The Devil and the Dark Water is a 2020 genre-bending novel by Stuart Turton, combining elements of historical fiction, murder mystery, and horror.

Other members of the voyage include governor-general Jan Haan, his wife Sara, his mistress Creesjie, Predikant Sander Kers, and several nobles.

Creesjie’s late husband, Pieter, was a witch hunter who believed that a demon called Old Tom was behind the symbol.

The ship’s animals are slaughtered; passengers begin hearing a voice which offers them their greatest desires in exchange for killing Haan.

Sara and Arent uncover the secret of Haan’s death: he was killed by stabbing him with an extremely long blade through a hole in his roof; the dagger in his chest was placed into the wound as a diversion.

According to a review for The Nerd Daily, the novel explores feminist themes through Sara and her daughter Lia, who constantly push for equality for female characters.

[3] Publishers Weekly gave the book a starred review, calling it an "outstanding whodunnit" and praising the "brilliant resolution of the plot".

[4] Kirkus gave the novel a starred review, writing that it is "a devilish sea saga that never runs out of cutthroat conspiracies".

[6] A review for The Guardian by M. John Harrison praised the fast pace and the number of surprises, calling it "irresistible".