Something in the Water

March 26, 2018
One minute London newlyweds Erin Locke and Mark Roberts are enjoying a honeymoon to die for—Bora Bora, five-star lagoon bungalow—and the next they’re being sucked into a maelstrom that might actually get them killed, in this captivating if credulity-stretching debut from Downton Abbey alum Steadman (she played Mabel Lane Fox). What changes everything is the couple’s discovery while scuba diving of a locked canvas duffel bag. Its contents would free both recently fired investment banker Mark and narrator Erin, who just started filming her first solo documentary (about three prisoners and their transitions postincarceration), from any financial worries—but almost certainly guarantee worries of a more lethal nature. Once the pair start down this perilously slippery slope, the threats and increasingly bad decisions accelerate with Bourne-like velocity, as do their lies to each other. Although not all of the plot gambles prove equally successful, daring choices, such as opening with a scene of the desperate Erin digging a grave, mark Steadman as a newcomer worth watching. Agent: Camilla Wray, Darley Anderson (U.K.).

Starred review from May 15, 2018
While scuba diving in Bora Bora, honeymooners Erin and Mark find something in the water that will test their marriage and imperil their very lives.Simply begging to be filmed, British actress Steadman's debut novel has already been optioned by Fox 2000 Pictures. With unreliable characters, wry voices, exquisite pacing, and a twisting plot, Steadman potently draws upon her acting chops. Opening with Erin digging her husband's grave, the novel descends abruptly--how did the honeymoon end so disastrously? The timeline backs up to set Erin and Mark's roller coaster in motion. A documentary filmmaker, Erin has been working on a project exploring how prisoners envision their lives upon release. She has focused on three inmates: Alexa, an engaging 42-year-old incarcerated for helping her mother die; Holli, a sullen young woman imprisoned for setting a bus on fire during a riot; and Eddie, a charmingly dangerous local mob kingpin doing time for money laundering. While Erin presses on with her film, Mark, an investment banker, has lost his job, and prospects for a new one are dim. Although they've economized on their wedding, the honeymoon is meant to be a final splurge. What they find in the water, however, skews their moral compasses. Caught in a game they do not understand, Erin and Mark are swiftly beset by ominous Russian figures, mysterious text messages, and shadowy stalkers. Meanwhile, Holli has been released and disappears with her boyfriend, who appears to be associated with Islamic extremists in Syria. DCI Andy Foster, a Special Operative for Counterterrorism, questions how much Erin knew about Holli's post-prison plans. So Erin can add Interpol to the list of people surveilling her every move. As events tangle further, Erin and Mark careen to the edges of international espionage and domestic disaster.A darkly glittering gem of a thriller from a new writer to watch.

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June 1, 2018
Documentary filmmaker Erin Locke scores big when three high-profile convicts, including London gangster Eddie Bishop, agree to allow her to document their transitions back into society. But, as Erin's career soars, her fianc�e, Mark, struggles to replace the lucrative banking job he's just lost. Although they can scarcely afford it, Erin is convinced that their Tahitian honeymoon will set things right. It looks that way until a boating excursion leads them to a mysterious bag floating amid a plane's wreckage. Inside the bag is what appears to be an answer to their woes: millions of dollars in cash and diamonds. Erin and Mark boldly decide to disregard the accompanying cellphone full of increasingly threatening Russian texts and smuggle the contents back into Europe. But, when Erin secretly attempts to fence the diamonds, she's targeted by ruthless killers and must turn to Eddie Bishop to survive. This debut's opening hook, which jumps ahead in the story to reveal a shocking outcome, teamed with Erin's spunk and the threat of Russian mobsters, creates irresistible suspense?of both the what-will-happen and the how-did-that-happen varieties.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)

February 1, 2018

Documentary filmmaker Erin and banker Mark are on a glorious Bora Bora honeymoon when they discover a bag stuffed with glittering valuables, which changes their lives in a way that's not so good. A writing debut from the actress who played Mabel Lane Fox in Downton Abbey.

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