Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer publishing for the chance to read this book.

So first of all this is NOT my genre of book at all, when i hit read now I really thought i messed up and got stuck with a book I was not going to want to read at all! But holy crap I dived into a world i def don't understand and will most likely never be apart of again, but that's the whole point of books right, it's the adventure of it, the escape from your own reality into a different one completely. One thing I can say is you have to be a pretty darn good author to take someone that has no interest in a particular subject and be able to completely submerse them into a whole nother reality and keep them hooked the way I was enthralled by this book just amazed the crap out of me!

The author is VERY informative on the subject, she has obviously done a bit of research on the subject, to make me fully understand everything I was reading, She is an incredible talented and intelligent woman from her writing style alone. I can not speak for any of her other books But i will say this one was beautifully written! I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I'm giving her 5 stars, even if I didn't enjoy the story she deserves on just by the way she writes!!

Set in Seattle and Singapore and a rich concern of building yachts for the rich and famous, Ocean House has commenced their biggest endeavor ever, building a super yacht for the rich and famous George Meng.

The story is a superb one set against a history of espionage, murder, a fight for freedom from a man who has everything but seeks freedom for his family and how he unwittingly and then willingly draws two sisters into his plan and bid for freedom. There is also a family history uncovered, unsavory and hidden for decades now open for the world to see.

The story was a page turner, descriptive and emotional, displaying the strong ties that bind family over everything else. Characters were so varied that they added layers of interest to the story. I read it one go myself.

This is a unique thriller that's unlike anything I've ever read. I liked how fast paced this is and I was engrossed in the story. If you enjoy thrillers, I would recommend this. Special Thank You to Barbara Nickless,Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Drowning Game by Barbara Nickless gripped me from the beginning I could not put this book down.
This book is a real page turner and not easy to put down. I was lifted up and carried off into the story and trying to solve the mystery.
The mystery is interesting and had lots of twists which kept me guessing.

Cass and Nadia Brenner are sisters and heirs to Ocean House, prestigious maker of superyachts. It’s a family business that has been around for generations, but they are now trying to break into the Asian Market. When Chinese billionaire Mr. Mèng asked them to build a megayacht for him, Ocean House jumped on the chance. And then, Cass jumped to her death.

Nadia immediately heads to Singapore to find out how her sister fell over 400 feet. The police say it’s suicide, but that doesn’t make sense to Nadia. Something nefarious must be happening - and it definitely is, with a slightly convoluted story about international crime, the CIA, artificial intelligence, the Chinese government, and perhaps most oddly, German Nazis.

Unfortunately that’s when the book took a turn for the worse, at least for me. I’m not super into action/crime thrillers, and this had so many facets and sides that didn’t seem to make sense. The characters were all over the place, there were a few odd subplots that didn’t make a difference in the outcome, and the whole story became jumbled as the ending approached. The ending was good, as was the beginning, but the meat of the book just wasn’t my style. However, if you like action-packed international intrigue, you may really like this one! Three stars.

(Thank you to Thomas & Mercer, Barbara Nickless and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.)

Being a fan of Barbara Nickless' Sidney Rose Parnell series, I looked forward to this new book with a great deal of anticipation. I really enjoyed learning about the cutthroat business of yacht building-- especially when the yacht Ocean House was building contained secret rooms as well as state-of-the-art technology and luxury materials.

Another factor that added to my enjoyment of the book was the author's description of the inner workings of various Chinese government agencies. Yacht building is definitely not the only cutthroat business in the world.

The Drowning Game is a good, fast-paced story with an interesting investigation into Cass Brenner's death. There are chills and thrills aplenty, but my appreciation of the book was muted by two things: my lack of enthusiasm for the main character and the fact that it had too much spycraft in it-- a genre that I've never really cared for. Nevertheless, The Drowning Game is still another strong entry for Barbara Nickless.

Dark, gripping, and flawless. Another grand slam for Barbara Nickless. She knows how to immediately draw in the reader and keep you engaged until the last word.

Nadia and Cass Brenner are the heirs to Ocean House - a mega-yacht construction company about to expand into the Asian market. While heading up their next big project for an AI mogul in Singapore, Cass turns up dead from a fall off of a high-rise balcony. While law enforcement rule the death as a suicide, Nadia isn't convinced. While digging into Cass's life and project plans across the world, she discovers that she didn't know her sister as well as she thought. Additionally, mysterious people are following Nadia's footsteps as she tries to unlock the truth. And the secrets she uncovers, she begins to understand the truth is much bigger than just another superyacht. The Drowning Game by Barbara Nickless is a suspenseful thriller in which Nadia must decide whether to risk her own life and continue Cass's work, or else leave the fate of their company and clients in the balance.

Readers who appreciate Nickless's writing style from her previous work will definitely enjoy The Drowning Game. I've read the author's Sydney Rose Parnell series and enjoyed those books and characters. The Drowning Game has strengths in multidimensional characters, unique plot points and suspense-building. But the story seemed to drag on and threw off the pace. I appreciated the high stakes and international political drama. However some plot points didn't quite tie into the main storyline and the ending was somewhat predictable. I'm usually a sucker for suspense/thriller novels but this book wasn't the author's strongest work. I enjoyed her previous titles more but nevertheless look forward to her future titles.

The Drowning Game by Barbara Nickless

Taking a chance on a new book is much easier when every book previously read by the author has been excellent. I met this author on her second book, was hooked, and have been on the line ever since. This is either a standalone novel or perhaps (fingers crossed) the beginning of a new series.

What I liked:
* The Legend of the Merlion and how it tied into the story
* The perfect title for the book and the story behind it
* The epigraphs that introduced each section
* That Cassandra Brenner’s introduction in August grabbed me and made me want to keep reading
* Nadia Brenner: yacht designer, wealthy, close to her sister Cassandra, daughter of generational megayacht family empire, loves her family, believes in the work she does, in a relationship with Matthew, learns and grows a lot, has inner strengths she finds in this story
* Cassandra: strong, enjoys excitement, loves Shanghai, puts family first, protective, caring, not seen much but pivotal piece in this book
* The yin/yang of the sisters personalities
* Learning more about yachts and yacht building
* The plot, pacing, setting, and writing
* The subplots that bring in more than one family name and the issues and the family histories that impact the present in a variety of ways
* The new tidbits learned about Asia, Asian philosophies, games I’d never heard of
* The tension and reason for it
* The twists, turns, secrets exposed, and how it all came together in the end
* The ending…but also wondering if perhaps it is just the beginning of a new series…would love to get to know the main characters better?

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* Thinking about Karma and wondering about how it might have played a part in some of the characters’ lives
* The loss of some of the lives of some of the characters

Did I like this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars

To swim out into highly dangerous waters until complete exhaustion sets in.

That's The Drowning Game.......tempting fate with the resolve that you'll always come to the surface. But the Universe may have other plans for you.

Jeez, Louise. I had no idea of just how wired The Drowning Game was gonna be. I kept putting this one off thinking that it was going to be a dry and routine spy novel. But then, look who's behind the wheel of this one......Barbara Nickless. You may have caught her Dr. Evan Wilding Series set within the University of Chicago. Either way, bring a mega-size popcorn with extra jalapeno on the side. This one has bite.

Nickless introduces us to two sisters, Cass and Nadia Brenner. No, they're not private investigators or individuals searching through grandma's diary. They're part of Ocean House, a family owned business. Our ladies design super yachts and they're in high demand. (Don't worry if you know nothing about yachts or care to. This one takes to the sea immediately.) Ocean House is based in Seattle with new markets opening in Singapore. Ocean House is expanding.

Nadia flies to Singapore to meet up with her sis. Shockingly, Cass took a dive off the balcony of a highrise hotel before Nadia's arrival. The police call it suicide. Nadia calls it absurd. No way would her sister take her life. Soon Nadia is being followed. Then, she's threatened by Charlie Han, a member of the Chinese Communist Party. What was Cass involved in?

Barbara Nickless is a master of intrigue and of characterizations. We're about to get dipped into the seas of an international hotbed. Nadia tries to follow some shady clues left behind by Cass. But the city of Singapore has eyes peeping around every corner. The heat will escalate.....and I'm not talkin' about the weather. Check this one out.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Thomas & Mercer and to the talented Barbara Nickless for the opportunity.

I'll be the outlier. This moves around a lot and it's totally implausible on many levels. That said, if you peel away the espionage plot (which just no) then it's the story of a woman who knows her sister didn't throw herself off the building and wants to find the truth. The global conspiracy, AI etc didn't work for me although I know some will find this topical and propulsive. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Eh, this one was hard for me. I'm not super into spy novels BUT this was done really very well. It took me a bit to get through but it was enjoyable.

Nadia and Cass work for their dads company that builds luxury yachts in two locations- Seattle and Singapore. After their father falls ill, in preparation to take over the company Nadia flys out to Singapore to help her sister on her current project. When she gets there she learns her sister has been murdered. In an attempt to get answers Nadia gets tangled up in a mess that Cass was either apart of or running from. I enjoyed that this book had some hints of historical fiction and loved the journey of what happened to Cass.

The Drowning Game expects a lot out of its readers. Mainly, to look past plot holes. This is rich people, doing rich people things, and suffering consequences. It's about sisterhood and technology. It's about....too much and not enough at the same time.

I think there's people who will enjoy this sort of storytelling, but I'm not in that group.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review.

Sisters Nadia and Cass Brenner are heirs to Ocean House, a prestigious yacht company catering to the wealthy elite. Their latest success, designing a yacht for a Chinese billionaire, is shattered when Cass falls from a hotel balcony in Singapore. Initially ruled a suicide, Nadia suspects foul play, especially after uncovering Cass's involvement in dangerous, illicit activities. As Nadia delves deeper into the web of lies, betrayal, and secrets surrounding her sister's death, she risks unraveling the Brenner family's legacy—and putting her own life in danger.

Thank you, Netgalley, Barbara Nickless, and Thomas & Mercer for the ebook. This was an excellent story intricately woven with so many details that immersed you in the culture and had you feeling as though you were there. A great read!

I was expecting more of a thriller and this almost felt more like a spy novel. The multiple POVs — always a hard sell for me — felt a little jumpy, so all in all, I'm just not the right audience for this book. I've heard a lot of good things about the author's other books, so I'm going to see if those are a better fit.

I love the idea of this book and the setting, but I felt like there was a major plot hole that was never really addressed that took away from it. I really wasn’t that interested in AI which I didn’t realize it was gonna be part of it. It certainly was creative. I think the book just wasn’t for me.

In the "Drowning Game" readers are plunged into a world of luxury, power, and treachery as sisters Nadia and Cass Brenner navigate the high-stakes industry of superyachts. The Brenner sisters are the heirs to Ocean House, a prestigious empire that caters to the world’s elite, designing and building megayachts for emirs, oligarchs, and industry titans. Their success seems assured with the upcoming commission of a megayacht for a Chinese billionaire, marking their entry into the lucrative Asian market.

However, the sisters' bright future is abruptly shattered when Cass falls from a fortieth-floor hotel balcony in Singapore. The local authorities quickly rule her death a suicide, but Nadia, who knows the business and her sister too well, is not convinced. Her suspicions deepen when she uncovers Cass's involvement in dangerously illicit activities that may have led to her untimely death.

As Nadia digs deeper into the circumstances surrounding her sister’s demise, she finds herself ensnared in the same web of betrayal, lies, and deadly secrets that ensnared Cass. The story follows Nadia on a perilous journey from Seattle to Austria to the South China Sea, where she must rely on the Brenner family motto—Trust no one—to survive.

"the Drowning Game" is a fast-paced thriller that weaves together themes of family loyalty, corporate intrigue, and the dangers lurking beneath the surface of immense wealth. The narrative keeps readers on the edge of their seats as Nadia confronts the dark forces that threaten to destroy her family—and possibly her life. With its exotic settings, complex characters, and relentless suspense, this novel is a must-read for fans of high-octane thrillers.

I wanted to try this book because I was a big fan of the Sydney Parnell series. The Drowning Game is, on the surface, a story about a family whose business is building superyachts for the rich and famous. Cass Brenner is in Singapore overseeing the build of a yacht for a Chinese scientist when she falls from a forty story building. The police rule it suicide but Cass's sister Nadia doesn't believe it. Nadia heads to Singapore to learn more about what her sister was involved in and realizes there is much more to the story. Before long Nadia gets pulled into the same dangerous operation that ensnared her sister. The story is intriguing and sheds light on how much work is involved in building a yacht. The characters are complex and there is a twist near the end which I didn't see coming. Overall a compelling read. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.