The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton

Kers believes Old Tom is possessing one of the ship’s passengers. Predikant Sander Kers is the last member of Pieter’s order of witch hunters. Four years prior to the story, Pieter’s corpse was found with the symbol carved into the wall next to his body. In particular, the de Haviland family was attacked by a mob and their manor was burned down. He accused noble families of witchcraft, leading to the downfall of several noble houses and his own personal enrichment. Creesjie’s late husband, Pieter, was a witch hunter who believed that a demon called Old Tom was behind the symbol. This inadvertently sparked a moral panic, leading villagers to beat a man named Old Tom to death. Arent started painting the symbol on villager’s doors. Arent’s father disappeared and Arent was found with a strange symbol carved into his skin. The leper then bursts into flames.Īs a child, Arent and his father went into the woods to hunt. As they are all boarding the ship, a leper prophesies that the ship won’t reach its destination. Sara plans to leave her abusive husband upon reaching Amsterdam. Other members of the voyage include governor-general Jan Haan, his wife Sara, his mistress Creesjie, Predikant Sander Kers, and several nobles. Pipps and his sidekick Arent Hayes are set to be transported back to Amsterdam aboard the Saardam. In 1634, investigator Samuel Pipps of the Dutch East India Company is arrested in Batavia.

Set in 1634, it features a detective trying to solve a series of inexplicable crimes aboard an East Indiaman ship. The Devil and the Dark Water is a 2020 genre-bending novel by Stuart Turton, combining elements of historical fiction, murder mystery, and horror.

The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton