[REVIEW] Dark Waters

title: Dark Waters (San Juan Islands Mystery #2)
author: D.W. Ulsterman
genre: adult fiction, mystery
publish: November 29, 2016 by Kindle Press
purchase: Amazon
rating: 3.5 / 5 stars
goodreads

“There is pleasure in the pathless woods, there is rapture in the lonely shore, there is society where none intrudes, by the deep sea, and music in its roar; I love not Man the less, but Nature more.” -Lord Byron 

After receiving an unexpected gift following her college graduation, aspiring journalist Adele Plank returns to the Pacific Northwest’s beautiful and isolated sea and shores landscape of the San Juan Islands, where she soon finds herself immersed in the shocking mystery of a young woman’s brutal murder. 

The deathly discovery rocks the island community, stirring doubts about their new sheriff, and turning old friends into new rivals. 

Adele must determine who she can trust, and who she cannot, even as a mysterious stranger provides her a critical clue.  

DARK WATERS is the second thrilling installment of the San Juan Islands Mystery series. 

intriguing mystery, poor execution.

The Writer, the first book of the San Juan Islands Mystery, was a thrilling book that completely intrigued me and made me love Adele Plank so much. The revelation and resolution to the mystery was well-written and had me reading one page after another (because really, I just HAD to know what happens next).

She didn't merely want to write about life; she actually wanted to live it. What good is experience if it isn't your own? -loc55; eARC

Dark Waters, on the other hand, had the same intriguing mystery but unfortunately it fell short on the thrilling aspect. The bones in a crab pot certainly caught my attention but the things that happened after that weren't very convincing for me. I mean sure Adele's snooping around, getting exclusive privileges, and all that but there was just too much romance for me.

There's even a love triangle! Like seriously, man. I like Adele and how determined she is. No doubt that she'll be an even better journalist in the future. But surely we don't need romantic encounter every single chapter. Also, I'd like to admit that I'm #teamLucasPine because seriously, that sheriff is too good to pass OR maybe I just don't really like Roland. bleh.

"Success, real success, doesn't come without failure. Most often, one precedes the other. The trick is to learn from that failure. Some do, many don't -loc474; eARC

The revelation didn't surprise me but that doesn't mean I guessed it right (because seriously speaking, I didn't even made guesses and theories and all that stuff. I'm just that unmotivated on this one). The resolution, should I say, something that follows the same theme as book one and that really won't work. Using the same tricks is certainly a no-go.

OVERALL, Dark Waters is an intriguing mystery but unfortunately it isn't very exciting to read. I still like Adele and her headstrong personality and I totally ship her to Sheriff Pine. But mystery execution-wise? I find the mystery solving quite boring and all the misleads pretty bland. But ohwell, I'm still interested to check out the next book since it isn't exactly that bad.