This Is the Water    by Yannick Murphy Order:  USA  Can Harper, 2014 (2014) Softcover, CD, e-Book      Reviewed by Mary Ann Smyth This Is the Water is a most unusual book that pulls you in, almost dumping you in the water in the swimming pool that plays a large role, almost giving the pool water a point of view. Many, many points of view from many different people and things. Very, very different but works so extremely well. Almost everything in This Is the Water is given a point of view. Annie is the protagonist, a swim-mom with two daughters who are anxious about being the best they can be in swim meets. This takes a lot of practice and Annie drives them twice daily to the pool to keep up their swim times. Annie is not a happy person. She worries about the girls and about why her husband Thomas has not kissed her for a long time. He seems inured to her presence and more interested in relating facts to her that he reads in scientific magazines. Annie also is worried about a man who comes to the facility where the pool is located. He simply sits and watches the girls with intensity. When one of the girls is killed, Annie worries that she had not spoken up about this strange man. Could he be the killer who slit the throat of one of the swimmers? Will he strike again? Are her girls safe? Is she safe? Annie also worries about one of the swim-team fathers. She has developed an attraction for him and can't seem to clear her head about what a bad idea this is. She likes the man's wife and is aware that the wife thinks her husband is cheating on her. That isn't happening yet, but it could. The husband seems to be looking at Annie with interest. He tells her of an occurrence many years ago where he thinks he saw the murderer of a young girl and never reported it. The story of the murder is an important part of the plot. But we readers are also brought into the thoughts of the characters – ones who seem to have completely different personalities. They all look at life from a different angle. And yet seem to mesh into a common goal – the best they can do for their children. The ending for me was a complete surprise. I wanted to call for a standing ovation for Annie. One tough lady. I urge you to obtain a copy and enjoy. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Contemporary books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews