A tragically dark and unputdownable novel.

In 1984, single mother Vivian Davidson walked into the home of a man, shot him dead, and took a polaroid picture of his dead body. In 2018, she returned to the same location and killed herself.

Holt Davidson has just received word of his mother’s death. A firefighter who has never settled down, he returns to his hometown in Colorado for the first time in years. Searching through his mother’s belongings results in more questions…instead of answers. Why would she have a polaroid of a dead man? Why is there a love letter included with that?

The past is never buried.

WOW! Thanks to my GR friend, NZLisa, for putting this on my radar. It was even better than I anticipated.

Beneath Cruel Waters is a dark, disturbing mystery and domestic drama. I wouldn’t call it a slow burn, but everything about it plays out quietly…and yet I was enthralled! I couldn’t put it down, and I have author Jon Bassoff to thank for that.

Bassoff writes beautifully and knows just the right way to hook readers. The main twists aren’t shocking per se, but are still handled expertly. There are some surprises in store when heading towards the denouement, and I fully appreciated that it took some turns I never expected.

This book is heavy. There is no joy to be found in the story itself, but it’s so damn satisfying. There are also plenty of TW’s which I won’t discuss. Luckily, animal harm isn’t one of them. Everything will be revealed by the end, but don’t look for a happy and corny epilogue. You won’t find it here.

This is a 2022 standout, and I highly recommend it. It’s disturbing and atmospheric, and Bassoff writes with aplomb.

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Expected Publication Date: 5/10/22.

Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com181 s Jayme1,261 2,895

A GUN, A LETTER and a PHOTOGRAPH of a man lying in his own blood.

That’s what Holt Davidson discovers, when he returns to his hometown following his mother’s suicide, after nearly two decades away.

Did his mother kill this man? If so, why? And, who wrote the love letter?!

His sister Ophelia, Hamlet’s Ophelia, has been diagnosed as mentally ill, and she has been institutionalized since she was a teenager. Could her breakdown be related to the items he discovered?

Holt is determined to find out…

SECRETS and SINS

GUILT and REMORSE

His mother tried her best to be devout…to believe…but sometimes baptism isn’t enough to save you….

I’ll admit-when I first began the book, I was afraid it was going to focus too much on Religion, for my personal taste.

The story is EVOCATIVE but despite some elements of suspense it isn’t a thriller -it is more character driven as in literary fiction, and it quickly drew me in. Before I knew it, I had reached the conclusion of this MELANCHOLY story.

Although I had a good sense of where this story was headed, I didn’t get everything right.

If you are looking for something different-and don’t mind a steady reveal, as opposed to shocking twists, I recommend picking this one up!

I am glad that I did!

AVAILABLE NOW!!

Thank You to Blackstone for the gifted ARC. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!crime mystery-suspense netgalley178 s Lit with Leigh560 4,014

HAPPY PUB DAY TO THIS BANGER OF A BOOK!!! IF YOU WANNA BE EMOTIONALLY WRECKED, READ THIS

Thank you Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book before publication.

TRIGGER WARNING: All of them except animal cruelty

Writing: 5/5 | Plot: 5/5 | Ending: 5/5


THE PLOT

Holt Davidson returns to his childhood town after his mother dies by suicide. As Holt tries to figure out what led to his mother's death, he inadvertently finds the answers to the "troubles" that haunted his older sister, Ophelia.

MY OPINION

Inhale. Exhale. Just... WOW. I honestly requested this book because a majority of the mentioned how well-written it is. The synopsis didn't really speak to me, but since writing quality is VERY important to me and I've endured so many duds lately, I thought why tf not?? And I'm glad I took a chance.

I literally read this book in one sitting. It's hard to describe Bassoff's writing style; it's not flowery, but yet he skillfully creates an atmosphere of dread, struggle, and spookiness. I love his sentence structure; the rules of 3 babyyyyy. It's straightforward, but rhythmic. I can't explain it. But I love it.

This is not your mainstream thriller. This is a character study. You spend a lot of time in each character's inner thoughts. I enjoyed all three POVs. Bassoff did a wonderful job carving out a particular tone for Vivian (the mom), Ophelia (the sister), and Holt. It was pretty obvious how everything was going to unfold, but you know from the writing quality it's not going for shock value. This is an everyday tragedy in a small town ruled by religion. You feel allll the emotions. You contemplate alllll the decisions.

This novel tackles very sensitive and disturbing topics. This is why writing quality is important; a less talented author would cheapen these traumatic experiences. I do not recommend this book to anyone just looking for a wild ride of the "Stay Awake" variety. This book will weigh heavy on your heart. It's disturbing. It doesn't do religion any favours. Everything is depressing. But since I'm a sicko who s to wade in the deep end of emotional disturbance, I loved it.

PROS AND CONS

Pros: Beautiful and astute writing

Cons: None for me, but just another warning: THIS BOOK IS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART. Yes, this is fiction, but the storylines are extremely REAL. You will feel disturbed.161 s Sujoya(theoverbookedbibliophile)- Lots of catching up to do! 590 1,970


HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY! June 21, 2022

Firefighter Holt Davidson returns to his hometown in Thompsonville, Colorado after over twenty years for his mother’s funeral after she commits suicide by hanging herself from a tree. While sorting through his mother’s belongings in his childhood home he finds an old Polaroid photo of a dead man, an old music box, a love letter and a gun hidden underneath the floorboards of his mother’s room. His mother Vivian was a devout church-going woman and a kindergarten teacher who raised both her children as a single mother after Holt’s father abandoned them before he was even born. His older sister Ophelia who he has not seen for over thirty years had been institutionalized on account of mental illness when Holt was a child, though Holt does have some fond memories of her. His mother’s suicide and the discovery of these hidden objects raise questions in Holt’s mind. Who is this dead man and why does his mother have a picture of him? Who wrote that letter to his mother? What prompted his devout mother to take her own life? What happened to his sister thirty years ago that led to her being committed to a mental institution? As the story progresses, we see how Holt leaves no stone unturned in his attempt to unravel the mysteries surrounding his family. In the course of his search, as his own repressed memories slowly rise to the surface, he must also face his sister who now resides in a care home and wade through the sea of lies, deception and secrets that destroyed his family.

Beneath Cruel Waters by Jon Basoff is a dark, atmospheric and absorbing read. Though some content might be disturbing for some, the author does exercise considerable restraint in describing sensitive topics such as religion, suicide and mental illness. The well-paced and gripping narrative switches between 1984 and the present-day (2018) and takes us through Holt’s childhood and his mother’s life as a single parent and his present-day experiences in his hometown. The writing is crisp and concise without any unnecessary embellishment. Each of the characters in this story is immensely flawed, complex and battling their own demons and each of their trajectories are very well-structured. This is not a particularly ”twisty” thriller and even though it is not difficult to predict some of the secrets that are gradually unraveled, the author does manage to keep the element of surprise going till the end. I was hooked to the story from the very first page and finished the book in one sitting.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the digital review copy of this gripping read. All opinions expressed here are my own.netgalley-arc108 s L.A.523 201

4.5 *
A psychological thriller with family drama that is very disturbing encountering many trigger warnings. You've been warned. It will not leave your mind, but put you on edge for the ones that fight their demons daily. All of the characters are battling within some form or fashion. Reaching into these characters' minds is depressing and emotionally disturbing, but it is a fictional book that you cannot put down. When the author is that talented to wrap all of the shocking details into one book and consume me to finish, you know he has done his job well.

The story begins in 1984 with Vivian walking into a house and shooting a man several times. In 2018, she returned to that house to kill herself. Unraveling this grim story is her son Holt who receives word his mother has committed suicide. Looking for answers, he uncovers a gun, a Polaroid picture of a man who had been shot and a letter. As he begins to question his mom's secrets and lies, memories flood his mind at different intervals in the story. Holt's sister, has spent 30 years in an institution. His memories are sketchy and chilling with visuals of his sister being carried out of the house by men in white uniforms.

For those of you who can handle all of the dark, grim and domestic violence with episodes of flashbacks then it will not bother you. The extreme religious beliefs was hard to stomach and does not conform to my beliefs, but stepping over that and putting it behind the real elements of the story will get you through this incredible fiction.

Thank you NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my review.105 s Jen CANADA 534 1,704

I’m venturing away from thrillers as they don’t seem to reach the threshold on my meter.

Holt has returned to his hometown for his mother’s funeral. She committed suicide. A broken relationship. But here he unravels the truth and finds answers to questions he never asked.

A haunting story but won’t be one that stays with me. More mystery than thriller. It was fast paced and did keep my interest, but alas, I think the time has come for the genre and I to part ways.

3??
93 s Debra2,612 35.7k

Holt Davidson has returned to his hometown after receiving word that his estranged mother has committed suicide. He hasn’t been back for twenty years but has returned to pay his respects then move on. But sometimes returning home, can be difficult. Going through someone's belongings, can be a difficult experience. Sometimes you find things and...

While going through his childhood home, Holt finds a gun, a love letter, and a Polaroid photograph of a man lying in his own blood. Why does his mother have these items and who wrote the love letter?

Spurred on by his nagging questions about what he found, Holt takes a very bumpy ride down memory lane. He visits his older sister, Ophelia who was placed in an inpatient psychiatric hospital when she was a teenager to reconnect and ask her questions. Plus, his mother's best friend is there to give support and answers some of his questions.

WOWZA! This book was so good. It is gritty, raw, and full of family secrets. The writing was beautiful and evoked emotion. I read this book in one day as I did not want to put it down. It was so good. The author had me from the very first page - I mean, come on, what a way to start a book. It grabbed my attention and did not let go. I had so many questions and , Holt, I wanted answers.

There are books I read and think they are very good and then there are books Beneath Cruel Waters which are excellent reads. This is how you do it! This book was so well written, the characters are so beautifully crafted, and the plot is so riveting that left me awe struck. There is an undercurrent of gloom and heartache running throughout this book. This was so expertly done, so gripping that I felt a silent observer following Holt around as he delved into the past to make sense of the present.


This book deals with many difficult subjects, but do not let that scare you away. They are done with care, nothing is sugarcoated and yet, the author presents them in a way, that had me wanting more of the story.

I look forward to reading more of Bassoff's work!

Gritty, raw, heartbreaking brilliant


#BeneathCruelWaters #NetGalley

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Read more of my at www.openbookposts.com



netgalley93 s Michelle 953 1,611

Here that?

That is me finally releasing the breath I didn't even realize I was holding.

Oh my, was this ever good and sad, so very sad.

Holt, a fireman, returns home to Colorado to attend the funeral of his mother who recently killed herself. It has been decades since he has last seen his mom or returned to his hometown. While roaming around his childhood home he makes a discovery that has him questioning everything he was meant to believe.

"A gun, a photograph, and a letter."

We go back to the 80's when Holt was a five year old happy-go-lucky kid living with his kind and loving mother, Vivian, and his exuberant 16 year old sister, Ophelia, whom he thinks is the most amazing person in the world.

He remembers when things got bad too. When Ophelia was ripped from their house kicking and screaming with the men in white. When his mother turned to the Bible with a fanatics ferocity in the wake of what happened. When his world turned from good to bad in what seemed a matter of minutes.

This is Holts story and it's about as heartbreaking as a story can get. There are no winners here. It's bleak from start to finish. My heart aches for these broken souls, these broken people who only wanted to do right but in the end got it all so wrong.

"The past tortures the present."

While this story is a punch to the gut Basoff's writing is nothing short of exquisite. I am in awe of what he accomplished here. I wanted to reach into the pages to hug some, to shake others, and to kill a few. I have a feeling I'll be thinking about Holt for a long time to come. 5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for my complimentary copy.
2022-favorites netgalley-arcs90 s megs_bookrack1,758 11.9k

Holt Davidson essentially fled his hometown of Thompsonville, Colorado, as soon as he was old enough.

After he receives news that his estranged mother has committed suicide, he decides it has to be done; he has to go back for the first time in over twenty-years.



The dread he is feeling about returning is substantial, but he's also hoping to maybe fill in some pieces of his murky childhood memories. He wants to finally be able to make peace with it all and put it behind him.

Until this point, Holt has been haunted by his past, but it's actually unclear as to why.



Once he returns to Thompsonville, he even stays at his mother's home in his old bedroom. Alone in the house, he begins exploring, searching for clues from the past.

Instead of your typical nostalgic childhood items, however, Holt discovers a gun, a mysterious love letter and a picture of a dead man lying in his own blood.



These aren't the type of things you can ignore, so Holt begins an investigation. He's determined to discover the secrets of his past, whether he's going to it or not.

He enlists the help of his mother's oldest, dearest friend and gains a lot of useful information from her, including insight into his sister who has been institutionalized since she was a teen. It's not long before Holt's own traumatic memories begin to resurface.



One of my favorite tropes in a Thriller is when a main character returns to their hometown after an extended absence, so in theory this was the perfect set-up for me.

Luckily, the theory was proven correct in this case. I enjoyed this one a lot. Once I started I didn't want to put it down.



I found Bassoff's writing to be highly readable. It was fast-paced and smooth, with just the right amount of details. I love the POVs coming from both past and present to help to piece the truth together.

I thought the reveals were well handled. Although predictable, it still managed to keep me fully captivated so it didn't really influence my opinion of the overall story.



I was really surprised by this one and definitely recommend it to fans of Crime Thrillers, especially if you enjoy the use of both past and present perspectives together.

Thank you to the publisher, Blackstone Publishing, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I'm looking forward to reading more from Bassoff!arcs-read79 s Sandysbookaday 2,173 2,206

EXCERPT: 'You can do better,' he said. 'But you knew that.'

'We all knew that!' Joyce said.

Mike glanced at his wife and then back at Vivian.

'Listen to me. He bothers you again, you let me know. And in the meantime, it's probably a good idea for you to make sure you can protect yourself.'

He reached into his pocket and took out a little .38 Special revolver and placed it on the counter.

Vivian shook her head. 'I don't need that Mike.'

'I'm sure you won't. But with a fellow Ruben around, I just figured . . . well, only take it if you want to. Only if you feel comfortable.'

For a few moments, Vivian remained where she was. Mike and Joyce watched her, waiting. She squeezed her eyes shut and visualized Ruben and his dead fish eyes, and her skin began to itch and she wanted to scream.

She opened her eyes and took a deep breath. Then she took a few steps over to the counter. She grabbed the gun and held it in her hand.

It felt cold and heavy and terrible.

ABOUT 'BENEATH CRUEL WATERS': Holt Davidson, a Kansas firefighter, hasn’t been back to his hometown of Thompsonville, Colorado, for more than two decades, but when he learns that his estranged mother has taken her own life, he returns for the funeral, hoping to make peace with her memory. He spends the night at his childhood home, rummaging through each room, exploring the past. But instead of nostalgic souvenirs, he discovers a gun, a love letter, and a Polaroid photograph of a man lying in his own blood.

Who is the dead man? Was his mother the one who killed him, and, if so, why? Who sent the love letter? And what role did his sister, institutionalized since she was a teenager, play in this act of violence? As his own traumatic memories begin to resurface, Holt begins an investigation into his mother’s and sister’s pasts—as well as his own.

MY THOUGHTS: 'The past tortures the present.'

The timeline moves between the past, the 1970/80s and 2018, and Holt's, Vivian's and Ophelia's perspectives.

Beneath Cruel Waters is a dark and disturbing psychological family drama with layers of obfuscation, lies and secrets.

Vivian is a single mother, lonely, and becomes obsessed with religion. She has a brother, Bobby, who blows in and out of her life the restless, rootless soul he is, but other than that, appears to have no other family. She believes that if you ignore something for long enough, it will go away.

Ophelia is the older of Vivian's two children. She is a teenager, full of hormones and angst and starved of love. She idolises her Uncle Bobby, fantasizing about going on the road with him, writing songs and making music.

Holt is her much younger brother. Ophelia both loves and resents him. As a child, he witnesses many things he doesn't understand. As an adult, he is haunted by snatches of memory, some conflicting. Although it's not his intention, when he returns home for his mother's funeral he finds himself trying to make sense of these memories.

Beneath Cruel Waters is written in a quiet, almost dispassionate manner. The pace is steady. There's no fireworks, no fanfare, no tricks - just good, plain storytelling. It's not a story that I could say I 'enjoyed' - it's far too melancholy for that; but it gripped and consumed and ate away at me until I read the last word and closed the cover, relieved that I hadn't been born into that family.

If you're looking for a thriller, Beneath Cruel Waters isn't it. The same applies if you're looking for a HAE. But if you're looking for characters that are going to crawl from the page into your head, you've found them. But a warning; these characters are earworm. Once they're in your head, they're near impossible to get rid of. And other than the tragic Ophelia (how could she be anything but with her name?) you're not going to them. You may feel sorry for them, for their circumstances, but you won't them.

???.7

#BeneathCruelWaters #NetGalley

I: @jonbassoff @blackstonepublishing

T: @jonbassoff @BlackstonePub1

#contemporaryfiction #domesticdrama #mystery #psychologicaldrama

THE AUTHOR: For his day job, Bassoff teaches high school English where he is known by students and faculty a as the deranged writer guy. He is a connoisseur of tequila, hot sauces, psychobilly music, and flea-bag motels.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Blackstone Publishing via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Beneath Cruel Waters by Jon Bassoff for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...2022 2022-netgalley-challenge 4-star ...more75 s Melissa (Life Fully Booked)4,736 2,424

This is a beautifully written, but very dark, deep, and melancholy book.

Holt Davidson returns to his Colorado hometown for his mother's funeral after her suicide. He hasn't been back for twenty years. In the house he finds a photo of a dead man, a gun, and a love letter, so he goes on a mission to find out the identity of the man and why his ultra-religious mother had those items. What he discovers is shocking and upsets everything he remembers about his life and the past.

Although this is a bit of a mystery, it's not terribly difficult to figure out. It's not the main point of the book though, it is more of a character study and a suspenseful examination of family, and memory. It's very sad and at times quite difficult to read. If you have any triggers, they are probably here, but don't let that sway you from reading it if you can.

Usually I don't care for books without a hopeful ending, and this one is quite bleak yet it does have a slight glimmer of light on the horizon. This is very thought-provoking overall. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator Chris Henry Coffey does a fantastic job giving Holt a voice.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own. 79 s NZLisaM414 487

Death, betrayal, madness, heartache, and as the title states – cruelty – was an apt description of Beneath Cruel Waters. Within these pages were some very dark, very bleak, long-held family secrets.

12th November, 1984 – A woman breaks into a dilapidated farmhouse on the outskirts of Thompsonville, Colorado, and shoots the sole tenant three times in the chest. Then once he’s dead she takes a Polaroid photo of him.

Fall, 2018 – The same woman returns to the farmhouse thirty-four-years later, and commits suicide by hanging herself from a cottonwood tree.

Now that I think about it, I’ve probably mislead you in my synopsis, so I’ll just get this out of the way and state that this book was not a thriller. There was mystery, and suspense, but it was more of a tragic family drama involving suppressed traumatic memories, and the destructive nature and crippling effects of guilt and shame.

The writing, characters, and dialogue were all excellent – descriptive, real, and evocative, and I particularly enjoyed the prologue that followed a certain ‘house’ in the intervening years between timelines one and two (1984-2018). So clever and unique, it succeeded in sucking me into the story. There were few character’s to keep track of, just three main ones from the Davidson family – Holt in the present, and his mother Vivian, and older sister, Ophelia in the past. Aside from that there were only a handful of other people in the entire book.

Content warnings for topics you’d typically find in a V.C. Andrews novel (think sin). Just to be clear, it was never crude (well okay some of the dialogue was) or gratuitous but definitely distressing and emotional draining. This novel also reminded me a little of Alfred Hitchcock’s, Shadow of a Doubt (1943), a movie that I love.

And nostalgia alert, the author completely captured the vibe of the mid-80’s with pop culture, and music references.

Savvy readers will have a pretty clear idea where this is going fairly early on, but there were still some shocks and clues I was confused over, and I d how it all came together in a tumultuous conclusion. Jon Bassoff is an author I’d definitely read again.

I’d to thank Netgalley, Blackstone Publishing, and Jon Bassoff for the e-ARC.

Look out for this title on the 10th May, 2022.2022 contemporary crime ...more73 s JaymeO427 405

“The past tortures the present.”

Holt Davison returns to his childhood home to attend his estranged mother’s funeral after her brutal suicide. He left Colorado as a teenager because he was consumed with rage and anger at his unhappy childhood filled with strict religious fanaticism. He vaguely recalls a better time with his mom and sister when he was very young, but something traumatic happened to change the trajectory of their lives. Unfortunately, he can’t remember what it was.

While sleeping in his house, Holt finds a gun, a photograph, and a love letter hidden in his mother’s room. Slowly, he begins to piece together what turned his mother into a religious fanatic and sent his sister to a psychiatric hospital.

“The sins of the mother are the sins of the son.”

This is the first domestic suspense book I have read by Jon Bassoff, and I am very impressed with his storytelling. I flew through this book in a day and a half and was intrigued all the way through. The writing is very character driven and fantastic, but I had some issues with believability and predictability. Specifically, the final twist is just too implausible, but does tie the plot together effectively.

While I easily guessed the twists, they might not be as obvious to those who are new to this genre.

Overall, I’m glad to have discovered a new author and will definitely read his next offering!

Trigger warnings: Suicide, talk of rape

4/5 stars52 s Karine174 61

Unquestionably a 5 star rating !

Holt returns to his hometown after the suicide of his estranged mother. Once in his childhood home, he finds a polaroid of a dead man, a love letter and a small revolver. Because he wants to understand his mothers' final deed, he starts digging. Who is the dead man? Why did his mother keep a strange love letter? What about the revolver? His quest brings him to his mom's best friend, but also to his sister who was institutionalized as a teen. He was barely five when this happened, but he still remembers his beautiful, vibrant sister very well.

Of course, nothing good can come out of his search for truth, which is very grim for sure. The more I advanced in the story, the more dread and gloomy scenarios played out in my mind, and with every step it turned out to be even bleaker than expected. Be aware, this is not a cheerful book, and if mental illness, child abuse or religious fanaticism triggers you, then stay well away.

This melancholy story is being told by three people: Vivian the mother, Holt the little brother and Ophelia, his big sister. These three characters are so well drawn, so real flesh and bones that they could be your own family, that's how well I feel to know them now. It also makes me feel that their story is a bit mine, that's how invested I was in this family chronicle.

I just need to add how I d the writing. Fluent and rhythmic sentences; delightful imagery with a lot of music on the backdrop and realistic dialogues. Don't be put off by the dark themes; if anything this is your must read of 2022. Bravo !

A most sincere thanks to NetGalley, Blackstone publishing and Jon Bassoff for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.2022 netgalley-202243 s Matt3,982 12.9k

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Jon Bassoff, and Blackstone Publishing for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

Never one to shy away from adding new authors to my radar, I willingly agreed to try this book by Jon Bassoff. A psychological thriller no other, Bassoff weaves a tale that is sure to capture the reader’s attention from the opening pages. Holt Davidson thought that he left his hometown in the rearview mirror, but receives a startling call one day. His mother has committed suicide, forcing Holt to make his way back to Colorado. What he finds is a collection of items that opens up a world of pain for Holt, as well as a pile of questions, some of which include his institutionalised sister. What follows is a secret that Holt may have wished he’d never tried to solve. Bassoff does well to keep the reader intrigued throughout, proving that he has something worth noticing.

While Holt Davidson has made a name for himself, he’s not returned to Thompsonville, Colorado, for years. All that changes when he learns that his mother committed suicide. Holt returns, in hopes of attending the funeral and making a quick exit back to Kansas, but that’s not in the cards. Instead, a night in his family home turns up some new mysteries.

Holt finds himself trying to make peace with his mother and the childhood he fled. When he finds a gun, a gory photograph, and a love letter from someone he does not know, the mystery only thickens. Holt will have to piece it all together, in hopes of learning what his mother did all those years ago.

If this were not enough, the mystery extends to Holt’s sister, who has been institutionalised for years. What role might she have played in the mystery and could sue hold additional clues as to what Holt has stumbled upon? Dark secrets re-emerge at the worst possible times, forcing Holt Davidson to face them before returning to his life in the Midwest. A great story that keeps the reader guessing until the final page turn.

While I love all things psych thriller, not all books are able to capture the essence of a chilling tale. Jon Bassoff does well to present his story in a straightforward fashion, while keeping the reader on their toes throughout the process. A strong underlying story is complemented by decent writing that adds the addictive factor many seek in books within the genre. While I was not as gobsmacked as many others who appear to have reviewed it, I can see strong writing abilities emerging throughout the reading journey.

Holt Davidson proves to be a worthwhile protagonist, holding his own as his life is turned upside down. He’s fairly level headed from start to finish, taking only a little time to appear shocked and in awe, particularly when things take turns he could not have predicted. Holt appears unsure how to handle much f what he learns, particularly when his memory of his childhood is fogged by a certain belief system. Bassoff does well to keep the reader wondering about this man and how his past collides with the present he thought he knew, keeping the narrative strong and the character development ever-present.

The sign of a great writer is one who can capture the reader’s attention from the early pages and hold it throughout. Bassoff does that here with a strong narrative style that does not stop, irrespective of what is going on around him. With strong characters and the ability to have them weather different timelines in the narrative, these individuals pop and come to life throughout the reading experience. Bassoff knows his craft and presents it well. Leaving me wondering things on numerous occasions. While I was not as stunned by what I read as many others, I appreciate the strength of the author’s ability and will look to see what else he has out there for me to try in the coming months.

Kudos, Mr. Bassoff, for a great piece that piqued my interest from the opening pages.

Be sure to check for my review, first posted on Mystery and Suspense, as well as a number of other insightful comments by other reviewers.
https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/be...

Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/mystery-suspense-com netgalley41 s NILTON TEIXEIRA1,003 442

What a surprising read this was.
What a heartbreaking and tragic family drama.
The storyline was very well developed and the writing was gripping.
I was afraid that the story was going to be around religion, but it wasn’t that bad.
Although the characters are not very able, I could feel everyone’s anxiety or desperation.
Although some parts were predictable, the conclusion had a twist that surprised me and I was not disappointed.
This was my first book by this author and I’m looking forward to reading some of his early works.40 s1 comment Sadie HartmannAuthor 22 books5,726

Review originally published at Mystery & Suspense Magazine:
https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/be...

Beneath Cruel Waters by Jon Bassoff is an intricately plotted thriller mystery pulling readers in with the same level of intensity that hasn’t been seen since Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.
Holt Davidson makes a trip to his hometown for the funeral of his mother who took her own life. During the time he spends in his childhood home, he uncovers a letter and a photograph his mother had hidden away. Holt begins investigating the origins of the found objects by talking to family friends and visiting the local library. As the story unfolds, Holt’s repressed memories of strange circumstances from his family’s past begin resurfacing.
Bassoff uses narratives from the past and the present to bring readers along on Holt’s journey of discovery. The more information Holt uncovers, the more complicated the mystery becomes. Ultimately, Holt must confront some very unpleasant facts about his family and why everyone is estranged from one another. His sister is in a mental health facility and for whatever reason, Holt avoided visiting her. Curiosity begins tugging at his mind and there are pieces to the puzzle that only his sister would have in order to make a complete picture.
The author does an excellent job developing past and present timelines so that they run side by side with the truth. It is extremely satisfying to know that eventually, the two timelines will converge into some kind of breakthrough for Holt. One of the least enjoyable aspects of modern thrillers is the literary device to employ an unreliable narrator (usually a woman) to pull the wool over readers’ eyes so that the truth is a total blindside. The author holding back all the cards without allowing readers to assist in solving the mystery for themselves because they don’t have enough of the important details.
In Beneath Cruel Waters, Bassoff peels back layers slowly and reveals secrets and details a little at a time so that savvy thriller readers can collect clues, bits and pieces of information, and formulate theories. Even then, seasoned thriller junkies still high off the gold standard of Gone Girl can expect the unexpected.
This is one of the best thrillers on the market. It needs a movie adaptation immediately.35 s Denise509 399

There have been a lot of duds in 2022 for me, but I'm happy to say this is not one of them! This book is dark and gritty and 100% phenomenal, and I'm happy to have a new author to watch for.

Firefighter Holt thought he left his past behind until a phone call informing him that his estranged mother has committed suicide brings him back to his hometown, and the house he grew up in. Hidden in his mother's room, he finds a polaroid of a dead man, a love letter, and a gun. He begins digging further and his search leads back to a friend of his mother, whose husband was a police officer, and his sister who was institutionalized as a teen. He was just a young boy when the events occurred, but he does recall blurry bits and pieces that conflict him. As dark secrets re-emerge, he wonders if he is doing more harm than good to himself and those he loves by dredging up the past.

I was riveted to this story from the opening pages. The narrative switches between 1984 and the 2018 and is told by three people - Holt, his mother, Vivian, and Ophelia, Holt's big sister. All three characters are so well-drawn that I was immediately invested in their stories. They are all immensely complex and flawed, but it made me even more empathetic to each of them. I didn't think it was overly difficult to predict the secrets, but nonetheless, I couldn't put it down waiting to see how it would all play out. Despite the fact that there are no shocking reveals, I thought Bassoff did a spectacular job at managing to keep the element of surprise going through the very last page. I also love Bassoff's writing style - it is flawless - he uses beautiful imagery, witty humor, and realistic dialogues that made me feel I had an inside view into this family's life.

With the volume of thrillers/suspense books I read, I find myself quite judgmental at times; but this book checked all of my boxes. If you enjoy dark, gripping, thought-provoking reads, this one is a must-read. I cannot wait to read more of Bassoff's works! All the stars.



34 s Mike919 75

American author Jon Bassoff is a prolific writer of gothic noir and his latest release is Beneath Cruel Waters. Kansas firefighter, Holt Davidson learns of his estranged mother’s suicide and returns to his hometown in Colorado. Struggling to find peace, he discovers a love letter and photo of a dead man, as well as a small hand gun. As he investigates, he reconnects with his institutionalised sister and has to confront the sins of his mother and his own demons. With a murder and suicide to begin, this is a turbid tale of one man’s journey to discover the truth of his past and to truly understand his mother. With its succinct narrative style and gritty earthy feel, this is an enjoyable if gloomy four-star read rating. With thanks to Blackstone Publishing and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own and freely given, without any pressure.american family-saga gothic ...more30 s Karly283 88

My Rating: 5?????????? PERFECTION!!!

First let me just say the fact that the last book I reviewed (at this point in time) was The Brother and is a huge pile of burning trash and it is rated higher than this book is an actual criminal offence… anyway…

Thompsonville, Colorado is a place that keeps secrets and holds bad memories for Holt Davidson. As soon as he could he packed up and left and never returned. After two decades, Holt is returning home to bury his mother who surprisingly has taken her own life.

Holt is returning for the funeral with hopes to make peace with the place and his memories. Returning to his childhood home he begins to go through the items in the house. Instead of finding nice reminders of his childhood he comes across a gun, a love letter and a photograph of a dead man.

Why were these items hidden in the floorboards, who is the man and did his mother kill the man? What role did his sister play who has been in a mental institute since she was a teenager. Spending time at home begins to bring back memories of Holt’s past that he would sooner forget and he finds out things that will change his life forever.

This is a book that will remind the reader the sins of the mother are the sins of the sons.

WOW - so this was everything for me!! Thank you for my friend GirlWithThePinkSkiMask for encouraging me to pick this one up. I needed a Banger (thank you Pink) and boy did I get it… BUT…

I hear you… oh come on Karly why the but… there is a but… because if you are not into grimy small towns, with family secrets and stories that are depressing and only keep getting more and more depressing… then this will absolutely not be for you. IF you are looking for a thriller that is popping off with Serial Killers, baddies and traditional thrills and spills… you will not find those here. I wouldn’t even put this in the thriller genre at all…

FOR ME… I’ll say it again… it was EVERYTHING!!! I loved it… it had all the elements that tell a really punch me in the chest and rip out my heart and soul story. It made me FEEL everything. So for me this was the real deal.

The writing was on point… it created a vibe that had me feeling actually down… at one point (and this almost never happens) I put the book down for the night because my heart was hurting so much. It had me so emotionally ruined that I needed a break. I loved it though cause I want to walk away from a book this with thoughts and feelings… the writing just created that feeling of dread… that ominous atmosphere and ultimate feeling of this does not get better…

People who love a tie it in a bow ending will not this ending… for me … again… it was perfect. The author had said everything he needed to say with his characters and the ending is open for your own interpretation to some extent and I loved it…

The story is told from two timelines - 1985 when Holt was 5 and from 2018 from present day Holt. There are also three POV, Holt, Ophelia (sister) and Vivian (the mum). If you know me… you know all this is exactly what I love in a book as well…. The author did such a great job of establishing a voice for each individual character that he did not need (nor did he) to put whose POV it was at the top… I am astounded by the skill that takes because not everyone can do that…and it was seamless. The timelines were spelt out for us which is fine because we needed that info…

I am not going to put spoilers or things that can ruin the story but there is a feeling that this story is not even really about Holt… that he is a secondary or even third character just finding information out… however, the author expertly comes back to show the reader just how involved Holt is in the story and why he didn’t even realise it himself.

When Ophelia was going through it in the 1985 scenes I felt my heart was cracking in my chest… I wanted to so badly bring her to life and give her a hug and take care of her…. And the mum… omg… well she was not my favourite character lets just say that… she is one of the worst types of human beings… just believing she is doing the “right thing” for her kids when really she was making every wrong turn in the book.

This is not a “nice” read its not an “easy” read it goes into traumatic events and mental health and abuse. The author has managed to do this in a way that doesn’t do it for cheap and nasty thrills (I am looking at you Jennifer Hillier)… but really just gets under your skin and emotionally ruins you.

I am cutting myself off… I could rave all night….

Overall: do I recommend… maybe… if any of the above makes you go pfft that sounds lame… then don’t bother this will not hit the right spot for you. If me you are sick puppy and love the depressive, sad and emotionally wreckage that is this book then dive in… you won’t be disappointed.27 s Vicki Herbert 513 49

The Past Tortures the Present...

BENEATH CRUEL WATERS by Jon Bassoff

No spoilers. 4 stars. The year was 1984, the place Thompsonville Colorado...

... In a dilapidated old farmhouse in a deserted field of weeds sits a bald, middle aged man at his kitchen table...

A woman enters the house and shoots the man dead as he drinks whiskey from an old fruit jar...

After the woman left...

The man's body cooled and stiffened, and in the next two days, his skin blistered and turned green. The stink was overwhelming...

On the third day...

A fat woman, the man's landlord, knocked on his door... she was there to serve him an eviction notice...

Months, then years passed...

The snowy winters, then dry summers, took their toll on the old farmhouse and...

One snowy day...

An old bum set up camp in the living room of the old house, and his cigarette started a fire which burned the house to a charred skeleton...

In the fall of 2018...

Three decades had passed. An aged woman in an old Ford drove up to the ruins of the house. It was the woman who had killed the man long ago...

She opened, then read from the Bible. She then walked to an old tree growing beside the house's well and hanged herself...

Each little world must suffer. The the past tortures the present...

I would classify this novel as a drama surrounding a mystery. The mystery I saw coming a mile off, but it was still one of the best books I've read this year. This was a solid 4 star novel.23 s2 comments Au?ur270 36

This book is haunting, sad and cruel and I can't recommend it enough. The writing by Jon Bassoff is fenominal and the audio book is great.17 s Danielle B926 163

Holt is from Thompsonville, Colorado but hasn’t been back to visit for more than 20 years. When he receives news about his mother’s suicide he returns to his hometown. He spends the night at his mother’s home where he grew up and finds a number of disturbing items including a gun, a love letter, and a photograph of a man lying in this own blood. So many questions are raised by these items. With his mother gone, will Holt ever be able to get some answers?

I love psychological thrillers, it is my favorite genre by a large margin. BENEATH CRUEL WATERS is a spectacular example of a great psychological thriller. The amount of creativity and imagination that the author needed to create this story is amazing. I have not read many books with such a wild storyline and I simply could not put the book down. The twists left my head spinning in the best way!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This review will be posted to my Instagram Blog (@coffee.break.book.) in the near future.2022 netgalley-arc16 s Eric411 31

In Beneath Cruel Waters, a troubled Holt Davidson is forced to return to his Thompsonville, Colorado hometown for the funeral of his even more troubled mother. A long-time neighbor and friend of Holt’s mother has called Holt to tell him his mother’s body had been found hanging from a tree by suicide, causing Holt to return to a place he left many years ago after hoping never to return.

Holt grew up in a difficult home. His father abandoned his family, his sister Olphelia was removed from the home and institutionalized for mental illness when Holt was just five and his mother became obsessively fixated on religion and a search for redemption.

On his return home and when in his mother’s bedroom, Holt discovers a hidey-hole in the floorboards, and inside is a revolver, a Polaroid photograph of a gunshot murdered man, and an unsigned love letter Holt believes was intended for his mother.

Holt then attempts to unravel the meaning of the discoveries and finds along the way each discovery will return him to a past no one really will benefit from if fully revealed, including those suppressed memories within his own subconscious.

With so many secrets in existence, many of them subconsciously with just enough of a presence to tease snippets of long-forgotten memories to the surface, Holt is forced to look backward to a life he fled, ending with what he knows will be drastic repercussions on his future life.

Beneath Cruel Waters is a well-written, darkly themed novel with an interesting plot and comes with an atmosphere of rural or country noir in a setting where many things are not always what they seem to be. Some readers have expressed the novel is bleak and harsh, but readers familiar with Bassoff’s writing will not be surprised or disappointed.

Bassoff’s writing is lyrically crafted and in a manner not to be overly descriptive with wasted and unnecessary verbiage, with him creating a dark and ominous novel with well-developed characters.

Beneath Cruel Waters is with violent depictions, however, they are necessary for the telling of the story and not done in a gratuitous manner.

While I would have preferred a stronger ending, Beneath Cruel Waters is highly recommended to readers that enjoy darker fiction.

Netgalley provided an ARC of Beneath Cruel Waters for the promise of a fair review and is set to be published in May of 2022.13 s Kori Potenzone880 79

This is the first book I read by Jon Bassoff, and I can tell you with certainty that it will not be my last.

I was completely blown away with Beneath Cruel Waters. The writing style was flawless and completely consumed me as a reader. It was if everything was going on right before my eyes. The details were executed with precision.

I have been on a 5 star streak lately and I promise I am not being generous. I typically can be considered judgmental at times especially with the amount of books I have read. Beneath Cruel Waters, is a book you can easily finish in one sitting. If it were not for my starving husband, I would not have even stopped to cook dinner. Although, I will tell you, the entire time I was cooking I could not stop thinking about this book and I was eager to get back to it!

The character development in this book is top notch. Never had I read anything in my life that webbed these characters together the was Bassoff, was able to do. The amount of emotions I felt while reading was uncanny. Bassoff is an author that needs to be on everyone's radar. He is a true mastermind and I can not wait to see what he comes out with next.

Due out May 10th, you do not want to miss this one!11 s DAISY READS HORROR1,020 146

**I received a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review**

This was a dark, & eerie phenomenal read! The story starts off very suspenseful when a woman enters a creepy house to murder a man. After she kills the man the house remains empty and abandoned for many years. I have a fascination for abandoned buildings so I loved the detailed descriptions on how the house remained during the different seasons. I was instantly hooked and immersed in the story.

The story kept up with this eerie feel throughout the remainder of the book. There was so much mystery surrounding the life of Vivian the mom, Holt her son who returns to his hometown after many years to attend his mothers funeral & Ophelia the sister who gets sent to a psychiatric hospital. So many secrets come to light that left me shocked. I found myself locked and in tune with the family dynamic of this very twisted family. I had so many emotions while reading this story! One word to sum it all up is that this story is just simply very Dark!

For fans of thrillers, horror & suspense, this is a must read trust me!


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