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Still Waters Run
In late summer, sixteen-year-old Dan and his recently divorced mother head to a Norfolk seaside town’s holiday park for a vacation.
Shy Dan soon strikes up a friendship with a girl of his age, quirky and pretty Charlie, and his mother is swept off her feet by a suave local property developer.
Yet a shadow is cast over their stay when one of the camp attendants, Mia, goes missing. And things go from bad to worse when her body turns up near the town’s derelict lido.
Charlie draws Dan into her efforts to discover the truth about Mia’s death. But as the locals close ranks, cracks begin to show in their new friendships, and he’ll soon find himself in deep water.
This could turn out to be a holiday that mother and son will remember for all the wrong reasons, if they survive.
Shy Dan soon strikes up a friendship with a girl of his age, quirky and pretty Charlie, and his mother is swept off her feet by a suave local property developer.
Yet a shadow is cast over their stay when one of the camp attendants, Mia, goes missing. And things go from bad to worse when her body turns up near the town’s derelict lido.
Charlie draws Dan into her efforts to discover the truth about Mia’s death. But as the locals close ranks, cracks begin to show in their new friendships, and he’ll soon find himself in deep water.
This could turn out to be a holiday that mother and son will remember for all the wrong reasons, if they survive.
295 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 20, 2022
187 people are currently reading
197 people want to read
About the author
Mark West
67Ìýbooks171ÌýfollowersMark West was born in Northamptonshire in 1969. Writing stories since the age of eight, he discovered the small press in 1999 and since then, he’s published more than 90 stories in various publications around the world.
The Book Folks published his debut mainstream thriller DON’T GO BACK in February 2022. It was followed by WATCHING OVER YOU, THE HUNTER'S QUARRY, STILL WATERS RUN, A KILLER AMONGST US and WE WERE SEEN. His latest, TO SEE TOO MUCH, was published in November 2024. He is currently working on his next thriller novel.
His other works include:
Collections: “Strange Tales� (2003) and “Things We Leave Behind� (2017)
Horror Novels: “In The Rain With The Dead� (2005) and “Conjure� (2009)
Horror Chapbooks/Novelettes: “The Mill� (2011), “What Gets Left Behind� (2012), “The Goblin Glass� (2019) and “Mr Stix� (2019)
Horror Novellas: The Lost Film� (2015), “The Factory� (2016) and “The Exercise� (2021).
Dark Thriller Novellas: “Drive� (2014) and “Polly� (2017)
“Anatomy Of Death� (2013) was a Hersham Horror Books anthology edited by West.
Mark lives in Rothwell, with his wife Alison and their son, Matthew, where he is currently working on a new novel. He can be contacted via his website at
The Book Folks published his debut mainstream thriller DON’T GO BACK in February 2022. It was followed by WATCHING OVER YOU, THE HUNTER'S QUARRY, STILL WATERS RUN, A KILLER AMONGST US and WE WERE SEEN. His latest, TO SEE TOO MUCH, was published in November 2024. He is currently working on his next thriller novel.
His other works include:
Collections: “Strange Tales� (2003) and “Things We Leave Behind� (2017)
Horror Novels: “In The Rain With The Dead� (2005) and “Conjure� (2009)
Horror Chapbooks/Novelettes: “The Mill� (2011), “What Gets Left Behind� (2012), “The Goblin Glass� (2019) and “Mr Stix� (2019)
Horror Novellas: The Lost Film� (2015), “The Factory� (2016) and “The Exercise� (2021).
Dark Thriller Novellas: “Drive� (2014) and “Polly� (2017)
“Anatomy Of Death� (2013) was a Hersham Horror Books anthology edited by West.
Mark lives in Rothwell, with his wife Alison and their son, Matthew, where he is currently working on a new novel. He can be contacted via his website at
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 29, 2022
Sixteen year old Dan Moore arrives with his recently-divorced mum, Jude, at a caravan park on the Norfolk coast for a week’s holiday. It’s late summer of 1985. They’ve had a tough year and the prospect of a few days� escape of sun, fun and relaxation feels like just the tonic they need. Dan quickly hits it off with Charlie, a girl of a similar age who lives at the holiday resort, and his mum becomes romantically involved with a local property developer. However things take a sinister turn when one of the camp attendants goes missing, only for her body to be discovered several days later near the town’s derelict lido�
Still Waters RunÌýis the fourth novel published by The Book Folk from the pen of Mark West, followingÌýDon’t Go Back,ÌýOnly Watching YouÌýandÌýThe Hunter’s Quarry. Like the previous books, this one too features a superb blend of punchy suspenseful prose, edge-of-your-seat plot twists and masterful characterisation. West’s pacing is always spot on, but this one takes its time to set up the scenario and introduce the characters, an assured opening that confirms how totally in control of his craft the author is. This also allows the location to become a vivid element of the story, something that enhances the atmosphere and adds a clear distinction to the narrative.
I really enjoyed the nostalgia of this piece, and the prose is peppered with pop-culture references and long-forgotten (at least to this reader) song titles. I’ve always been a sucker for coming-of-age stories and West yet again delivers with this latest novel, one that successfully ticks all the required boxes for a suspenseful thriller. There’s an interesting romantic aspect for Jude here too, and one that has much to say about the desires and vulnerabilities of middle-aged characters, an angle that is often neglected in crime fiction.
I will hold my hand up and admit that I thought I had guessed the twist but, alas, I was wrong, as the author managed to throw in subtle aspects of misdirection that completely wrongfooted me. You can almost feel the salt tang on your lips as you follow the exploits of Dan and Charlie’s investigation into the mysterious death, which at first feels reminiscent of those teenage detective stories from my youth (such as The Three Investigators or the Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew) but quickly develops into something much darker as the story progresses to its thrilling conclusion. I had a real blast reading this. West has a flair for creating realistically vulnerable characters and throwing them into terrifying situations, and this feels like his most accomplished novel yet. As such, this comes highly recommended.
Still Waters RunÌýis the fourth novel published by The Book Folk from the pen of Mark West, followingÌýDon’t Go Back,ÌýOnly Watching YouÌýandÌýThe Hunter’s Quarry. Like the previous books, this one too features a superb blend of punchy suspenseful prose, edge-of-your-seat plot twists and masterful characterisation. West’s pacing is always spot on, but this one takes its time to set up the scenario and introduce the characters, an assured opening that confirms how totally in control of his craft the author is. This also allows the location to become a vivid element of the story, something that enhances the atmosphere and adds a clear distinction to the narrative.
I really enjoyed the nostalgia of this piece, and the prose is peppered with pop-culture references and long-forgotten (at least to this reader) song titles. I’ve always been a sucker for coming-of-age stories and West yet again delivers with this latest novel, one that successfully ticks all the required boxes for a suspenseful thriller. There’s an interesting romantic aspect for Jude here too, and one that has much to say about the desires and vulnerabilities of middle-aged characters, an angle that is often neglected in crime fiction.
I will hold my hand up and admit that I thought I had guessed the twist but, alas, I was wrong, as the author managed to throw in subtle aspects of misdirection that completely wrongfooted me. You can almost feel the salt tang on your lips as you follow the exploits of Dan and Charlie’s investigation into the mysterious death, which at first feels reminiscent of those teenage detective stories from my youth (such as The Three Investigators or the Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew) but quickly develops into something much darker as the story progresses to its thrilling conclusion. I had a real blast reading this. West has a flair for creating realistically vulnerable characters and throwing them into terrifying situations, and this feels like his most accomplished novel yet. As such, this comes highly recommended.
January 17, 2023
Slightly more of a slow burn than many of his books, but that is not necessarily a bad thing, as it gives you time to get to know the characters, which are beautifully drawn and highly relatable, before the plotline really begins to kick off. And kick off it does, with the final chapters providing the kind of white-knuckle rollercoaster ride that are synonymous with a Mark West thriller. The evocation of the 1980's is flawless, and I appreciated the return to Seagrave, which we last visited in 'Don't Go Back'. And without giving too much away, the description of the storm in the latter part of the book will resonate perfectly with all who have been by the coast when the power of the sea is unleashed. All-in-all, another wonderfully readable, engaging thriller from Mr West.
December 18, 2022
A great paced thriller
If Mark West doesn't stop this soon, the British seaside will be too scary to visit.
Hot on the heels of his other recent novels comes this latest offering, another slice of 1980s thriller. A great novel with a fantastic ending that screams out for a Hollywood movie.
If Mark West doesn't stop this soon, the British seaside will be too scary to visit.
Hot on the heels of his other recent novels comes this latest offering, another slice of 1980s thriller. A great novel with a fantastic ending that screams out for a Hollywood movie.
December 8, 2022
Another fantastic read!
Clear the afternoon, make yourself a cuppa and settle in for the kind of book that makes you want to keep reading. The mystery kept me turning the pages, but the characters Dan, Charlie and Jude really stole the show.
I can’t wait for Mark’s next book!
Clear the afternoon, make yourself a cuppa and settle in for the kind of book that makes you want to keep reading. The mystery kept me turning the pages, but the characters Dan, Charlie and Jude really stole the show.
I can’t wait for Mark’s next book!
December 6, 2022
I found this to be a captivating read. The author captures the atmosphere of an end of season seaside town perfectly, and draws us in to a what turns out to be quite a touching story about friendship and trust, when suspicions in a small community abound following a death.
March 19, 2025
Likeable characters and some not so likeable that you want to punch. Good story and locations that sound familiar. Norfolk is a popular place for us. A bit of a sad story but a good conclusion for the main characters staying in touch.
January 16, 2024
Good read on the whole
This book was enjoyable and gripping towards the end. Most of the characters were excellently described with Jude and Dan as my favourite. However, I did feel that there were a few loose characters flying around. Chrisie's father made a brief appearance and she didn't turn to him for help when threatened. Tommy at the camp also just faded away strangely.I
I also thought that the non interest of the police in a strange death was unusual and unrealistic. Hence my 3.5 stars
This book was enjoyable and gripping towards the end. Most of the characters were excellently described with Jude and Dan as my favourite. However, I did feel that there were a few loose characters flying around. Chrisie's father made a brief appearance and she didn't turn to him for help when threatened. Tommy at the camp also just faded away strangely.I
I also thought that the non interest of the police in a strange death was unusual and unrealistic. Hence my 3.5 stars
June 8, 2023
Another great thriller by Mark West, this time set back in the 80s, Seagrave gives us a dose of nostalgia along with the suspense.
March 10, 2025
Run
If you like more f-bombs than the word “and�, this may be your book. I think there are better books elsewhere.
If you like more f-bombs than the word “and�, this may be your book. I think there are better books elsewhere.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
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