Something in the Water

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of death.

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Steadman begins the novel with Erin burying Mark’s body before taking us back to the events leading to this moment. How did this unconventional timeline affect your reading experience? Did knowing the eventual outcome change how you perceived their relationship throughout the story?

2. Something in the Water combines psychological thriller elements with moral ambiguity. How effective did you find this blend? Did the book’s exploration of how ordinary people can be drawn into criminal behavior feel believable to you?

3. How did your impression of Erin change from the beginning to the end of the novel? Were you able to empathize with her decisions despite their questionable nature? If you’ve read Steadman’s other works like Mr. Nobody or The Family Game, how does her characterization of Erin compare to her other protagonists?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Throughout the novel, Erin repeatedly justifies keeping the money by thinking of what it could provide for her future. When have you been tempted to bend your moral code for potential gain, and how did you handle that internal conflict?

2. Mark’s identity was strongly tied to his financial success, leading him to extreme actions when it was threatened. In what ways do external factors (career, relationships, possessions) inform your own sense of self-worth, and how might that influence your decisions and actions?

3. Erin directly asks readers in the first chapter to decide whether she’s a “bad person” after burying her husband’s body. After finishing the novel, how would you answer her question? What criteria did you use to make this judgment?

4. The book explores the gradual progression from small ethical compromises to major criminal acts. Have you experienced or witnessed this kind of “slippery slope” in your own life, where one small decision led to increasingly significant consequences?

5. Erin realizes she never truly knew Mark despite years together. Have you ever discovered something surprising about someone close to you that made you question how well you knew them? How did this revelation affect your relationship?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. Something in the Water portrays how wealth provides invisibility and privilege, allowing Erin and Mark to avoid scrutiny when traveling with their illegal findings. How does this reflect real-world disparities in how different economic classes are treated by institutions and authorities?

2. The novel features three former inmates with very different paths after prison—Eddie, Alexa, and Holli. What does their portrayal suggest about society’s attitudes toward rehabilitation versus punishment in the criminal justice system?

3. Throughout the novel, cameras and surveillance represent power and control. How does our increasingly monitored society affect our behavior and sense of privacy? Does the novel’s treatment of this theme resonate with current concerns about surveillance?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. Money functions as both literal currency and a symbolic force throughout the novel. How does Steadman use Mark’s job loss and their subsequent discovery of the bag to explore how wealth (or lack thereof) shapes identity and relationships?

2. The novel features multiple characters who are adept at playing different roles—Mark, Holli, and Eddie all show this capacity. How does this motif of performance and authenticity contribute to the novel’s exploration of trust and deception?

3. Erin’s documentary project interviewing prisoners serves as a framing device and a narrative parallel. How do the stories of Eddie, Alexa, and Holli mirror or contrast with Erin’s own moral journey?

4. The title Something in the Water refers literally to finding the bag but also metaphorically suggests hidden dangers. How does water imagery (including scuba diving) function symbolically throughout the novel?

5. Steadman uses the technique of an unreliable narrator with Erin. What clues does the author provide that Erin might be missing important details? How does this narrative approach enhance the thriller aspects of the novel?

6. The book contains several instances of foreshadowing, such as Erin’s pregnancy and her growing relationship with Alexa. Which moments did you find most effective in building tension, and how did they prepare readers for later revelations?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Mark’s final look to Erin before his death was described as “cold” and “uncaring.” Draft a goodbye letter from Mark to Erin that reveals his true perspective on their relationship and his betrayal.

2. How would Erin’s story continue five years after the novel’s conclusion? What role might Eddie, Alexa, and her child play in this new chapter of her life, and what consequences from her past might resurface?

3. Choose three songs to include on a soundtrack that captures the emotional transformation Erin undergoes throughout the novel. What specific scenes would each song accompany?

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