Devout fans of the compulsive hit The Girl on the Train may be surprised by Paula Hawkins' second novel, Into the Water, says Céire Duggan.
Nel Abbott has been found dead in what is known locally as the Drowning Pool. Her death, whilst tragic, fails to shock the community in the way you might expect; there have been women before her to lose their lives in the same spot.
If folklore is to be believed, she may not be the last woman to die there either. Nel’s teenage daughter Lena now begrudgingly finds herself in the care of her estranged aunt Jules, who is struggling to piece together the circumstances leading up to her sister’s death, as well as the many years they spent apart. As a local cast of neighbours, foes and officials argue over the details of this latest tragedy in Beckford, more questions than answers float to the surface of the Drowning Pool.
When Paula Hawkins’ début psychological thriller The Girl on the Train was released a few years ago, it went straight to the top of the New York Times bestsellers list and stayed there for 13 consecutive weeks .
Before long, it was snapped up by DreamWorks and the film adaptation with Emily Blunt as the eponymous anti-hero was proclaimed the new Gone Girl - in other words, a runaway success. But what was the magic touch that gave the début its thrilling edge, and has Hawkins’ managed to bring it to her latest offering?
The hallmarks of her début – the compulsive narrative, a fascinatingly unreliable narrator and the dramatic but deeply satisfying conclusion - seemed to amount to more than the sum of its parts. Combined, Hawkins created literary crack, and now Hawkins’ addicts will be back looking for more. But I suspect that instead of the rushing high they’re hoping for, they are more likely to experience a bit of a detox.
Into the Water is quite different to Hawkins´ first. A thriller, yes, but in pace alone Into the Water is nothing like The Girl on the Train. This time around, Hawkins offers a more gentle build to the story, perhaps allowing more time to ponder the various sub-plots and broad cast of characters to hand. Unexpectedly, elements of the supernatural are brought into the mix. Again, we’re presented with a string of personalities, each one more unlikable than the last, and, again, misogyny takes a lead role. But here, the reveal of each character’s true nature is executed with a touch less finesse.
Into the Water is certainly worth a read and no doubt will sell well as a summer holiday thriller. However, those expecting another Girl on the Train might be advised to re-adjust expectations.
Into the Water is now on general release and is published by Doubleday
