Book Review: The Deepest Water

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

The Deepest Water     Amazon US HC Amazon Canada HC
Kate Wilhelm
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Thriller   Legal Setting
St. Martin’s, Oct 2000, $23.95, 288 pp.

Abby Connor is stunned when her father Jud, a noted novelist is murdered near an Oregon lake. Being closer to her dad than even her spouse, Abby goes through the motion of living. She struggles with her current relationships as a vacuum has left her prime connection severed. However, a revelation strikes her that Jud had to have known his killer because the dogs must have recognized the culprit.

Abby begins reevaluating her life and those currently in her life. She searches for a greater understanding of her father and ultimately his untimely death. Finally, deciding she needs closure, she examines his last unpublished novel thinking she will find the clue to uncover the identity of the culprit.

THE DEEPEST WATER is an intriguing suspense thriller due to Abby, as complete a protagonist as found in a novel. The tale starts innocently at a funeral, but builds up in tension as Abby regains her equilibrium and soon obsesses over her father’s murder. The support cast provides grit to the novel as several individuals “advise” Abby on what she should do next. The enthralling story line will entice the audience to find other works by Kate Wilhelm.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner