- Paperback: 464 pages
- Publisher: HarperCollins; New Ed edition (4 Jun 2001)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0006514561
- ISBN-13: 978-0006514565
- Product Dimensions: 17.4 x 11.4 x 3.4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 934,000 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Plus, get an extra £5 Gift Certificate when you trade in books worth £10 or more before June 30, 2012. Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. |
Product details |
More About the Author
Product Description
Review
‘From its eerie opening in the moonlit waters of an island to the tension-charged denouement, we are smooothly sucked into the tale…On one level the book is an old-fashioned thriller in the best sense, its meticulous plot full of suspense and red herrings. But in a neat subversion of the mystery genre, this smart, absorbing novel also grapples subtly with the idea that in life things are rarely black and white…and that, even with murder, things are not always what they seem.’ Daily Mail
‘Harrison has a knack for making animals fascinating, exploring their intelligence and emotions with as much insight as he does human characters’ Fiona Kennedy, Bookseller
‘Author of THE SNOW FALCON with another wonderful tale of rivalry and murder in a rural community split by the pull of progress versus tradition’ Sarah Broadhurst, Bookseller
Product Description
A small New England fishing community is the setting for this compelling blend of suspense, adventure and romance, from the author of the highly successful THE SNOW FALCON.
On a dark night on an island off the coast of Maine, a shot is heard and a fisherman disappears. Despite the absence of a body, Ella Young is accused of murder and it falls to Matt Jones, the town’s lawyer, to uncover the truth that will clear the woman he’s in love with However it soon becomes apparent that Ella isn’t tellng him everything she knows, and as the evidence mounts against her, Matt is forced to question his belief in her innocence.
A beautiful summer visitor adds further confusion when Matt finds she knew the missing man better than she admits, and that she and Ella share an impenetrable secret. What begins as a straightforward investigation is soon caught up in the rivalries of local politics and a bitter conflict between one faction that wants to change the island’s traditional way of life and another, led by Ella, that values the delicate balance between man and the sea.
Against this seething background comes the reappearance of valuable bluefin tuna in the gulf, along with their natural predators, a pod of orcas. As the struggling community attempts to exploit this piece of seeming good fortune, everything is set for an explosive drama.
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organise and find favourite items. |
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I was a little apprehensive about reading this book. It looked to have a strong romantic element and I'm not interested in purely romance novels. Fortunately my concerns were unfounded and what unfolded was a page turning thriller.
Matt is a lawyer on a small remote Maine island. Ella, the woman he is falling in love with, is suspected of being involved with the disappearance (murder?) of a local nasty piece of work. Throw in the fact that Ella is running for major of the island and there is a political corruption dimension also.
There are touches of Grisham here with lots of strong, well developed characters. The local island fishing setting is fantastic and well researched. You really do get a feel for this small, remote island and how the people make their living. As the story unfolds you are left guessing the involvement of characters and the ending is ultimately satisfying and unforeseen.
9/10 for this well developed story that I read within 24 hours. I look forward to tracking down Stuart Harrison's other novels.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
When I picked up this novel, reading the jacket immediately put me in mind of the better written Snow falling On Cedars. The plotlines are similar - dead fisherman, wrongful accusations, island community - but they are both very different in content.
Still Water is essentially the struggle of a young lawyer to defend the woman he loves (from a distance) from the political machinations of the island's money man, and also the fisherman who consider her femininity to be out of place amongst the fishing fleet. There are one or two fairly juicy characters and the descriptive text of the island, the orca pod and the struggle of the community to survive the diminishing harvest of the ocean is excellent.
But the dialogue...Mr Harrison could do with taking himself down to his local and listening to conversations. Matt Jones (our hero) is about as interesting as a slab of wet fish. His heart's desire (Ella Young) does have a spark about her but there is nothing to suggest that the pair of them will rip their clothes off any minute!
As I said, the storyline is very good, but ultimately simple. All the characters have English foundations for their surnames - can you imagine a group of 10 Americans where no-one is Polish, Italian, Mexican, etc? This reminds me of essays I used to write at school where everyone had 5 letter names (Jones, Smith, Evans) because they were easy to write.
Oh and I think Mr Harrison deserves a mention for his use of the word 'related'. If there were awards to be given out for usage of this one word, then he is a worthy winner. There's at least one use on each page and I counted 4 in two paragraphs at one stage.
Format:Paperback
This book makes for an interesting read. Harrison's style is very distinctive, describing each character to a deep level. However, the story is not that intelligenet, and the beautiful description of the animals and people that got him the rightly deserved acclaim of 'The Snow Falcon' is slightly lacking here. So, all in all not as good as 'The Horse Whisperer', 'The Snow Falcon' or 'The Loop' (all following the same scheme), but still, worth reading.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Touching, Mysterious Novel
Still Water is a wonderful novel that is full of suspense, mystery and romance. It is a rare mix of stylish and original writing, good plot and likeable characters rolled into... Read more
Published on 23 Sep 2003 by Veronica
Sometimes frustrating but absorbing nontheless
Put simply, I liked this book. It didn't make me laugh or cry but the pace was lively and it had me rooting for Ella and Matt. Read more
Published on 7 Oct 2001
Pick this book up ,slip into a new world completely .
This is a perfect gift for someone who is planning a holiday on a beach in the sun. The author keeps twisting and turning the plot between this one and that keeping you guessing... Read more
Published on 17 Mar 2001
A very gripping read
After reading Harrison's first novel "The Snow Falcon" I was eager to see if he could match or even better it.He has on both counts. Read more
Published on 8 Jan 2001 by P. S. Goosey
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
