Review: Dark Water by Ripley Hayes

Title: Dark Water

Series: Daniel Owen Welsh Mysteries: Book Two

Author: Ripley Hayes

Publisher: Amazon/Kindle Unlimited

Length: 192 Pages

Category: Mystery

Rating: 5 Stars

At a Glance: Ripley Hayes has a knack for compiling interesting characters and placing them in a small town atmosphere that can feel homey and, at the same time, claustrophobic. That works especially well in this book as the the constant deluge of rain is oppressive, isolating, and appropriately affects the tone of the story, the sense of desolation being a great complement to the suspense and danger of the investigation. Readers who love a well-executed mystery with plenty of victims but few solid clues might want to immerse themselves in Dark Water.

Reviewed By: Lisa

Blurb: It’s not a good Monday for DI Daniel Owen.

A body in a wheelie bin. Missing teenagers. His ex turning up as his new boss.

A secretive teenager, a nosy secretary, an idealistic social worker, and a dodgy fruit and veg salesman all have pieces of the jigsaw. If Daniel and Maldwyn can trust each other again, they can put the pieces together.

But time is running out, and at least one child’s life is in danger. It’s been raining for weeks, and the flood waters are rising, threatening to engulf them all.

Review: Readers who love a well-executed mystery with plenty of victims but few solid clues might want to immerse themselves in Ripley Hayes’s Dark Water. DI Daniel Owens has been released from his Acting DCI duties, much to his chagrin, and when he discovers who his new boss is, his disappointment goes from a roiling undercurrent to near-ballistic. Maldwyn Kent wasn’t even supposed to be in Wales anymore, let alone now being Clwyd’s new Chief Inspector. That Mal has ghosted Daniel for the past year does nothing to smooth over the situation, either.

It’s necessary to read Undermined, the novella that introduces these characters and underscores the friction between them that builds into respect and fondness for each other. Mal’s backstory is especially integral to his characterization, and it helps to know their beginning in order to fully comprehend Daniel’s conflict when Mal unexpectedly returns, and not only returns but is now Daniel’s superior. Daniel struggles with the push-me-pull-you of his anger at being demoted from a position he was all but promised and the undeniable attraction he still feels for Mal, while working to solve a series of gruesome murders that endanger at-risk teens in the otherwise sleepy Melin Tywyll.

Ripley Hayes has a knack for compiling interesting characters and placing them in a small town atmosphere that can feel homey and, at the same time, claustrophobic. That works especially well in this book as the the constant deluge of rain is oppressive, isolating, and appropriately affects the tone of the story, the sense of desolation being a great complement to the suspense and danger of the investigation. When, thanks to Daniel’s sharp eye, keen mind, and familiarity with the town and the people—causing an extra dose of friction between him and Mal—he unravels the tangled web of clues and reveals the killer, I was as stunned as I expect to be by a good thriller.

Fair warning to those who appreciate it: Daniel and Mal haven’t settled into their happily-ever-after just yet. Sure they’re happy for now, but the romantic suspense between them is as palpable as the tension their jobs throw their way. Currently at seven books in, however, this series gives binge readers a lot of intense and interesting material to work with.

You can buy Dark Water here:
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