User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
In the Deep by Loreth Anne White
Narrated by Sarah Zimmerman
Ellie has always been wealthy, thanks to her business tycoon father. But wealth doesn't mean she is happy. Her addicted mother died when she was young and she's always felt ignored and left out. In the last few years, she's had an even more devastating loss of a loved one, her ex husband cheated on her, she's had breakdowns, and she's had her own addictions. She's feeling sorry for herself, self medicating as usual, and she's ripe for the picking.
Then she meets real-estate mogul Martin Cresswell-Smith and her luck as turned. Or has it? They have a whirlwind romance, all funded by Martin. He's a sweetheart except when he's not. Most of the not part comes after their quickie marriage and then Ellie realizes she might have made a mistake. Might is an understatement. She's made a big mistake marrying Martin. She already had a drinking and drugging problem but now things seemed to have taking on another dimension.
Martin and Ellie have moved to an Australian coastal town where Martin is building a very much contested marina and luxury resort. He's hated by many for the damage that will be done to the coast by his dream project. Financing it had fallen through but during their courtship Ellie gave Martin the funding he needed to keep it going. Now she is hated as much as Martin is hated in this community.
Then Martin ends up dead. Senior Constable Lozza Bianchi suspected that Martin and Ellie's marriage was horrible but she has her own bias towards violent men and she could be letting that influence her thinking towards Martin and Ellie. What went on in that marriage? Is Ellie a victim or is she something else? I knew what I thought of Ellie, I knew what I thought of everyone in this story. But, I didn't know everything, that's for sure. Such a fine mess of deviousness but we see a lot of it through Ellie's drunken, drugged up haze, so it's hard to know just what is going on.
I really enjoyed the story but I'm not fond of having to see so much through a veil of drunkenness and drugs. Sometimes that veil is replaced by an actual blackout curtain. I just had to stop caring about anybody since everyone seems off, everyone seems to have a shadiness to them. And Ellie is her own worst enemy so I just went along for the ride and found out I was on a roller coaster.
Published October 27 2020
This was a Kindle Unlimited Audible selection.
Rating: really liked it
Ever since I read
In the Dark last year by Loreth Anne White and loved it, I've been excited to check out more of the author's books. So it's with great anticipation that I dug into
In the Deep, the author's latest offering.
Ellie had been trying to get over the traumatic death of her young daughter when real-estate developer Martin walked into her life and made her feel whole and happy again. Now as newlyweds, they have moved to an Australian coastal town so that Martin can be near his latest project while Ellie gets the fresh start she craves. But when Martin is brutally murdered, all attention focuses on his wife. But what secrets is she really hiding?
For me, I found this to be a good, though not great, psychological thriller. I think part of the problem is that this book feels very typical of its genre, in that everything is overly dramatic and amped up a notch. Everyone acts extremely suspiciously at all times, even when they have no reason to. There are secrets, but they are foreshadowed to be much bigger than they actually are. And my biggest pet peeve is here, where the unreliable narrator is only so because she can't stop drinking like a fish, even when she knows it makes it hard for her to remember clearly what is going on.
After all this over-hyping and over-emoting, when the reveal comes, it feels like a bit of a letdown. Sure, it's twisty, but it's not as mind-blowing as it was built up to be. I don't want to sell this story short, as I think most readers will really enjoy it. But for me, while it was an agreeable way to pass the time, it just didn't quite rise above the rest of this over-saturated genre.
Rating: really liked it
I had a rocky start. The book opens with bumbling cops who trip over a body and mindlessly tamper with a crime scene. Then protagonist Ellie seemed like a ridiculous character. A boozy, self-medicating rich heiress with immature daddy issues who has insta-love with some rando and agrees (on their first date) to tag along with him for two months while he travels for work. I was like, for a book called In The Deep this all seems very shallow.
But by the 25% mark the story found its footing and became more natural and I really started to enjoy it. By 40% I was hooked!
White is outstanding at writing atmosphere and mood. Whenever Ellie had feelings of panic/anxiety the sentences became long and fast paced. And when she was drunk (so many times!!) the writing was a little unstructured and choppy. It was a great technique by the author to make the story extra immersive. I look forward to reading more of her books.
Rating: really liked it
I have been wanting to read Loreth Anne White’s work, for quite some time, and I can now see why she is has so many fans!
This story was engaging from the first page through the last, and it was a book I looked forward to picking up, whenever I had the chance.
The book opens in the present...NOW, February, Supreme Court, New South Wales
ACCUSED OF KILLING HUSBAND: CRESSWELL -SMITH MURDER TRIAL BEGINS
And, it is quite the media circus!
So, how did we get here?
Flashbacks to THEN will fill us in...beginning with the alternating perspectives of :
Lozza, (the investigating Officer) over one year ago, Nov. 18, Agnes Basin, New South Wales and
Ellie, just over two years ago, January 9, Vancouver, B.C..
That is the fateful night when Ellie “The Hartley Heiress” met Martin CRESSWELL-SMITH at the Hartley Plaza hotel, after once again arguing with her father, and overindulging in pills and alcohol during dinner with him at his hotel.
The two narratives move toward one another, with a few MURDER TRIAL chapters mixed in, until they eventually converge, for a SURPRISING ending!
A couple of things niggled at me, that I have to mention, which prevented me from rating it as a solid 4 stars- but it comes close! (3.75 rounded up!)
First, I found it hard to believe that Ellie’s RICH RICH Daddy, and his lawyers wouldn’t take better care of the Hartley fortune. He is never heard from or seen again, after the dinner in the opening chapters.
Second, I found it hard to believe that Martin, would have so many friends, in the Australian coastal town, where his development is hotly contested by the locals, and that those opposing, referred to as “Greenies” wouldn’t cause MORE havoc, and be considered for the crime.
Third, a “romance” at the end, is implied and while it in no way affects the story, it seemed implausible and unnecessary.
Still, I definitely DO recommend this book, despite those minor annoyances, and I am LOOKING FORWARD to reading more from this talented author!
A buddy read with DeAnn-be sure to check out her terrific review, as well!
This book is available now!
Rating: really liked it
Okay! I surrender! When I heard this book is very twisty ride, I gave my entire attention and worked my sixth spidey spider senses ( my super 4s power) overtime and caught the upcoming big surprise but ending was still jaw dropping! Applause! Applause! Applause!
This story includes so many triggering, sensitive issues: I got really tensed during my read because the victim seems like the most disgusting scumbag: a cheat, manipulative aggressor, physical and mental abuser! Ladies and gentlemen: may I introduce you Martin Creswell Smith whose brutally killed and tortured body has found and his wife gunned with her powerful lawyer team, acting like poor victim but when we read her narration, we witness she already plays innocent victim and with her legal teams’ help, she’s planned to get acquitted!
You think who is the perpetrator from the beginning right? But how can we trust her she’s telling us the truth! She is one of the most unreliable narrators you may ever meet!
We’re moving back and fourth between the trial and Ellie and Martin’s meeting. Ellie is already a mess, a trust fund lady who lost her mother when she was so young, craving for her father’s attention when she was growing up. After her three years old daughter has drowned at the accident, she completely loses herself, becoming addicted to drugs, consuming more alcohol, getting institutionalized after she tries to stab her cheating husband.
So when she meets with Martin, she feels like she has second chance for her HEA! But as soon as she moves to Australian Coastal Town, funding her new husband’s dream project, she realizes she may have made the worst mistake of her life!
I’m stopping right here! This is great example of domestic thriller meets psychological thriller.
Get ready to play mind games! If you’re good at it, you’ll enjoy this book so much!
I was planning to give four unreliable, surprising, mind blowing, twisty stars but after reading the explosive ending, I added half more stars and I’m rounding up 4.5 stars to 5 psychologically challenging stars!
This is truly one of the best works of the author!
Rating: really liked it
First off, I love Loreth Ann White's books. She is a must-buy for me. Her books always flow naturally and take me to a big reveal that inevitably leaves me with my mouth wide open.
In the Deep, Mrs. White brings to life a very broken female character, Ellie.
Ellie Tyler is the well-known heiress of the Hartley empire in Canada. When the story begins, she has been invited to dinner by her father at their hotel. After having a blow-up with him, she and her friend Dana, decide to start drinking at the bar. After Dana leaves, Ellie is going to the lady's room when she meets a man that makes her feel alive again. After a short courtship, Ellie marries Martin Cresswell-Smith and move to Australia to start a new life.
Ellie's past has not been a bed full of roses. Her mother committed suicide when Ellie was nine. Her father lacked empathy. Her daughter, who was just three years old, drowned at sea. Her first husband cheated, sending her into the path of benzodiazepines, alcohol, and a very public mental breakdown which ends with her being institutionalized.
After meeting Martin, Ellie believes she can finally achieve some well-deserved happiness.
But just a few months into their marriage, Martin is found tortured and murdered and the prime suspect is none other than Mrs. Martin Cresswell-Smith. The jury must decide if she is guilty or not.
__
Ellie frustrated me. Between her lorazepam and her drinking, she was a lost cause. It irritated me to no end that she was never sure of what was happening around her or to her since she repeatedly was in a benzo and booze stupor. She was unreliable, I wanted to shake her and scream at her: "pay attention, you dimwit."
As always, between a masterful scenery description and a hard to put down storyline, Mrs. White has created another excellent book with an OMGosh twist.
In my opinion and If I want to be hypercritical, I would say that the last scene with Senior Constable Lozza Bianchi was unnecessary.
Cliffhanger: No
4/5 Fangs
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Rating: really liked it
Don’t you just love it when a book has several twists you don’t see coming? This book is soooo good! This is the story of the Cresswell-Smiths. The action starts in Sydney at the trial for the murder of Martin Cresswell-Smith and then backtracks to the story of Martin meeting his future wife Ellie in Vancouver in 2019. The story is told from the point of view of Ellie, policewoman Lozza interspersed with the trial.
From the minute the book starts I was all in. The settings are fantastic- much of the story takes place in New South Wales at the Agnes Basin where Martin is developing a marina and luxury resort. The descriptions are vivid especially of Australia, the atmosphere is captured brilliantly and you feel like you an eyewitness to the dramatic events. The storyline has all the essential ingredients of a thriller - it’s well written, a great plot, a fast pace, a ruthless, vicious character you can hate, a victim, duplicity and cheating, counter cheating, hate, rage, lust, love and loads of twists and turns some you see coming and some you definitely don’t. The ending is excellent- a real wow! There’s plenty of creepiness, tension and suspense, in places it’s very exciting and in others it’s terrifying.
Overall, an excellent read that had me gripped in its clutches from start to finish and an easy five stars for me!
With thanks to NetGalley and Montlake Romance.
Rating: really liked it
After loving The Patient's Secret, I had to read another one by this author! When a lot of the reviewers said In the Deep was even better, they were right! Wow! I'm sorry it ended because I could not get enough of the courtroom drama and mind bending tension in it. When a book starts off with a wife commenting about her husband's disappearance and hopes he is dead, you know it is some manipulation and psychotic behavior going down.
"I hope you don't find him. And if you do, I hope he's dead and that he suffered."
Well, he was dead and he did suffer, so she is on trial for his death. The courtroom scenes were accentuated by an awesome legal team that kept me vested in who would outwit the other.
In first person, Ellie gives unreliable notations of her life between depression, drugs and alcohol. She appears to blackout and the most inopportune times leaving you hanging on to the next event. She witnessed at the age of nine the suicide of her mom, the manipulative, arrogant and cheating first husband, and the drowning of her three year old daughter. She meets her next husband, Martin Cresswell-Smith on a drunken whim in her very wealthy dad's hotel.
Martin is a manipulator at its best. He acts on her psychosis with inducing her more with alcohol and drugs. Things spiral out of control. He is a real estate investor investing her 30 million in a marina and luxury resort in a beautiful Australian coastal town. The scenery is described in ultimate details visually as if you are experiencing it firsthand. The town is enraged by this investment and wants the construction to stop, so you are left wondering who killed Martin? An investment deal gone bad? The locals angered at his development? An ex? There are so many options, but Ellie and Martin become fire and gasoline together leaving her with a guilty intent. I despised the character Martin, but Ellie is quite a narrator leaving you wondering about her playing the victim.
"You, too, should have watched those shells more closely.... Life is a shell game, and in a shell game only the tosser wins. You're either the tosser or the loser." You will not be able to keep your eyes on the shells because they are moving and ever changing so quickly that you will become absorbed in their charades. This ending is unbelievable, so hang on as everyone spirals and twists in this incredible tense, thriller. I can't wait to read her next one.
*There are several trigger warnings, such as gas lighting, manipulation, aggressive behavior, physical abuse and rape.
Rating: really liked it
I’m going to do two things I usually don’t do in reviews. I’m going to start with the end of the book
and compare it to another book. When a friend of mine finished--lets call the book,
LBL--she called me screaming about the ending. I received similar calls from other books club members. They could not wait for our meeting to ask me if what they were reading was what they actually were reading.
I had the same reaction for
In the Deep, an ending with me jumping up and down, screaming how did she do this? How did Loreth Anne White do this?
I can’t tell you what she did, but she did it flawlessly. So let me write about what I can write about.
The Hartley Heiress, Ellie Tyler, a woman with more grief than anyone should have to endure, thinks her life is leaving the darkness behind when she meets property developer Martin Cresswell-Smith. Martin takes her from Canada, first on a whirlwind trip to romantic destinations. Then after they marry, and Ellie packs up her old life, he whisks her off to their new home on Jarrawarra Bay, which is located in New South Wales on the south coast of Australia. Martin is looking to find financial backing for a huge property he is trying to develop. His original Chinese backers had to drop out.
Soon after arrival, Ellie’s life once again spirals into darkness, drug abuse and violence. No wonder it is such a relief when Cresswell-Smith turns up as a floater.
Unfortunately for Ellie, she becomes Senior Constable Lozza Bianch’s suspect #1. With good reason, as Ellie makes no bones about her relief that Martin is dead; a good look for him, he wears it well. If only the ravenous mud crabs had more time to dispose of Martin.
The book begins with the murder trial, which has garnered world wide attention; with all the best parts, an heiress, drugs, domestic violence, kidnapping, and murder. What's not to love for a public voracious in wanting to know everything about the lives and private grief of the super-rich?
White provides a little bit of magic with the characters as very few are likeable or sympathetic, but they are oh-so- compelling. Maybe some reluctant sympathy and admiration for Ellie: “I am woman, hear me roar.” No doubt she has had some tremendously bad years. Total cheering for Detective Constable Bianchi, she gets it. As for Martin Cresswell-Smith, more applause for his gruesome demise as he is a total slime ball.
Ellie is lucky enough that Cresswell-Smith has rented a lovely house in a small town where she begins to make friends, despite her odd behavior. They are welcoming to Ellie as newcomers are fairly rare.
This might be one of the strangest settings White has written about, but she does it perfectly. Jarrawarra Bay sounds stunning, but the beauty of the ocean, its cliffs and beaches don't sound like they would outweigh the mysterious sudden appearance of flocks of flying foxes (bats), mud crabs, jellies the size of volleyballs with venomous stingers, heavy humidity, murder threats and poisonous spiders. I’ve always heard most wildlife in Australia would soon as kill you as not.
Reviewers will write about twists and turns, but none are lies or false trails. It’s not White’s fault if we miss clues and cues. It’s all before our very eyes. What the twists and turns do is lead the reader down a path of Linda Blair worthy head spinning.
In the Deep is good to the very last drop.
"
Watch the shells closely, Ellie I say in my head, channeling my father’s voice…..…….
because life is a shell game only the tosser wins. "
Thanks to Montlake Publishing, Loreth Ann White and NetGalley for an ARC in return for fair and honest review.
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Rating: really liked it
Author Loreth Anne White has gifted readers with another complex, compulsive five star psychological thriller. Go ahead and pre-order
In The Deep today as it's destined to be
that book - the one everyone's raving about upon release in the Fall of 2020. From the courtroom in which heiress Mrs. Cresswell-Smith stands accused of the cold-hearted, grim murder of her husband Martin to the gruesome crime scene deep in the dark lagoons of coastal Australia,
In The Deep unfolds at a brisk pace through extraordinarily unreliable narrators and varying chapters of
Then and
Now. Courtroom testimonies and first hand opinions conflict. Some see a cunning, conniving black widow out for vengeance while others see a woman on the edge of mental collapse - a victim with a sad history of unbearable loss and grief. She once survived her worse nightmare to find happiness again with real estate mogul Martin Cresswell-Smith only to now stand charged with his horrific murder. What happened to her between
Then and
Now? Is she victim or villainess? Who will you believe?
Author Loreth Anne White has a gift for delivering stories that are all-consuming for characters and readers alike and
In The Deep is another compelling illustration of her limitless talent. Her signature descriptive prose mentally transports readers into highly sensual settings employing all five senses - the overwhelming sight, sickly smell and bitter taste of blood and death, the emotional turmoil forcing fear to escape the lips, the eerie sounds forewarning imminent danger - all wrapped up in a landscape of immeasurable beauty. All serve to propel readers through scenes and pages spiraling toward an unknown ending and fate. Sharp, tightly woven plot lines and deeply flawed characters lure readers through a maze of deception, betrayal, abuse, and vengeance. Through smoke and mirrors, readers are charged with seeking the truth - guilty or innocent? And just when you think you have it all figured out, the final shocker will be revealed!
In The Deep is a dark, gripping tale of manipulation, broken trust, and emotional distress. White's story gives voice to the many stereotyped victims and survivors of substance, mental, and physical abuse and illness as well as to those who are or ever have been lost in the dark, bottomless pit of inconsolable grief. After finishing this book, I sat and thought about what I had read and came to the realization there are times in life when a person may find themselves adrift in the deep without an anchor. If you're ever lost there, I pray you'll see and reach for the light and become a survivor. Fans of mystery, suspense, and psychological thrillers are going to be over-the-moon over this book. It's shelved on my 2020 Favorites Shelf. Highly Recommended!
*A special thank you to Author Loreth Anne White for an early arc of this book via Netgalley.
**Reviewed at: Cross My Heart Reviews
Rating: really liked it
This was a really good read, with plenty of twisty things happening. The book was engaging all the way through.
The story begins in court, in New South Wales; the Cresswell-Smith murder case. Yep one spouse killed another.
The book alternates between the murder trial and character perspectives from two tears ago, through current time.
There are several things I did not like in the book and in spite of them, I really enjoyed this book!
Why I loved it- Perfect Pacing. I wasn’t bored. The story was steady and picked up as new clues and twists were introduced.
- Clever. Roadblocks and thrills that I never saw coming and threw me completely off guard.
- Characters I loved to hate. I could not stand either of the primary characters. Ellie, a spoiled, rich girl who can’t seem to get her life in order, even though I admit, she had traumas for which needed healing. Martin was an ass through and through who reminded me of a sleazy salesman. My favorite character was Lozza, who did try to get to the truths that were well-disguised.
- Atmosphere. I loved hearing about Australia. I was born and raised in California (Please don’t say it), and the thoughts of beautiful water, wild Lorikeets, kangaroos and even orange bat guano had me mesmerized.
What I didn’t like- The beginning of the book was very predictable. Rich people behaving badly. Daughter fighting with daddy. Daughter has do many problems. The entire romance of coming together, being so crazed in love they elope in 10 minutes where their fates are sealed.
- Ass-bite husband isolates his new wife, Yada yada. He’s ruthless.
- I deplore development playgrounds for the rich that destroy the environment.
Lorreth Ann White books are always hit and miss for me, but I’m happy this thriller was a hit, fun read and one I’d definitely recommend.
Rating: really liked it
It’s Personal.
That’s the theory behind a grizzly murder. A statement.
But, what comes next?
In this sublime psychological thriller, a back story and the who, why, and how the missing pieces fit together as a murder trial convenes. Is she guilty?
I wanted to like our main character Ellie but I wasn’t sure. Talk about an unreliable narrator! The drugs, alcohol, and psychosis almost dig her grave yet I was invested and pulling for her. She’s an expert at being a victim but does she possess the craftiness of a perpetrator? These were the questions I was asking myself as I sped through this book.
Alternating timelines and character viewpoints keep this moving and although the courtroom scenes don’t comprise the majority of the book, a fantastic twist takes place there with others interspersed throughout.
This was a buddy read with Debbiecat but I was so glued to this book I started and finished early. The epitome of the perfect psychological thriller, I would recommend it to anyone liking the genre.
Rating: really liked it
IN THE DEEP was DEEPLY moving, suspenseful, and intriguing.
Yes, this compelling "Wife-Accused-of-Killing-Husband" book was impossible to put down and never missed a beat.
The story unfolds from two POVs....Ellie (the wife) and Lozza (one of the detectives investigating the murder).....during different time periods (before the murder and after the murder).
There were many twists and turns and throughout the entire book, making "What happens next?" always impossible to predict.
The majority of the book is set in coastal Australia and the author's incredible attention to detail made readers feel like they were right there in Jarrawara Bay, too -- braving the humidity, spiders, flying bats, and kangaroos.
I listened to the book's audio version and the narrator Sarah Zimmerman did a superb job. However, I felt that this book would have benefited from multiple narrators since the book was told in multiple POVs during different time periods and, at times, it was difficult to keep track of who was who.
This was my first Loreth Anne White book and I look forward to reading this author's future titles.
Rating: really liked it
“Life is a shell game, and in a shell game, only the tosser wins. You’re either the tosser or the loser.” This quote cleverly sets the stage, as figuring out the tosser and the loser in this book is not as straightforward as it appears.
You know that saying, "If anyone needs me, I'll be reading. Please don't need me." This sums up exactly how I felt while reading In the Deep. Wow! My second introduction to Loreth Anne White surpassed my first by leaps and bound - part psychological thriller, part courtroom drama, and one hundred percent twisted.
Following a whirlwind romance, heiress Ellie Hartley marries Australian real estate mogul, Martin Cresswell Smith. When newlywed Ellie joins Martin in Australia, her life begins to spiral out of control. After frequent, unexplained blackouts (blamed on the use of alcohol and drugs), Ellie finds herself the prime suspect in her husband’s murder. The investigation is spearheaded by Detective Lozza Bianchi and quickly takes on a life of its own, with flashes into the backstory of Ellie’s life, including her first marriage, her mother's death and her tumultuous relationship with her father, and her descent into seeming madness. It culminates in the murder trial of Martin, and that is where the craziness really takes off.
The story is told in three timelines set a little over a year apart, with a mixture of first and third person POVS. The characters are all interesting, in that none of them are very likable (apart from Detective Bianchi), but their awfulness made the plot work. I generally tire of boozy, sloppy, drug-addicted protagonists, who continually make bad decisions while strung out, but in this book it is brilliantly executed. It did take me a few chapters to get into it (I think because of the changing viewpoints), but once I did, I raced through it! I read so many thrillers that when a book promises a "surprising twist," I'm usually skeptical and often disappointed; however, this one did not disappoint - the ending is a stunner! Perfect cover and flawless atmosphere combined with colorful characters makes this one worthy of all the stars in my opinion.
Rating: really liked it
Loreth Anne White's "Angie Pallorino" series is one of my all-time favourite series and her stand alone novels are just as good.
This is the story of Ellie who is in the depths of despair after suffering the devastating loss of her child, quickly followed by divorce. Once meeting Martin she feels she may be able to find happiness again. Ellie moves to Australia with Martin where she begins to see his dark side. Suddenly he disappears and nothing is as it seems.
A unique storyline, complex and captivating characters, dangerous and intense situations, and intriguing twists and turns result in "In The Deep" being a fantastic novel in this genre.
Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake Romance for a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
