A psychological drama with a huge cast of characters and a final chapter that may have you gasping.
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SUMMARY
The Beckford Drowning Pool is an idyllic spot at a bend in the river. A perfect picnic spot on a sunny day, complete with a sandy shore, a wooded hillside and a cliff overlook. But looks can be deceiving. The dark and muddy water hides many secrets, and has claimed the lives of countless women. Local writer and photographer Nel Abbott was documenting the story of these women, until she to was silenced by the water. The police believe it was a suicide, but her daughter, Lena and her sister, Jules both know that can’t be true. She never would have jumped.
Nel wanted to tell the story of all the persecuted women like Libby Seton who was drown by the town 300 years ago during a trial for witchcraft. Centuries later, “Mad Annie” stabbed her husband in the neck and then drowned herself in the pool. Even Dectective Inspector Sean Townsend’s own mother, Lauren had drowned there when he was a young boy. Nel had interviewed Sean for her book.
Only two months before Nel’s death, Katie Whittaker was also found in the water. Katie was best friends with Lena, Nel’s fifteen year old daughter. Lena was tormented by and felt responsible for Katie’s death. Louise, Katie’s mother blames Nel, and her talk about the Drowning Pool, for Katie’s death. What possible reason could Katie have to kill herself. Could the two deaths be connected. Did Nel know something about Kate’s death.
“Beckford is not a suicide spot. Beckford is a place to get rid of troublesome women.”
REVIEW Beckford is a haunted town and Into the Water is a haunting tale. A complicated and muddy tale of troubled or troublesome women. There is a multitude of characters and narrators, and it’s a little difficult keeping everyone straight, much less what they know. The major female characters, Katie, Nel, Jules, Lena, Louise and Lauren are all victims of some sort, they’ve been abused, betrayed or discounted. There is not a strong woman in the bunch to stand up and say “no, no more, not again.” At least Nel was trying to tell the story of the women from Beckford. Why do women always have to be the victim. Is that really what we want to read about in a book.
The narration of the book was complicated with some of the narrators telling the story in first person, while others telling their perspective in third person. Jules, Nel’s sister tells her perspective in first person, as if she was talking directly to Nel. Interesting because Jules had not talked directly to Nel since their mother had died many years earlier. Everyone with their secrets and faulty memories plays a huge role in the story, and it may be really difficult to find someone to like in this book. But in the end while it’s a little muddy, it was generally good. Book Published May 2, 2017.
“Her expression was one of fear and defiance; I could see that she was clutching her secret to herself like a shield. You think that the hurt will be less, the humiliation slighter, if no one else can see it.”“The things I want to remember I can’t, and the things I try so hard to forget just keep coming.”