The Devil and the Dark Water

“Ghosts are God's problem. The living must deal with me.”

I’ve been on a really lucky streak of just flying from one excellent book to another. The Devil and the Dark Water follows a group of passengers on a merchant vessel sailing to Amsterdam in the 1600s. Before the voyage commences, a leper prophesies doom for the ship, and subsequently bursts into flames. This is followed by a series of strange and inexplicable phenomena, and with ace detective Sammy Pipps locked in a cell at the bottom of the ship, it’s up to his assistant and hard-man Arent Hayes to pick up the investigation, and understand the connection the higher-profile passengers share.

Along with Arent, we meet Sara Wessel, a healer and wife of the stern Governor General, his assistant, her best friend Creesjie, the Captain, Chief Merchant, the Boatswain, First-mate, a priest and his apprentice. All of whom have a part to play in figuring out the mystery.

Turton sets a great scene. The ship is large but well-painted. As I observed with the previous book, I never felt lost. The characters are individual, charming and understandable in their motives. I really didn’t know who to root for. With an isolated setting and an ensemble of great-but-suspicious characters, Turton takes the a classic mystery formula and writes a book that is anything but formulaic, mixed with adventure, superstition and romance.

I’ll definitely be seeking out the last Turton novel I haven’t read - his debut - and I think I’ll be seeking more sailing-ship fiction, especially with a bit of a spooky edge.