I was given the opportunity to read this book prior to publication and could not put it down. What would you do if there was a murder where you stayed on vacation?

Now, without giving away the plot, there is a lot of foreshadowing in the book. Read carefully, ver carefully. Think about the profession of the main characters and do not jump to conclusions.

Rating: 4 stars
Enjoyment: 10

Two years ago, Maria's was the Minerva vote that set alleged serial killer Wyatt Buttler free. Now, she is enjoying a cruise vacation with her family. Things get grim when bodies, killed with Butler's MO, are found all over the ship leading to a lockdown. Maria fears for life as she second-guesses her decision. Who is the maniac lose onboard the vessel - the man she set free or a copycat?

I first read The Stoway as an audiobook produced by Macmillan Audio from St. Martin's Press and narrated by Barrie Kreinik. I thoroughly enjoyed the audiobook; Kreinik brought an underlying sense of humour in a well-paced, tense narration at times. Before listening to the book, I wondered if I would miss at least another narrator, and surprisingly I didn't! It was a thrilling and enthralling listen. In the end, we can listen to an interview with the author, and I was so happy to recognize Murr from Impractical Jokers! I love that show, and the subtle sense of humour made sense.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It's a fast-paced read you just can't put down. The plot was original and intriguing. No wonder it was one of my September anticipated books. While I will still pick it up for a reread when I'm in the mood to ignore the world around me, I wish the execution had been stronger. It didn't deliver in the promise of a tense, murder-in-the-high-sea desperate narration I was hoping for. While Mary was a pretty strong character with a fleshed-out and well-thought-out storyline, the other characters, including the killer, fell flat. With that said, I think the Stowaway would make a great movie.

Disclaimer: I first read it as an ARC. In exchange for an honest review, I am thankful to
and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of The Stowaway.

Thank you to NetGalley, James Murray, and Darren Wearmouth for this Audio-ARC in exchange for my honest feedback and review.

Maria is a mother and head of the psychology department at Columbia. She was selected for a jury in a serial killer murder trial. Wyatt Butler is accused of brutally murdering children. The jury's vote causes extreme public reactions. Fearing for everyone's safety Maria comes out and tells the public her casting vote. Fast forward a couple of years and Maria along with her fiance and children go on a 2 week cruise. Maria's past seems to keep coming back to haunt her. When children start coming up murdered Maria is forced to come face to face with her decisions.

I was a little bit skeptical about this book at first. As a fan of Murr and the Impractical jokers I did not know how well a thriller this book would be. I was wrong! I need a second novel time now! I loved this book. I was going into the total opposite direction the whole time. I was not even close to guessing this mystery out. I highly highly recommend this book to everyone!

This is one of those books where I went back and forth between the ARC and the audiobook. I needed to do this. I kept hearing the voice of one of the authors when I read it in my head and it was very distracting. Half of the book was basically me hearing Murr be sarcastic. This book deserved better, so I turned to the audiobook when this started happening. I give kudos to the reader for taking me out of that zone.

We have here second book from these authors. The first was strangely brutal in its opening scene and then pretty non-stop, edge of your seat action from there on out. Pretty good. And one of the characters from this new book agrees with me. So…there!

I’ve been on a lot of juries. When courts see teachers they just know. We cannot take the whole “:we are molding minds and this is really not conducive to that” as an excuse to get out of it. I know. I’ve been told. So, I’ve sat on many juries. I still can see crime scene photos from one in my head. They stay with you. This book is about that in the very literal sense.

That being said, I wasn’t as on the edge with this one as the previous. I guess my hatred of being trapped on a boat is not as great as my genuine fear of giant spiders. Can you blame me? Still, this book continues the fast paced action you see in the first.

Also, makes me really glad I never went on one of those Impratical Jokers cruises. It’s like being trapped in your hotel. Seriously. Why?

When serial killer Wyatt Butler, came to trial, the twelve members of the jury could not agree on a verdict. Maria Fontana a professor of psychology was the vote that led to a mistrial and allowed him to go free. Being harassed and having her name and character dragged through the mud in a book, she is placed on sabbatical from the university. Just before she gets ready to return, she, her fiancé and children take a transatlantic cruise. Shortly after they depart, disappearances and deaths start happening. Maria is sure it is Butler, but getting anyone to believe her is almost impossible. If it is him, what is his endgame? Why is he on this cruise with Maria and her family?

First, I want to say that there are some graphic descriptions of the results of violence to adults and children, so if that is not something you want to read about, you might want to give this book a pass. This is a book where you know the culprit from the start, what we don't know is where is he hiding, what are his future plans and will he get caught before more people end up dead. This was still an interesting mystery as I had a lot of questions. There are some twists along the way that had me sitting up and taking a deep breath. There is a lot of suspense and I read/listened to this one in less than a day as I had to know what was going to happen next. This book reminded me a lot of the television show Criminal Minds but with other people solving the crime, not the FBI. The final twist and showdown were very well done and I do recommend this book to all who enjoy this genre. Barrie Kreinik narrated this audiobook and did a great job. There were several voices, including different ages and both male and female and she does a good job with all of them. The emotion and pacing also adds to the suspense and enjoyment of this book. If you enjoy audiobooks, I recommend you listen to this one, it is very well done.

Maria is a single mother of twins. She sat on a jury for Wyatt Butler accused of murdering several children.
Now Maria is still feeling the backlash from the trial. She, her boyfriend and children go on a much needed cruise.
And then the unthinkable happens. People on the cruise suddenly start dying. Now they are all trapped, hours away from shore, with a killer.
Could it be the murderer who was set free? Is it someone else? Could it even be someone she knows?
I listened to the audio version of the book and enjoyed the narrator. I went through this one quickly and was anxious to get to the end. Some of the twists I saw coming but that is to be expected with a reader who reads a lot of this genre. A little unrealistic at times, but it is a book after all and not real life.

Thanks to netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.

Minutes into this book, I hated it. It never improved. Maria Fontana is the most neurotic “psychologist” ever. She is completely Unadjusted (forget not well-adjusted), non-functioning individual ever. That she is supposed to be teaching future psychologists is by itself frightening. Perhaps that was supposed the be the fear factor of the book. This is NOT a psychological thriller and is not at all enjoyable.

The premise of the story is nearly believable, but it is a stretch. Honestly, the biggest question that arose for me was what do these authors have against cruise ships?

I wish I had never wasted my time with this book. Greatly disappointing. The idea had great potential but the characters were so horrible. That coupled with the authors apparent love of gratuitous gore made it a definite pass for me. Ugh! I wish it were a movie so I could have walked out.

This book was so good! It was fast paced, suspenseful and had me captivated, especially with the psychology of a serial killer.

I loved the audiobook version of this book! Great narration and includes an interview with the authors at the end.

The Stowaway by James S. Murray and Darren Wearmouth

Maria Fontana, head of the Psychology Department at Columbia University, and single mother of twins, is on the jury of a high profile case. Wyatt Butler is accused of murdering children in horrible, brutal ways.

Maria wasn’t convinced Wyatt actually committed the crimes. Which lead to him being set free. The media outed her as the lone juror who voted not guilty! Lots of backlash! Her life was turned upside down!

Maria, her twins and boyfriend, Steve, decide to go on a two-week transatlantic cruise to get away! A good way to begin a new start! Or not?

Soon there are murders on the cruise ship. Coincidence? Maria realizes the murders are in a similar way to Butler’s ritualistic MO! The ship goes on lockdown!

Is it a copycat? The actual killer? Or did she make a horrible mistake setting Butler free by voting not guilty?

A good suspenseful thriller from beginning to end! I really enjoyed listening to this book! My attention was held the entire time! I enjoyed the setting! Some may not be a fan because of the brutal killings of children, but it is just a fictional story. Well written in my opinion!

Narrator did a great job!!

New authors to me! I look forward to reading other books by the pair!

Thank you James S. Murray and Darren Wearmouth, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the audio to listen to this book in return for my honest review!

Maria Fontana is a Professor of Psychology at Columbia University and single mother to younger twins, she's in a committed relationship with Steve. Two years early Maria sat on a jury where Wyatt Butler, was on trial for several murders. At the time Butler was portrayed as a brutal, ritualist serial killer. The evidence however for the most part was circumstantial. While eleven jurors voted for him to be convicted, one in good conscience could not convict him -- that juror was Maria and as a result Wyatt Butler was set free. Soon a media circus ensued as well as outraged family members of the victims. It wasn't long before the public knew that Maria was the lone hold out juror. Maria's life became a living nightmare and the university made her take a force sabbatical.

Eventually to get away from her nightmare Maria decides that she, Steven and the children need a family vacation and book a two-week transatlantic cruise. Just as the family begins to think of having some much deserved fun and relaxation, people begin to go missing onboard and it soon becomes evident that there is a killer on the ship. When details of the killings are leaked Maria soon realizes that the details of the killings on the ship are eerily similar to evidence shared at the trial of Wyatt Butler. Is there a copycat on board?

I couldn't recall reading a book that for the most part takes places on a transatlantic cruise ship but the setting was perfect and, because of the ship's size there were plenty of places for the cat and mouse game of a serial killer. There wasn't much character development in this book but, it certainly was intense. This was a very addictive story but not a book for all readers as the serial killer targets mostly children and the details are quite specific. If you're the type of reader who say keep telling yourself "it's not real, it's fiction," we found it to be a riveting thriller. We listened to the audio version in 2-days flat and we were satisfied with the way the story played out.

The audio book was read by Barrie Kreinik who did a fantastic job ramping up the thrills and chills. Thanks go to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for allowing me access to this audio book in exchange for my unbiased review.

https://bibliophilebythesea.blogspot.com/2021/09/book-review-stowaway-james-murray-and.html

<b>This writing duo knows how to keep readers entertained! This was a fast-paced thriller that wasn’t short on suspense. It was also unnerving. There are graphic descriptions and violence against children, so reader beware. If I’m ever on a cruise ship, I’m sure I’ll have flashbacks of these unsettling scenes!</b>

I’ve never heard of either author, so I was pleasantly surprised that I found this story so enjoyable. And I now have two more writers to keep my eye on. There is an interview at the end of the audiobook and it sounds like we might have a chance to read more about kick-ass Maria Fontana.

Maria is on the jury of a high-profile trial. Wyatt Butler is accused of murdering children in some very horrific ways. Most of the story takes place on the cruise ship, so not a lot of time is spent on the trial.

One jury member didn’t vote guilty, which lead to a mistrial and Wyatt being set free. You can imagine the public outcry when this was announced! Without going into too much detail, Maria, her boyfriend, and her children end up on a cruise to escape the backlash this has caused. A cruise with a serial killer isn’t on my bucket list!

Sincere thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

<b>My Rating: </b> 4 ⭐️’s
<b>Published:</b> September 21, 2021
<b>Audio:</b> 11 hours
<b>Recommend:</b> Yes

#TheStowaway #JamesSMurray #DarrenWearmouth #NetGalley #AudiobookReview #Thriller #InExchangeForReview #ARC #Bookstagram #ThrillerObsessed #CruiseShip #Bookaholic

After publication, my reviews can be found at Amazon, Twitter, Instagram, GoodReads, Barnes and Noble, BookBub, NetGalley, and Edelweiss

@darrenwearmouth @jamessmurray @NetGalley @MacmillanAudio

First off: this book might trigger emotions you never though you had, because it does deal with in-depth accounts of murders of children. I wish you could give half stars as this was more of a 3.5 star book for me, but I will round up for Murr. I did enjoy this book and it was fast paced, but not as much as the The Awakened series. I listened to the audiobook as I was granted a copy from the published through NetGalley and I feel like the narrator was very good. She made you feel the pain.

Great idea, but the writing quality was extremely poor. I just couldn't convince myself to finish it.

(It's a short review because I didn't finish it.)

Maria Fontana was voting her conscience when she voted not guilty in the trial of Wyatt Butler, accused serial killer. Jury member Maria felt that all the evidence, gruesome as it was, that pointed to Butler, was circumstantial at best. So Butler walked away, a free man. While her jury vote should have been privileged, it was leaked to the media and Maria was crucified by both the press and the victims families. Trying to put it all behind her, Maria and her family embark on a two week transatlantic cruise. But the cruise turns from a peaceful escape into a nightmare when another passenger disappears, then another is found murdered, with Butler’s signature violent MO. Is there a copycat aboard making Maria pay for her vote, or did she make a terrible error in judgement? Is the man she set free aboard ship, taunting her, planning on making her his next victim? Claustrophobic, heart pounding suspense with Kreinik creating the perfect eerie scene