Title: Notes on a Drowning

Author: Anna Sharpe

Genre: Thriller

Publisher: Orion

Publication Date: 23rd January 2025

Rating: 4.5/5

Cover:

Summary:

Alex knows she risks getting fired from her law firm if she takes on another unpaid case, but when she hears Rosa’s desperate voice at the other end of the phone, she knows she has to help: the body of Rosa’s shy teenage sister, Natalia, has been dragged, lifeless, from the Thames. Alex can’t help but think of her own missing little sister. She knows how a lack of answers can eat you alive.

Kat has worked hard to become Special Adviser to the Home Secretary, and is eager to finally put the dark and tragic part of her past behind her. But when she discovers a series of cover-ups, she begins to wonder whether her seemingly perfect new boss could be involved. Then she’s shocked to discover a letter that raises worrying questions about a girl found drowned in London… Natalia.

There are complex and painful reasons for Alex and Kat not to work together, but when it becomes clear that there are powerful people involved in Natalia’s death, and that other girls are at risk, Alex and Kat must overcome their differences to find answers. Will they save the girls and discover the truth? Or will the high-powered players in this game stop Alex and Kat for good?

Review:

Notes on a Drowning is a twisty, tense and smart political/legal thriller which feels timely and keeps the reader hooked from beginning to end. The story follows solicitor Alex whose sister tragically vanished over a decade ago, and Kat, a special adviser to the Home Secretary with a vs murky past that she’s been trying to forget. These two women are connected by past events and as the present day story progresses they are thrown together in a dark mystery involving a young woman whose body is dragged from the Thames. I found both Alex and Kat compelling lead characters and their difficulties with each other given their history gives their partnership in trying to uncover a conspiracy a tension that makes for a fascinating read. 

The beginning of the novel allows us to get to know Alex and Katherine separately which works beautifully as thing start to ratchet up into a dangerous and intense sequence of events as the full scope of corruption at play here begins to become apparent. I found Notes on a Drowning a captivating read which had me turning the pages, desperate to know what exactly was going on here. I finished it in just a couple of sittings, drawn in by the clever plotting, snappy dialogue and intriguing characters. It is a really well written book that feels both sharp and compassionate at the same time. I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who enjoys a fast paced political thriller with thought-provoking legal and moral implications at play. 

★★★★.5

Huge thanks to Tracy Fenton of Compulsive Readers for my place on this tour and for the copy of the book. My review is entirely my own honest opinion.

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