McDowell is the king of writing seemingly normal narratives where you feel as if something sinister is lurking beneath the surface, in wait, ready to reveal itself at any moment.

The Flood introduces the Caskey family, after a flood that destroyed the town of Perdido. In the aftermath of the flood, Oscar Caskey discovered a mysterious woman, Elinor Dammert, trapped in the town’s hotel. After rescuing her, Elinor became a staple in the Caskey family helping James Caskey with the care of his child Grace. While most everyone loves Elinor, it is noticeable that she has a strange and deep connection to the Perdido river and odd incidents have occurred since she has come into town. Elinor’s presence changes the dynamics of the Caskey family and leaves the reader wondering what her intentions are—and if the Caskeys will make it out of this alive.

The first novella in Blackwater perfectly laid the groundwork for the rest of the series. When I saw that the book included a family tree, I was hesitant to begin—I was under the impression that keeping up with the Caskeys would be daunting. It was anything but that. The way the Caskeys operate is very textbook of classic Southern families (Mama knows best, women keep the house in line, etc.) and some of the southern nuances reminded me, for better or for worse