Dead Water

by C. A. Fletcher

Overview

In a chilling blend of folk horror and twisting suspense, this modern masterpiece depicts isolation and dread within a small island community.
 
There's something in the water...
 
On the edge of the Northern Atlantic lies a remote island. The islanders are an outwardly harmonious community—but all have their own secrets, some much darker than others. And when a strange disorder begins to infect them all, those secrets come to light.
 
Ferry service fails and contact with the mainland is lost. Rumors begin to swirl as a temporary inconvenience grows into nightmarish ordeal. The fabric of the once tight-knit island is unnervingly torn apart—and whatever the cause, the question soon stops being how or why it happened, but who, if anyone, will survive.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316538633
Publisher:	Orbit
Publication date:	07/19/2022
Pages:	512
Sales rank:	228,513
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.90(d)

About the Author

C. A. Fletcher has children and dogs. He lives in Scotland and writes for a living.

Editorial Reviews

05/16/2022

Both ancient history and the recent past trouble a tiny island off the western coast of Scotland in this meticulously plotted, if perhaps slightly overworked, tale of perseverance in the face of hardship and horror from Fletcher (A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World). While many of the remote island’s residents come from families that have lived there for generations, others have chosen the island in hopes of escaping painful pasts. Young widow Sig is a blend of both: she and her husband moved to the island because he grew up there, and after his death, Sig appreciates the isolation the island provides. When a music festival draws half of the residents away, Sig is among the disparate and detached people left behind, a group that’s forced to work together when communication with the outside world is cut off and some residents begin manifesting mysterious and terrifying symptoms of an unknown infection. Fletcher creates a sharply observed and finely crafted environment, but the setup begins to feel tedious long before the significance of each painstakingly established detail is revealed. However, once those revelations begin, the novel becomes a taut thriller, the tension and horror of which are inextricably linked to the seemingly rambling foundation. The end result—for readers who make it that far—is thoroughly satisfying. Agent: Karolina Sutton, Curtis Brown Group. (July).Correction: An earlier version of this review misstated the book's title.

Publishers Weekly

"Fletcher's suspenseful, atmospheric tale imagines a near future in which our world is in ruins... An adventure saga punctured by a gut-punch twist."—Entertainment Weekly on A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World

"[A] heart-and gut-wrenching tale of a post-apocalyptic world....A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World takes a memorable journey of loyalty and love and transforms it into an unraveling mystery of self-discovery and exploration....This is the story of trust and loyalty within a family, and finding your own pack-even if they're different from the pack you were born into."—Bookpage on A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World

"The hunt for Jess propels this story forward like a rocket, and Fletcher does a masterful job keeping the stakes high and the suspense crackling while still creating plenty of space for readers to get to know Griz and explore this fascinating not-quite-empty world. This unputdownable story has everything-a well-imagined post-apocalyptic world, great characters, incredible suspense, and, of course, the fierce love of some very good dogs."—Kirkus (starred review) on A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World

"Fletcher writes with an elegantly descriptive style, one that brings this melancholic world to bittersweet life....Whether it's the rusting remains of an amusement park, or the dusty floors of a tucked away sanctuary, Fletcher makes the reader feel like they're standing there, right beside Griz, desperate to find out where to go next."—Lightspeed on A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World

"A sharp, meditative exploration of family, loyalty, and humanity amid the lonely but beautiful wilderness of the end of the world-but with a gut punch you'll never see coming. You'll remember A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World long after you finish reading."—Peng Shepherd on A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World

"If you read one book this year, I beg you that this be the one. A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World will break your heart in all the right ways."—Nerd Daily on A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World

"Epic in scope, enthralling, and full of human warmth."—M.R. Carey on A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World

"This novel has everything I love about a story: fully realized characters, beautiful writing, and utterly believable, even frightening, world-building. I promise you're going to love it."—Louisa Morgan on A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World

"Fletcher's narrative...has a propulsive and engaging rhythm and should please fans of postapocalyptic dystopias, young adult and adult alike."—Booklist on A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World

From the Publisher

12/01/2022

Fletcher's (A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World) latest is a folk horror tale that never quite hits its stride. The book takes place on a remote island on the edge of the Northern Atlantic. The residents of this island, many of whom have lived and worked here all their lives, slowly succumb to an ancient curse that spreads like a virus. Cut off from the mainland, a band of survivors (including widowed scientist Sig, her niece Evie, and fisherman Matt) must escape from those they once called friends before this curse drowns them as well. The book has a large cast of characters, all given distinct voices and accents by narrator Siobhan Redmond, but their individual stories are a lot for a reader to wade through. These different tangents and multiple story lines, not to mention the narrative of how this curse was born hundreds of years ago, hinder the creeping dread that typically marks tales of curses. VERDICT The story eventually turns into a taut survival horror, but it is a long slog before listeners get there. An optional purchase for most libraries.—James Gardner

Library Journal - Audio

This terrifying audiobook predominantly requires one skill from its narrator: a tone of disbelief. Siobhan Redmond has that in spades as she brings to life the residents of a remote British island that is invaded by something evil. Thanks to Redmond's adept vocals, the incredulity builds among the handful of survivors as more and more of the islanders fall under the sway of the invading malevolence. Redmond's narration makes it evident that the island is facing a watery doom, and it's up to the few unaffected residents to overcome something that they can't even fathom. Redmond skillfully delivers the assortment of necessary accents to represent the island's diverse population of natives and transplants. What results is an engaging, atmospheric presentation of horror. D.E.M. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine

SEPTEMBER 2022 - AudioFile

This terrifying audiobook predominantly requires one skill from its narrator: a tone of disbelief. Siobhan Redmond has that in spades as she brings to life the residents of a remote British island that is invaded by something evil. Thanks to Redmond's adept vocals, the incredulity builds among the handful of survivors as more and more of the islanders fall under the sway of the invading malevolence. Redmond's narration makes it evident that the island is facing a watery doom, and it's up to the few unaffected residents to overcome something that they can't even fathom. Redmond skillfully delivers the assortment of necessary accents to represent the island's diverse population of natives and transplants. What results is an engaging, atmospheric presentation of horror. D.E.M. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine

SEPTEMBER 2022 - AudioFile