★ 03/10/2014
An inventive thriller set in suburbia — and in the troubled minds of her characters. . . . Murphy proves skillful at generating a proper climate of dread . . . But her real accomplishment is her study of the anxieties reflected in the exacting rules of the club.” — New York Times Book Review
“A domestic tale and unlikely crime thriller, adds a striking new wrinkle to the author’s consistently surprising body of work. . . . Ms. Murphy excels at such intimate observations of everyday family life. . . . A pulse-raising thriller.” — Wall Street Journal
“Compelling. . . . Style and substance and swimming mesh perfectly into a page-turner that sweeps you along with the power of a winning breaststroke. . . . This is the Water is the perfect, refreshing drip in the pool for the dog days of summer.” — Boston Globe
“Murphy’s writing is disarming in that it captures the way people actually think. . . . An uncommon story. This Is The Water is quietly unlike anything else.” — A.V. Club, "A"
“Mesmerizing. . . . The resulting intimacy you develop with each character takes this book beyond compelling into seriously addictive: You feel as they feel, be it fear, loss, longing or that most gripping of all feelings, love. Do not miss it.” — Oprah.com, 7 Best Binge-Reads of Summer
“Obscenely suspenseful. . . . In Murphy’s hands, the structure becomes almost hypnotic—and when the story hits full speed in the final quarter, the suspense becomes almost excruciating.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Murphy seasons the rising tension with humor. . . . A different sort of murder yarn that boasts twists in both the style and the plot.” — Kirkus Reviews
“This Is the Water isn’t just a good airplane read. . . . Murphy’s hauntingly lovely writing will hold plenty of appeal for a broader audience.” — Mother Jones, The Best Books of 2014
“[A] propulsive, psychologically lush, witty, and unpredictable novel. . . . Murphy’s evocation of feverish competition, stressed marriages, and the shocking banality of a serial killer’s inner life coalesce in a novel of acute observation, penetrating imagination, and rare agility that is capped by a resounding denouement.” — Booklist (starred review)
“A gifted storyteller with an unusual, hypnotic voice. . . . The nuances of small-town life are superbly captured in prose reminiscent of Philip Roth, but it is menace that drives the story forward. Truly original, it casts a spell that lingers in your mind.” — Daily Mail (London)
“This Is the Water is a chilling combination of crime and domestic drama, and its effects linger.” — Shelf Awareness
“Almost unbearably suspenseful, this novel propels the reader mercilessly toward a stunning conclusion.” — Cleveland Plain Dealer
“A suspenseful story about a serial killer stalking a high school girls swim team in a quiet New England town.” — The Daily News
“By skipping among the minds of many of her characters, and emphasizing the discrepancy between what they know at any given point in time and what the reader knows, Murphy amps up the suspense.” — Columbus Dispatch
“This is the Water offers a rare combination of literary merit and genuine suspense. It is lyrical and fluid, like the swimming pool that plays such a key role in its prose.” — Bookreporter.com
This Is the Water isn’t just a good airplane read. . . . Murphy’s hauntingly lovely writing will hold plenty of appeal for a broader audience.
Mesmerizing. . . . The resulting intimacy you develop with each character takes this book beyond compelling into seriously addictive: You feel as they feel, be it fear, loss, longing or that most gripping of all feelings, love. Do not miss it.
7 Best Binge-Reads of Summer Oprah.com
Compelling. . . . Style and substance and swimming mesh perfectly into a page-turner that sweeps you along with the power of a winning breaststroke. . . . This is the Water is the perfect, refreshing drip in the pool for the dog days of summer.
[A] propulsive, psychologically lush, witty, and unpredictable novel. . . . Murphy’s evocation of feverish competition, stressed marriages, and the shocking banality of a serial killer’s inner life coalesce in a novel of acute observation, penetrating imagination, and rare agility that is capped by a resounding denouement.
Booklist (starred review)
A domestic tale and unlikely crime thriller, adds a striking new wrinkle to the author’s consistently surprising body of work. . . . Ms. Murphy excels at such intimate observations of everyday family life. . . . A pulse-raising thriller.
An inventive thriller set in suburbia — and in the troubled minds of her characters. . . . Murphy proves skillful at generating a proper climate of dread . . . But her real accomplishment is her study of the anxieties reflected in the exacting rules of the club.
New York Times Book Review
A gifted storyteller with an unusual, hypnotic voice. . . . The nuances of small-town life are superbly captured in prose reminiscent of Philip Roth, but it is menace that drives the story forward. Truly original, it casts a spell that lingers in your mind.
Murphy’s writing is disarming in that it captures the way people actually think. . . . An uncommon story. This Is The Water is quietly unlike anything else.
Almost unbearably suspenseful, this novel propels the reader mercilessly toward a stunning conclusion.
A suspenseful story about a serial killer stalking a high school girls swim team in a quiet New England town.
By skipping among the minds of many of her characters, and emphasizing the discrepancy between what they know at any given point in time and what the reader knows, Murphy amps up the suspense.
This Is the Water is a chilling combination of crime and domestic drama, and its effects linger.
This is the Water offers a rare combination of literary merit and genuine suspense. It is lyrical and fluid, like the swimming pool that plays such a key role in its prose.
A domestic tale and unlikely crime thriller, adds a striking new wrinkle to the author’s consistently surprising body of work. . . . Ms. Murphy excels at such intimate observations of everyday family life. . . . A pulse-raising thriller.
2014-06-05
