Thank you to the publisher for gifting me an advance copy. I DNFed a while ago due to some triggers I wasn’t expecting in the storyline.

Maria served on a jury for an alleged serial killer. She decided to vote not guilty, and it created some challenges in her life. She became the target of threats, and wants to get away for a while. She and her boyfriend and two kids go on a cruise. Soon a murder occurs, and Maria has to figure out if it’s the killer she set free or a copycat.

The Stowaway is a fast-paced plot driven thriller. Gruesome crimes against children make for a difficult read. Intriguing story that kept me interested in how it would end.

The Stowaway is a disturbing and twisty thriller. Fans of serial killer mysteries are likely to enjoy this one.

I received a digital copy of this book from Macmillan in exchange for an honest review.

For some reason, I haven’t seen this one around much, but it was excellent! I actually ended up doing this whole book through audio and it did a great job of keeping my attention. The narrators voice was also a perfect fit. For me audiobooks make me feel more immersed in the story, and added in an extra element of fear to this story.

In this book an ex jury member who was the deciding vote on an alleged serial killer being set free is on a transatlantic cruise where passengers are being found murdered and the ship goes into lockdown.

I’m not much for serial killer books, but I love vacation gone wrong books so this ended up being a great mix. The book literally had me on edge, and was a great mix of atmosphere and action. I will say this book will not be for everyone, if one of your trigger warnings is children, I would avoid reading or listening to this one. At times this one is definitely graphic and horrifying, as serial killer books often are.

If you are looking for a serial killer book with vacation gone wrong elements give this one a read or a listen!

Thank you @macmillan.audio @stmartinspress @netgalley for my audio and digital copies!

Luxury trans-ocean cruises are everyone's fantasy of the perfect holiday, right? But what if you were trapped, stuck in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, with a serial killer on board? And you know you and your children are his ultimate goal? That's the predicament Maria Fontana finds herself in when she and her fiance Steve and her two young children go on a much needed cruise in an effort to close the chapter on a horrific ordeal in their lives. Maria was the deciding vote on the jury that set notorious killer Butler free two years ago. During the outrage that followed the trial, Maria stepped up and admitted casting the one not guilty vote in an effort to take the focus off the other jurors. As a result, she was chastised my friends, coworkers and on social media. Now two years later, she's trying to put the nightmare behind her and enjoy a vacation with her family. Imagine her horror when the mutilated bodies of young children are discovered on the ship . . . chopped into pieces exactly like Butler's signature killings. When ship authorities don't believe her when she tells them it must be Butler, she begins an investigation of her own . . . and becomes the hunted. She will protect her children even if it means giving her own life and so she sets a trap for the killer.

The Stowaway was chilling from beginning to end. I literally read this book in one setting, and yes, I read it with all the lights on. The threatening tone drives an escalating pace as Maria's desperation rises to the point of hysteria. The authors have penned a dark, intense thriller that gave me goosebumps. Before it was over, I suspected everyone of being Butler as he's a master of disguise. I also suspected others of being a copycat killer as a few well developed red herrings muddy the waters in this case. I highly recommend jumping into this one blind, and let this thriller carry you away as it did me. Fans of mystery, suspense and thrillers are going to devour this one!