Parentless and friendless, she now finds herself in the care of her mother's sister, a fearful stranger who has been dragged back to the place she deliberately ran from-a place to which she vowed she'd never return. Left behind is a lonely fifteen-year-old girl. They are not the first women lost to these dark waters, but their deaths disturb the river and its history, dredging up secrets long submerged.

Earlier in the summer, a vulnerable teenage girl met the same fate. 'A single mother turns up dead at the bottom of the river that runs through town. But of course, bear in mind that I'm writing this review from a crime fiction perspective, for readers who will see the name Paula Hawkins and think 'psychological thriller'-so I can only be honest: this book won't hold up against Hawkins' debut, and won't suit crime readers looking for a similarly twisty, addictive, and taut read. Lacking in the drive and energy that made THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN such an addictive read, INTO THE WATER might be better appreciated as women's fiction or literary fiction rather than crime fiction. Unfortunately, I still managed to be disappointed by this read. I went into this book intentionally trying not to have expectations for it after all, following up a record-breaking bestseller like THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN is an almost unthinkable task for author Paula Hawkins. But it's just the truth: INTO THE WATER didn't work for me. I've been sitting on this review for a little while now, not wanting to admit that a book as highly anticipated as INTO THE WATER just didn't work for me. The Verdict: not for crime readers - better as literary or women's fiction

Paula hawkins into the water review