Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
What I Loved
First off, I adored the setting. A serial killer lose on a cruise ship is a nightmare. The suspense was incredibly high throughout the novel. I couldn’t figure out how anyone on the vessel could possibly stay safe, especially if the killer had them in their sights. And in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean – how in the world could they get help to stop someone that crafty, deadly, and violent?
Maria Fontana, a divorced mother of two, sat on the jury for the murder trial of Wyatt Butler, a supposed serial killer who targeted children and had some very disturbing MOs. The jury came back hung because of just one member. All the jurors were harassed by the public until Maria stood up and took the blame, making her an instant target. On sabbatical from Columbia University, Maria, her fiancé Steve and her two children took a cruise from New York to the UK to get away from all the harassment. All was good until someone started murdering children on the boat. Maria knew the serial killer was on the ship, and she must be the target.
I was constantly on high alert reading this harrowing tale and loved every second of it. The thrills are plentiful, the pace is fast, and the misdirects are very well-placed. The plot is highly focused, which ratcheted up the thrills but also meant I can’t say too much without tiptoeing into the realm of spoilers.
Characters
The characters are relatively relatable, and I sympathized. Still, the story is plot-driven, and character development was not a strong aspect. I’ve already mentioned Maria and Steve. Although Maria doesn’t narrate, it’s third-person narration. The story focuses on her and follows her most of the time.
The relatively well-developed character is the serial killer. That person is very intriguing with proclivities and reasoning that I found to be entirely original and intriguing.
This brought a gamut of emotions to the story as I kept rotating between being horrified, fascinated, and just plain scared for the people on the ship.
What I Wish
I wish the other characters, especially Maria, had been developed more. That would have added depth to this story, making it a straightforward and unequivocal five-star read. Even without it, it was a highly entertaining and jaw-dropping story, but it would have been off the charts with that amount of depth.
To Read or Not to Read
If you are looking for a fast-paced thriller that will have you picking up your jaw off of the floor, you won’t want to miss The Stowaway this fall.
First off, I adored the setting. A serial killer lose on a cruise ship is a nightmare. The suspense was incredibly high throughout the novel. I couldn’t figure out how anyone on the vessel could possibly stay safe, especially if the killer had them in their sights. And in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean – how in the world could they get help to stop someone that crafty, deadly, and violent?
Maria Fontana, a divorced mother of two, sat on the jury for the murder trial of Wyatt Butler, a supposed serial killer who targeted children and had some very disturbing MOs. The jury came back hung because of just one member. All the jurors were harassed by the public until Maria stood up and took the blame, making her an instant target. On sabbatical from Columbia University, Maria, her fiancé Steve and her two children took a cruise from New York to the UK to get away from all the harassment. All was good until someone started murdering children on the boat. Maria knew the serial killer was on the ship, and she must be the target.
I was constantly on high alert reading this harrowing tale and loved every second of it. The thrills are plentiful, the pace is fast, and the misdirects are very well-placed. The plot is highly focused, which ratcheted up the thrills but also meant I can’t say too much without tiptoeing into the realm of spoilers.
Characters
The characters are relatively relatable, and I sympathized. Still, the story is plot-driven, and character development was not a strong aspect. I’ve already mentioned Maria and Steve. Although Maria doesn’t narrate, it’s third-person narration. The story focuses on her and follows her most of the time.
The relatively well-developed character is the serial killer. That person is very intriguing with proclivities and reasoning that I found to be entirely original and intriguing.
This brought a gamut of emotions to the story as I kept rotating between being horrified, fascinated, and just plain scared for the people on the ship.
What I Wish
I wish the other characters, especially Maria, had been developed more. That would have added depth to this story, making it a straightforward and unequivocal five-star read. Even without it, it was a highly entertaining and jaw-dropping story, but it would have been off the charts with that amount of depth.
To Read or Not to Read
If you are looking for a fast-paced thriller that will have you picking up your jaw off of the floor, you won’t want to miss The Stowaway this fall.
A 3.5 rounded up. This was a fun and fast read.
Maria Fontana, a professor of psychology, sat on the jury for the trial of an alleged depraved child serial killer and the jury voted to let him go. She comes out in public as the juror who couldn’t vote to convict him resulting in his release. A year later she is traveling with her fiancé and her twins aboard a cruise ship when murders start to take place that are eerily reminiscent of the serial killer she let loose. Locked on a ship in the middle of the ocean, Maria has to figure out whether this is the man she set free or a copy cat taking his place and put an end to it before more people die.
This has a great pace and a fun twist right at the end that I enjoyed. The characters could have used more development (especially the cop) but it didn’t take away much from the story.
Maria Fontana, a professor of psychology, sat on the jury for the trial of an alleged depraved child serial killer and the jury voted to let him go. She comes out in public as the juror who couldn’t vote to convict him resulting in his release. A year later she is traveling with her fiancé and her twins aboard a cruise ship when murders start to take place that are eerily reminiscent of the serial killer she let loose. Locked on a ship in the middle of the ocean, Maria has to figure out whether this is the man she set free or a copy cat taking his place and put an end to it before more people die.
This has a great pace and a fun twist right at the end that I enjoyed. The characters could have used more development (especially the cop) but it didn’t take away much from the story.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Hate crime, Murder
This is my first book by these authors which I enjoyed and look forward to seeing what is next for them. This is a well written story about Maria and her vacation that turns deadly. She sat on a jury to put a serial killer away but now it looks like there is a copycat on the cruise boat she is vacationing on. What happens next you won't want to miss. I enjoyed being pulled into the story by the characters and what they brought to the story. They are connectable and brought alot to the story. This is a fast paced story that is full of action. I highly recommend this book.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
TW for child murders.
I know Murr from Impractical Jokers and I though that it was pretty cool that he had started writing books. This one was a fast paced thriller that started with a jury trial that did not go the way people wanted it to go, to the cruise ship where the rest of the story takes place.
This is a good book to pass the time, either on a beach day or a rainy day. It is dark and disturbing so be prepared for that. But it is one of those books that is hard to put down. I had to keep going because I needed to know everything.
I'll definitely keep reading his books.
TW for child murders.
I know Murr from Impractical Jokers and I though that it was pretty cool that he had started writing books. This one was a fast paced thriller that started with a jury trial that did not go the way people wanted it to go, to the cruise ship where the rest of the story takes place.
This is a good book to pass the time, either on a beach day or a rainy day. It is dark and disturbing so be prepared for that. But it is one of those books that is hard to put down. I had to keep going because I needed to know everything.
I'll definitely keep reading his books.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder
Two years ago Maria Fontana was a psychology professor at Columbia University serving on a jury for a serial killer trial. With a lot of circumstantial evidence and no DNA, it's declared a mistrial when, for the third time, one juror voted not guilty. Now the twelve jurors are being threatened by the victims'families and hounded by the media. To save the rest, Maria admits she's the one who let Wyatt Butler go free. After a forced sabbatical, she, her fiance Steve, and her two children go on a cruise. But when murders start to happen on the ship with the same MO as Wyatt Butler, Maria knows it's either him or a copycat, and his ultimate goal is Maria and her family.
This story is packed full of action and suspense, and the setting on a cruise ship with no escape just adds to the thrill. Although the descriptions of murdered children were quite gruesome, they paint a picture of a truly horrible killer. And was that a hint at the end of a sequel? I'll be waiting in line for it if so!
I received an advance reader copy of this book through NetGalley. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.
This story is packed full of action and suspense, and the setting on a cruise ship with no escape just adds to the thrill. Although the descriptions of murdered children were quite gruesome, they paint a picture of a truly horrible killer. And was that a hint at the end of a sequel? I'll be waiting in line for it if so!
I received an advance reader copy of this book through NetGalley. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
WARNING: This book has graphic violence and includes murder and dismemberment of children.
Maria Fontana, her fiancé Steve, and her children are taking a luxury cruise to Europe. Maria is taking a sabbatical in England in order to get away from reporters and the public who are harassing her, threatening herself and her family. All of this comes to a head when Maria held a press conference to announce that she was the juror who voted to acquit Wyatt Butler. Butler is an accused serial killer who was known for the very gory murders of child victims. Because of Maria, he has been released back into the world.
As the ship is out to sea, strange things begin to happen. A decapitated corpse is discovered bearing a signature of Butler’s kills but all passengers and crew are accounted for. Maria begins to feel as if she is being watched, a child disappears another is found gruesomely murdered. Maria joins forces with the ship’s chief of security to locate and capture the killer.
The book was fast paced, the mystery is well crafted and the characters, while not well developed are sufficiently developed to advance the story. My biggest problem with this book was the gruesome, graphic violence especially when used against children. If I had known just how graphic the violence was, I would not have started this book. Once begun I kept hoping each scene would be the last one but they just got worse. I would not recommend to any reader who has problems with graphic violence against children.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Kidnapping, Murder
contains graphic descriptions of murdered children
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced