Dark and Lonely Water

By: Graeme Reynolds, Crystal Lake Publishing

Narrated by: Chris Barnes

When Samantha Ashlyn is forced to return to her home town to write an article on a series of drownings, she initially resists, finding disturbing similarities to her childhood experiences. However, once she starts looking into the assignment, she finds that things are not what they seem. An ancient evil is rising again, aided by what appears to be a centuries-old conspiracy to keep it hidden. With the help of a disgraced police diver, Sam races to stop the nightmare before more lives are lost—not realizing that her investigation has put herself and those she loves in terrible danger.

Set in Northern England, this folk horror novel is perfect for fans of strong female protagonists, dark humor, conspiracies, mythological creatures, dark fantasy, and thrillers.

Proudly represented by Crystal Lake Publishing—Tales from the Darkest Depths.

©2023 Graeme Reynolds (P)2023 Graeme Reynolds

Critic reviews

“Dark and Lonely Water is aquatic horror at its finest.” (The Ginger Nuts of Horror)

Mossy Cavern of Nightmares

Rural horror mixing an eerie cryptozoology tinged murder spree with family tensions. The atmospheric aquatic sceneries is my type of stuff. The book tends to move more towards social elements within a family and there immediate network with an investigative journalist, her kids, and people who may or may not be part of an eerie conspiracy. There were times I wish it was more fast paced, the investigative journalist framework helps unravel a mystery a bit slowly. The narrator has a thick irish accent I did not expect but elevates the folk horror material. Some of the plot has the potential to seem generic but I found the direction to be an unexpected slow burn towards a thrilling conclusion. This one ended up being better than expected and I spent some time googling different aspects from the book; it builds on a lote unfamiliar to be but interesting.

Definitely creepy in a good way

This author was new to me. I liked that the story was inspired by the English folklore of Jenny Greenteeth. That alone was new to me. The twists and turns throughout the book kept me entertained, captivated, and questioning the outcomes. It has some gory moments (I'm the one who closes their eyes at the movies 🤣), but I love the horror. This was a good book. I am still not sure how I feel about the ending, but it was not what I was expecting so that's a good thing. The narrator did an amazing job giving characters a voice of their own. I will be checking out other books from this author. If you like horror and unexpected endings this one is for you.

I received this book for free and am voluntarily leaving my review.

It was ok

Story was ok. I kept drifting and having to try hard to focus. I guess it didn't really keep me engaged. Narrator was not bad. An average listen.....

Compelling thrill ride

I loved this from start until almost the end. The story was so interesting and creepy but it got a bit weird before coming to a decent conclusion.

Jenny Greenteeth

This was a thoroughly creepy tale full of horrific images of darkness in the water. The first chapter literally drags you under the murky water and the horror doesn't let go until the last page.

Samantha Ashlyn, a reporter, is asked to return to her hometown to investigate the deaths/disappearances of several people. The police say there is no connection, but the victim's families feel differently. Sam finds herself reluctantly reunited with her Uncle Marcus, but there is something slightly off about the reunion. As Sam digs further into the case, she also has to protect her twins, Julia and George, and try to get over her grief and fear of the water that took her Mother's life 25 years ago. Sam meets a police diver who has encountered something in the water that puts him in a ostracized position due to what he claims happened to him. The two join up to try to discover the truth and bring an end to the deaths that haunt them both.

The story unfolds around folklore in the region surrounding a witch named Jenny who was banished centuries ago. But, is there something supernatural at work or is it just "normal" crime? The author has created a great cast of characters and a totally immersive horror with this story and I raced to the end to see what was going to happen. And, the ending was definitely not what I was expecting?

The narrator did a fantastic job, but I will admit that my American Southern ears had to work to understand his deep accents! But, his voice was perfect for this tale and kept my interest throughout the book. I will definitely be looking for more books by this author.

Dark and Lonely Water

This was a lot of fun. I liked the characters and the flow of the story. An enjoyable creature feature that kept me invested.
The narrator’s voice was a great fit.

Hated the ending

Great story was highly invested, but the ending just leaves a sour taste in the mouth and has a tendency to fire up that generational rage over female oppression.

Simple, But Effective, Aquatic Scotland Horror

This compelling cheapo horror novel is set in Scotland about a journalist mother who must take her two children to live with an estranged relative while she investigates a pattern of missing persons surrounding the local river. Feminist conspiracies and fish monster mayhem ensue. It’s pretty short, VERY Scottish, and despite not really having a third act, ties up the themes reasonably well. It’s a solid paranoid-mother, pulp-fish-monster book that can be read in just a few hours and has an interesting message.

It was OK

I really liked this story it had a good plot just seemed rushed at the end. I absolutely loved Reynolds werewolf series and Chris Barnes is a great narrator, just felt it could have been longer with more involved.

Long sip of dark and haunting

This isn't what I expected. This is suspenseful build up, not a slow burn, but more of an instance where the story temp is turned up to 350 degrees and you are left to slow roast as it plays out. It is a tense terse tension-wrought tale with an ending that will stick to your ribs long after you've finished devouring this book. Seriously, this book hangs around with you. It's not a one and done listen. That's the best kind of story; one that literally haunts you like a ghost after you've read it. This is one of those rare gems.

Chris Barnes plays this 5X5 and nails it. The story's good, but he puts in the work to make it BETTER.

I'm keeping my eyes open for more stuff by Graeme Reynolds.