Maria recently served on a jury where she was the deciding vote that resulted in an accused serial killer being released. Two years later, while on a cruise ship with her family, several murders occur that are similar to the MO of that same serial killer. What sounded like a solid and interesting premise, The Stowaway fails to deliver on that enticement as it folds under plot hole after plot hole, leaving the reader bewildered. I understand that you have to suspend belief in these novels, but this one is a lot to ask, and is a disappointment. I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A good, gripping murder mystery with good action and suspense scenes. The story is well told and the characters truly are life like. This book will keep you reading till the end!

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Picture on the cover reeled me in but eventually I felt it was one of the best parts of this book. Characterization was disjointed and flat. Gory parts I feel were interjected for shock value and to detract from the so-so storytelling. Parts of the book were ok but I felt overall this was a book easily forgotten.
Thanks for the opportunity to review this Netgalley.

I picked this book up for the setting - murder on a cruise ship! The book was fine, by the book thriller minus one star for gruesome/ graphic depictions that were unnecessary. Otherwise, the book was fine. Tried to get into 3 characters heads , but really only succeeded well for one of them. I enjoyed not seeing any unnecessary language.
All in all a quick read and I would try another book from these authors
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! This is one of the best mystery/thrillers I have read in a very long time, if not ever. Rarely does a book grab my attention in the first paragraph and not let go until the end. This book did just that. I read over 80% in one sitting and only stopped because I had to get up fairly early the next morning. However, I was tempted to read the entire book. This one is hard to put down, and I looked forward to picking it up again.
I chose to read this book because I love cruising, and a novel that takes place on a cruise ship appeals to me. I had never read this author before, but I will certainly read him again. This book seems to the be first in a series, as evidenced by the epilogue which introduces a new string of serial murders. I will look forward to the next book; although, this one is a tough act to follow.
The murders are gruesome, the characters are interesting, the setting appealing. The author takes the reader down the garden path at ~40%. I thought I had the killer figured out. This was done on purpose. I actually did not know whodunit. I had fallen into a clever and intriguing trap that encouraged me to read even more ravenously. I loved the twists and turns in the plot.
This book was just the right length. The author included no superfluous filler. He did not fill pages with detail of what people were wear, eating, or how rooms were furnished. Nothing distracted from the plot's tension and excitement. I don't even know what the characters looked like, and I don't care. This book was very effectively written. Even without a lot of detailed descriptions, I could still envision every scene.
Mystery/thriller lovers, you need to read this! Highly recommended.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Genre: Mystery & Thrillers
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Pub. Date: September 21, 2021

Professor Maria Fontana was the one juror who changed the verdict that set an alleged serial killer free. Maria is written as a likable and endearing character that you will root for. The author does a good job of showing the believable harassment that the jurors experienced after the trial. At first, they receive anonymous notes. Then photographs of those that were murdered are left at their doors. Finally, verbal attacks turn into physical attacks. Maria begins to show symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder due to these attacks. She and her family go on a cruise to help her cope and begin to heal. Here is where the authors lost me because the story morphs into a rather predictable thriller on the cruise. An unusual ending twist saves the novel from a poor review.

Wow, I have to admit, I picked this book just because “Murr” wrote it. I loved his part in Impractical Jokers, one of my favorite TV shows. And I got exactly what I was looking for, a great read. His humor and demented thinking shown through over and over. Funny that as some of the most gruesome descriptions of mutilated bodies was being discussed, I could see him standing there laughing.
There are a few parts in here that are not for the faint of heart, but I loved it all. The book grabbed me from the first page and never let go and I read this in basically one day. It has murders, mystery, love, humor, major twists and turns and the good creepy stuff. Really enjoyed it, high 5 stars!!
I was so excited to receive an ARC of this book from St. Martin’s Press along with NetGalley for my unbiased review. I highly recommend and it comes in with 5 stars!!

The Stowaway by James S. Murray and Darren Wearmouth sounded like a thrilling mystery, and I like mysteries. And it is thrilling: I kept reading late into the night. What happens when a serial killer is loose on a cruise ship at sea? The difficulties had never occurred to me, so I was fascinated. A gigantic ship, no real law enforcement on board, and no possibility of obtaining any help from outside the ship.

It’s a workman-like thriller and I can recommend this as a good read for someone who wants thrills and chills and not too much depth. It appears to be the first in a series. A reader who likes this one a lot will probably like the next one. Maria Fontana is a satisfactory heroine, although Jake Reese, the ship’s head of security, seems like a more interesting character.

For me, the problem is that lack of depth. This is not a book I’ll remember for years, or even until the next in the series comes out. It’s the difference between a memorable dinner with wine, candlelight, your favorite entrée and dessert done perfectly, and the potato chips and lawnmower beer you ate while watching TV.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.

Thriller
Spellbinding
Edge of my seat
Don’t put it down

All things I’ve said about this one. The Stowaway will keep you guessing.

“You were wrong.” Those are not the words a juror wants to hear after rendering her verdict, especially a verdict that sets free a sadistic serial killer. Authors James S. Murray and Darren Wearmouth plumb the depths of human depravity in a deadly game of cat and mouse aboard a luxury cruise ship in their latest thriller, “The Stowaway.”

The country is outraged when the sensationalized trial of child killer Wyatt Butler ends in a mistrial due to a lone holdout juror. Each juror finds themself on the receiving end of the public’s ire in the form of harassment, death threats, and violence. In a desperate attempt to save her fellow jurors, Maria Fontana calls a press conference where she reveals she was the holdout. As the full weight of public outrage lands directly on Maria, she is forced into a year-long seclusion to weather the storm. That year draws to a close with Maria taking her new fiancé and twin children on a twelve-day cruise from New York to England. Six days into the journey the bodies of children are discovered with the same macabre calling cards left at the original Butler crime scenes. In the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, with nowhere to turn and no help to be found, Maria and the ship’s security team must trust each other enough to stop a serial killer and protect hundreds of potential victims.

Authors Murray and Wearmouth’s immersive and compelling prose, smooth POV transitions, and thematic narrative result in an effectively crafted and engaging mystery/thriller. Told from the 3rd person POV from multiple protagonist and antagonist characters allows the perfect distance between narrator and reader to adequately ratchet suspense and effectively employ red herrings. The themes of regrettable past mistakes and rigid adherence to personal convictions regardless of consequence result in intensely relatable character motivations and conflicts. Furthermore, the setting serves as an additional character in the narrative as the ocean liner in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean casts an isolatory and ominous tone throughout.

Beautiful sensory imagery captures the sounds, smells, feelings, and sights of a trans-Atlantic cruise in a transportive and evocative manner. The result is an immersive, palpable reading experience that encapsulates much of the cruise ship experience.

While I enjoyed the plot, narrative voice, and transportive imagery of the novel, the character development and depth left me wanting. Featuring the head of the Psychology Department at Columbia University, I would expect the protagonist’s professional insights into psychology and her personal introspection to come across more overtly that was the case. Maria Fontana is cast largely as a one-dimensional panicked mother largely lacking in depth. A clever denouement suggests Maria may have a future in forensic psychology or criminal profiling, but I would have liked to see that facet of her personality and expertise more throughout the narrative. Similarly, with the exception of a skillfully placed red herring, the antagonist suffers from the same problem; an unambiguous psycho with little to sink your teeth into. The novel could have benefitted greatly with a more textured and nuanced character development on both sides of the conflict.

“The Stowaway” is a fun and compelling novel that traps its characters at sea with a serial killer. Fans of the thriller genre in general and the serial killer subgenre in particular will have a great time with this fiendish story. Perfectly paced with an engaging plot and evocative descriptions, it is equally exciting and unnerving. I enthusiastically recommend not missing this one.

I read this book in a day and a half! It was very exciting all the way through, The main story is about a head professor of Psychology ar Columbia. She is one of twelve jurors in a trial of a horrific serial killer. The book begins…. Nope- no spoilers. Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read an early arc in exchange for my honest opinion!

This one kept me turning the pages! Marie Fontana, who is the head of the psychology department at Columbia University, sat on a jury in the case of Wyatt Butler, an alleged serial killer. The jury was unable to convict Butler due to the vote of one person, who just couldn’t vote yes purely on circumstantial evidence. Now nobody on that jury is exempt from harassment from the media, the public and the families of the victims.
Marie, along with her fiance, Steve and her children, decide to take a two-week long transatlantic cruise to get away. Everyone should be safe on board a ship in the middle of the ocean.
When a passenger disappears, it’s easy to put that down to happenstance, but when one turns up dead in a way similar to Butler’s MOS, the ship is put on lockdown.
This is a fast-paced and riveting book.

This is the first time reading anything by these authors so I did not really know what to expect. Overall I enjoyed this book, however there were parts of it that were disturbing to read. Overall it’s fast pace and easy to read. I recommend this book.

As a member of a jury in a murder trial, a Columbia psychology professor is one of the twelve whose votes ended in a hung jury. Now the released murderer is back and causing havoc on the high seas. Lots of action and lots of analysis. Well written!

Angela, a university psychology department chair, is selected for the jury of an accused serial child killer. The crimes are horrific and there is a distinct pattern in the crimes....and yet the evidence is largely circumstantial and it is difficult for the jury to come to a decision. One juror votes not-guilty. A mistrial ensues and the suspect is released. The jurors are hounded by the families of the victims and harrassed endlessly despite the promise of anonymity. All of the activity builds to a crescendo when Angela and her children and fiance finally take a long-deserved vacation on a cruise ship and things go awry. This book was excellent in terms of the author’s ability to create a suspenseful plot line that surprised the reader with twists and turns as well as cast doubt on who the real murderer was. The juror made a very sympathetic and impassioned character. The surprise at the end is one of the best parts.

THE STOWAWAY
James Murray
St Martin Press..NG
Maria having been called on a month long trial, now wondered how she could look at her children without the images, and to teach psychology when she felt own psychic seemed damaged.
The jurors were now being threatened or worse, a book was written.
Two years, and taking a two week vacation , the. nightmare of that trial seemed real once again. How can a ship be stranded, and murder is happening, the same or copy cat.
An unusual plot that was well written, a little gritty in parts, intriguing and with Maria as the main character. and kept one interest.
Given ARC cool for Net Galley and St Martin Press for my voluntary review and my honest opinion

Maria was on a jury and chose to set an alleged serial killer free. Two years later she is on a cruise with her children and her fiance when a rash of killings begin. They mirror the case she was on and she has to decide if it is a copycat or the killer she chose to set free. All of this while keeping her family safe.

This book keeps you on the edge of our seat the entire time. I loved the way this played out. The twist I never saw coming.

Read the blurb, loved the premise. Did it deliver? Yes! I was fast paced and engaging. It turned out to be a great adventure. Better than I anticipated.

The Stowaway
by James S. Murray and Darren Wearmouth

#fiftyfourthbookof2021 #arc

CW: murders, specifically of children, dismemberment, serial killers, gory violence

A murder suspect is acquitted (not a spoiler, this is first chapter info), and later one of the jurors suspects he has followed her onto a cruise ship when other passengers start getting killed. Okay, first off, this one is really violent and gory in some parts, especially the denouement, but despite that, it was an engaging story and I liked it, as much as you can “like” a super gory murder book. I was eager to get back to it when I wasn’t reading. There were a few logistical questions I would have liked answered that were not wrapped up at the end, but that’s a minor complaint. I always enjoy a locked room mystery, and since I also like cruises, this one hit the spot.

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the advance copy. (Pub date 09/21/21)

This was a fast-paced read that was "fun" (as much as a book about a serial killer is fun) in a soap opera-kinda way. I do think that the blurb for the book needs to be more specific that this is a serial killer who kills children.