Beneath Cruel Waters is an incredibly compelling of one small family and their hidden secrets that drove them apart many years ago. Told in alternating timelines (1984 and 2018), we learn the story of Holt Davidson. Holt has returned to a small Colorado town where he grew up because his devout mother has committed suicide. His older sister has also been in a mental institution or halfway house since he was young. 

As Holt learns the truth about his family's past, we learn piecemeal bits about each of the family members. Told in sparse but beautiful prose, the character development here is superb. I was amazing at how real each character felt, even when information was revealed that seemed tantamount to their essence. Even the side characters felt so real, so fully formed and just so in my mind. 

This is a heart crushing story of familial trauma, of secrets hidden to protect each other that do more harm than good. It flies by and the pages turn quickly, despite the heaviness. The pacing is also just perfect and even, we learn just enough through each chapter to keep the story moving forward. 

It is not often I consider rereading a book, but I think this will be a wonderful one to revisit in the future. This is an excellent example of how rich writing can be without being verbose and overdone. If you are a fan of family dramas, thrillers, or sad mysteries, please, please pick this up.