The Drowning Woman: A Novel by Robyn HardingPublication Date: June 13, 2023
Pages: 336
Add on: Goodreads
Buy the Book: Amazon
Rating: ★★★½
Source: From the Publisher
Genre: Fiction / Psychological
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing / Hachette Book Group
From the bestselling author of The Party comes a "dark and wild ride of redemption, betrayal, and friendship" (Ashley Audrain, New York Times bestselling author of The Push) following a homeless woman fleeing a dangerous past—and the wealthy society wife she saves from drowning.
Lee Gulliver never thought she’d find herself living on the streets—no one ever does—but when her restaurant fails, and she falls deeper into debt, she leaves her old life behind with nothing but her clothes and her Toyota Corolla. In Seattle, she parks in a secluded spot by the beach to lay low and plan her next move—until early one morning, she sees a sobbing woman throw herself into the ocean. Lee hauls the woman back to the surface, but instead of appreciation, she is met with fury. The drowning woman, Hazel, tells her that she wanted to die, that she’s trapped in a toxic, abusive marriage, that she’s a prisoner in her own home. Lee has thwarted her one chance to escape her life.
Out of options, Hazel retreats to her gilded cage, and Lee thinks she’s seen the last of her, until her unexpected return the next morning. Bonded by disparate but difficult circumstances, the women soon strike up a close and unlikely friendship. And then one day, Hazel makes a shocking request: she wants Lee to help her disappear. It’ll be easy, Hazel assures her, but Lee soon learns that nothing is as it seems, and that Hazel may not be the friend Lee thought she was.
"As twisty and pacey as it gets" (Ashley Audrain, New York Times bestselling author of The Push).
Most anticipated by Goodreads · Indigo · SheReads
REVIEW
Robyn Harding’s The Drowning Woman grabs you by the collar right from the start and drags you through a storm of desperation, trauma, and the strange alliances forged at rock bottom. Lee Gulliver, once a successful restaurateur, is now homeless and scraping by, until a chance encounter with Hazel Laval, a wealthy but battered housewife, changes everything. When Lee saves Hazel from what looks like a suicide attempt, she’s swept into Hazel’s secret world, one ruled by an abusive, powerful husband and a desperate escape plan.
Told from both Lee’s and Hazel’s perspectives, the story moves fast, bouncing between fear, hope, and the kind of trust that feels more like a dangerous bet than a lifeline. Harding doesn’t waste time with easy answers. Instead, she digs into how far people will go to survive, and what happens when two women with nothing left to lose start relying on each other, even when every instinct says not to.
The characters are messy, sympathetic, and fiercely believable. Lee and Hazel are both trapped in their own ways, and watching them circle each other, never sure if they’re allies or threats, is half the tension. Harding’s writing is sharp and suspenseful, with just enough grit to keep you guessing. The plot twists come hard and fast, and while the story sometimes asks you to take a leap of faith, the relentless pace and psychological depth keep you turning the pages.
Some might find the dialogue a little stiff or the pacing uneven, but the emotional stakes and wild turns make up for it. If you like your thrillers with damaged heroines, shifting loyalties, and secrets that just won’t stay buried, The Drowning Woman delivers a wild ride that’s hard to put down, even when it stretches believability. This is a survival story, the blurry lines between victim and accomplice, and the kind of friendship that’s forged in fire.
