Alex knows she risks getting fired from her law firm if she takes on another unpaid case, but when she hears Rosa’s desperate voice at the other end of the phone, she knows she has to help: the body of Rosa’s shy teenage sister, Natalia, has been dragged, lifeless, from the Thames. Alex can’t help but think of her own missing little sister. She knows how a lack of answers can eat you alive.
Kat has worked hard to become Special Adviser to the Home Secretary, and is eager to finally put the dark and tragic part of her past behind her. But when she discovers a series of cover-ups, she begins to wonder whether her seemingly perfect new boss could be involved. Then she she’s shocked to discover a letter that raises worrying questions about a girl found drowned in London… Natalia.
There are complex and painful reasons for Alex and Kat not to work together, but when it becomes clear that there are powerful people involved in Natalia’s death, and that other girls are at risk, Alex and Kat must overcome their differences to find answers. Will they save the girls and discover the truth? Or will the high-powered players in this game stop Alex and Kat for good?
‘Fast-paced, topical, sharp and with a heart, I could see Notes on a Drowning played out on screen. Hope Anna Sharpe’s cracking out the next one.’ Sarah Vaughan
‘A belter of a book. Shrewd, powerful, and constructed of smoke and mirrors, it’s contemporary thriller writing at its breathless best. Anna Sharpe knows how to weave a tale.’ Helen Fields
‘A timely and hugely entertaining political thriller written with humour and sensitivity, and an important story at its heart. Anna Sharpe has created something fresh and new, and I can’t wait for the next one.’ Charlotte Philby
‘A compelling, emotional and unputdownable thriller’ Nadine Matheson
‘Anna Sharpe is a masterful storyteller.’ Kia Abdullah
‘Breakneck plot skillfully delivered with writing to die for.’ Imran Mahmood
‘My kind of thriller: pacy, absorbing and smart, with great characters and brilliant dialogue on every page. I loved it!’ TM Logan
‘A whip-smart, taut thriller…It zips along like a high-end Netflix drama you can’t help but binge.’ Jane Casey
‘Two women united by a painful secret take on the establishment in this tense, big-hearted, super-smart legal thriller. Anna Sharpe is one to watch.’ Tammy Cohen
‘Notes on a Drowning is a whip smart thriller, and I adored Alex, a clever, funny lawyer who is trying to hold together her career and failing marriage while trying to find out what really happened to her sister. Both gripping and compassionate, I really hope this is a series, and it would be perfect for TV.’ Jo Callaghan
‘A gripping political thriller from an exciting new voice. I can’t wait to read what Anna Sharpe writes next.’ Cass Green
‘This Anna Sharpe is a bit good. Compelling characters, glamorous locations with a deep dive into a dark and murky world. Loved it!’ Rachel Wolf
‘Fast action and packed with tension. Full of twists. This is a one-sitting read.’ Quentin Bates
Kat has worked hard to become Special Adviser to the Home Secretary, and is eager to finally put the dark and tragic part of her past behind her. But when she discovers a series of cover-ups, she begins to wonder whether her seemingly perfect new boss could be involved. Then she she’s shocked to discover a letter that raises worrying questions about a girl found drowned in London… Natalia.
There are complex and painful reasons for Alex and Kat not to work together, but when it becomes clear that there are powerful people involved in Natalia’s death, and that other girls are at risk, Alex and Kat must overcome their differences to find answers. Will they save the girls and discover the truth? Or will the high-powered players in this game stop Alex and Kat for good?
What readers are saying about Notes on a Drowning:
‘Fast-paced, topical, sharp and with a heart, I could see Notes on a Drowning played out on screen. Hope Anna Sharpe’s cracking out the next one.’ Sarah Vaughan
‘A belter of a book. Shrewd, powerful, and constructed of smoke and mirrors, it’s contemporary thriller writing at its breathless best. Anna Sharpe knows how to weave a tale.’ Helen Fields
‘A timely and hugely entertaining political thriller written with humour and sensitivity, and an important story at its heart. Anna Sharpe has created something fresh and new, and I can’t wait for the next one.’ Charlotte Philby
‘A compelling, emotional and unputdownable thriller’ Nadine Matheson
‘Anna Sharpe is a masterful storyteller.’ Kia Abdullah
‘Breakneck plot skillfully delivered with writing to die for.’ Imran Mahmood
‘My kind of thriller: pacy, absorbing and smart, with great characters and brilliant dialogue on every page. I loved it!’ TM Logan
‘A whip-smart, taut thriller…It zips along like a high-end Netflix drama you can’t help but binge.’ Jane Casey
‘Two women united by a painful secret take on the establishment in this tense, big-hearted, super-smart legal thriller. Anna Sharpe is one to watch.’ Tammy Cohen
‘Notes on a Drowning is a whip smart thriller, and I adored Alex, a clever, funny lawyer who is trying to hold together her career and failing marriage while trying to find out what really happened to her sister. Both gripping and compassionate, I really hope this is a series, and it would be perfect for TV.’ Jo Callaghan
‘A gripping political thriller from an exciting new voice. I can’t wait to read what Anna Sharpe writes next.’ Cass Green
‘This Anna Sharpe is a bit good. Compelling characters, glamorous locations with a deep dive into a dark and murky world. Loved it!’ Rachel Wolf
‘Fast action and packed with tension. Full of twists. This is a one-sitting read.’ Quentin Bates
Newsletter Signup
By clicking ‘Sign Up,’ I acknowledge that I have read and agree to Hachette Book Group’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
Reviews
Anna Sharpe is a masterful storyteller. Here, she crafts a riveting account of corruption at the dark heart of Westminster. Smart, propulsive and horrifyingly believable, Notes on a Drowning explores the cowardice of the powerful and the courage of those they subjugate. Along with a shockingly timely theme, I found not one but two of that ever-elusive heroine: tough and resilient but also human and relatable. I desperately hope to see Alex and Kat again.
Well that was a ride and a half. Brava @Anna_Mazz If you want murder and thrills and mafias and spooks and some trafficking oh and drowning obviously. This is your book. Oh and lawyers too. Breakneck plot skilfully delivered with writing to die for ??????'
A belter of a book. Shrewd, powerful, and constructed of smoke and mirrors, it's contemporary thriller writing at its breathless best. Anna Sharpe knows how to weave a tale.
A whip-smart, taut thriller from the pen of the brilliant Anna Sharpe about powerful people behaving badly, written with compassion for their victims as well as an astute eye for the world of politics and the law. What is the connection between a dead Moldovan girl found floating in the Thames and a young woman's experiences in Tokyo years earlier? It zips along like a high-end Netflix drama you can't help but binge. Out in January!
This Anna Sharpe is a bit good. Compelling characters, glamorous locations with a deep dive into a dark and murky world. Loved it!
Two women united by a painful secret take on the establishment in this tense, big-hearted, super-smart legal thriller. Anna Sharpe is one to watch.
Smart, sharp, and restlessly entertaining with dialogue that dances off the page, Notes on a Drowning is riveting from the get-go. Loved this trip into the seedy underbelly of politics and corruption.
A compelling, emotional and unputdownable thriller
I loved Notes on a Drowning... A tense political thriller but one that never forgets its heart. A new venture from mega-talented Anna Sharpe. Read it!
A propulsive, authentic, ripped-from-the-headlines thriller, written with biting wit and real heart.
A timely and hugely entertaining political thriller written with humour and sensitivity, and an important story at its heart. Anna Sharpe has created something fresh and new, and I can't wait for the next one.
Smart, sharp, and restlessly entertaining with dialogue that dances off the page, Notes on a Drowning is riveting from the get go. Loved this trip into the seedy underbelly of politics and corruption.
A terrific, gripping page turner that tackles societal and political issues with sensitivity and a subtle touch of humour. Loved it.
A gripping political thriller from an exciting new voice. I can't wait to read what Anna Sharpe writes next.
Thought-provoking, timely, and elegant in execution... a novel that marries the intelligence of legal noir with the tension of a cutting-edge thriller... Simply outstanding.
My kind of thriller: pacy, absorbing and smart, with great characters and brilliant dialogue on every page. I loved it!
Notes on a Drowning is a whip smart thriller, and I adored Alex, a clever, funny lawyer who is trying to hold together her career and failing marriage while trying to find out what really happened to her sister. Both gripping and compassionate, I really hope this is a series, and it would be perfect for TV.