Girl in the Water

Dana Marton — 2016

GIRL IN THE WATERShe's been under his protection for years. Now she wants to be in his heart.When army vet Ian Slaney's best friend disappears in South America, Ian flies down only to discover that his friend was murdered. Ian's single lead is Daniela, a mysterious woman very much in need of protection. But as the two of them track down clues and try to untangle an impossible case, they draw the attention of all the wrong people, and danger follows them back to the US.Ian wants the murderers. Daniela wants that too, but even more, she wants Ian to acknowledge the love that's growing between them. Except, getting Ian to set aside his protective instincts proves more difficult than turning an anaconda vegetarian.

Reviews

Lynn Braden@ftbooklover

Jun 9, 2023

When former military man, Ian Slaney, goes to Brazil looking for his friend, Finch, instead he finds Daniela, a young woman who had been forced into prostitution by her mother. Finch had purchased Daniela from the brothel where she was working not long before he was killed, leaving Ian with her as his only clue in finding who murdered his friend. Even though he has little luck in his investigation, he vows not to leave Daniela alone in Brazil to fend for herself and takes her home to the US.

Part 1 of Girl in the Water starts out with lots of violence and gritty, emotional scenes that immediately draw the reader in, but by the time part 2 rolls around, the story stalls and becomes riddled with pacing issues. Even though part 3 is where most of the plot happens, it is the shortest part of the book. The romance between Ian and Daniela is so unevenly paced that it is difficult to care about it by the time the novel comes to a close. The mystery of who killed Finch and the motive behind it are so convoluted that it isn't very believable or interesting. Overall, Girl in the Water sets up an engrossing premise that doesn't pay off in the execution.