Many of us dream of getting away from it all, selling everything, and sailing around the world, so the premise of this book was captivating.
Deep Water fell flat given the promising synopsis of the book. When a Royal Malaysian Navy vessel receives a mayday message, the captain orders they rush to a yacht adrift in the middle of the 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.”
Through flashbacks, Virginie tells a harrowing tale about when happened after she and her new husband invested their life savings to buy a beat-up yacht and live off the grid on a remote, exotic island far from the reaches of civilization. When they arrive, they are stunned by the unspoiled beaches and tropical waters, but disappointed that several other boaters have moored in the bay. What they’d hoped would be the adventure of a lifetime turns into a nightmare.
The naval captain must decide how much of Virginie’s story is true.
Deep Water reminded me of Lord of the Flies, you know, that torturous book too many of us had to read in school. I supplemented the eBook with audio, and although I didn’t notice the flaws while listening, they lept off the pages as soon as I started reading. The intricate plot was certainly intriguing, and the author did a fine job developing her characters and building drama, but I found the writing to be sophomoric. She left too many massive holes in the story that I’d hoped she’d fill by the conclusion, but she left them gaping. The reviews on this novel are all over the place… me, I’ll give it 3 stars.
** Thanks to NetGalley and the publishing for providing a free copy of this book for an honest review.