⭐ All About Romance Favourite Book 2025 ⭐

Four books. One devastating story. Two men fighting for justice, survival, and each other.

London, 2095. The world drowned. The system broke. And people became property.

Enslaved and microchipped, Alexander Lytton survived by creating the perfect mask: blank, obedient, invisible. Behind it, he was safe. One slip, and he was dead.

Detective Josiah Raine hasn’t touched another man since his husband’s brutal murder seven years ago. He’s a ghost investigating ghosts, running on empty, barely holding himself together.

When Alex’s master is murdered, their worlds collide. What begins as a murder investigation becomes something far more dangerous: a love that could destroy them both—or save them.

Across four books, follow Alex and Josiah as they navigate:

• A devastating revelation that shatters everything Josiah thought he knew about his husband’s death
• Alex’s desperate fight for survival as a pawn in Ghost Eye City
• An impossible choice between justice and love in the cold grey waters of a lost zone
• A final showdown in the Quarterlands, where buried secrets demand their reckoning

In a world where Alex isn’t Josiah’s to love—he’s property, evidence, forbidden—two broken men must decide: can they build a future on a foundation of lies? Or will the truth destroy everything they’ve fought for?

Dark water. Deadly secrets. A love worth fighting for.

⚠️ Contains dark themes intended for mature readers—see Author’s Notes for content advisory.

 The complete Dark Water series – all four books, one unforgettable journey.

An MM Romantic Thriller (Dark Water Book 1)

⭐ All About Romance Favourite Book 2025 ⭐

Sold. Used. Broken.
Until him.

 London, 2095. The world drowned. The system broke. And people became property.

Enslaved and microchipped, Alexander Lytton survived by creating the perfect mask: blank, obedient, invisible. Behind it, he was safe. One slip, and he was dead.

Until his master is murdered, and Alex becomes the prime suspect.

Detective Josiah Raine hasn’t touched another man since his husband’s brutal murder seven years ago. He’s a ghost investigating ghosts, running on empty, barely holding himself together.

His job: prove the beautiful, sharp-witted suspect guilty.

The problem? He isn’t sure Alex did it. And when Josiah cracks Alex’s mask wide open, he finds something far more dangerous—the man Alex buried to survive.

In Alex’s arms, Josiah remembers what it feels like to be human. But Alex isn’t his to love. He’s evidence. Property. Forbidden.

And the secrets Alex is hiding could destroy them both.

Dark water. Deadly secrets. Dangerous love.

Contains dark themes intended for mature readers—see Author’s Notes for content advisory.

What readers are saying:

“Crocodile Tears is beautiful and sad; full of love, pain, grief, guilt, hopelessness, and loneliness. It’s a tale of two lost souls, each treading the violent waters of guilt and grief in their own way for their own reasons.” – Cinnamon ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Holy shit, this was amazing! It’s got my stomach twisted in knots and my heart already broken for both Alex and Joe.” – Goodreads Reader ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“WOW! It’s not often that I get sucked into the turmoil and grief on page but damn did I feel it in this one.” – Bkwrm24 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Xanthe Walter crafts characters that feel real, raw, and unforgettable. This book gave me chills and tears—I couldn’t put it down.” – Maissy Reads ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

⭐ All About Romance Favourite Book 2025 ⭐

An MM Romantic Thriller (Dark Water Book 2)

 Seven years ago, Detective Josiah Raine watched his husband die. He was there that blood-soaked night. He knows what happened. The murderer is dead. The case is closed.

 Until now.

 A devastating revelation drags Josiah back into the darkness he’s fought desperately to escape—and forces him to confront the truth about that night. What he uncovers will shatter everything he thought he knew.

Meanwhile, Alexander Lytton has become a pawn in his captor’s hands. Stripped of his freedom and forced into prostitution in Ghost Eye City, he clings to the memory of who he once was.

London, 2095. In a drowned world where servants are property, Josiah’s relentless pursuit of justice collides with Alex’s desperate fight for survival.

 In the wreckage of their broken lives, an unexpected connection forms—fragile, fierce, and impossible to deny.

 But as the two men grow closer, the consequences of two nights of violence, years ago, are about to converge.

And when they do, nothing will ever be the same.

Dark water. Deadly secrets. Dangerous love.

⚠️ This series must be read in order, starting with Book 1: Crocodile Tears. Contains dark themes intended for mature readers—see Author’s Notes for content advisory.

What readers are saying:

“THE GASP I GASPED at the plot twist! Maybe I should have seen it coming, but I was just vibing and it completely surprised me.” – Dana, Rainbow Romance Reader ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“This story takes everything you thought you knew from the first book and deepens it, twists it, and tears it wide open.” – Storm In A Teacup ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“I had such a strong reaction in the middle of the night reading that my husband woke up and I just had to try to explain it!” – Nicole ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

An MM Romantic Thriller (Dark Water Book 3)

⭐ All About Romance Favourite Book 2025 ⭐ 

Alex Lytton has waited seven years for justice. Now, just as he stands on the precipice of achieving it, he must choose: complete the mission that has consumed his life or flee with the man who has captured his heart.

To survive Ghost Eye City, Alex must convince his most dangerous enemy he’s no threat—by surrendering willingly to his demands. It’s a deadly game, and one wrong move will destroy everything.

Meanwhile, Josiah Raine vows to protect Alex at any cost. But as he works tirelessly to bring two killers to justice, a shadow from Alex’s past emerges—one that threatens to tear them apart before they’ve even begun.

With time running out, the truth leads them to the cold grey waters of a lost zone, where a long-submerged secret holds the key to their future.

Justice or love. They can’t have both.

Dark water. Deadly secrets. Dangerous love.

⚠️ This series must be read in order, starting with Book 1: Crocodile Tears. Contains dark themes intended for mature readers—see Author’s Notes for content advisory.

What readers are saying:

“Just when you think you have everything figured out, Xanthe Walter comes in and turns everything upside down and sideways.” – Dani ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“This series just continues to sink its hooks into me at every turn, throwing out curveballs and keeping my cortisol levels consistently high. It’s an exhausting and exhilarating experience, but I love it!” – Dana, Rainbow Romance Reader ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“The world building remains rich, the characters are layered and unpredictable, and the plot is full of sharp turns and emotion.” – Caz ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

An MM Romantic Thriller (Dark Water Book 4)

⭐ All About Romance Favourite Book 2025 ⭐  

Josiah is facing the ultimate showdown against his powerful enemy. If he fails, he’ll lose both Alex and his freedom. But winning might cost him even more.

 To catch a killer, Josiah must return to the one place he swore he’d never go again—home. There, buried in the Quarterlands, lies the key to solving Elliot Dacre’s murder.

 Meanwhile, Alex surrenders to his captor’s desires, playing a deadly game of deception. But as the charade corrodes his sanity, the line between performance and reality begins to blur.

 When Josiah’s relentless investigation finally uncovers the devastating secret Alex has hidden from everyone, it forces an explosive confrontation that will change their relationship forever.

 In this shattering finale, the past demands its reckoning. Can two broken men build a future on a foundation of lies? Or will the truth destroy everything they’ve fought for?

 The Dark Water series concludes. Dark water. Deadly secrets. Dangerous love.

 ⚠️ This series must be read in order, starting with Book 1: Crocodile Tears. Contains dark themes intended for mature readers—see Author’s Notes for content advisory.

 Readers are saying:

 “I read this in a single sitting, unable to set it aside for real life. Truths finally emerge, and the ripple effect caused by those revelations impacts everyone down to their core. Highly recommended series with wonderful twists and turns all the way through.” – Karen ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Did I cry for like half of this book? Yes. Would I do this to myself again? Also yes. This series will stay in my mind for a long time…” – Vesta ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“This was the perfect ending. What an absolutely epic tale this series was. This series is going to be a frequent reread for me for the foreseeable future.” – Alissa ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐