#Spooktober 1 – The Devil and the Dark Water

A murder on the high seas. A detective duo. A demon who may or may not exist.

I started reading this book based on the description provided by a friend, as it might prove inspirational for the novel I’m writing.
It’s set at sea, it has monsters, it has evil Dutchmen.

It’s 1634 and Samuel Pipps, the world’s greatest detective, is being transported to Amsterdam to be executed for a crime he may, or may not, have committed. Traveling with him is his loyal bodyguard, Arent Hayes, who is determined to prove his friend innocent.
But no sooner are they out to sea than devilry begins to blight the voyage. A twice-dead leper stalks the decks. Strange symbols appear on the sails. Livestock is slaughtered.
And then three passengers are marked for death, including Samuel.
Could a demon be responsible for their misfortunes?
With Pipps imprisoned, only Arent can solve a mystery that connects every passenger onboard. A mystery that stretches back into their past and now threatens to sink the ship, killing everybody on board.

What did I like about this book? Well, the atmosphere.
It’s an alternative history fiction more than historical fiction, as it admittedly takes a lot of liberties with both historical and fictional characters, and it almost entirely takes place on a ship returning from Batavia with a mysterious treasure on board. The haunting starts from the very first pages, and it never recedes. The sensation that people might be the real monsters is there since the beginning and doesn’t leave you.

Some of the characters are better than others, though I would say that they aren’t the book’s strongest suit.

Unfortunately, the real weakness is the mystery. When everything is revealed, inconsistencies in the early pages will have you twist your mouth, especially when scenes are described from the point of view of people who’s supposed to know better.

Still, it’s a good book and it makes for a nice haunting read.