Easter 1919, Perdido, Alabama. The dark and menacing waters of the local river flood the small town. The Caskey family, wealthy landowners, are counting the losses left by the disaster. Led by the powerful matriarch Mary-Love and her devoted son Oscar, the family must rebuild their lives. What they have not anticipated, however, is the sudden arrival of Elinor Dammert, a mysterious and seductive young woman with a dark past.

"Gripping, terrifying, simply enormous. McDowell must now be recognized as the most important writer of the genre in America." - Stephen King

"An unforgettable saga with the scent of a bygone era, chilling and enthralling from the very first page." - Publishers Weekly

"McDowell set himself a modest yet ambitious goal that remains unchanged over time: to give his readers pleasure. The epic of Blackwater is the ultimate serialized novel." - Le Monde

"The crowning achievement of McDowell's writing career. A brilliant accomplishment with generous and delightful doses of the supernatural and a Gothic atmosphere." - Financial Times

"A captivating fresco of the town of Perdido that unsettles, terrifies, and at the same time transports its readers." - Lire