This is a decent thriller which kept me gripped and I enjoyed it. Although it is a bit of a slow burner but it had good twists to the story. I’ve never read anything by Kelly Heard before but will be on the lookout for her works now.

Many thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn't expecting much from this but I was pleasantly surprised.

This is a psychological Thriller and it's a little slow paced but that's fine because it builds the suspense and the story up.

I was glued to the edge of my seat while reading this and loved all the twists and turns that appeared

BINGE READ ALERT!
The Woman in the Water by Kelly Heard had me screaming, "WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN" from the very beginning. I am the type of reader that tries to guess way before the plot thickens, what's going to happen, which in my opinion is the best way to read a book. Woman in the Water was a little blah se blah through the middle but it picked up in the action real quick. I did not anticipate the end at all and felt it was a bit rushed but oh so good.

If you like binge reads, great plot lines and a little mystery check this one out!

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. It was gripping from the beginning, full of intrigue and suspense. Good characters, nice writing style. Really enjoyed this and would recommend it. Enjoy!

Felicity Wheeler returns to her hometown after her sister Holly is found drowned in the swamp. The death is ruled an accident but Felicity knows her sister would never be out on that water, especially in a storm. Not after what happened all those years ago. Returning to take care of her nieces, Felicity begins to investigate her sister’s death. But there is someone who doesn’t want her to find out the truth. Someone who will stop at nothing to keep their secrets hidden.

The Woman in the Water is a story full of secrets and suspicion. A story about a fractured family, tragic death and search for answers. Told in dual timelines we follow as Felicity returns to a hometown full of painful memories to fulfill her sister’s wishes and try to find out what really happened to her the night she died. It is well written, with some beautiful imagery and prose, and there is a ghostly atmosphere at times that I loved, though I would have liked even more. I did find it predictable in places, but the author leaves you with enough doubt and questions to keep you turning the pages and invested in the story.

I liked Felicity. She is flawed, layered and relatable. Before Holly’s death she hadn’t been home since leaving under a cloud of rumour and scandal. In the flashbacks the author slowly unveils the traumatic and life-changing events that broke the sisters’ relationship and led to Felicity leaving home so young. The author acutely conveys the torment and pain it causes Felicity to face her past and be back in her hometown.

Dark, tense and twisty, this was a quick and entertaining read that fans of the genre will enjoy.

Blog tour

http://lianareads.home.blog/2021/07/25/the-woman-in-the-water-by-kelly-heard-blog-tour/

The woman in the water was a pulse racing suspenseful story.
I’ve been reading all the author’s books in the last year and I already knew what to expect from this story.
How far will you go to protect your family or siblings?
This is a raw, twisted story about family secrets and so many hidden truths that will come out one by one in this fast paced thrilling novel.
I had my theories and roughly an idea what actually happened in the night Holly died but I must admit that I was still shocked by some events in here.
Another must read story from a must read author.

Felicity is the temporary guardian of her sister, Holly's two nieces. Even though she never wanted to return to her hometown she rushes to be with them when Holly dies. But what actually happened to Holly? The Woman in the Water follows Felicity as she endeavours to find out, but she knows her delving will bring hidden secrets to the fore possibly with terrible consequences...

Told in a 'then' and 'now' format I thought this was a compelling tale. It jogs along at a comfortable pace, it's extremely well-plotted and the characterisation is also very good. It has a tangible level of spookiness and boasts a thrilling ending. Definitely worth reading so grab yourself a copy!

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Bookouture via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

BOOKWORMS REVIEW:
A family psychological drama revolving around Felicity..a paediatric nurse who gets a call saying her sister Holly has died. Felicityoved away from home years ago whilst Holly stayed...but they kept in touch. She's devastated..and is now named as guardian of Holly's 2 girls or else they go into the state..so of course Felicity must go home to look after the girls.

Felicity feels Holly's death was no accident and feels it might be connected to their own past. A little predictable in places but perhaps that's just me picking things up quicker. A good story with some dark and creepy imagery and scene depictions. Enjoyable read.

Thanks to Kelly Heard,Bookouture and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my review.

The Woman in the Water by Kelly Heard, while a solid read, is not my favourite from this author. Admittedly, I am not one for a slow burning thriller, and this one just did not grab me in the way that I had hoped.

Felicity receives a call that her sister has died, but she does not accept that the cause was an accidental drowning. Returning to her small hometown to care for her sister's two daughters, Felicity must deal with ghosts of the past as she searches for the truth behind her sister's demise.

Rich in descriptive imagery and character development, this is a well-crafted whodunit that will hit the spot for many readers but, for me, it is a bit too slow off the mark. 3.5 stars

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for an ARC.

This could have been an exceptional thriller with the local but the pace was much too slow for me. I want to know what's going on, don't draw it out! Other than the pace, the writing was not too bad and the characters were okay.

I received an ebook ARC from Netgalley and this is my voluntary, honest review.

i can't with this anymore. dnf at 54%. i feel like i've been forcing myself to read this & i don't wanna do this if i don't enjoy the book. from the beginning to the middle it was ok, nothing too different from the typical thriller, i felt like it was like any other average thriller book. but then in the middle... it just felt soo cheesy, i couldn't stand it. her and cody's conversations led me to dnfing this book. it's just not persuading me, not getting to me at all. unrealistic i would say. there are other books i wanna get to & this ain't it :/ not for me!

Rich in atmosphere, the creepy swamp and abandoned fairgrounds were the perfect setting for this psychological thriller.

Returning to your small hometown and being forced to face your past and all the juicy little secrets that come with it is one of my favorite troupes. The author, Kelly Heard, does a great job layering in the mystery throughout the story and keeping the stakes high.

If you like plenty of red herrings and a hefty cast of characters in a whodunnit storyline, then put on your detective cap and take a stab at this one. 🕵️‍♀️🕵️‍♂️ It kept me guessing with many little twists and misdirections that just when I thought I had something figured out, turns out I didn't.

I noticed this in the author's bio: "Writing love stories dressed up as suspense"
Nailed it. But not in a good way. The "love" story here was forced and slowed down the pacing. There's an intruder in the house, so let's pause and have a passionate hug while we profess our love. A child is missing, seems like a great time to have an intimate embrace and play hard to get instead of searching for said missing child. You get my point...

Overall, it's a twisty, enjoyable psychological thriller with a satisfying ending. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC of this book. #TheWomanInTheWater #NetGalley

This was an exceptionally fast paced dark thriller about a woman who moves home after her estranged sister dies in a supposed accident and she is named guardian of her nieces.

I found the family dynamics believable and although sad I found the situations and misunderstandings true to life.

I couldn't put this book down as I flew through to find out if the death was an accident.

The ending was poignant and bittersweet with the red herrings enjoyable. I would definitely read more from this author.

There are a few triggers though so worth looking up before reading.

A woman is found dead in the water and this water has a past in this small town to be a haunted place. The younger sister of the deceased heads back home to get the details of her death and check on her daughters and maybe even confront some things from the past.

First, let me say I read this book during a very busy week in my personal life and could only read it in bits and pieces which is not typically how my reading time goes. For me the simple fact that this book had a lot of short chapters made me distracted and created too many easy breaks and distractions. I think these things skewed my reading and I hope to read Kelly Heard again and be able to be pulled in for longer reading situations.

Being one half of a sister sibling relationship and having a sister who has kids that were close to Holly's kids ages, it made for a few times where the book felt a little too close to home! When Felicity arrives back home and has to confront secrets of the past and the death of her sister, I was personally invested and the way the author built the sisters and the characters that surrounded was the main driver that kept me reading through all my personal crazy! I wanted to know the stories from the past and the present and find out how the sisters ended up estranged and then how Felicity was going to solve all the things.

For me the characters were the focus of this story and the plot was enough to support these great characters and I know for me it had a few moments where the pacing fell off, but I can also see that it could have been my own personal things in the way of my reading experience.

This was my second Kelly Heard read and I would love to read more of her backlist and the ones to come.

elicity is pediatric nurse currently working in the Virgin Islands. She gets a call saying her sister, Holly, has been found drowned in the swamp not far from their home. Felicity’s old friend, a policeman, was the one to call her and asks her to come home. She has been named the emergency guardian for Holly’s daughters, Tess and Frankie. Their father is unable to care for them.

Felicity picks up the girls from her aunt’s house and heads to her mother’s house where they will stay. She and her mother have never had a good relationship.

Felicity begins to delve into what happened to Holly because she is convinced someone killed her and it was not an accidental drowning or suicide. When she begins to run into people she used to know, she starts to put the puzzle pieces together of events that happened years ago determined to find the answer to her questions.

This is a dark story as you surround yourself with slimy swamp water, vines, and tree stumps as well as the remnants of an amusement park destroyed by a hurricane. I believe this takes place in southeast Virginia which was where I was raised and, quite frankly, I could not wait to leave. The pine trees; the chilly damp air; and the misery of the area are not missed by me. Makes me shiver to think about it which is why I believe the author chose this area for her story. The characters are created like people you may have known years before complete with their original faults. I found myself grimacing as I read the book because a lot of it is so gloomy.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

WoW.....What a beautifully written book The Woman in the Water by Kelly Heard was. Then again all Kelly's book are and I have enjoyed reading all her books. Kelly has a way of writing that will take your breath away every time for me and they are always a beautiful read.
This book was just the same! a amazing book.

OMG My sister Holly is dead!!!

But, I still can't bring myself to say those cruel words out loud!!!! I so want to see my sister Holly again and give her a big hug!
But, it's never going to happen! I know Holly's death wasn't an accident..........She didn't slip and then drowned! by the old boardwalk in the dark water. One thing I know, Holly; would never go there alone! and I mean alone! especially if she had a choice.
So many bad memories we have there and I know it was no Accident!!!!

I always said when I was younger I would never go back to the small town we grew up in but I have to go back but, it would be safer for me if I never returned But, I have to go back to find out what happened to Holly!

Someone wanted to keep her silent! Why!!!! OMG Why!!!!!! What did she do or see???

Whoever, Killed Holly, knows my secret too.

I so need to find them before they find me! But where do I start? I drive slowly back to my Hometown Some many bad memories are floody back!
I'm so Scared! If I don't I'm going to be next!!! and I want to Live!

OMG this book is so good and full of so many twists and turns throughout I loved it!!!

I highly recommend this book! 5 star read!

Big thank you to NetGalley and especially to Bookouture for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review

This is the second book by Kelly Heard that I have read. I found this one, like the previous one, a bit of a slow burner at the beginning but again once I became hooked on the story I loved it so this must be this author's writing style.
It had plenty of twists and turns that kept me guessing right up to the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC.

Felicity knows her sister was murdered and she knows why. It all started years ago when a group of teenagers agreed to keep a terrible secret. I loved this exciting story especially the flashback chapters that gave more and more insight into the various characters. I think I suspected everyone at one point or another but the conclusion to this gripping story still left me breathless. A great read that you won't want to put down

It took me a while for this book to really grab me, I kept putting it down. But, once I did get into it, I was hooked. Those who love a slow burn would really like this one. I would read another Kelly Heard book again!

3.5 stars

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'The Woman In The Water' by Kelly Heard.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Kelly Heard, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous

Publication date 22nd July 2021.

This is the second book I have read by this author. I have previously read 'The Silent Girl' which I would recommend.


I was originally drawn to this book by its intriguing and eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis and title. The synopsis stated that this book is 'Perfect for fans of The Girl on the Train, The Woman in the Window and The Silent Patient.' I am a huge fan of 'The Girl On The Train' so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I am also a fan of Kelly Heard and if this is as good as 'The Silent Girl' it is sure to be a good read. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists of 52 chapters. The chapters are short to medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book is based in the USA 🇺🇸.

This book is written in first person perspective and the main protagonist is Felicity Wheeler. The benefits of books written in first person perspective are as long as they are well written it makes you feel that you are being spoken to by the protagonist and it can create more of a bond between yourselves and them. If there are several protagonists you also get to see more of what is going on.

This book is quite well written with very vivid descriptions that places you right next to Felicity while everything is going on. The synopsis describes the book well and the cover and title suit the storyline perfectly.

The storyline pulls you straight in with the first few chapters but then I did find it became quite a slow burner and you didn't see much 'action' for at least 50% of the book. However, although it was a slow started I found when it started picking up it became a rollercoaster ride of suspense, mystery and tension. I was intrigued by what had really happened with both Felicity and Holly and was kept on edge by what was going on with Felicity, I don't want to mention too much as I don't want to spoil it for future readers I was quite surprised when I discovered what had happened to her in the past and what was going on in the present so extra points to Kelly Heard for that as its getting harder and harder to surprise me.
It is set over multiple time lines. When books show what has happened in the past and what is happening in the present I find it really helps the reader (if it is well done) understand why things are happening and what has lead to the present activities and decisions. It also shows the bigger picture. I absolutely loved the setting and atmosphere especially with the swamps and the Spooky abandoned fairground, that definitely gave it the fantastic creepy vibe throughout that I enjoyed.

The characters are all very unique, strong and also complex. Each of the main characters definitely had a history and it was intriguing to watch the character development and relationships bond and break. I believe the story is strongly based on how certain relationships can affect us and how we cling on to certain people and seem to become blind to the toxic nature of some and mistake the genuine relationships of others with something unkind. I really enjoyed watching Felicity's relationships between her mum, Frankie and Tess especially grow and develop throughout the storyline.

Overall a mystery packed rollercoaster ride of suspense and tension.


Genres covered in this novel include Psychological Fiction, Gothic Fiction, Noir Fiction and Psychological Thriller amongst others.

I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of 'The Girl On The Train' and fans of Kelly Heard.


345 pages.

This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle via Amazon or free on kindle unlimited which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 4/5 (I enjoyed it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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