When a young butcher spots a strange shape on the banks of the River Liffey in the hot summer of 1866, the city of Dublin is gripped by a grimy case of infanticide. Detective Martin Peakin, an amateur entomologist and full of regret for his failed engagement, sets off in search of the murderer, eager to impress his superiors. But, as Peakin draws closer, he begins to realise that not all is as it seems. Everyone related to the case is hiding something, while his own secrets threaten to bubble to the surface. The river binds these Dubliners together, but who will it divide in the end? And will Peakin actually solve this most shocking, ordinary and desperate of crimes? The Grateful Water – sticky with blood and secrets and guilt – will suck you in until the last page.