The Woman in the Waves is the second novel by author Camille Booker and it’s an extremely well-crafted work of historical fiction that mixes mystery, murder, mermaids and myth. 

Set in 1921 in a gloomy fictitious fishing village (Widow’s Peak) on the south coast of NSW this tale of a fisherman’s daughter will have you fascinated and perplexed about what is real and what is not.  

This book draws you in like an anchor being pulled from the deep and it’s not simply due to its intriguing central character, 19-year-old Missy (Marissa – meaning ‘of the sea’) but also by the writing style which is beautifully poetic. The highly detailed descriptions of the ocean and being out in thick fog combined with Missy’s vivid accounts of what she sees and feels are incredibly mesmerising and a perfect fit for the salt-soaked theme of this unsettling novel. 

And, to say there is something sinister lurking in the waves, is just one part of the story as there is also a deep and treacherous darkness lurking in someone’s mind.

The book begins on a fog-filled morning while Missy is out fishing with her father on his trawler and it’s here that she sees a woman under the water, between the waves. Is she real, is she a mermaid or just a vision conjured by the thick fog? And what is the meaning of the watery-woman’s efforts to lure Missy into her grips and into the water? These elements definitely work to create a strong sense of foreboding.

But the mystery of the woman in the water is quickly compounded when a woman’s body is found washed up on the beach and it’s not the only body to be found in this salty and haunting story.

The Woman in the Waves, like many a good whodunit, is also accompanied by the tantalising tension of a new romance and in this book it’s between Missy and the handsome police detective Ronan Shaw (think ‘shore’). Shaw and Missy are drawn to each other as they go looking for answers to the mounting mysteries and soon some of the town’s long-hidden secrets begin to be uncovered.

It’s important to add that this book does contain content regarding mental health and suicide so you may wish to avoid it if any of those themes are likely to cause you stress or discomfort.

I will also add that you may find this novel sits on the shore of your mind long after you have finished reading. A flotsam and jetsam of phrases and feelings will float in and out of your thoughts all of which leads me to say: ‘a book that lingers is a book worth reading’. 

Author: Camille Booker 
Publisher: Hawkeye Publishing  
ISBN: 978 1 923105 36 2
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This book review is supported by the Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund