First published 2017
Lena Abbott's world shatters when her mother Nel is pulled from the river, dead. The police call it suicide, but Lena knows better. Her mother was researching the water's dark history, documenting generations of women who died in its depths. Now Lena lives with her reluctant aunt Jules, who fled this town years ago and never wanted to return. As detectives dig deeper, they uncover a pattern of drownings spanning decades. Each death tells a story of secrets, shame, and silencing. Lena refuses to accept the official verdict. She follows her mother's research into the town's buried past, where women were branded as witches, troublemakers, and outcasts before meeting their fate in the water. The investigation reveals fresh betrayals and old grudges that reach into every family. Lena must navigate the lies that bind her community together, even as those same lies threaten to destroy what remains of her family.
Genres: mystery, crime, contemporary, thriller
Vibes: dark, emotional, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: unreliable-narrator
Setting: Great Britain
392 pages · Paperback · Riverhead Books
Content warnings: death, suicide