The dark side of paradise is exposed when a terrified couple reveals their daunting experience on a remote island to their rescuers—only to realize they’re still in the grips of the island’s secrets—in this intense and startling debut in the tradition of Into the Jungle and The Ruins.
When a Navy vessel comes across a yacht in distress in the middle of the vast Indian Ocean, Captain Danial Tengku orders his ship to rush to its aid. On board the yacht is a British couple: a horribly injured man, Jake, and his traumatized wife, Virginie, who breathlessly confesses, ‘It’s all my fault. I killed them.’
Trembling with fear, she reveals their shocking story to Danial. Months earlier, the couple had spent all their savings on a yacht, full of excitement for exploring the high seas and exotic lands together. They start at the busy harbors of Malaysia and, through word of mouth, Jake and Virginie learn about a tiny, isolated island full of unspoiled beaches. When they arrive, they discover they are not the only visitors and quickly become entangled with a motley crew of expat sailors. Soon, Jake and Virginie’s adventurous dream turns into a terrifying nightmare.
Now, it’s up to Danial to determine just how much truth there is in Virginie’s alarming tale. But when his crew make a shocking discovery, he realizes that if he doesn’t act soon, they could all fall under the dark spell of the island.
Genre: Mystery
When a Navy vessel comes across a yacht in distress in the middle of the vast Indian Ocean, Captain Danial Tengku orders his ship to rush to its aid. On board the yacht is a British couple: a horribly injured man, Jake, and his traumatized wife, Virginie, who breathlessly confesses, ‘It’s all my fault. I killed them.’
Trembling with fear, she reveals their shocking story to Danial. Months earlier, the couple had spent all their savings on a yacht, full of excitement for exploring the high seas and exotic lands together. They start at the busy harbors of Malaysia and, through word of mouth, Jake and Virginie learn about a tiny, isolated island full of unspoiled beaches. When they arrive, they discover they are not the only visitors and quickly become entangled with a motley crew of expat sailors. Soon, Jake and Virginie’s adventurous dream turns into a terrifying nightmare.
Now, it’s up to Danial to determine just how much truth there is in Virginie’s alarming tale. But when his crew make a shocking discovery, he realizes that if he doesn’t act soon, they could all fall under the dark spell of the island.
Genre: Mystery
Praise for this book
"Powered by a subtle, ominous tension. I loved this book." - Lee Child
"A debut thriller that unfolds with the inexorable force of a nightmare, and an object lesson in why some paradises should stay lost." - John Connolly
"A mirage of a novel, seductive and slippery. Turn a page (you'll turn them fast) and the story shimmering before you might shape-shift: now it's a game of domestic cat-and-mouse, now a merciless survival narrative, now a feat of literary suspense... Above all, though, Emma Bamford's Deep Water - also the title of an early work by Patricia Highsmith, whose cool and control Bamford has inherited - is that most exciting, most evolved species of psychological thriller, one in which the darkest dangers lurk not in the next room, not in a secret kiss, not even in the ocean depths, but in a suspicious mind and a guilty heart. Perhaps you'll hear echoes of Alex Garland's The Beach, or Catherine Steadman's Something in the Water, or any number of distinctive mind-benders - yet Deep Water conjures a black magic entirely its own. Can't remember the last time a novel surprised you? Deep Water is the next time a novel surprises you." - A J Finn
"Gripping and pacy... A perfect summer read." - Imran Mahmood
"Suspenseful, evocative and beautifully written, I devoured it." - L V Matthews
"An incredible debut." - B A Paris
"Paradise never felt so sinister." - Ruth Ware
"A debut thriller that unfolds with the inexorable force of a nightmare, and an object lesson in why some paradises should stay lost." - John Connolly
"A mirage of a novel, seductive and slippery. Turn a page (you'll turn them fast) and the story shimmering before you might shape-shift: now it's a game of domestic cat-and-mouse, now a merciless survival narrative, now a feat of literary suspense... Above all, though, Emma Bamford's Deep Water - also the title of an early work by Patricia Highsmith, whose cool and control Bamford has inherited - is that most exciting, most evolved species of psychological thriller, one in which the darkest dangers lurk not in the next room, not in a secret kiss, not even in the ocean depths, but in a suspicious mind and a guilty heart. Perhaps you'll hear echoes of Alex Garland's The Beach, or Catherine Steadman's Something in the Water, or any number of distinctive mind-benders - yet Deep Water conjures a black magic entirely its own. Can't remember the last time a novel surprised you? Deep Water is the next time a novel surprises you." - A J Finn
"Gripping and pacy... A perfect summer read." - Imran Mahmood
"Suspenseful, evocative and beautifully written, I devoured it." - L V Matthews
"An incredible debut." - B A Paris
"Paradise never felt so sinister." - Ruth Ware
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Used availability for Emma Bamford's Deep Water
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