For fans of Stephen King’s The Mist and the HBO hit show The Last of Us comes a wildly inventive, sinister thriller following an estranged father and daughter who find themselves trapped in a diner by a living body of water.

Don’t let the water drag you down…

It’s been six years since Glen Masters lost his wife in a tragic accident. In hopes of reconnecting with his grieving teenage daughter, Lauren, he decides to take her on a road trip through the Appalachian mountains, where he has fond memories of their past as a family. But what was supposed to be a quick diner pit stop suddenly transforms into a nightmare when armed men stumble in, ranting about a mysterious and deadly “living water” that attacked several people up the road. The story the men spin seems to be the rantings of drunken lunatics, but soon Glen, his daughter, and the other diners find themselves hostages to both the gunmen and the inexplicably terrifying entity.

Because there’s truly something wrong with the water, and it has no mercy.

Panic grows as the diners play witness to a nature-defying being that seeks only to swallow everything in its path. With help nowhere in sight, the group of strangers must work together to devise an escape, and ultimately, Glen will have to face his worst fears to reconcile with the past or risk losing everything.

A chilling story from a brand-new voice in fiction, Body of Water explores the complicated nature of grief, terror, and the ghosts we must confront to survive.

I wasn’t expecting this book to grab me the way it did, but it turned out to be a solid, creepy surprise. It’s got everything I love in an apocalyptic horror setup—an isolated location, a diverse group of survivors forced together, and something monstrous closing in from all sides. It’s a familiar formula, sure, but Godfrey executes it so well that it doesn’t feel tired.

The story starts out grounded in grief. Glen Masters, still mourning the death of his wife six years earlier, takes his teenage daughter Lauren on a road trip through the Appalachian mountains, hoping to reconnect and maybe patch up their fractured relationship. It’s a simple, human setup that quickly goes sideways when they stop at a diner and chaos walks through the door. A group of armed, terrified men burst in, raving about a “living water” that’s devouring everything in its path. It sounds like nonsense at first… until it isn’t.

From there, the tension ratchets up fast. The diner becomes a pressure cooker filled with desperation as the group realizes something is very wrong outside. The water isn’t just contaminated—it’s alive. Godfrey nails the creeping dread of that concept. The imagery is vivid, cinematic, and at times genuinely disturbing. He takes something as ordinary and essential as water and turns it into an all-consuming nightmare. You’ll never look at puddles the same way again.

Yes, the premise echoes The Mist—trapped strangers, paranoia, and a threat you can’t fight or reason with—but Godfrey brings his own flavor to it. His characters are strong and distinct, with personalities that clash in believable ways. You get the ones you root for, the ones who frustrate you, and the ones you want to throw to the monster immediately. That balance always makes stories like this feel more urgent.

I also appreciated that the book doesn’t linger too long on exposition. It dives (pun intended) straight into the action but still finds space for emotional depth. Glen and Lauren’s relationship grounds the chaos. Their shared grief gives the story a heart, even when everything around them turns horrific.

The writing itself is tight and cinematic. Godfrey knows how to describe a scene so that you feel it in your gut. It’s an easy book to visualize, and I could see it making a great movie or limited-series adaptation.

The last act really sealed it for me. Without spoiling anything, the reveal is clever and poignant, and the final chapter flips everything on its head. I love when a story can make me question what was real without turning it into a cheap trick. Godfrey pulls that off beautifully. It’s ambiguous in a way that sticks with you.

Overall, this is a strong story that blends grief, paranoia, and supernatural horror in all the right ways. It’s creepy and emotional with just enough mystery to keep you engaged, and that ending will have you thinking about it long after the book ends. If you like survival horror or apocalyptic thrillers with a psychological edge, this one’s worth diving into.