Something in the Water (novel)

Something in the Water was the fourth release in the BBC Torchwood Novels series.

Publisher's summary
Dr Bob Strong's GP surgery has being treating a lot of coughs and colds recently, far more than is normal for the time of year. Bob thinks there's something up but he can't think what. He seems to have caught it himself, whatever it is — he's starting to cough badly and there are flecks of blood in his hanky.

Saskia Harden has been found on a number of occasions submerged in ponds or canals but alive and seemingly none the worse for wear. Saskia is not on any files, except in the medical records at Dr Strong's GP practice. But Torchwood's priorities lie elsewhere: investigating ghostly apparitions in South Wales, they have found a dead body. It's old and in an advanced state of decay. And it is still able to talk.

And what it is saying is "Water hag"...

Plot
to be added

Characters

 * Captain Jack Harkness
 * Gwen Cooper
 * Toshiko Sato
 * Owen Harper
 * Ianto Jones
 * Bob Strong
 * Saskia Harden/Sally Blackteeth
 * Big Guy
 * Professor Leonard Morgan
 * David Coulton
 * Sergeant Kilshaw
 * Prime Minister

Worldbuilding

 * Gwen watches BBC News 24 in the boardroom. They discuss whether the virus is H5N1.
 * Greendown Moss is in Newport.
 * When speaking about quantum physics, Tosh mentions Stephen Hawking. She equates Plato as the equivalent mind to metaphysics.
 * Jack phones the UN in Geneva. He complains that he wasn't sent a full report on the Helsinki Warp, which was a UNIT operation.
 * The Water Hags come from Strepto.
 * Owen drives a Honda 2000S.
 * Torchwood have painkillers that work on Arcateenians.

Continuity

 * Gwen still drives a Saab. (PROSE: Border Princes)
 * Torchwood are sent a writ by Hokrala Corp. (PROSE: The Undertaker's Gift)
 * Strepto, the home planet of the Water Hags, disappeared inexplicably, but is hinted to be stolen by the Daleks to build their reality bomb using 26 other planets. (TV: The Stolen Earth)