Seven friends gather at a castle in the Scottish Borders. One last weekend before Georgie’s wedding. Near the castle, through a path in the woods, is a loch. After a few drinks, they head down to the water to take photos. The loch is wild, lonely, and stunningly beautiful. They set their camera to self-timer and take some group shots. Later, looking back at the pictures, they see something impossible.

Behind them, eyes wide, a small, drenched boy emerges from the water.

But none of them saw him, and nobody knows where he went. They’re miles from the nearest town. How did he get there? Where did he go?

As the weekend unravels and terrible secrets come to light, it soon becomes clear that their perfect weekend is turning into a perfect nightmare. They’re desperate to leave – but someone won’t let them.

My thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things Blog Tours for the opportunity to join the Down by the Water tour.  I received a review copy from the publishers, Wildfire Books.

A group of university friends are reuniting for a weekend away before one of their number gets married.  All the friends are to be be bridesmaids for Georgie, who is essentially the guest of honour, but the trip will bring back the girls bring the girls back to Scotland for a castle getaway and a drunken party. As you can tell from the blurb (above) things are not going to go smoothly.

The problems begin on the train North.  Although the friends all met at St Andrews University they now all live back in England and are returning to Scotland as a nod to their time together. This entails a long train journey and the drinking begins on the train.  In the night Tessa is woken from her sleep and called to help one of their number (Bea) who has taken drugs and is in a bad state.  As the only medic in their midst Tessa is called to assist.

This incident sets the scope of the characters well.  All the girls will be drinking through the story, drugs are accepted and enjoyed too and this makes some of their choices and reactions interesting as events unfold.  We also learn from an early stage that Tessa is seen as the more practical member of their number, that Bea is more vulnerable and that the friends will close ranks and try to resolve problems internally without seeking outside support.  A close group who, despite not seeing each other for a number of years, still revert back to old patterns of friendship.

Interestingly as the story plays out and the friends settle into their remote castle for their weekend retreat we see the power dynamics change.  Georgie is the bride to be and the largest personality of the group, Tessa appears the more practical and the peacemaker.  But these friends have not seen each other for a number of years and any easy companionship they may have previously had is now altered as their lives changed.  Within the group of seven there will be sniping, bitching and outright hostility.  They will try to overcome these differences for the sake of harmony over the weekend but the drink and drugs will fuel hosilities and loosen any tongues which may otherwise have been curbed.

Within their party there are secrets and old resentments.  Why has Georgie suddenly brought together the university crowd and not any of her friends from work?  Why does Bea keep disappearing and what is the book she is reading?  Why has Tessa booked such a remote place to gather?  Why does the castle’s owner act so strangely around the friends?  Then, most shockingly of all, how did none of the girls spot the young boy rising out of the loch behind them as they posed for a group selfie?  The chilling vision in their photograph gives all the events a decidely creepy feel.

Elle Connel has done a fantasic job making these “friends” a compelling read.  The Amazon listing suggests this book is for readers that enjoyed In A Dark, Dark Wood and The Hunting Party.  Having read both those books I can see why they are suggested.  The tension from In A Dark, Dark Wood is very much present. The Hunting Party brought together a group of friends who were all extremely unpleasant individuals. While Down by the Water does have a few unpleasant characters their toxicity is nowhere near as bad as The Hunting Party.  For me, this makes Down by the Water much more enjoyable to read as I could become more invested in the welfare of the characters and actually care if they were to survive to the end of the book.

Thrillers built around secrets are always a good read. When the reader is learning the secrets at the same time as the characters you can’t help but look for clues as to where the story may be heading.  Down by the Water did the slow reveals very well and (no spoilers) by the end of the book you may find your sympathies and frustrations at some of the characters have changed over the course of the story. Very nicely pitched and the pacing and reveals were spot on – I enjoyed this one.

Down by the Water is published by Wildfire and is available in digital format now and in hardback and audio from 8 July 2021.  You can get a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08P4DSRX8/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0