Whenever something terrible happens we always hear on the news that the person responsible seemed like such a nice person very rarely do people they say that they ‘knew all along’. The thing about judging people’s characters is that we all get it wrong sometimes.

And the idea came to me – what would a person like you or me actually do if they found a bag full of money floating in the ocean? What would they really do? And how would that play out? How important would you say it was to be a good judge of character? Are you a good judge of character? (I’ve got to admit, I’m an awful judge of character!) I just loved the idea of all that crystal clear water. It was so hot that the background artists were fainting in the heat. I first had the idea for this story while filming on the border of the Namibian desert. Reese’s production company are currently in the process of turning the book into a film…read more about this in my interview with Catherine below. And if you don’t take my word for it then take Reese Witherspoon’s. If you’re looking for a summer beach read, I’d highly recommend. The deeper into the book you go, the more the suspense and pace builds, and I’m glad to say that the ending didn’t disappoint either. The opening line, spoken by Erin, is ‘Have you ever wondered how long it takes to dig a grave?’ and a couple of pages later we discover that the grave being dug is her husband’s. However when they come across a suitcase full of cash whilst honeymooning in Bora Bora, and decide to keep the money, they get drawn further and further into a dark underworld of crime and twists and turns.Ĭatherine grabs the reader’s attention from the very start. They’re young, madly in love, and have a bright future ahead of them. Erin is an up-and-coming filmmaker, and Mark an investment banker. It’s the story of a young couple who seemingly have it all. There were several nights during that week when I was awoken by a crying Jenson at 3am: when he was placated by his dummy I needed no other excuse to jump into the spare bed and devour another chapter. Ok so I didn’t read it in one sitting, but it only took me a week or so. Which is something I haven’t done since pre-kids. But as I knew it was written by Catherine Steadman, actress from The Inbetweeners (one of my guilty pleasures) and Downton Abbey no less, I was intrigued and keen to give it a whirl. So when I first caught sight of this one I was dubious: thrillers aren’t usually my genre of choice. I know it’s silly, but I always judge books by their covers.

Something in the water steadman