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The House of Water

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What to expect

Longlisted for the CWA Twisted Dagger 2026 - the most inventive and beguiling psychological thriller of the year.

PLACING THAT KEY IN THE LOCK WAS THE LAST ORDINARY MOMENT OF HER LIFE.

'Magnificent' Russell T Davies
'An unpredictable twist' Erin Kelly
'Exceptional' Suzy Aspley
'Unlike any other thriller you've read' Michelle McDonagh

Iona Griffri returns home one evening to find her family murdered and her father, Eurov, missing. Her family home is entirely submerged in water, and a strange, unnamed girl lies dead in her bed.

As the police declare her father the main suspect, Iona is forced to confront how much she really knew about the man who raised her. Could he have been capable of such a crime? And who is the mysterious girl left behind?

With the help of the morgue attendant looking after her family's bodies, Iona goes on a journey to uncover the truth behind those final weeks of her family's life. Hidden in the fragments of her father's final manuscript, recovered from the flood, an unimaginable secret slowly rises to the surface. A terrible sin finally revealed...

A haunting, boundary-pushing thriller told through the lens of a lyrical family drama, from a captivating literary talent. The House of Water will rush over you like a torrent from the opening page to the very last.

Readers love The House of Water

'Whodunnits are not typically my thing but this is so beautifully written I was entranced from the start' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Gripping and twisty, a must-read' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'I'm not often left speechless, but The House Of Water has basically left me struggling to write a review that will give this book the praise it deserves' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Atmospheric, haunting, emotional, raw and in my opinion simply stunning' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'One of my top ten books of the year' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Critics Review

'A story that vaults powerfully through huge, bold, epic swings . . . magnificent writing' - Russell T Davies
'A fast-flowing thriller with an unpredictable twist, The House of Water is also a profound look at family, landscape, language and identity' - Erin Kelly
'Words and water collide in this exceptional mystery, where drowned family secrets slowly surface with devastating consequences' - Suzy Aspley
'Intriguing and moving, The House of Water swept me along its story of drownings, loss and long-buried secrets. I doubt I'll read a better book his year' - Sarah Ward
'In The House of Water, Fflur Dafydd has created both an enthralling murder mystery and a touchstone of a novel that goes to the heart of what it means to belong, and what happens when that belonging is threatened by outside forces' - Alis Hawkins
'The House Of Water is a beautifully written and engrossing tale about a family tragedy in a small Welsh town. A terrible secret, long concealed, is at last revealed with catastrophic consequences. A compelling and often profound story. Highly recommended' - Mark Ellis
'I dived into this beautifully written story from its brilliantly sinister first line and was completely immersed in its lyrical flow. Gripping and utterly compelling, one of those books you'll be dying to get back to. Fflur Dafydd is a gifted story teller. This is not like any other thriller you have read' - Michelle McDonagh
'A lyrical and tenderly told exploration of the real ties that bind us - of love and kindness - set against the damage that can be wrought by an obsession with origins and an inability to cut the ties of generational trauma' - Jane Bailey
'A dazzling exploration of family and place, brimming with page-turning suspense, and with a shocking mystery at its core. Powerful and profoundly moving' - Emma Rous
'A gripping thriller . . . a rich, satisfying saga about the undoing of one family and the effort it will take to rebuild it. Dafydd is a highly imaginative storyteller, who knows how to keep her readers guessing in this captivating novel' - Francesca Rhydderch

User Reviews

Book 5.0
Narration 5.0
Author Fflur Dafydd
Narrator Georgina Sadler, Joseph Tweedale
Duration 8 hours and 18 minutes
Release Date
ISBN 9781399711166
Format Audiobook
Publisher Hodder & Stoughton
Genre Crime and mystery: private investigator / amateur detectives, Drought and water supply, Psychological thriller, Thriller / suspense fiction
Availability AU, GB, IE
Rating
5.0 (1 review)
Narration
5.0 (1 review)

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