This is the second book by Paula Hawkins, author of The Girl on the Train. It's completely different but I liked it just a much. Each chapter is named after the character it is about; some are written in the first person and some in the third. The protagonist is Jules. She has been trying to distance herself from her sister Nel for some years, but gets dragged back to her hometown when Nel drowns in suspicious circumstances. Over the years a number of women have drowned in the same pool and it is considered to be a local suicide spot. Jules moves in with her troubled teenage niece Lena, while the police investigation takes place.
Some reviewers have said that the book includes too many characters, that they struggled to keep track of them, and that none of the characters were likeable. I liked Jules, but I did end up writing a character map to remind myself who everyone was (see below). Parts of the book reminded me of The Good People by Hannah Kent. There was a mix of folklore and mysticism thrown in. I found this made the book very different from The Girl on the Train, as well as distinguishing it from every other crime thriller.
