
Alex knows she risks getting fired from her law firm if she takes on another unpaid case, but when she hears Rosa’s desperate voice at the other end of the phone, she knows she has to help: the body of Rosa’s shy teenage sister, Natalia, has been dragged, lifeless, from the Thames. Alex can’t help but think of her own missing little sister. She knows how a lack of answers can eat you alive.
Kat has worked hard to become Special Adviser to the Home Secretary, and is eager to finally put the dark and tragic part of her past behind her. But when she discovers a series of cover-ups, she begins to wonder whether her seemingly perfect new boss could be involved. Then she’s shocked to discover a letter that raises worrying questions about a girl found drowned in London… Natalia.
There are complex and painful reasons for Alex and Kat not to work together, but when it becomes clear that there are powerful people involved in Natalia’s death, and that other girls are at risk, Alex and Kat must overcome their differences to find answers. Will they save the girls and discover the truth? Or will the high-powered players in this game stop Alex and Kat for good?
MY THOUGHTS
My thanks to Tracy Fenton of Compulsive Readers for the tour invite and to the publisher for a copy of the book to review. I’ve loved Anna’s historical fiction (written under the name of Anna Mazzola) and didn’t hesitate to saying yes please to reviewing this debut thriller for the tour.
Notes on a Drowning is published by Orion, in ebook, audiobook and hardback (23 January 2025). It’s described as a legal thriller but it has a strong political focus. Alex is a lawyer frequently in trouble with her boss for not bringing in enough money, instead taking on free/low paid casework for the disadvantaged. Kat Ishida has put her rather grim past behind her and has a successful career as a special advisor to the Home Secretary. Kat and Alex have a difficult history due to past events but when a Freedom of Information request brings them together they have to try and put all animosity behind them and work together to get justice for those who do not have a voice.
The catalyst for the story is the supposed accidental drowning of a young Moldovan girl, Natalia. Her sister Rosa is convinced that her death is suspicious and Alex, putting her own job at risk, is working on a pro-bono basis to help Rosa get answers. She does this against the background of the unsolved disappearance several years before of her younger sister Elisa which still haunts her.
The main plot involves cover ups and deceit from some deeply flawed individuals. This is a fast paced story of corruption – both at home and internationally, betrayal, and abuse, both of women and of power and the shocking lengths people will go to keep their secrets. In trying to expose the guilty, both women put themselves in danger and there are some very tense moments.
This is such a powerful and intense story inspired by the author’s work as a human rights and criminal justice solicitor. It is topical, authentic and shockingly believable. Alex and Kat were superb characters – both tenacious in their fight for justice but also compassionate. I’ve always been impressed by Anna’s excellent writing and this latest book continues that standard with dialogue that is sharp and has the odd touch of dark humour. I thoroughly enjoyed this gripping story and look forward to reading more by Anna Sharpe.


Anna Sharpe is the pseudonym of Anna Mazzola. She’s the award-winning author of three historical thrillers plus one ghost novel. Her debut novel, The Unseeing, won an Edgar Allan Poe award in the US. Her third novel, The Clockwork Girl, set in 18th century Paris, reached number 11 in the Sunday Times Chart