Red Water tells the story of the disappearance of a seventeen-year-old girl who vanished on a September Saturday in 1989 after a fishing feast in a small town on the Dalmatian coast. The police search yields no results, and the surrounding political events - the fall of one system, social changes, and war - cast a shadow over the girl's disappearance, which is gradually forgotten. The family - a father, mother, and twin brother - are the only ones who continue to search for the missing Silvia. Red Water spans 27 years, following the further fates of those entangled in the disappearance, from household members and suspects to the inspector of the communist militia. Through their destinies, the novel captures three decades of life in Croatia.

Jurica Pavičić, a history and literature professor, is a renowned Croatian novelist, screenwriter, short story writer, and journalist. He earned literary acclaim with his short stories, thrillers, and crime novels. In his prose, he blends social analysis with a dark vision of human nature and complex moral dilemmas. He has received numerous literary awards. His novel "Red Water" (published in 2017) received the LePoints Prize and the Grand Prix de la litteraturepoliciere for the best European crime novel after its translation into French in 2021.

He made his literary debut with the social thriller Plaster Sheep in 1997. Quoting Palestinian director Elia Suleiman, Pavičić often states that his narratives deal with "unfinished houses and unfinished jobs." Critics frequently compare his short stories to the works of Alice Munro and Raymond Carver.

Since 1990, he has worked as a film critic and columnist for various newspapers (Slobodna Dalmacija, Vijenac, Zarez, Nedjeljna Dalmacija, Jutarnji list). He has received numerous significant awards for his columns and critical work.