Book Review: In The Deep by Loreth Anne White

“I hope you don’t find him. And if you do, I hope he’s dead and that he suffered…”

Published in 2020, In The Deep by Loreth Anne White follows real-estate mogul Martin who is the best thing that has ever happened to Ellie. After her daughter’s devastating death, a divorce, and an emotional breakdown, he’s helped her move as far as possible from the grief, the rage, and the monsters of her past. Ellie imagines her new home with Martin in an Australian coastal town will be like living a fairy tale. But behind closed doors is another story—one that ends in Martin’s brutal murder. And Ellie seems almost relieved…

Naturally, everyone thinks Mrs. Cresswell-Smith is guilty.

Senior Constable Lozza Bianchi has reasonable doubt. She sees evidence of a twisted psychological battle and a couple who seemed to bring out the worst in each other—adultery, abuse, betrayal, and revenge. If anything Ellie says can be believed, that is. As the case takes twist after spiraling twist, Lozza can’t shake the gut instinct that she’s being manipulated. That Ellie is hiding something. That there are secrets yet to surface. Lozza has no idea.

Rating:

I’ve been [unintentionally] reading a lot of thrillers about gaslighting recently, so I think I would have liked this more if I wasn’t on such a roll with them.

Because this one was very well written, and there are many great twists to make it stand out from the more generic thrillers that follow this kind of plot. The characters are great, the pace is fast, and the setting is described brilliantly.