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The House of Water

Longlisted for the CWA Twisted Dagger 2026

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The House of Water

By: Fflur Dafydd
Narrated by: Georgina Sadler, Joseph Tweedale
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About this listen

 PLACING THAT KEY IN THE LOCK WAS THE LAST ORDINARY MOMENT OF HER LIFE.

Iona Griffri returns home one evening to find her family murdered and her father, Eurov, missing. Her family home is entirely submerged in water, and a strange, unnamed girl lies dead in her bed.

As the police declare her father the main suspect, Iona is forced to confront how much she really knew about the man who raised her. Could he have been capable of such a crime? And who is the mysterious girl left behind?

With the help of the morgue attendant looking after her family's bodies, Iona goes on a journey to uncover the truth behind those final weeks of her family's life. Hidden in the fragments of her father's final manuscript, recovered from the flood, an unimaginable secret slowly rises to the surface. A terrible sin finally revealed...

A haunting, boundary-pushing thriller told through the lens of a lyrical family drama, from a captivating literary talent. The House of Water will rush over you like a torrent from the opening page to the very last.©2025 Fflur Dafydd Crime Thrillers Mystery Private Investigators Psychological Thriller & Suspense Women Sleuths World Literature

Critic reviews

'A story that vaults powerfully through huge, bold, epic swings . . . magnificent writing' - Russell T Davies
'A fast-flowing thriller with an unpredictable twist, The House of Water is also a profound look at family, landscape, language and identity' - Erin Kelly
'Words and water collide in this exceptional mystery, where drowned family secrets slowly surface with devastating consequences' - Suzy Aspley
'Intriguing and moving, The House of Water swept me along its story of drownings, loss and long-buried secrets. I doubt I'll read a better book his year' - Sarah Ward
'In The House of Water, Fflur Dafydd has created both an enthralling murder mystery and a touchstone of a novel that goes to the heart of what it means to belong, and what happens when that belonging is threatened by outside forces' - Alis Hawkins
'The House Of Water is a beautifully written and engrossing tale about a family tragedy in a small Welsh town. A terrible secret, long concealed, is at last revealed with catastrophic consequences. A compelling and often profound story. Highly recommended' - Mark Ellis
'I dived into this beautifully written story from its brilliantly sinister first line and was completely immersed in its lyrical flow. Gripping and utterly compelling, one of those books you'll be dying to get back to. Fflur Dafydd is a gifted story teller. This is not like any other thriller you have read' - Michelle McDonagh
'A lyrical and tenderly told exploration of the real ties that bind us - of love and kindness - set against the damage that can be wrought by an obsession with origins and an inability to cut the ties of generational trauma' - Jane Bailey
'A dazzling exploration of family and place, brimming with page-turning suspense, and with a shocking mystery at its core. Powerful and profoundly moving' - Emma Rous
'A gripping thriller . . . a rich, satisfying saga about the undoing of one family and the effort it will take to rebuild it. Dafydd is a highly imaginative storyteller, who knows how to keep her readers guessing in this captivating novel' - Francesca Rhydderch
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Such a wonderful book - I was enthralled by the story and the beautiful way it was written. A captivating listen .

Absolutely loved this!

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What an amazingly well written story, that weaves the history and ethos of Wales throughout it’s complex and wonderful plot. However. Why could native Welsh speaking narrators not have been used? It seems that the national publishing houses have a blatant disregard for the importance of the correct pronunciation of Welsh words and phrases. An effort was made here to get it right, but there are hundreds of Welsh speaking narrators, who would have done it perfectly. Such a shame, as Fflur’s work deserved better.

Excellent Story

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I was engaged from the first chapter, and, as the story unfolded, I found myself gripped by the twisted lives of the characters

a wonderful engaging mystery

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Good characters, interesting storyline and good background information. Lovely to hear Welsh accents, mostly done well xx

Interesting listen

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I went to my local Waterstones when the author was speaking, she is a highly intelligent and elegant speaker. I bought the book and the audiobook and listen/read along. The story is complex and even though I am not a fan of murder mystery, I found the characters and landscape were so brilliantly realised that I lost myself in the whole experience. As ever, I am not very good at guessing whodunnit, I was surprised by the ending and this really adds to my enjoyment. I do highly recommend this one.

THIS WILL KEEP YOU GUESSING.

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