🚀 Special LAUNCH Edition! 🚀
3rd June, 2025
Greetings, my lovelies!
This is a special edition of Walter’s World to tell you that Crocodile Tears, Book One of my four-part Dark Water book series, has launched today. So grab your copy now! It’s available in KU, Ebook, Paperback and Audiobook.
Do You Want To…
- Win one of three signed paperbacks?
- Discover who my favourite is (Josiah or Alex)?
- Find out who I’d cast to play them in the Netflix/Amazon Prime adaptation I’m SURE will happen (NOT!)?
Then join my Launch Party LIVE on my Facebook Page tonight at 19:00 BST (British Summer Time). Likely to last about an hour.
Please let me know if you have any questions for me to answer during the live party by replying to this email.
I hope you enjoy Crocodile Tears. The Dark Water book series has been twelve years in the writing, so I’m beyond excited that you’re finally able to start reading it.
Can I ask a special favour? If you enjoy it, please leave a review on Amazon, even if you don’t usually review. I haven’t published anything since 2012, so your reviews will help my book reach an audience. Your support means the world to me – thank you so much!
My regular newsletter will arrive in your inbox this evening, as usual, jam-packed with all the usual features and goodies.
The Summer of Dark Water has begun!
Reviews
I couldn’t be more thrilled with the early reviews. Thank you so much to everyone who took the time and trouble to leave a review. Here’s a selection of the Goodreads reviews so far, with grateful thanks to the reviewers:
Dani
The story is a murder mystery with a bit of romance, sorrow, and comfort during grief – all the feels. And your heart will ache for Josiah and Alex.
I really don’t want to say too much and spoil the story for you. Just know, ‘Crocodile Tears’ is a blend of drama, emotion, angst, heart, and action, and is smartly crafted and absolutely divine. You will be unable to put it down once you start reading. I highly recommend you get this book.
Kelsey
MMC – Josiah: 5 
MMC – Alexander: 5
SPICE: 
I loved the futuristic dystopian setting, for starters. I could so clearly visualize it all as I was reading. The murder mystery aspect of the story, along with all the twists, kept me on my toes from the very beginning. The time jumps were written well and added great backstories to coincide with the current timeline, so nothing felt confusing or out of place. And I am so intrigued by Alex and Josiah, and I can’t wait to unravel more in the following books!!
Amaryllis
This water-y, green, world submerged atmosphere gave me such a Ghibli vibe? I kept picturing those big areas of old cities under water, the sky reflecting in them. Loved it. So beautiful.
The story in itself was not what I was expecting and it surprised me in a good way. You can’t just not want to know, every chapter brings another piece to the puzzle and it’s so intriguing.
I loved Josaiah and Alexander so much. Their story is starting slow but their chemistry is there 100%. I can’t wait for more, I need them in my life starting now.
Easy five stars.
Cathy
I was totally drawn in from the beginning as Xanthe is the master of plots, mystery and intrigue, weaving and twisting and taking you in so deep that you just need more. Her characters of Josiah and Alex are so real, beautiful and achingly sad. (I really need to know what or who broke Alex so badly).I am now eagerly on tender hooks waiting for the next part of this series. 10/10
Dark water. Deadly secrets. Dangerous love.
Top homicide detective Josiah Raine hasn’t touched another man since his husband’s brutal murder seven years ago. Notorious bad boy Alexander Lytton hasn’t known peace since destroying his privileged life to become Britain’s most hated man. When Josiah arrests Alex for murder, the last thing he expects is to fall in love…
‘A masterpiece of romantic suspense that will leave you breathless’ – Reader Review
The Dark Water series is a must-read for fans of MM romance, dystopian fiction, and riveting mysteries alike
London, 2095. Sixty years after rising seas drowned the old world, a corrupt system of servitude keeps the new one afloat.
Josiah leads a double life. At work, he tracks down killers with ruthless efficiency. At home, he’s falling apart as he talks to his dead husband.
His frozen existence is turned upside down when a celebrity is murdered, and all evidence points to the victim’s servant—the beautiful but enigmatic Alexander Lytton.
Everyone is convinced of Alex’s guilt except Josiah, who finds himself drawn to the sharp-witted young man. He knows Alex is hiding something, but is it murder or an even darker secret?
Haunted by memories of his husband’s last moments, Josiah is running on empty as he tries to solve the case. As he slowly unravels, he finds an unlikely source of comfort—in the arms of his prime suspect.
But in a drowned world where servants are property, falling for Alex could cost him everything. Can he trust instincts numbed by grief, or is he being seduced by a master manipulator?
Immerse yourself in the enthralling first novel in the Dark Water series.
This book series explores difficult themes and contains intense content intended for mature readers. Please consult the content advisory page listed in the Author’s Notes to make an informed reading decision.
Tropes:
- Enemies to Lovers
- Slow Burn
- Hurt/Comfort
- Forced Proximity
- Touch-Starved/Emotional Awakening
- Damaged/Traumatized Hero
- Forbidden Romance
- Second Chance
- Detective and Suspect Romance
- Murder Mystery/Criminal Investigation
- Dystopian/Climate Fiction
“Dark Water is a masterful blend of rich world-building, a captivating mystery, and deeply compelling characterisation. Set in a vividly imagined near-future, Walter crafts a world that feels both familiar and hauntingly plausible. The intricate plot keeps readers guessing, while the characters—complex, flawed, and achingly real—drive the story’s emotional heart. With its gripping narrative and immersive setting, Dark Water is a must-read for fans of MM romance, dystopian fiction, and riveting mysteries alike.” Reader Review
👋 That’s All, Folks!
Until next time, my lovelies!
XOXO
Xanthe
PS Remember to download The Worlds of Xanthe Walter to read the first two chapters of Crocodile Tears!
