Well, this book was much,  MUCH, better than I thought it would be.  Going into it and even up to half way through I had reservations about bothering to finish.  And then at some point there – 1/3 or 1/2 way it started twisting and getting better.   

The Drowning Woman 
by Robyn Harding 
2018 / 
Read by Brandy Wilkerson 9h 38m
Rating: A / mystery-suspense

Actually, I was tentatively giving this book a C- until I got to that half way though when a body is found and the tension is ratcheted up a notch because, well, who done it?  After that the twists keep coming.  I ended up giving it an A.  

The main problem I had with the first part was there was too much sex and “romance” including the SM kind. Nothing else was particularly good – it was all mediocre with the “romance” pushing it too close to the “oh yuck” line (which is where I would have quit).   

 There are lots of twists to the story and I only saw a few of them coming.  The writing never really rose above mediocre but it was the tension and suspense which overcame that.  The characters are drawn “well enough,” but always a shadow shy of really believable. What I really did not like was the romance but it was  a necessary part of the plot. Unfortunately it got it a bit graphic and more than necessary (imho – lol) and includes some SM parts which, no matter how minimal, are gross. I got past that stuff because abuse is abuse and it didn’t go on long.  Also the plot itself is pretty interesting and twisty and Harding does know how to crank up the suspense after which it got even more twisty.  (As long as there aren’t too many characters I love twists – fewer characters seems to add to the suspense.) 

On the downside again – some of the story is predictable and sometimes it even goes beyond believable.  I gave it an A but no +s.