The Deepest Water

Rating:
Summary: Remarkably well written!!
Review: "The Deepest Water" is the first book by Kate Wilhelm that I have read, but I will certainly read her others.

This is a fantastic mystery about the murder of a fiction writer, Jud Connors. The protagonist is his daughter Abby; points of view are also provided by Jud's lady friend Willa and by Felicia, an old family friend. The suspense is beautifully meshed, with even the smallest holes patched by the end of the book. Amidst the search for the killer is woven a wonderful storyline: Jud's friends, his daughter's marriage, Jud's clues to his murderer in his new novel, and Jud's surprising legacy.

Abby's love for her father went back far enough to solve the mystery: She had proofread for him back in the days when he wrote computer manuals, and the key was in the computer. I thought that this was brilliant.

I'm used to particular twists in mysteries, and was so afraid that this book would follow the patterns of other authors. Happily, it didn't, and I finished the book satisfied with the ending.

I couldn't put down the book, and I strongly recommend it!

Rating:
Summary: Remarkably well written!!
Review: "The Deepest Water" is the first book by Kate Wilhelm that I have read, but I will certainly read her others.

This is a fantastic mystery about the murder of a fiction writer, Jud Connors. The protagonist is his daughter Abby; points of view are also provided by Jud's lady friend Willa and by Felicia, an old family friend. The suspense is beautifully meshed, with even the smallest holes patched by the end of the book. Amidst the search for the killer is woven a wonderful storyline: Jud's friends, his daughter's marriage, Jud's clues to his murderer in his new novel, and Jud's surprising legacy.

Abby's love for her father went back far enough to solve the mystery: She had proofread for him back in the days when he wrote computer manuals, and the key was in the computer. I thought that this was brilliant.

I'm used to particular twists in mysteries, and was so afraid that this book would follow the patterns of other authors. Happily, it didn't, and I finished the book satisfied with the ending.

I couldn't put down the book, and I strongly recommend it!

Rating:
Summary: An absorbing mystery
Review: Abby Conners is stunned when her father, author Jud, is killed in his Oregon lakeshore cabin. Her horror grows deeper, however, when she realizes that someone that Jud knew must have been the murderer. Abby takes a "novel" approach to discovering who killed her father by studying his fiction for the first time and realizing some of the deeper secrets contained therein.

This mystery was very absorbing and a quick read. A few of the plot devices near the end started to seem a bit contrived for the purpose of the mystery's resolution - when did Abby, an art historian, become a computer specialist? But, overall, the book was excellent. Wilhelm's writing style is wonderful and evocative of the landscape she is trying to capture as well as revealing the personalities of her characters.

Rating:
Summary: Great read
Review: Abby Connor is stunned when her father Jud, a noted novelist is murdered near an Oregon lake. Being closer to her dad than even her spouse, Abby goes through the motion of living. She struggles with her current relationships as a vacuum has left her prime connection severed. However, a revelation strikes her that Jud had to have known his killer because the dogs must have recognized the culprit.

Abby begins reevaluating her life and those currently in her life. She searches for a greater understanding of her father and ultimately his untimely death. Finally, deciding she needs closure, she examines his last unpublished novel thinking she will find the clue to uncover the identity of the culprit.

THE DEEPEST WATER is an intriguing suspense thriller due to Abby, as complete a protagonist as found in a novel. The tale starts innocently at a funeral, but builds up in tension as Abby regains her equilibrium and soon obsesses over her father's murder. The support cast provides grit to the novel as several individuals "advise" Abby on what she should do next. The enthralling story line will entice the audience to find other works by Kate Wilhelm.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: Satisfying and Sleek
Review: Abby's father, a bestselling novelist, has been murdered. She alone, with her understanding of his writing style, has a chance to find the semi-autobiographical clues in his latest manuscript and unveil the true killer. Set in Oregon, the story moves quietly but quickly. Wilhelm layers the plot with surprising depth for a relatively short novel (278 pages).

Imagine a pleasing scene from a mountain road; imagine darkness coming over the valley; imagine shadows growing and becoming more threatening...This is Wilhelm's style here. She draws you quickly into the scenes, then begins hinting at the troubles ahead. The plot moves smoothly, the characters interact and brood accordingly, and the conclusion draws the loose ends together in a satisfying and sleek manner.

This was my first Wilhelm read. I'm tempted to pursue her other books, particularly since she is a local author. She captures the mood and personality of Oregon well. I enjoyed her readable style.

Rating:
Summary: Psychological portrait of a dead author
Review: Devastated by her novelist father's baffling murder, Abby Connors throws herself into her task as literary executor, discovering new depths to the man who has remained, despite her two marriages and his own emotional barricades, the central man in her life. Grounded in psychological suspense,"The Deepest Water" explores the process of fiction and the sometimes inexplicable bond between father and daughter.

Defying her husband's jealousy and disapproval, Kate probes the blurred line between fact and fiction in her father's work, uncovering long buried secrets, discovering insights into herself and others, gaining new understanding of her father and moving ever closer to a dangerous, watchful murderer.

The novel is well-paced and plotted and Kate's almost obsessive digging seems a natural consequence of grief. The relationship between husband and wife seems shallow, however, the husband sketchily drawn and Kate's interactions with him sometimes overwrought. Nonetheless, this is an absorbing and rewarding thriller.

Rating:
Summary: A satisfying psychological thriller
Review: If you are like me, you like nothing better than to lose yourself in an engrossing novel where time seems to be standing still for a few moments. I have to recommend this book. It is one of those novels where you take it to your favorite reading corner and with a cup of hot tea or coffee, you make yourself comfortable and lose yourself in this book.

Jud Connors is a successful writer who is found murdered in his cabin. His daughter, Abby, finds her world falling apart ~~ who would want her dad dead? After she recovers from the shock, she goes on a hunt for her dad's murderer ... only to realize that she is the murderer's next target as she stands to gain her father's inheritance.

This is Wilhem's newest novel but it's nothing like her other novels. It is suspenseful enough to keep you hooked to find out who the murderer is. And she leaves enough hints throughout the novel to point to the murderer. However, it is not a nail-biting suspense novel ~~ it's just enough to keep you immersed into the book until you get to the last page.

If you're looking for a book to get lost in for a few hours, I highly recommend this book. Wilhem doesn't disappoint you here as she writes with her usual flair for words and descriptions of scenery ~~ and draws you closer to the murderer's lair of deceits and lies.

Rating:
Summary: Read in one gulp but had some reservations...
Review: If you like mysteries with a strong psychological twist, this one may be right up your alley. On the other hand, if you like your mysteries full of action, intrigue and danger, better to pass this one up. After her father, Jud Connors, is found brutally murdered, his daughter, Abby, is determined to find out who killed him. While far from perfect and prone to womanizing, Abby's father, a famous writer, is not the sort of man who made enemies easily and there doesn't seem to be a single person who held a grudge against him. As Abby delves into his writings, however, she begins to uncover layers about her father's life -and past.
I read this one in a quick gulp, staying up to finish it in a single evening. I saw the killer early on but still found the "whys" and "hows" of the mystery intriguing enough to want to keep reading. This isn't Wilhelm's best work but won't disappoint both her loyal fans and readers new to the author's work.

Rating:
Summary: Very good!
Review: Kate Wilhelm always surprises me.This books starts out so predictably,a dead body at a secluded cabin and the mystery of who the killer might be,however as the story unfolds she makes each character so unique especially all the women.She also describes flawlessly the geographic locations.The ending is stunning.

Rating:
Summary: Wow, Wilhelm
Review: My first Wilhelm book, recommended by a friend and now I'm hooked. I love mysteries and this was a puzzle. I guess you can assume no matter how remote or inaccessible a retreat is someone can figure out a way to get to it.
Even though Abby finally figured things out, some of her old friends and neighbors got to the answer before her and if it hadn't been for the secret help of Felicia the ending would have had a different outcome.
But the unlikely murderer got his just desserts.
The mother character seemed a bit vague to me. Everyone keeps referring to Jud Vickers as Jud Conners in these reviews and even on the back cover of the paperback that error is made. Abby Conners was Jud's daughter but they did not have the same last names.
I would read this again, but I think I'll just find another one of Wilhelms books and dig in.