Books Set in Europe; England

A Slow Fire Burning, by Paula Hawkins (2021)

Read: August 25, 2022

4 Stars

Books Set in Europe: England

Into the Water, by Paula Hawkins (2017)

Into the Water is a very confusing suspense thriller.  The novel it told through numerous voices.  Each chapter moves the novel forward through a different voice, however, sometimes that voice is in first person and sometimes in third person.  This causes a bumpy read.

The novel begins with the death of Nel Abbott, a single mother.  Nel was found in the Drowning Pool, where many “troublesome” women had been found dead over the centuries.  Nel, however, was the second death in the drowning pool in just a few short months.  Did Nel commit suicide by diving into the pool, or was she pushed.  And if she was pushed, who would have motive?

Nel’s daughter, Lena, is a typical 15-year old with all the angst that goes with it.  She is suddenly found under the care of Jules, her aunt.  Jules and her sister, Nel, were estranged, which creates a complicated relationship between Jules and Lena.

Lena’s best friend was Katie Whittaker, who had died in the drowning pool only a few months before Nel.  In the months before her death, Katie and Lena had a falling out.  Is there a link between her death and Lena?

The novel delves into the past life of Nel and Katie Whittaker, the young teenaged girl who died earlier in the year.  The plot involves some very dark issues, including rape.

There are also many plot strings that are not satisfactorily resolved.  This novel didn’t live up to Hawkins’s previous novel, The Girl on the Train.

Read:  May 31, 2018

3 Stars

Books Set in Europe: England

The Girl on the Train, by Paula Hawkins (2015)

This is a fascinating murder mystery / suspense novel, told in three voices.  First, there is Rachel, the alcoholic who rides the train into London each day.  She creates lives for a young couple she sees along the route.  Only later, she meets the couple and learns their lives are not as romantic as she imagined.

Then there is Anna, the new wife of Rachel's former husband.  Anna fears the drunken Rachel and believes that Rachel is constantly coming around to harass Anna and her family.

Finally, there is Megan, the young wife who has gone missing.  She is the young woman that Rachel observed on her train ride each day.

Read: October 11, 2015

5 Stars.