Mal Jones has lost all his family to the sea. He is the only Jones remaining in Lastings, a small coastal town scarred with more secrets than salt. A self-declared hermit, Mal lives on the edge of Lastings with his dogs, his history, and his determination to be left alone.
So the letters from a mysterious admirer come as something of a surprise. As does the monstrous oyster shell unearthed from the foundations of the town's old port, the discovery of which initiates a chain of events that threaten Lastings and everyone in it.
Reeve—letter writer, avid reader, and one of the merfolk—left the darkwater for Lastings at the sea's behest, and stayed to learn what it is to be a lander. But when ocean creatures begin stalking on land, and seem to be targeting Mal in particular, Reeve is reminded that the only safety is the kind taken at the point of a claw.
When the sea goes walking, no one is left untouched. Together, Mal and Reeve must work to save Lastings—and each other.
PS. The dogs live.
***
Letters From Dark Water is the third story from Love Has Claws, a speculative romance trilogy linked by the town of Lastings. They are standalone stories, but your experience may be enhanced by reading Nine Years of Silver and The Burial Club, the previous books in the Love Has Claws universe.
Content Warnings: bloody violence; gore; consumption of human flesh; death, including that of a child (the latterly mentioned very briefly, off-screen); child neglect; vomiting; allusions to alcohol dependency.