Crocodile Tears

De: Xanthe Walter

Narrado por: Matt Addis

Heart-pounding MM romantic suspense thriller set in a dystopian near future where love and loss collide.

Dark water. Deadly secrets. Dangerous love.

Top homicide detective Josiah Raine hasn't touched another man since his husband's brutal murder seven years ago. Notorious bad boy Alexander Lytton hasn't known peace since destroying his privileged life to become Britain's most hated man. When Josiah arrests Alex for murder, the last thing he expects is to fall in love....

London, 2095. Sixty years after rising seas drowned the old world, a corrupt system of servitude keeps the new one afloat.

Josiah leads a double life. At work, he tracks down killers with ruthless efficiency. At home, he's falling apart as he talks to his dead husband. His frozen existence is turned upside down when a celebrity is murdered, and all evidence points to the victim's servant—the beautiful but enigmatic Alexander Lytton.

Everyone is convinced of Alex's guilt except Josiah, who finds himself drawn to the sharp-witted young man. He knows Alex is hiding something, but is it murder or an even darker secret?

Haunted by memories of his husband's last moments, Josiah is running on empty as he tries to solve the case. As he slowly unravels, he finds an unlikely source of comfort—in the arms of his prime suspect.

But in a drowned world where servants are property, falling for Alex could cost him everything. Can he trust instincts numbed by grief, or is he being seduced by a master manipulator?

Immerse yourself in the enthralling first novel in the four-part Dark Water series by MM romance author Xanthe Walter, narrated by Matt Addis.

Mature content suitable for adults only.

©2025 Xanthe Walter (P)2025 Xanthe Walter

Just… wow!

That was incredible! I am DYING to see what comes next! The thrills and twists really got me and Alexander is one of the most intriguing captivating characters I’ve ever read.

Great series start!

There is a lot going on in this one. It's book 1 starting the Dark Water series (sounds like 1 overarching story?), and the author did a lot of masterful heavy lifting crafting a rich and complex dystopian world. It's told in third person and builds the narrative through time jumps. We learn about the main characters in the past (Josiah before his husband was killed, and Alex before/while his life of privilege came crashing down), which informs the narrative in the present, where Alex's owner has been killed and he's a suspect of Josiah's investigation. For everything we learn, though, there are more questions. The narration was top notch, and I didn't want to turn it off. The ending came too soon and, while it wasn't necessarily a cliffhanger, there is so much still unresolved that it feels like we're finally poised to jump into in book 2. I can't wait for the next installment!

Good

I like the overall story. It was a good introduction to the world. I have one issue—I get that the new world required things to change and what was happening was not conducive to moving forward comfortably, but there are so many other ways that could have happened instead of slapping the servants label on the displaced people of the world. It’s not like they wanted to be homeless and living with strangers. They don’t know they were going to be homeless and struggling to move forward in this new world. If this took place in the past I could have understood it. But a futuristic world where this is common just rubs me the wrong way. I just don’t understand why we needed to have indentured servants. That’s a huge turn off for me and it took a lot for me to push through to enjoy the story. But getting past that it was a good overall read. And the performance was great. I’ll be continuing the story when the next one releases.

Not sure how to feel

I wasn’t expecting such a complex story.

Alexander sure is paying for his youth mistakes. I honestly feel that he’s been punished too harshly. He doesn’t deserve everything he’s going through. We all make mistakes and deserve a second chance.

Josiah is the only person who begrudgingly has Alexander’s back. He wants to know the real Alex but Alex has just been burned so much that his default mask is a better option.

This was my first book by Xanthe Walter and I truly enjoyed it. Looking forward to book two.

Warming: the book ends in a massive cliffhanger. It’s a very slow burn. If you like dystopian novels, this is a great read.

Strong Narrator and a Captivating Novel

Crocodile Tears is a cleverly named book set in a dystopian future. I greaty enjoyed the post flood setting and found the world to be thought-provoking. I loved the way Xanthe explored grief. Overall, Crocodile Tears was a quick read for me, as I eagerly anticipated learning more about the world, characters, and the murder. The servitude system was well explained, and I enjoyed the different perspectives explored throughout this novel.

The dual-timeline narrative is typically not my favorite to read; but it worked well in this book to keep the mystery and suspense throughout while working to uncover the characters' background and secrets. I enjoyed the current day chapters the most. I know past Alex more than current Alex, and I can't wait to learn more about this character in the next book! I highly recommend you read (or listen) to this novel!