Title: The Drowning Woman
Author: Robyn Harding
Published: June 7th 2023
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 336
Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
RRP: $32.99
Rating: 5 stars
The bestselling author of The Party returns with a deliciously twisted story of friendship, retribution and betrayal about a homeless woman fleeing a dangerous past – and the wealthy society wife she saves from drowning, who pulls her into a dark web of secrets and lies.
Lee Gulliver never thought she'd find herself living on the streets – no one ever does – but when her restaurant fails, and she falls deeper into debt, she leaves her old life behind with nothing but her clothes and her car.
Parked in a secluded spot by the beach, she sees a sobbing woman throw herself into the ocean. Lee hauls the woman back to the surface but, instead of appreciation, she is met with fury. The drowning woman, Hazel, tells her that she wanted to die. She's trapped in a toxic, abusive marriage, and is a prisoner in her own home. Lee has now thwarted her one chance to escape her life.
Out of options, Hazel retreats to her gilded cage. Lee thinks she's seen the last of her, until Hazel unexpectedly returns the next morning. The women strike up an unlikely friendship and then, one day, Hazel makes a shocking request: she wants Lee to help her disappear. It'll be easy, Hazel assures her. But Lee soon learns that nothing is as it seems – and that Hazel may not be the friend Lee thought she was …
Review:
Ever since I read Robyn Harding's release The Swap I look forward to a new book by this talented author. The Drowning Woman was immediately purchased from my nearest bookstore as soon as it was published in Australia. A pertinent and edgy contemporary fiction story that covers themes of homelessness, abuse, human connection, wealth, power, family estrangement and infidelity, The Drowning Woman was an exceptional read.
Lee Gulliver is a woman who never expected to be homeless. Once a successful restaurateur, Lee's life takes a sudden downward turn due to the global pandemic. Now Lee is without a career, a home, a family or a purpose. With only a few belongings and her precious car, Lee doesn't know where to turn to next, every day and night is a struggle. One day Lee is parked up at a safe spot by the beach and she observes a woman clearly very emotional and crying. In shock horror the woman flings herself into the ocean and Lee quickly saves her from drowning. However, the woman is angry with Lee, she wanted to end her life then and there. The woman reveals that her life is filled with fear and danger thanks to her toxic marriage to her powerful husband. Lee stopped this desperate woman's only chance to break free from the oppressive chains of her marriage. The woman bids goodbye to Lee, now knowing she must come up with another plan to escape her husband. Sensing her anger, Lee knows that will be the last time she sees the woman until the very next day she reappears. Tentatively Lee and Hazel begin to share details about their lives and an unlikely friendship forms. But then Hazel issues Lee with the ultimate request, can she help her escape?
Robyn Harding has crafted a truly sensational and twisty read with this latest release. I was hooked from the very first page and I had to ignore everything while I read this story, I couldn't turn away from The Drowning Woman. My experience of The Drowning Woman was so great that I immediately turned to my crowded bookshelves and pulled out two backlist titles from Robyn Harding's back catalogue to read as soon as I finished this new dazzler.
The Drowning Woman is told via a two-person flip style narrative and it is divided into four compulsive parts. I'm not sure why, but this format worked perfectly, it really helped to move the plot along at a swift pace. I couldn't decide if I liked Hazel or Lee's perspective more, both perspectives were compelling. I liked how Harding relayed the story from both women's viewpoints so a full picture of the events formed in front of our eyes. It was such a juicy story! Hazel and Lee are poles apart, but a fateful act brings them together and when they join forces it pulls you right into the full story. I know I found it incredibly hard to put my bookmark in The Drowning Woman and walk away, this is a story that issues the reader with an end hook with each concluding chapter so you cannot move away from this story. This is without a doubt my favourite brand of fiction.
In Lee's back story we are exposed to a woman on the edge, filled with desperation, fear and anxiety, brought on by her state of homelessness. These dark and sad themes around the fallout from the global pandemic was an interesting angle to take for a thriller. Lee's past also highlights issues of family estrangement, trust, betrayal and poverty. Walking in Lee's shoes reminds the audience of the sense of invisibility, prejudice, disgust, and embarrassment homeless people experience as they try to get by. It definitely opened my eyes to a different side of homelessness. It also made me root for Lee, but a clear sense of protection washed over me when Lee began to let people into her world. We witness this both in Lee's developing relationship with love interest Jesse and her friendship with Hazel. In Hazel, Harding looks at another unique facet of our social lives. We learn about the domestic abuse, coercion and control that Hazel has been subjected to which increased during the pandemic period. There is also another darker side to Hazel's marriage which I won't delve into, but suffice to say it is disturbing and authentically depicted.
With everyone shrouded in a cover of doubt, it is hard to know who to trust and which version of the truth is correct in this one. The Drowning Woman is one super rocky ride, so make sure your belt is on tight! A very deserving five stars from me for Robyn Harding latest.
The Drowning Woman by Robyn Harding was published on 7th June 2023 by Simon & Schuster. Details on how to purchase the book can be found here.
To learn more about the author of The Drowning Woman, Robyn Harding, visit here.
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