Woman’s Day
February 1, 2010 ‘Book reviews’
Shallow Water
Aussie Brad West, living in London, finds a body lying in the road and the police are interested. In him. Brad’s wife, Jemma, is the daughter of a powerful English family and when her father dies and his will is read, there are tempestuous times ahead. To maintain good relations with Jemma’s sister and her husband, they all go to Australia for a holiday on the Barrier Reef. Another body, a mysterious stalker, suspicions, secrets and surprise twists link the two deaths and lead to a heart-stopping final confrontation. Let’s hope we’ll meet those Queensland detectives again – soon!
Who Weekly Magazine
January 18, 2010 ‘Great Summer Books’
Shallow Water
Brad West married into money. But just how far will his wife’s family go to protect their own? When a holiday in Port Douglas ends with a murder, their privileged world is in danger.
The Sunday Telegraph
January 10, 2010 ‘books’
Q&A with Stuart Black
Australian author Stuart Black set his crime thriller Shallow Water in the world of money and privilege in London.
What are you reading?
I tend to jump between books relatively quickly. Right now, I’m reading Stieg Larsson’s The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, but I’m also reading Cormac McCarthy’s The Road and Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol.
Who are your favourite authors or influences?
I love the way Martin Amis writes but I don’t think he’s the world’s best storyteller. I like some best-sellers, such as Ruth Rendell, P.D. James, Michael Crichton, Mario Puzo and John Grisham.
What is your book about?
Shallow Water is a novel about how money corrupts. And why it warps some people and leaves others immune to its spell.
For Jemma Beckford, being disinherited and missing out on the family fortune makes her think about money in a highly volatile way.
And Brad, the central male character, a down-to-earth Aussie who has married into this uber-rich English family, is in a perfect position to be our eyes and ears.
At first, all the money that’s floating around doesn’t bother Brad in the least. But then reality seeps in: extreme money makes people do extreme things.
