Review: "At the Water's Edge" by Sara Gruen

If you are a fan of Sara Gruen, author of “Water for Elephants” among others, you will definitely want to pick up “At the Water’s Edge”. It is a fascinating story that takes place in the early part of 1945 in Scottish Highlands. It has something for everyone, mystery, intrigue, romance, even a hunt for the Loch Ness monster.

Maddie and Ellis are husband and wife and along with Ellis’ friend, Hank, they do everything together. Hank is rich in his own right but Maddie and Ellis are dependent on Ellis’ mother and father for their money and their decadent lifestyle. After a New Year’s Eve party where their behavior is particularly scandalous, the situation comes to head. Accusations fly and insults are spoken in anger and Maddie and Ellis are thrown out of the house by Ellis’ father. It has always been Hank and Ellis’ dream to go to the Scottish Highlands and find the monster and although there is a war being fought, they don’t let this stop them. Because Hank has connections, he books passage on a freighter taking supplies and their adventure begins. Once there, Maddie begins to see her husband in a different light and realizes that her marriage has been a sham based on a bet and lies.

This is a first rate work of fiction. Ms. Gruen’s characters are believable and the plot is charged with hidden deceptions that culminate in an explosive ending. I couldn’t put the book down until I turned the last page and highly recommend it.