Bleak Water — Danuta Reah

Disturbing, atmospheric suspense novel from the author of Only Darkness, Silent Playgrounds and Night Angels:

‘Dark, edgy and compelling' The Times

Beyond the new city centre developments, the old Sheffield canal is overgrown, run-down and deserted. Signs of regeneration creep along its towpaths, including a small, innovative gallery housed in one of the warehouses. But between the renovations it's a dark and lonely place â€" the perfect site for an exhibition reworking Brueghel's The Triumph of Death.

For Elisa Eliot, the curator, the chance to show well-known artist Daniel Flynn's work at the gallery is a coup. But when a young woman's body is found in the canal, Flynn's nightmare images begin to spill out into the real world. Still affected by the murder of her friend's daughter four years earlier, Eliza is drawn deep into the violence that seems to surround the gallery. Is this the work of a psychopath or is there a link between present horrors and the tragedy of four years before?

Reviews

Praise for Bleak Water:
‘Sinister… Ms Reah holds the threads of her sometimes complicated plot together skilfully and she has a good ear for dialogue' Susanna Yager, Sunday Telegraph

Praise for Silent Playgrounds:
‘Suspense scrupulously assembled; excitements dovetail with themes of genuine concern; characterization … generously and sympathetically drawn. Outskirts of Sheffield setting; welcome freshness of locale and theme. Reah's second novel is seriously good' Literary Review

‘With its strong atmosphere, well-contrived narrative and topical concerns, Silent Playgrounds is a superior thriller' Patricia Craig, TLS

‘This is a complex psychological thriller. Reah is skilled at splicing domestic life with the menace of fears and at creating characters who are vulnerable, intelligent and humane' Manchester Evening News

Praise for Only Darkness:
‘Menacing, highly atmospheric thriller … Scary stuff given an extra boost by dark and persuasive psychology in a chilly provincial setting where horrible things happen which freeze your blood' Literary Review

About the author

Danuta Reah is an educational consultant who has also taught creative writing. She lives in Sheffield. Her previous suspense novels are Only Darkness, Silent Playgrounds and Night Angels.