In the Deep

By: Loreth Anne White

Narrated by: Sarah Zimmerman

Length: 11 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's Summary

I hope you don’t find him. And if you do, I hope he’s dead and that he suffered....

Real-estate mogul Martin Cresswell-Smith is the best thing that has ever happened to Ellie. After her daughter’s devastating death, a divorce, and an emotional breakdown, he’s helped her move as far as possible from the grief, the rage, and the monsters of her past. Ellie imagines her new home with Martin in an Australian coastal town will be like living a fairy tale. But behind closed doors is another story - one that ends in Martin’s brutal murder. And Ellie seems almost relieved....

Naturally, everyone thinks Mrs. Cresswell-Smith is guilty. 

Senior Constable Lozza Bianchi has reasonable doubt. She sees evidence of a twisted psychological battle and a couple who seemed to bring out the worst in each other - adultery, abuse, betrayal, and revenge. If anything Ellie says can be believed, that is. As the case takes twist after spiraling twist, Lozza can’t shake the gut instinct that she’s being manipulated. That Ellie is hiding something. That there are secrets yet to surface. Lozza has no idea.

©2020 Cheakamus House Publishing (P)2020 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic Reviews

“Convincing character development and a denouement worthy of Agatha Christie make this a winner. White has outdone herself.” --Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“This page-turner is tightly written with a moody sense of place in the small coastal community, but it is the numerous twists that will keep readers thoroughly absorbed. A satisfyingly creepy psychological thriller.” --Kirkus Reviews

“Perfect for fans of Ruth Ware, Sally Hepworth, or Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, In The Deep by Loreth Anne White is propulsive, chilling, and brilliantly plotted with a twist ending you’ll never see coming.” --The Nerd Daily

Trigger Warnings!

In the Deep had appealed to me from its blurb. I listened to it from the Kindle Unlimited program and was glad that I hadn't purchased it. To qualify my reasons for that statement, I do not like books with rape or non-consensual sex. This book has that. The story for the most part takes place in Australia, and yet does not have an Australian sounding narrator. Sarah Zimmerman has a fantastic voice, yet did not give me that full Aussie feel. I did however love the twists the author, Loretta Anne White wrote. The analogy of a shell game was very fitting.

Partial review for Audible. Full review on Goodreads and Amazon

✂️
I thoroughly enjoyed the atmospheric settings, especially that of Jarrawarra Bay, NSW, Australia. The characters are very well-developed, and although Dana, Lozza, and Maya are likable, others weren’t. I rolled my eyes as Martin—the charismatic, handsome, blue-eyed blond—blathered on about his business, his world trips, his lifestyle, his yacht, his houses, etc. Yes, another clichéd, rich man. But just then, I happened to glance at a borrowed copy of Mary L. Trump’s bestseller. Wow. Talk about a clichéd light bulb moment! Martin is a literary version of Mary’s infamous uncle! This realization made me re-think what I’d read.

I went back and re-read the first third of the book, which annoyingly seemed to not differentiate women’s voices. Add to that, strategic omissions of character’s names and identities. Then I listened to the Audible version, which was only slightly better at varying characters’ voices. Aaaargh! Frustrated with the audiobook narrator, I tried Whisper-sync for the first time. Wow. Reading & listening was a HUGE help in deciphering the author’s sleight of hand.

The overall plot is well-conceived and executed with shrewd brilliance. During my initial reading, I searched for missing info without success, and I was annoyed that the author withheld mystery-solving information—until I realized—via Mary L. Trump’s book—that I was up against subterfuge. After my light bulb moment, I was on the lookout for the author’s guile.

I enjoyed the mystery, and overall, I liked this book.

Warning: NSFW language, domestic abuse, sexual abuse, unbelievable insta-love, and crude instant-sex.

Deeply moving and intriguing!

IN THE DEEP was DEEPLY moving, suspenseful, and intriguing.

Yes, this compelling "Wife-Accused-of-Killing-Husband" book was impossible to put down and never missed a beat. The story unfolds from two POVs....Ellie (the wife) and Lozza (one of the detectives investigating the murder).....during different time periods (before the murder and after the murder). There were many twists and turns and throughout the entire book, making "what happens next" impossible to predict.

The majority of the book is set in coastal Australia and the author's incredible attention to detail made readers feel like they were in Jarrawara Bay, too -- braving the humidity, spiders, flying bats, and kangaroos.

Narrator Sarah Zimmerman did a superb job. However, I felt that this book would have benefited from multiple narrators since the book was told in multiple POVs during different time periods and, at times, it was difficult to keep track of who was who.

This was my first Loreth Anne White book and I look forward to reading this author's future titles.

Will have you puzzled

So I love reading Loreth books. You always think at first you know what's about to happened. Then she change it up on you
I truly enjoyed reading and listening to this book. Thanks

Not my favorite but got better

This is my 3rd book I’ve read from this author and I will say it’s my least favorite. It did get much better towards the end but it took awhile to really get there. There were a few twists towards the end that I kind of guessed but overall it was good.

Great thriller

I love stories that keep me guessing and this one was fantastic! Ellie is a rich heiress with a troubled past who begins a whirlwind romance at the perfect time with Martin a wealthy businessman. He whisks her off to Australia to begin a business venture that he has used her inheritance to back. Ellie has fears about her new husband and confides in a local about her concerns. Nothing is at it seems and the secrets and deception run deep in this book - loved it!

Epic!

Just wow! This is an amazing audiobook! I had it figured out and then WTF! LAW out does herself again.

Slow Start But Got Really Good

I will admit the first few chapters of this book did not wow me and I really thought this was going to be a dud read for me. But then when I reached the first chapter about Ellie, I was hooked. And the further the book got the more the tension picked up and by the end of the book I could not wait to find out how this was going to end. And what an ending it was! And while I kind of figured out 1 thing that was going on. The rest was like “Holy Crap! Did not see that coming” I love books that make you rethink things.

Ellie Hartley has had a hard life. Her mother overdosed when she was nine years old. And He father (one of the richest men in Canada) did not show her much love.
But then Ellie found love and got married and had a daughter. But then her daughter died in an accident when she was three years old and that sent Ellie into a spiral of depression, drugs and alcohol. Which lead to her divorce. But then one night Ellie met Martin Cresswell-Smith and he swept her off her feet. After a world wind romance they Married and Ellie moved to Martin’s small costal fishing town in Australia. But once there the fairy tale romance ended. Martin is not all who Ellie thought he was and when he is brutally murdered Ellie is relieved. In fact when he was missing and the police were questioning her Ellie said “I hope you don’t find him. And if you do, I hope he is dead and the he suffered.” Whoa!
Senior Constable Lozza Bianchi is investigating the murder and she has some demons of her own. And as the case starts to unfold, she wonders if Ellie is telling her the truth or is she being manipulated.

This book is told from the POV of Lozza, Ellie and the murder trial. And while the first few chapters had me going ‘Meh, think this is just going to be an okay book” The rest of the book sure changed my mind. I think the problem that I had with the beginning was that there was a lot of data dump that just had me confused. But once I got past that part this book was great! I don’t want to say to much and spoil anything. But as the book went on I was more on the edge of my seat. This book is filled with lots of twists and turns, most that I did not see coming.

Sarah Zimmerman

It kept me on the edge of my seat

This is the best, well-told story I have listened to in a long time! Sarah Zimmerman is an amazing reader, too! Top notch!

A well synthesized mystery, poor performance

A great story with interesting & surprising twists. The only thing that diminshed my enjoyment was the annoying performance. It's overdone to the extreme.