Alex is a lawyer who is passed a pro-bono case involving a woman who has supposedly drowned in the Thames. But when people are all too willing to investigate a foreign party girl's death in detail, she starts feeling that there might be a cover-up going on. Her sister, Rosa, is sure she didn't drink or take drugs, so why was Natalia supposedly so drunk that she fell from a boat and drowned? Kat works for the Home Office as a special adviser to the Home Secretary, but she's hiding a dark past in Tokyo. But her squeaky clean boss might well be hiding a few secrets of his own. This legal/political thriller is a dual narrative story of Alex and Kat. At first they don't appear to be connected in any way, and I couldn't work out why I was reading two separate stories in alternating chapters, but eventually it all came together! The plot takes a little while to get going because of this, but when it does, you'll want to keep reading to find out what really happened to Natalia and in turn what happened to Alex's sister.

Anna Sharpe’s Notes on a Drowning is a tense and gripping thriller that delves into the murky waters of corruption, power, and human trafficking. With a blend of legal intrigue, political machinations, and personal pain, this book weaves a compelling narrative that keeps readers hooked from start to finish. The story begins with the tragic discovery of Natalia’s lifeless body in the Thames. For Alex, a determined lawyer already skating on thin ice at her firm for taking on unpaid cases, Rosa’s desperate plea for help is impossible to ignore. Haunted by the disappearance of her own younger sister, Alex is drawn into the case, determined to find answers and justice for Natalia. Meanwhile, Kat, an ambitious Special Adviser to the Home Secretary, is eager to leave her own dark past behind. But her idealistic goals are shattered when she uncovers a series of cover-ups, hinting at the involvement of powerful individuals in Natalia’s death. When a shocking letter surfaces, Kat realises the scope of the conspiracy is far larger—and closer to home—than she ever imagined. Alex and Kat are reluctant allies, bound together by a shared determination to expose the truth. Their fractured relationship, rooted in personal and professional complexities, adds depth to the story. As they dig deeper, the stakes rise, and they find themselves up against a web of deceit that threatens their careers, their safety, and the lives of other vulnerable girls. Sharpe’s writing is taut and engaging, with an opening prologue that immediately piques curiosity. The ambiguity of its narrator adds an extra layer of intrigue, as the story unfolds in a way that keeps readers guessing. The pacing is sharp, with twists and revelations that create a sense of urgency as Alex and Kat race against time to uncover the truth. The book shines in its portrayal of systemic corruption and the devastating human cost of power games. The themes of trafficking and exploitation are handled with sensitivity, adding emotional weight to the narrative. The contrasting perspectives of Alex and Kat—one driven by personal trauma, the other by professional ambition—offer a compelling dynamic that enriches the story. While Notes on a Drowning is an exciting thriller, it also raises important questions about justice, morality, and the cost of standing up to powerful adversaries. Fans of legal and political thrillers, especially those with a strong emotional core, will find much to admire here. Sharpe has crafted a powerful, thought-provoking tale that lingers long after the final page. Read more at The Secret Book Review.

Exciting thriller with a legal, political and people trafficking setting. The prologue is interesting as I read I wasn’t sure exactly who that part of the narrative is about. As the story unfolds it could be about a number of the characters. Then you are introduced to Alex, a lawyer and Kat a Special advisor to the Home Secretary. The two are drawn together by their present and past, as corruption comes to light in both their working lives. Putting them on a collision course with some very powerful and influential people. The aauction and excitement only builds from there. Thank you to Orion Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

Anna Mazzola has switched from her usual historical fiction to write her first thriller under the name Anna Sharpe. And what a thriller - Notes On A Drowning was an unputdownable read for me, cleverly combining legal and political to create a gripping story that feels very timely. Alex is a lawyer who takes on more pro-bono work than her firm would like. Kat, having put her somewhat difficult past behind, has recently been appointed as a Special Adviser to the Home Secretary. Though they haven’t spoken in years, the two have a past history, and when they both become involved in the case of a Moldovan young woman found drowned in the Thames, they find themselves reunited. But can they put the past behind them and work together to get to the bottom of something they soon realise extends far deeper than they could ever have imagined - and risks putting both them and their family and friends in danger. This is a story of corruption at the highest levels and with a plot that ramps up steadily and feels all too topical, there is no shortage of tension, as well as some surprises along the way. Much of the subject matter may be dark, but there are some clever touches of humour along the way, as well as a surprisingly poignant ending. In Alex and Kat the author has created two fabulous protagonists. We get to know these two interesting women at the beginning of the book before their stories intertwine and as the pace ramps up and the risks intensify, you find yourself rooting for these tenacious but very human women with a strong sense of justice. It all makes for an intoxicating combination and a book that I would recommend to any thriller lover.

I am a huge fan of the historical fiction writer Anna Mazzola, so when I heard that she was writing a contemporary crime thriller under the name of Anna Sharpe, I could not wait to read it. It is a real cracker. Tense, fast paced, thrilling and breathtakingly action packed, Notes On A Drowning has everything I look for in a great political thriller. Politics, corruption at the highest levels, sleaze, sex and danger, this is a great book that has it all. Though the subject matter concerns the inhuman treatment of women, there is warmth in the characters and their personalities, a strong sense of sisterhood and even some cracking humour. From the outset there is a sense that one of the characters has something really important that she is hiding. What that is becomes clear as the story progresses. Anna Sharpe manages to build the tension, creating a sense of danger, but also of fear and very real trepidation. Alex and Kat are the two main characters. Alex is a hard-working solicitor with a penchant for taking on the cases that don’t bill well, but which really help people who have nowhere else to turn. This does not go down well with her boss, who is trying to keep the practice afloat. Alex takes on the case of Natalia, an Moldovan girl’s inquest, because her sister, Rosa, does not believe that Natalia’s death was an accidental drowning. Meaning Alex has to be very careful to work under the radar when she’s in the office. Kat is a Special Adviser at the Home Office. She loves her job working closely with a man she admires, the Home Secretary. She is a very proficient advisor, and like Alex, a bit of a workaholic. But she adores treading the corridors of power; going into meetings with the Prime Minister and other Cabinet Secretaries and she has proved herself to be on top of her brief. Kat and Alex know each other, but theirs is a fractured relationship, the cause of which goes back some years to when Alex’s sister and Kat were working abroad. Now their paths are set to cross again, when a freedom of information request that Alex has placed in relation to Natalia’s death comes to Kat’s attention. Kat immediately pieces the request together with another piece of information that has crossed her desk and recognises that this raises questions pertinent to Alex’s request. She’d be breaking all sorts of confidentiality rules and probably the Official Secrets act were she to divulge it to Alex, but Kat’s own history causes strong niggles about how these two things could be connected. So, she takes the plunge and the two arrange a clandestine meeting in a coffee shop. It’s a tricky meeting, given the way they feel about each other, but they nevertheless see the importance of working together to uncover the truth of what is going on. Anna Sharpe’s writing is indeed sharp and the dialogue is so good that you can picture the conversation between these two women who have reached something of a truculent truce. When they begin to work together, pulling in Alex’s ex-husband to assist, they soon find themselves up to their necks in a deadly conspiracy which threatens all their lives. Verdict: Notes on A Drowning is a brilliant read. Smart, well-written with great characters and a fabulous, twisty and surprising plot-line, culminating in an action packed, thrilling denouement. It has some loathsome characters and a real sense of jeopardy throughout. Because you come to care about both Kat and Alex as characters, this makes the tension feel very real and the danger they face is real heart-in-the mouth stuff. A highly recommended must read from me.