The devil and the dark water by Stuart Turton
Raven Books, 2020. ISBN: 9781408889657.
(Age: Senior secondary/adult) Recommended. In the mid 1600s the
Dutch East India Company had cornered the spice trade and were
powerful, extremely rich and ruthless where trade was concerned.
Turton has set his extraordinary tale aboard the Saardam sailing
from Batavia to Amsterdam. Any voyage from the East Indies to Europe
was dangerous, but this one had some extra dangers to contend with.
Jan Haan the Governor General of Batavia was returning home with his
wife, daughter, mistress and a very valuable cargo of spices. Also
on board as a prisoner is Samuel Pipps a celebrated detective on his
way for trial in Amsterdam, which may lead to his execution,
and his protector Arent Hayes. Just as the company is boarding the
ship a disconcerting and eerie incident takes place at the docks. A
figure dressed in rags like a leper foretells disaster for the
voyage before bursting into flames.
Unease among an already superstitious crew, and fear among
passengers that there may be a demon among them multiplies as
peculiar events take place. Strange marks appear over the ship,
animals are slaughtered, the dead leper stalks the ship and a fierce
storm almost sinks them.
The endpapers of this edition provides a map of the ship which shows
the layout of the cabins in which many of the main characters
reside. And as the book is 550 pages long, a guide is most welcome.
Stuart Turton weaves a complex mystery with its origins in the past
which connects many of those on board. Greed, lust for power and
revenge are the elements he uses while the Saardam itself is
an oppressive force which links all the characters. There are many
twists and turns in Turton's narrative which make it nigh impossible
for the reader to solve the crimes committed on the ship. He creates
a genuine atmosphere of fear which keeps the pages turning and the
interest piqued.
Inspired by the true story of the Batavia shipwreck, one of
Australia's most thrilling maritime stories, this novel is the
second written by Turton, whose first novel, The seven deaths of
Evelyn Hardcastle was acknowledged as Best First Novel of
2018.
Themes: Power, Dutch East India Company, Java, Batavia, Dutch East
indies, Ships, Murder mystery, Historical novel.
Mark Knight