Send us a text Ahoy mateys! My guest this week is the locked-room-murder-maestro himself, Stuart Turton. In 2018 Stu burst onto the scene with his genre-splicing triumph, The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. It won awards and melted some brains with its maddening twists and turns. Stu’s follow-up is equally intricate but this time it’s also seaworthy. The Devil and the Dark Water is a murder mystery set on a 16th Century trading ship, but in true Turton-esque (is that a thing yet) style, it’s also about a dozen other genres too. There is horror aplenty, as the titular demon begins to reveal himself in the shadowy corners of the ship. We discuss all sorts this week, from the depravity of sailing vessels, to the agony of first novels, and we seriously question whether Sherlock Holmes is a d**k? Yep, this week there is swearing! Enjoy. Come talk books with us on Twitter @talkscaredpod or email direct to [email protected]. Thanks to Terry Smith Audio for sound editing. Support the show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.