Dead in the Water by John Marrs @johnmarrs.author @willmwatt @elizabethknoweldon @debramichaels @brilliancepublishing #DeadInTheWater

the setup…
It all starts with a challenge. Damon agrees to swim out in the cold ocean waters on a dare. But things go wrong and he drowns, only to be rescued and resuscitated. Damon would like to be more grateful but since the moment he was brought back to life, visions of a boy keep appearing, the one remnant from his life literally flashing before his eyes as he died. Desperate for answers, he believes the only path is to…die again…and again. He enlists the help of a stranger to help him die and bring him back to life. Well…

the heart of the story…
Talk about crazy sauce! And this one has all the right seasonings. Be careful what you ask for because sometimes you might not be able to handle the truth. Honestly, I can’t remember a time when my jaw dropped as much as it did here. And the hits just kept coming. The fact that each was utterly plausible kept this from falling off the cliff.

the narration…
I’m so glad there were multiple narrators as Will Watt (wonderful as Damon), Elizabeth Knowelden & Debra Michaels kept the characters distinctive. Their great storytelling made this crazy story feel almost normal. They sold it!

the bottom line…
I understand one of the delicious characters is a crossover from The Good Samaritan and now I’m dying to get to that book. No worries if you haven’t as it wasn’t an issue. Everything about this was unpredictable despite me figuring out the skeleton of the story. But the meat on those bones with all that crazy sauce made this a fantastic experience. And, that ending!!!

Book Info

• Release Date: January 20, 2026
• Narrators: Will Watt, Elizabeth Knowelden & Debra Michaels
• Audio Length: 10 hours, 10 minutes
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio

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(Thanks to Brilliance Audio and NetGalley for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own)