sounding OK to sounding weirdly implausible. If you find yourself reading a conversation and thinking, but real people don’t talk like that, then you know you’re not really enjoying the book.
Overall, there was just way too much going on with this book, resulting in a very long and at times confusing read that feels about a third longer than it needed to be.
February 3, 2013
A decent crime genre novel that helped me pass a couple of hours on a lazy Sunday afternoon. The lack of differentiation between characters has been picked up by other reviewers and the repetition. I guess main gripes with the novel were (1) immediately guessable solution in terms of who was responsible, and (2) overuse of coincidence. I enjoyed the name checks to the west end of Glasgow, satisfying my sense of location (although sadly the University Cafe is no more). I wasn't comfortable with one aspect of the denouement - related to the sex life of a brain damaged woman.
October 30, 2013
I found this book rather lengthy and complicated. Way too many people in it, and although I found out later that the similarities in names had a reason it didn't help right through the book having to think "now which one was that?". I think that book could have had 50 or more pages cut out of it and it would have helped the ease of the story.
June 28, 2021
I give this mystery 4 1/2 stars. The story is complex and populated with so many characters that it was hard to keep track of them all at times. The police force was well developed and had their strengths and weaknesses. In the beginning they were all introduced at once and it was overwhelming but eventually you sort them all out. There were many crimes here, a lot of history and suspense as red herrings and plot twists lead you along to the satisfying end. I did enjoy it in the end.
October 31, 2022
Enjoyed this book
February 25, 2012
I wish I could give this another half star! I loved this book. This is the third book in a series and, I think, the best. The setting with the cold and the fog kind of gave the whole book a menacing atmosphere which was palpable.
I had a vague idea of who the bad guy was but was thrown off the track because there was so much going on, two plots that kept converging and diverging and there were many other viable suspects. The characters, most of whom have been developing through the series are great. I guess the ending was just a little implausible and I prefer it when the threads are wrapped up through the action rather than narration at the end, so not full marks this time.
I had a vague idea of who the bad guy was but was thrown off the track because there was so much going on, two plots that kept converging and diverging and there were many other viable suspects. The characters, most of whom have been developing through the series are great. I guess the ending was just a little implausible and I prefer it when the threads are wrapped up through the action rather than narration at the end, so not full marks this time.
April 1, 2020
Have tried to read another of Caro Ramsays book. I gave that a one star and the same with this one. It may not be fair, as Covid19 has just caused utter chaos in New Zealand and around the world - very distracting and worrying. Also my dad has been diagnosed with prostrate cancer - I may never see him again. So it has been a bit hard to concentrate on a book. What I didn't like was the huge amount of characters in the first 30 odd pages. Just too many for me to concentrate on in the best of times.
September 27, 2011
Read only if you have trouble sleeping. All you need is one page and you're out. Or if you enjoy the torture of nothing interesting happening until the last 10 pages.
September 1, 2023
3 I’m afraid that this was another depressing Scottish crime novel. Not much humour or lightness to break the sombreness.
October 17, 2018
DARK WATER is the third in the Anderson and Costello series by Caro Ramsay set in the Partickhill Police station in Glasgow. Each book is a standalone story on its own but it does help with character development and background to begin with the first book ABSOLUTION - a book which in itself is a little different from the those that follow. But that is another review (and story) altogether.
It's been a good while since I read SINGING TO THE DEAD - the last one in the series - that I can't really remember what took place there. I do recall that it took a lot to live up to the very first book in the series that I found it slow going and didn't feel the need to hurry to the next one. I guess I am used to faster paced books, as after the first book, I found these next two much slower in pace that it was hard to believe it was the same series. I think because ABSOLUTION had such a turnaround with its main characters you are left wondering just who are the main characters in the series! Still readers should read ABSOLUTION before any of the others as it does give you more insight into the characters.
So enough of that, and on with the review!
So DARK WATER is set in the midst of some extreme weather conditions and a very dense foggy spell in Glasgow with freezing temperatures and it's with that that the pace moves about as fast as the fog in places. It begins some 10 years prior on New Years Eve on the eve of the new millenium and the violent rape of young Emily Corbett who was on her way home. Fast forward a decade and the team find themselves invesitgating the death of the man originally identified as Emily's rapist - who'd absconded abroad to avoid prosecution after the attack - and was now found hanging in an abandoned tenement with his head caved in. His injuries are not unlike those of Emily's and soon the team discover a pattern of rapes and possible suspects in those attacks. But there is a similar vein to all of them. They all claim to be held at gunpoint, blindfolded with the gun pointed at their heads and the cocking of the weapon. All but one. She says the sound "was not a gun cocking". So what was it? The team soon refer to the sound as simply "a click" as that is how the victims all describe it - a click. While the team refer to this man as "the other" most of us refer to him (or her) as Mr Click.
There is a lot detailed in this book with many characters that some may find confusing at times, and I have to admit, there were several red herrings thrown our way to confuse us - and it worked because there were so many characters we were left wondering just how they were all involved. Caro Ramsay delves into the relationships of each and how they all interact with one another. It is deep, dark and in some ways, twisted. And then there is the narcissism factor thrown in. Most of us toss around the term "narcissist" without understanding the true nature of narcissism. The author, by way of the criminal profiler/psychologist, introduces us to pathological narcissism which is far more than just pride and vanity, which is the form of narcissism that most are familiar with. We are reminded of Narcissus, in Greek mythology, who fell in love with his own image reflected in a pond and because he could not have what he desired, he then killed himself. While most may see this as an extension of extreme vanity, I feel it is more than that - it is a self adoration and self love that places themselves far above others that in their own eyes make them above reproach and above their counterparts, which in turn affects their behaviour. But here he talks about pathological narcissism which is entirely different - an ultimately destructive.
I couldn't read this book quickly and it definitely isn't one you can fly through. I was surprised to find it took me 7 days to get through it when I usually average about 2 books a week! However, that is not to say I didn't enjoy it - I did. It is just a different kind of read, one that you need to absorb and take in. It is slower paced but with a lot going at the same time, so you do need to take your time with it to absorb everything. Particularly as there soon appears to be more than one case the team are dealing with.
Although DARK WATER is a slower read, I was still able to detect a few things myself - such as my suspicions about Mr Click and the attack on Itsy. But nothing prepared me for the mystery of Costello's past! Whilst it threw me a tad, I thought it was a nice touch to help us get to know more about DS Costello.
If you enjoy police procedurals with a dark undertone but still with a human element, then be sure to add DARK WATER - along with the rest of the series - to your list. It is an enjoyable slow read, giving one insight as to what it is like to be a police detective chasing down the twisted and deranged and the toll it takes - especially if the hunter and the hunted have a little more than usual in common!
It's been a good while since I read SINGING TO THE DEAD - the last one in the series - that I can't really remember what took place there. I do recall that it took a lot to live up to the very first book in the series that I found it slow going and didn't feel the need to hurry to the next one. I guess I am used to faster paced books, as after the first book, I found these next two much slower in pace that it was hard to believe it was the same series. I think because ABSOLUTION had such a turnaround with its main characters you are left wondering just who are the main characters in the series! Still readers should read ABSOLUTION before any of the others as it does give you more insight into the characters.
So enough of that, and on with the review!
So DARK WATER is set in the midst of some extreme weather conditions and a very dense foggy spell in Glasgow with freezing temperatures and it's with that that the pace moves about as fast as the fog in places. It begins some 10 years prior on New Years Eve on the eve of the new millenium and the violent rape of young Emily Corbett who was on her way home. Fast forward a decade and the team find themselves invesitgating the death of the man originally identified as Emily's rapist - who'd absconded abroad to avoid prosecution after the attack - and was now found hanging in an abandoned tenement with his head caved in. His injuries are not unlike those of Emily's and soon the team discover a pattern of rapes and possible suspects in those attacks. But there is a similar vein to all of them. They all claim to be held at gunpoint, blindfolded with the gun pointed at their heads and the cocking of the weapon. All but one. She says the sound "was not a gun cocking". So what was it? The team soon refer to the sound as simply "a click" as that is how the victims all describe it - a click. While the team refer to this man as "the other" most of us refer to him (or her) as Mr Click.
There is a lot detailed in this book with many characters that some may find confusing at times, and I have to admit, there were several red herrings thrown our way to confuse us - and it worked because there were so many characters we were left wondering just how they were all involved. Caro Ramsay delves into the relationships of each and how they all interact with one another. It is deep, dark and in some ways, twisted. And then there is the narcissism factor thrown in. Most of us toss around the term "narcissist" without understanding the true nature of narcissism. The author, by way of the criminal profiler/psychologist, introduces us to pathological narcissism which is far more than just pride and vanity, which is the form of narcissism that most are familiar with. We are reminded of Narcissus, in Greek mythology, who fell in love with his own image reflected in a pond and because he could not have what he desired, he then killed himself. While most may see this as an extension of extreme vanity, I feel it is more than that - it is a self adoration and self love that places themselves far above others that in their own eyes make them above reproach and above their counterparts, which in turn affects their behaviour. But here he talks about pathological narcissism which is entirely different - an ultimately destructive.
I couldn't read this book quickly and it definitely isn't one you can fly through. I was surprised to find it took me 7 days to get through it when I usually average about 2 books a week! However, that is not to say I didn't enjoy it - I did. It is just a different kind of read, one that you need to absorb and take in. It is slower paced but with a lot going at the same time, so you do need to take your time with it to absorb everything. Particularly as there soon appears to be more than one case the team are dealing with.
Although DARK WATER is a slower read, I was still able to detect a few things myself - such as my suspicions about Mr Click and the attack on Itsy. But nothing prepared me for the mystery of Costello's past! Whilst it threw me a tad, I thought it was a nice touch to help us get to know more about DS Costello.
If you enjoy police procedurals with a dark undertone but still with a human element, then be sure to add DARK WATER - along with the rest of the series - to your list. It is an enjoyable slow read, giving one insight as to what it is like to be a police detective chasing down the twisted and deranged and the toll it takes - especially if the hunter and the hunted have a little more than usual in common!
September 28, 2025
So hatte sich das junge Paar die Hausbesichtigung nicht vorgestellt: im obersten Stock hängt die Leiche eines Mannes. Dass es kein Selbstmord war, kann man sehen. Der Mörder hat dem Opfer die Kehle durchgeschnitten und ihm einen Zettel angeheftet, auf dem sein Name steht. So ist der Tote schnell als der Mann identifiziert, der vor mehr als zehn Jahren eine junge Frau überfallen, vergewaltigt und als tot liegengelassen hat. Niemand ist über seinen Tod traurig. Trotzdem muss das Team von Polizeirevier in Partick ermitteln.
Die Geschichte klang vom Inhalt her interessanter, als sie zunächst war. Die Tat trat in den Hintergrund vor dem drohenden Aus des Polizeireviers und den vielen persönlichen Dramen, die die Ermittler hatten. Jeder von ihnen hatte seine eigene, traurige Geschichte. Einer der Ermittler nannte die traurige Gruppe sogar ironisch "Die glorreichen Sieben".
Genau diese Zahl war für mich das Problem. Das Team war für mich zu groß, um den Überblick zu behalten. Dazu kam, dass zumindest im eBook die Absätze und damit der Wechsel von Handlungsort und Beteiligten nicht immer erkennbar waren. Erst gegen Ende wurden die Wechsel klarer, vielleicht hatte ich mich aber auch nur endlich daran gewöhnt.
Der eigentliche Fall war verworren und kam erst nach ungefähr der Hälfte richtig in Fahrt. Vorher war es das sprichwörtliche Herumstochern im allgegenwärtigen Nebel. Das Ende war sehr dramatisch und die Auflösung weit hergeholt. Mich konnte das Team vom Revier Partick nur bedingt überzeugen.
Die Geschichte klang vom Inhalt her interessanter, als sie zunächst war. Die Tat trat in den Hintergrund vor dem drohenden Aus des Polizeireviers und den vielen persönlichen Dramen, die die Ermittler hatten. Jeder von ihnen hatte seine eigene, traurige Geschichte. Einer der Ermittler nannte die traurige Gruppe sogar ironisch "Die glorreichen Sieben".
Genau diese Zahl war für mich das Problem. Das Team war für mich zu groß, um den Überblick zu behalten. Dazu kam, dass zumindest im eBook die Absätze und damit der Wechsel von Handlungsort und Beteiligten nicht immer erkennbar waren. Erst gegen Ende wurden die Wechsel klarer, vielleicht hatte ich mich aber auch nur endlich daran gewöhnt.
Der eigentliche Fall war verworren und kam erst nach ungefähr der Hälfte richtig in Fahrt. Vorher war es das sprichwörtliche Herumstochern im allgegenwärtigen Nebel. Das Ende war sehr dramatisch und die Auflösung weit hergeholt. Mich konnte das Team vom Revier Partick nur bedingt überzeugen.
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August 28, 2023I'm really enjoying this series featuring DI Anderson and DS Costello.
When a body is found in the attic of a Glasgow apartment, the victim is identified as the main suspect in a rape case ten years previously. Without evidence, the police were unable to charge the man at the time, and it now appears someone has taken revenge. The rape victim was seriously injured in the attack, but believed that she was threatened with a gun, and that two people were involved in the assault. Then another woman is attacked, indicating the second attacker is still active. As the police uncover other attacks elsewhere in Scotland which bear similarities to the current case, it's clear they must work urgently to arrest the rapist before he strikes again. This is a very complicated plot, but I found myself unwilling to put the book down - would have read all night if I could have stayed awake !
When a body is found in the attic of a Glasgow apartment, the victim is identified as the main suspect in a rape case ten years previously. Without evidence, the police were unable to charge the man at the time, and it now appears someone has taken revenge. The rape victim was seriously injured in the attack, but believed that she was threatened with a gun, and that two people were involved in the assault. Then another woman is attacked, indicating the second attacker is still active. As the police uncover other attacks elsewhere in Scotland which bear similarities to the current case, it's clear they must work urgently to arrest the rapist before he strikes again. This is a very complicated plot, but I found myself unwilling to put the book down - would have read all night if I could have stayed awake !
July 6, 2021
I have just finished this the third novel in the series within a week of ordering them through kindle unlimited. This has been my favourite so far as the story has a few red herrings which causes the reader to pause and think. This novel is very well constructed and has a fast pace to it that engages the reader not to want to put it down. It was a rare book that had me doing my chores quickly to get back to reading and sitting on a cold beach reading it to let my dogs exercise themselves as I was so engrossed in the story. It is a long time since a story has gripped my attention, I did enjoy the previous books and I have been very impressed by this author’s skill at storytelling.
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August 1, 2021A bitterly cold February in Glasgow. In the attic of a deserted tenement, the body of a man is found hanging, his face disfigured beyond recognition.
Around his neck is a sign that reads: I Am Stephen Whyte.
Investigating officers DI Anderson and DS Costello believe the dead man was the prime suspect in a decade-old unsolved case.
Ten years ago, a young woman was brutally attacked and left for dead. Now the man found hanging has the exact same horrific injuries.
There are other similar cases on file.
But the dead man didn’t act alone, he had an accomplice — who is still on the loose . . .
Around his neck is a sign that reads: I Am Stephen Whyte.
Investigating officers DI Anderson and DS Costello believe the dead man was the prime suspect in a decade-old unsolved case.
Ten years ago, a young woman was brutally attacked and left for dead. Now the man found hanging has the exact same horrific injuries.
There are other similar cases on file.
But the dead man didn’t act alone, he had an accomplice — who is still on the loose . . .
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 13, 2021
It is a dark, cold, foggy February in Glasgow and a man who was a suspect in a 10 year old rape and mutilation case is found hanging in an empty tenement. DI Anderson and DS Costello are first in the scene, and it is gruesome. The team from Patrickhill Police station are assigned the investigation, and they hope they can save the station. A number of other men are found murdered in similar circumstances, and they are all connected with previous attacks on young women. A photographer Harry Castilgla is following the team around taking photos as part of a PR exercise for Glasgow police. A major twist at the end that I did not see coming. I like Caro Ramsay as an author, and this had a clever plot.
August 13, 2021
The puppet master
He was clever, he was elusive . Grooming others to carry out horrendous attacks on women, ruining their lives, sometimes taking a life.
He got his thrills from the click, a gun, lighter, pen, who knows?
Unsuspected, a successful man, an acknowledged master of his craft, seeking revenge for slights of childhood.
The deeper they dig, the more survivors they find. Raped, smashed skulls, injury to their palate. Why those wounds, what is the significance?
There many other threads, all leading to the last pages where they are woven together, creating a unique and intricate quilt to bring this book to a close, revealing the answers for all
He was clever, he was elusive . Grooming others to carry out horrendous attacks on women, ruining their lives, sometimes taking a life.
He got his thrills from the click, a gun, lighter, pen, who knows?
Unsuspected, a successful man, an acknowledged master of his craft, seeking revenge for slights of childhood.
The deeper they dig, the more survivors they find. Raped, smashed skulls, injury to their palate. Why those wounds, what is the significance?
There many other threads, all leading to the last pages where they are woven together, creating a unique and intricate quilt to bring this book to a close, revealing the answers for all
January 31, 2022
Enjoyed this, the 3rd in Caro Ramsay’s Anderson and Costello series. Scottish Crime fiction is very strong atm and Ramsay holds her own in a very talented field.
Good characters, not just the lead two but the DCI Quinn, the pathologist O’Hare and the newbie, Brown amongst others. A good and interesting plot with a lot to it and some satisfying red herrings. I spotted two of the twists - they are not hard to see, but that doesn’t detract from enjoyment of the storyline - but not the third and found it a satisfying and in the end, emotional read.
If you haven’t read this series, I’d recommend it, I will certainly be working my through them!
Good characters, not just the lead two but the DCI Quinn, the pathologist O’Hare and the newbie, Brown amongst others. A good and interesting plot with a lot to it and some satisfying red herrings. I spotted two of the twists - they are not hard to see, but that doesn’t detract from enjoyment of the storyline - but not the third and found it a satisfying and in the end, emotional read.
If you haven’t read this series, I’d recommend it, I will certainly be working my through them!
March 26, 2024
This is the third book (thirteen books so far) of a police procedural series set mainly in Glasgow. I have read all the other books so I was pleased to finally get this one. I would recommend that new readers try to read these books in order.
This story is set a few years after the events in the previous book. A suspected rapist is found murdered and as the police look again at the original rape case it begins to seem that there may be a serial rapist still at large. There is also a brutal attack on the sister of a rich woman celebrity which attracts much media attention. It's a compelling read which I read in one sitting staying up well past my bed time to finish.
This story is set a few years after the events in the previous book. A suspected rapist is found murdered and as the police look again at the original rape case it begins to seem that there may be a serial rapist still at large. There is also a brutal attack on the sister of a rich woman celebrity which attracts much media attention. It's a compelling read which I read in one sitting staying up well past my bed time to finish.
June 13, 2024
Such a long, involved, confusing set of cases, where I faithfully followed everything, even re-reading some sections. Then we get to the end, which is rushed, half-assed, confusing and never explained well. I guess some characters can teleport now, going from the station to the scene, like Ramsay changed her mind but didn't bother fixing things. Maybe she was pushing her deadline too much? There are a lot of bits that make no sense. If gray eyes are the connection that would be pretty fragile in Scotland where I think a good quarter of the population has gray eyes (both of my paternal grandparents, from Bathgate, and all of their kids did).
May 28, 2017
It's been a good couple of years since I last read one in this series but the believable characterisations of the main players soon had me feeling I was back with old friends.
While I sussed out who Mr Click was very early on there were still one or two revelations & events that left me reeling. One at least, doesn't seem too credible on reflection but fit the story well & left me wondering how things, for one character will move on.
Overall a really good read -although maybe a tad overlong - & one which can easily be enjoyed without having read the previous two.
While I sussed out who Mr Click was very early on there were still one or two revelations & events that left me reeling. One at least, doesn't seem too credible on reflection but fit the story well & left me wondering how things, for one character will move on.
Overall a really good read -although maybe a tad overlong - & one which can easily be enjoyed without having read the previous two.
August 19, 2021
A white knuckle ride!
This really is a white knuckle start to a book which seemed to quicken the pace even more as you finished each character!
Disturbing with twists and turns you don't even imagine, ingenious thinking on the authors part, what an imagination to come up with such thoughts and plots.
Gripping reading that holds you glued to the pages, along with characters you'd love to know personally and settings that make your heart sing - fabulous book 3 to a fantastic series!
This really is a white knuckle start to a book which seemed to quicken the pace even more as you finished each character!
Disturbing with twists and turns you don't even imagine, ingenious thinking on the authors part, what an imagination to come up with such thoughts and plots.
Gripping reading that holds you glued to the pages, along with characters you'd love to know personally and settings that make your heart sing - fabulous book 3 to a fantastic series!
August 10, 2020
Why isn’t this series better known? It isn’t in any of my local libraries including Chicago Public! Ramsay provides the definition of a slow burn. She starts slow and builds the tension exponentially. Here the atmosphere of Glasgow cold and fog is almost another character. And the story is creepy as anything. A serial rapist/murderer who uses a pliable accomplice to commit horrible acts on women is working uncomfortably close to the Partickhill police station and its detectives.
February 17, 2023
Sorry not a favourite in fact I wonder now why I gave it three stars. Characters were getting too confusing in fact I just got to the stage I wanted to finish the book as quick as possible. I had a great hope for this book as it was set in Glasgow but not a lot was mentioned about the area and it concentrated too much on the police side and not about the characters . Without giving the plot away there was a lot of unanswered questions with the relationship between Costello and her family.
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