The story is told by more than ten characters, which can get confusing. Luckily, I listened to the audio version of the novel, which is read by several people. Thus each of the book's narrators speaks with a different tone and accent - which helped me keep them separate in my mind.
The tale centers around the English town of Beckford, which lies beside a meandering river. The waterway is a popular attraction for swimming, fishing, and pleasant walks (or runs) along its banks. However, one particular bend in the river, called 'the drowning pool', is an ominous spot - especially for women. Overlooked by cliffs, the drowning pool has seen its share of suicides and murders of the fairer sex. This began centuries ago, when the pool was used to drown (alleged) witches.
As the story opens, Beckford's drowning pool has seen two recent tragedies. A pretty, high school girl named Katie Whittaker drowned herself a few weeks ago; and a woman named Nel Abbott - the mother of Katie's friend Lena - apparently jumped to her death a few days ago.
All the locals mourn young Katie, but Nel.....not so much. Nel had been writing a book about the many tragedies at the drowning pool, and the townsfolk don't appreciate having this 'dirty laundry' exposed.
In the wake of Nel's death, her estranged sister Jules returns to Beckford to look after Lena (Nel's daughter). Jules has been angry at Nel since an incident in their youth, and rarely saw or spoke to her sister. Nevertheless, Jules now appears to have a psychic connection with Nel, who seems to be telling her, 'I didn't jump.'
In any event, Nel's death is being investigated by Detective Sean Townsend and his new partner, Detective Erin Morgan.
This could be a tricky situation for Sean because his mother, Lauren, committed suicide at the drowning pool when he was a small child. Moreover, there are indications that Sean - a married man - had a personal connection with Nel.
The book is a multiple mystery that leads the reader to wonder, "What the hell is going on in Beckford? Why are all these females dead?" As various characters try to eke out the truth, clues are provided by an elderly, hippie seer named Nickie Sage.....who speaks in mysterious riddles.
A multitude of colorful characters add interest to the book, including: Robbie - Nel's old high school boyfriend, who's a heartthrob in his own eyes; Helen - Sean's plain-looking wife, who's principal of the high school; Mark Henderson - a handsome teacher on Helen's faculty; Patrick - Sean's father, a rough-hewn retired cop whom you cross at your own peril; Louise - Katie's mother, who's distraught about her daughter's death, and looking for someone to blame; Josh - Katie's little brother, who knows a secret; and more.
Turns out Beckford is an insular, secretive town whose citizens engage in a lot of inappropriate behavior. This can have unpleasant - even dire - consequences. By the book's end, we learn all about why the various ladies lost their lives - and some of the reasons are hard to believe. But it's a novel after all.
I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to fans of mystery/thrillers. Keep in mind, though, that the story gets complicated and requires close attention. So.....not a casual read for the beach.
Rating: 3.5 stars
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