The Woman in the Water
On sale
5th March 2026
Price: £15.99
‘Unputdownable’ JOSEPH O’CONNOR
‘A roller coaster read’ LIZ NUGENT
THEY WERE BEST FRIENDS. NOW THEY ARE MURDERER AND WITNESS.
At the heart of the classic novel Rebecca lies a mystery …
Pearl Day has always lived in the background – companion to her childhood friend, the dazzling and unpredictable Lady Eleanor Nicholson. Their bond was forged at Alderleigh, Eleanor’s crumbling country estate, but now they share a sleek London home where Eleanor’s life of indulgence is spiralling into chaos.
When Eleanor shoots her lover in a drunken rage, Pearl becomes the key witness in a scandalous murder trial. But she knows more than she’s revealed – and with Eleanor behind bars, she sees a chance to escape her quiet desperation. Their connection, once rooted in friendship, is now warped by grief, envy and power. And Eleanor’s reach is long.
Set between 1930s London and the windswept Cornwall coast, this taut, gothic thriller dares to answer one of literature’s abiding questions: in Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, who is the woman in the water?
‘Dark, twisty and gripping’ SAM BLAKE
‘A roller coaster read’ LIZ NUGENT
THEY WERE BEST FRIENDS. NOW THEY ARE MURDERER AND WITNESS.
At the heart of the classic novel Rebecca lies a mystery …
Pearl Day has always lived in the background – companion to her childhood friend, the dazzling and unpredictable Lady Eleanor Nicholson. Their bond was forged at Alderleigh, Eleanor’s crumbling country estate, but now they share a sleek London home where Eleanor’s life of indulgence is spiralling into chaos.
When Eleanor shoots her lover in a drunken rage, Pearl becomes the key witness in a scandalous murder trial. But she knows more than she’s revealed – and with Eleanor behind bars, she sees a chance to escape her quiet desperation. Their connection, once rooted in friendship, is now warped by grief, envy and power. And Eleanor’s reach is long.
Set between 1930s London and the windswept Cornwall coast, this taut, gothic thriller dares to answer one of literature’s abiding questions: in Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, who is the woman in the water?
‘Dark, twisty and gripping’ SAM BLAKE
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Reviews
Intense, mysterious and wonderful
From the tantalising thread left loose by Daphne du Maurier in Rebecca, Henrietta McKervey has woven a 1930s thriller worthy of a Hitchcock film
I loved it. When childhood friends become employer and employee, things can get tricky, but when you throw murder and stolen jewels (timely!) on top of that, you get a roller coaster read that is as intriguing as it is entertaining. Beautifully written too. Having the abdication as backdrop to the story is a stroke of genius!
Henrietta McKervey is a master at the art of coming at a story from the most intriguing angle. I always find myself lost in her books and The Woman in the Water was no exception. This is a rollicking good read full of villainous villains, dubious heroes and double-crossing friends. I loved every captivating twist
A splendidly evocative and unputdownable novel from a writer of breath-taking gifts
Original, exciting, and beautifully written, The Woman in the Water is an immersive read that will catapult you back to the 1930s. From gripping court room scenes to stolen gems and hidden letters it is a tale of secrets, murder and intrigue, of lost love and the societal power of wealth. McKervey brings us a brilliant new heroine, worthy of a series. Dark, twisty and gripping, The Woman in the Water is perfect for du Maurier fans
Full of intrigue and suspense, this atmospheric and cinematic novel with all its shadows and shifting light, is a pleasure from start to finish. Henrietta McKervey really knows how to conjure up the past and this story of betrayal and murder in high society and low, brings us right back to the 1930's. A fitting companion piece to Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca
Set in a wonderfully evocative 1930s London, The Woman in the Water is a stylish, vibrant novel about class, betrayal and the dark depths of female friendship that holds its many captivating secrets right until the end