A bit disappointing

I love the Bryant and May books and read good reviews for this one so gave it a try. Whilst the writing is as ever, very good, and the narration is excellent, I was disappointed with the story. All of the characters bar one or two are not very nice people and I felt no affinity for them. The story kept me listening but I found the end very disappointing.

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3 people found this helpful

Gripping!

I enjoyed the Bryant and May series and this new novel is different but definitely does not disappoint

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was this really Christopher Fowler? not for me.

not what I was expecting, has he lost his humour.
bring g back the pensioners!

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6 people found this helpful

Implausible characters and plot but somehow keeps you hooked

I can’t recall why I chose this book; it’s a very lightweight novel, with rather implausible characters and an even more implausible plot but despite this I listened to the end - I wanted to know what really happened. The narrator did a good job.

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1 person found this helpful

Fabulous!

Really enjoyed this book, loved the location which I could visualise very well from the writing. The ending was quite a surprise and not what I had thought it might have been. The narrator was perfect.

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Thoroughly enjoying this and wanted to review NOW!🤗

Oh this book is SO SO good and everything i love in a book! The holiday scene and drama!🤗 i will review properly when finished but I’m already dreading it ending and will be GUTTED! Until this book i had went through about 15 books trying to get 1 i liked😩so that tells you how good it caught my attention and i was hooked from the start! Definitely looking for more from this author 👏🏽👏🏽 LOVE LOVE LOVE it!👏🏽♥️ Also the narrator is absolutely BRILLIANT! One of the very best I’ve heard! So so good!👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

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11 people found this helpful

Not for me

I loved the Bryant and May books. I realised this was a different genre but thought it was worth trying. The book was well written but I found the characters completely unsympathetic so did not really engage with the story. I did want to find out what happened but with just under 2 hours to go I was just wishing it was over. I found it got increasingly tedious and was glad when I got to the end. I will be extremely hesitant to try any more books by Christopher Fowler. So disappointing.

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1 person found this helpful

entertaining, confusing and infuriating

Love the Bryant and May books but this was a mixed bag. Keeps you guessing, funny at times and well read, but also infuriating in parts, with characters doing ridiculous things. The main protagonist, who so far has proven to be intelligent and organised, finds a piece of incriminating evidence, so what does she do? Of course she, alone, confronts the unhinged suspect telling him that she has the item. Surprise, surprise, the suspect attacks her, takes the evidence and destroys it. Well, who'd have guessed that might happen! Oh and all of the French provincial village and local police characters are portrayed in a very poor light.

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Compelling

Beautiful prose, darkly funny and completely compelling. This book haunted me after my first listen and I’ve listened to it several times. Great narration.

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Stunning, spellbinding book - loved every minute!

"Hot Water" is by far the best book I have read in a very long time and definitely head and shoulders above any others so far in 2022. I did try a Bryant and May by the same author but it just was not for me - but this is perfection!

I adored the beautiful, evocative way it was written that so eloquently and elegantly captured so many familiar feelings, atmospheres and landscapes. Oh how I would love to be able to write in such a hypnotic and spellbinding way.

The whole book reminded me in ways of a holiday where the surroundings are new and entrancing and though nothing much happens you are still swept away by the beauty and newness of it all and every moment seems momentous. Then the times when so many exciting things happen and you are swept away by the adventure of it all. In short I really do feel like I just got back from an amazing and eventful holiday in the South of France ... badly needed as it is nearly three years since my last jaunt and I have very itchy feet.

I loved also the fabulous descriptions of the characters and how multi dimensional they all were. Layers upon layers of backstory made them all so real and I really enjoyed the detailed descriptions of how they looked and what they wore so it seemed like I could really see and hear them.

The narration was sublime and though I am not very proficient in French all the pronunciation sounded very authentic and fluent to me which really added to the story. The characters really came to life also with their different voices and everything really just came beautifully to life. A few English and Spanish words were mispronounced (Almeria, fetid, redolent, Martinez etc.) which surprised me as otherwise the narration was flawless and really brought it all to life and lovely to listen to.

This book gripped me from the very start and kept me listening through the day, when I usually only listen late at night and early morning, but I could not put this down. Not only did it have plots within plots, red herrings chasing other red herrings, snapshots of dreams of lives of marriages and of desires but it was just so beautifully written that it was a joy to immerse yourself in.

The sun, the style of the South of France, the quirky characters, the relationships and the fabulously described luxurious villa and scenery which contrasted so well with the locals and village life -it would have been an amazing book with just that - but then the mystery, the brooding menace, the seething tensions and then seeing it all from so many point of view - it was all simply divine.

So many twists and turns, plots and sub plots - it simply writhed with intrigue like a basket of roiling serpents that it was a totally immersive experience. Of course it is relatively easy to build mystery but this intricately woven story just kept gloriously giving until the last secret was prised open for a genius reveal.

I am just so sorry it is over and I feel like I have just walked out of the cinema, blinking in the daylight after watching an epic movie.

Speaking of which I think this is begging to be put on the screen as the writing is so vivid I feel like I already saw it in 3D.

A galaxy of stars for this bewitching mystery - thanks so much Christopher Fowler and Rachel Atkins.

I am so hoping for another stand alone like this one soon.

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17 people found this helpful