On the Surface by author duo Rachel McGuire, published by Crooked Lane Books, is an extraordinary debut. This thriller is full of very unexpected twists and turns that had me guessing til the last page.
A complex, complicated story whose characters ruthlessness is astonishing. Nothing is as it seems, literally nothing.
I really enjoyed reading this book, 5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the copy of On The Surface by Rachel McGuire. I liked the description of this book and it started great. I started to lose interest when Dani talked about her childhood because it was such a cliché. When we heard from her uncle, what he said gave me clues about what happened, but was barely acknowledged by the detectives. Although this book kept me reading to find out how it ended, the conclusion felt unfinished, as if the author had a great idea for a twist and once that was written didn’t bother actually to have an end to the story. If you love thrillers for the unexpected twist, you will love this book, but the lack of an ending was frustrating.

Loved this. I couldn’t put it down. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this read - it grabbed me from the beginning and led me through the crazy lives of creepily believable influencers. I felt like the plot was entirely plausible - and horrifying that Joe Citizen can so easily influence and screw up investigations. I loved the book, thought the characters were truly awful - a rare book where I really didn't want to root for ANY of them! - and wasn't 100% sure til the end who knew what about whom. Was Sawyer in on it from the beginning? I loved piecing together this story and finding little Easter egg hints along the way. A truly enjoyable book - would absolutely recommend!

This book totally sucked me in from the beginning! I read the whole thing in a weekend.
Dani and Sawyer are a young beautiful couple living aboard their boat and posting to YouTube about their idyllic stay in the Bahamas. But in reality their life is not so perfect. As pieces of the story are revealed from different characters' points of view you begin to question everything.
I was fascinated by the cruiser culture and the hustle involved in being an influencer. Then when Dani disappears and the police get involved things start getting messy (and fun!).

"On the Surface" by Rachel McGuire is a slow-burn thriller that revolves around a YouTube cruising couple anchored in the Bahamas.

The book begins with a bang — the mysterious death of a young woman — before moving to the present. We're introduced to Sawyer Stone III and Dani Fox, a young couple immersed in the pleasures of cruising, sex, and parties. Dani diligently documents their life on their YouTube channel 'Sailing with the Foxes' as they attempt to make a living from it.

Struggling financially after Sawyer lost his money in a crypto scheme, the plot thickens when Dani vanishes following a boat party, and Sawyer has no recollection of the events after a night of heavy drinking. When Dani's pre-scheduled videos are aired, showing Sawyer's violent tendencies and the cracks in their relationship, he becomes the main suspect in her disappearance due in part to his shady past. The intervention of internet sleuths in the case doesn't make it easy to crack.

The story is told in Dani and Sawyer's first-person perspectives, switching back and forth between them, with some interlude chapters in the third perspective from a couple of other characters such as Local Inspector Veronique Knowles and Sonja, a fellow cruiser.

I enjoyed the book, mostly, but I do have a few reservations. But first, to what I liked. I loved the setting, the description of the lifestyle of the cruisers, and the exposure of the fakeness of social media. What appears as a glamorous life on social media turns out to be pretense and lies. The main characters were well-drawn, and I liked the dynamics between them, but they were unlikeable, to put it mildly. The writing was good and flowed easily from one POV to another.

On the surface, the book has all the elements for a successful story: a brilliant premise, an intriguing plot, complex characters, and good writing. Unfortunately, the execution of the story felt a little flat. The main issues I had with this book were the slow pace, the unlikable characters, and the abrupt ending.

The book was slow-paced until the middle, and I didn’t feel a sense of urgency to keep reading. Some things were predictable once the connection between the prologue and the story was revealed. I didn't like the two main characters. I could not connect with or relate to them, and that detracted from the story for me. I have read books with dislikable characters before, but not like that. I never really got to a point where I could care about them.

The ending was very abrupt; it was open-ended actually, with several loose threads left untied. I thought the book had some missing pages at first. There were a couple of unanswered questions, and I was dissatisfied with the lack of a moral resolution in the book's ending. Therefore, I decided to give the book 2.5 out of 5 stars, rounded up to 3 stars. I recommend the book to those who appreciate a unique setting and are open to navigating unlikable characters, a slower pace, or narratives with open-ended conclusions.

* I am posting this review to my GR and Blog immediately and will post it to my Amazon account upon publication.

* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC. I almost didn’t finish this one. I was bored the first 50 or so pages. It does pick up but then get predictable. Also the ending is left wide open. Hoping a 2nd book is in the works or that’s the worst ending I’ve ever read!

On The Surface is mind boggling good! What seems to be a run of the mill fun thriller or vacation-gone-wrong style mystery is truly a sharp and incisive and incredibly engaging commentary on social media. When an up and coming YouTubing half of a boating couple disappears after a night of drama and drinking, the boyfriend clearly seems to be the culprit.

But is there more tot he story? Sawyer claims his innocence but his missing girlfriend's youtube channel continues to publish previously programmed reels that say otherwise. Plenty of the boating "cruiser " community have opinions on the couple and when one person tips the scales with posts, millions of people look on. Can the police get to the bottom of what happened before vigilante justice takes their place

If you like reality shows but may not always admit to it in public, this is a book for you - a smart and scathing tribute to the world of social media and the denizens that drive it. #Crookedlanebooks #onthesurface #rachelmcguire

This book was a page turner from beginning to end. A influencer couple on a boat looking picture perfect. Then one day the wife disappears. Where did she go? Was she murdered? Did she fall overboard? This book has so many twists and turns it had me guessing until the end. Amazing writing. Would highly recommend. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is a terrific read. Fun, twisty and quite dark! Among other things it explores the role of social media in our lives, and the reality that lies behind the glamorous life of many so-called influencers - in this instance, those who live the boat life.

Sawyer and Danny are a young, glamorous couple who live on a vessel named Serenity, and are part of a round-the-world boating lifestyle that many cruisers are part of.

To fund their further travel they plan to raise funds through Dani becoming a YouTube influencer. For now, they are anchored in the Bahamas, enjoying the sun, sex, and sinful pleasures of the cruising life.

Other community members begin to notice cracks appearing in their relationship, though Dani brushes off any queries of this nature. But Sawyer's wealthy first wife died in diving accident, so when Dani disappears after a drunken night of partying where tempers ran high suspicion immediately falls on him.

The Bahamian police officer in charge of the investigation finds herself with a very full plate after she discovers the "disappeared white woman" syndrome kicking in with a vengeance when sexy, lively Dani is found missing. A social media feeding frenzy ensues, with every wannabe "cyber sleuth" and conspiracy theorist weighing in. Sometimes quite literally - like the 300 lb guy who confronts Sawyer in a bar...

This is a clever and enjoyable read with multiple twists, so even if you guess one or two of them as I did, there are likely to be more surprises along the way. Highly recommended to readers of domestic and psychological thrillers.

Synopsis (from Netgalley, the provider of the book for me to review.)
*********************************************************

A YouTubing cruiser couple sails the world living their best life—until one of them goes missing and their whole world capsizes, in this captivating psychological thriller perfect for fans of Something in the Water and Saint X.

Sawyer Stone III and Dani Fox, a young couple who spend their time circumnavigating the globe aboard their 42' sailboat and documenting it for their fledgling YouTube channel Sailing with the Foxes, have anchored in Exuma, in the Bahamas. As they wait for the price of crypto to rebound so they can provision and continue their journey, they’re partying and exploring with their fellow cruisers offshore. On the surface, everything looks perfect. But one night, Dani vanishes after a boat party, and Sawyer has no memory of her disappearance.

The search for Dani is initially fueled by concerns that she drowned during one of her daily ocean swims, but Dani's pre-scheduled video posts, recorded before she went missing, soon reveal a darker side to her relationship with Sawyer. Meanwhile, Royal Bahamas Police Force Inspector Veronique Knowles has her hands full trying to keep the investigation on course as the story of the American woman missing in the Bahamas goes viral and the internet sleuths unearth secrets from Sawyer’s past. Sawyer Stone is far from perfect, but is he a murderer?

This twisty, edge-of-your-seat thriller will keep readers gripped all the way through the final satisfying turn.

I loved this book - it was creepy and spooky and utterly enjoyable. Much like Saint X you will question EVERYTHING ... this is the perfect beach read (it comes out in July) so take it to the shore, the porch, the balcony, the chair in front of the a/c and enjoy yourself...good luck putting it down.

#shortbutsweetreviews

Good book! But I'm not too sure on that ending?! The book was great! It had suspense, intrigue, action, murder, mystery, abuse, gas lighting, some crazy tales, twist and turns! The storyline was very interesting and had me glued to my Kindle! I definitely recommend reading this book as it was well worth reading but the ending is a little weird?! Not sure if it meant there's going to be more?? Or if its just a different ending?? The book is still worth reading though! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

A couple sailing the tropics and posting on YouTube to support their life(style) are at the center of a super fun who-done-it with thoroughly unlikeable characters on every page. Add in cyber sleuths and you’ve got a plot that really speaks to the current moment.

I loved this fun, crazy story! What a strange foreign world the main characters inhabit - and yet we feel like we know these people. We’ve seen them hundreds of times on TikToc.

The author does a really good job of helping you understand what it’s like to live life on a boat. I could practically feel the sunburn, I could anticipate the hangover and dry mouth after binges.

Such a fun read it felt like a guilty pleasure. The epitome of a beach read!

Super fun read!

Dani and Sawyer are a couple who live on their sailboat and travel around the world, documenting their adventures for their YouTube channel. Dani goes missing after a party in the Bahamas and her disappearance becomes the focus of an investigation. I loved how the various elements were woven together - the YouTubers, the cruisers, the cyber sleuths, and the investigation, with all of it coming together to create a real page-turner. This book is a highly entertaining, deeply deranged, super fast and fun read. Some of the characters are barely likable but the story and the twist(s) are completely believable.

This is an engrossing tale of a couple who travel the seas aboard their sailboat. They document their surroundings and lives for a growing youtube following.

After a beach side party Dani turns up missing. The logical thought is that she died drowning during one of her long swims. However, a tape of Dani suggests that her husband, Sawyer, is not who he seems. Sawyer has no memory of the party.

The detective that is trying to solve this crime discovers even darker secrets and the paparazzi are hot on her tail - as this is a sensational story.

I enjoyed the read - the surroundings, the characters, the who done it aspect of this mystery

On the surface, it appears to be an idyllic existence. Dani and sawyer are sailing around the world aboard their 42 foot sailboat. They take a viewers along with them on their YouTube channel. Right now, they’re on dry land waiting for a little money so they can re-provision and head out again. And then Dani disappears after a wild party. Sawyer claims he doesn’t remember anything about that night, but Dani’s online posts revealed a very dark side of her relationship with Sawyer. Local Bahamian police have their hands full, looking for the missing American woman. Sawyers obviously not a great guy, but is he a murderer? This is an exciting thriller with twists. You won’t see coming. Highly recommended.

4.25 stars

This is the PERFECT example of loved the book, hated the characters. I think this is growing into a favorite thriller archetype of mine.

Dani and Sawyer, currently docked in The Bahamas, have a fledgling YouTube channel called Sailing with the Foxes, showing their life of sailing. It looks picturesque, but it’s anything but when Dani goes missing one night and Sawyer wakes with no memories of the night before.

Local Inspector Veronique Knowles has her hands FULL with this one. Once word gets out, amateur detectives come out in droves trying to solve this strange case, making her job immensely more difficult.

The way this book plays out was so interesting! It’s very much all about perception… There are things that come into play about people’s pasts that are integral to how individual suspects are treated. What happened to Dani? She is gone without a trace (sort of) and everyone else is left picking up the pieces.

I enjoyed this one so much! I love the untrustworthy nature of the mystery in this book. I was so compelled by the story. There were things I saw coming, and some that took me by surprise. This book left me feeling so satisfied though! Loved it.