Girl Under Water by L.T. Vargus and Tim McBain

Old Carmichael is found dead at the bottom of the stairs in his mansion and his eldest daughter Gloria comes to Charlie for help. Gloria thinks her father was murdered and the family is acting a little skittish. Charlie meets the rest of the family – three daughters and three sons – and learns nothing is normal about this not-so-happy family. Meanwhile, the old man’s mistress seems to be avoiding the police and Charlie’s phone calls.

Gloria calls Charlie to say she has stumbled across an important piece of evidence that might take the case further. But as Charlie sees Gloria park her car and cross the road, a speeding sports car hits barges forward, killing Gloria. Charlie’s doubts are confirmed – there’s more than just family feud involved in the murders.

Girl Under Water is the second book in Charlotte Winters series. Having read the first book – First Girl Gone – I was eagerly waiting to read Girl Under Water and I am impressed! I suppose it is very evident from my rating that this book is a complete hit. 😀

Here’s something weird that actually makes this series a tad different and lot more interesting than all the police procedural/PI mysteries I have read so far. Charlie had a twin named Allie. Allie might have passed away years ago but she’s still in Charlie’s mind as a voice. While Charlie is calm and quiet, Allie is brash and quirky. When I read First Girl Gone, I was surprised to see this particular inclusion – I mean, a dead twin resurrected as an ‘inner voice’ – not normal. Nope. But believe me, you get used to Allie’s banter and you will feel she’s just another (alive) character in the story.

The mystery is well-maintained throughout the story. Charlie is torn between solving the case and looking after her mum, Nancy. Nancy’s been having psychotic episodes since Allie’s death and it seems to be getting worse with each passing day. We also have Paige – an assistant at the PI agency – share a small mystery of her own. Meanwhile, there is some good news for Uncle Frank (Charlie’s uncle and owner of the PI agency).

Girl Under Water is no doubt a new favorite in the series. The authors are master storytellers and I am a fan of their writing. As I reading through, it felt like a movie playing in my head. Excellent character development and the suspense keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. The reason behind the murder(s) was a huge shocker – believe me, you will not see this coming!! Before her death, Gloria stumbled upon a ‘sordid’ detail and this particular ‘clue’ takes Charlie from a luxurious mansion to underwater (sinking car… glug glug).

I absolutely enjoyed reading Girl Under Water. I am looking forward to reading more of Charlie’s (and Allie’s) adventures.

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Many thanks to Bookouture for the ARC.

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