Paromjit's Reviews > The Devil and the Dark Water

Stuart Turton returns with a cracking piece of historical fiction, a spine chiller that drips with colour and atmosphere set in the 17th century. In 1634, the cursed and doomed East India merchant ship, the Saardam, carrying spices and other mysterious cargo, sets sail from Batavia (Jakarta, Indonesia) for Amsterdam, voyaging on the dangerous high seas, stalked by life threatening storms, plagued by fears, folklore and superstitions of the period. There appear to be the presence of devils in the form of 'Old Tom', the devil's mark, a leper ghost with his tongue cut out, a crew of murderers and cutthroats, a Daemonologica, and prophecies of 3 unholy miracles that will take place on the ship, feeding the chaos and mayhem that comes to pass as the body count rises. Travelling on the ship is Sammy Pipps, a famous detective, a prisoner set to be executed in Amsterdam, accompanied by his loyal bodyguard, Lieutenant Arent Hayes, a relationship that echoes that of Sherlock Holmes and Watson.

Passengers include a group of nobles, headed by the Governor-General, Jan Haan, a powerful, ruthless, and cruel man who controls and beats his wife, Sara Wessel. Sara has refused to be cowed, has lost two sons, is a gifted healer, and is intent on protecting and looking out for her genius daughter, Lia, imprisoned all her life. This is a world in which women have no rights, even if they are noble, Sara tries to get Lia to hide her superior knowledge from men, men are dangerous, fickle of mood, likely to lash out without reason. With Pipps imprisoned in his cell, it is Arent that is tasked to investigate the crimes set to take place, aided by the able Sara. Arent has no faith in his abilities, he believes only in Sammy, Sammy is his religion, but he has no choice but to turn detective. Does he stand any chance of succeeding, surrounded as he is by sinners, intrigue, greedy, ambitious and evil men, and devil whispers in the dark bargaining for souls?

Turton's storytelling is vivid and vibrantly alive with its details of life on the Saardam, and his creation of a wide ranging cast of characters beguile, charm, scare and horrify, individuals that including a dwarf, swashbuckling musketeers, witchfinders, the Governor-General's mistress, Creesjie Jens, and the feared boatswain, Johannes Wyck. This is a fantastic, hugely entertaining read, superbly plotted, that will have you investing in the characters, holding your interest right from the get go, having you avidly turning the pages until the sparkling reveal at the end. Do yourself a favour and read this! Highly recommended. Many thanks to Bloomsbury for an ARC.