Blackwater

Jacqueline Ross

Blackwater
Format
Paperback
Publisher
Affirm Press
Country
Australia
Published
30 May 2023
Pages
288
ISBN
9781922806789

Blackwater

Jacqueline Ross

There is much heavily pregnant Grace still doesn't know about her new husband King's background. So, when word comes that King's father is dying, Grace is eager to accompany him to his childhood home, Blackwater, located in a remote part of Tasmania.

Things go badly from the start. The house is in terrible repair, King's dying father yells at Grace to leave and King's twin sister, Ruth, seems disturbed by Grace's presence. After his father's death, King convinces Grace they must stay and help Ruth settle the estate, but as time stretches on, he becomes increasingly strange and distant. When Grace learns about Blackwater's dark history, she begins to fear that it is the house itself exerting an evil influence on her husband.

Feeling increasingly isolated, and with the birth of her child looming, Grace knows she must uncover the secrets of Blackwater if she hopes to free her family from its grip.

A riveting story that twists present with a horrifying past. Blackwater is Australian Gothic at its finest - Anna Snoekstra

A compelling, atmospheric and immensely satisfying novel containing echoes of Stephen King and Daphne du Maurier - Chris Womersley

Review

Less than two years after meeting and falling in love with a mysterious and much-older man, a young bride is brought home to his huge and isolated manor…

Set in the wilds of Tasmania, Jacqueline Ross’s Blackwater has obvious shades of Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca, but this contemporary psychological thriller is also influenced by Shirley Jackson, Stephen King, and Tasmania’s own sinister colonial history.

When word comes that her father-in-law is dying, a heavily pregnant Grace accompanies her enigmatic new husband, King, home to the sprawling estate in Tasmania where he was raised. But any hopes of a warm welcome are dashed when she arrives to find her new family, including King’s twin sister Ruth, odd and threatening; their home, Blackwater, a derelict building with a dark and tragic history. And worse, a curse: a baby will never be born at Blackwater.

While Grace races against the clock to uncover the secrets at the heart of the house, Blackwater seems to be having a strange and transformative effect on her husband. Can she escape before it is too late, or will the house claim yet another victim?

Sinister, atmospheric, and with hints of the supernatural, Blackwater is a work of Australian gothic noir that sits very comfortably beside its European counterparts. Perfect for fans of The Dressmaker and The Haunting of Hill House alike.

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