The Yacht

Hannah, Maggie and Libby are long term friends. While Maggie and Hannah were at school together, Libby met them at university. Privileged Libby has always seen the New Year in with an over-the-top party. This year, now married to titled Olly, festivities are to be held on their new yacht berthed in the marina at Ventimiglia, on the French/Italian border.
Far from being a fun filled and luxurious experience, it’s soon clear that Hannah is regarded with scorn, not only by Libby’s husband Olly, but also by Leon, Maggie’s partner. Olly is an upper-class snob, Leon a violent bully and Libby and Maggie a spiteful pair who add their own catty comments.
Both women have made successful careers since leaving uni, while Hannah’s company foundered, leaving her working in a call centre. She finds a certain amount of support when the final guest, Harry arrives, but once the alcohol begins to flow, things begin to get out of hand.
My first thoughts were that if these were Hannah’s friends, what must her enemies be like? Even long-term friend Harry, who she’s had a crush on for years and a hope that things might move onto something much closer, at times appears to stand back and let the others insult her. Escaping to her cabin, Hannah crashes out, only to wake the next morning to discover the yacht has slipped its moorings and it drifting out at sea.
What happens afterwards is cleverly delivered by the author, as every type of unpleasant behaviour comes into play, and secrets begin to emerge. The discovery that there is no way the yacht can be steered and that they are all truly at the mercy of the sea brings highlights the selfishness of entitled Maggie, Libby, Olly and Leon, who clearly go through life expecting others to sort out their problems. And then, of course, there’s Olly’s suspicion about Libby. Who is she having an affair with? It’s a question that only adds to the growing tension on board.
The Yacht is yet another excellent book by Sarah Goodwin, who is a past master at taking characters (some pleasant, some not as much) and putting them into stressful and difficult situations. It’s a roller coaster of a read and in my opinion one of her best so far.
My thanks to Avon, the author and Netgalley for an ARC of The Yacht in exchange for an honest review.

This was another great thriller from this author. It was a very tense read which kept me up late into the night reading once I started I could not put it down. The characters were well written and well developed. It was a real page turner, with lots of twists and turns. I will be highly recommending this to everyone fantastic thriller. Thanks to netgallery and the publisher for my advanced copy.

How lovely would it be to spend New Year's Eve on a luxury yacht moored in a beautiful Italian harbour with your oldest friends. Well after reading this great novel by Sarah Goodwin I'll be quite happy at home in my pj's.
Hannah has often spent New Year's Eve with Libby and her husband Olly, each year they've tried to outdo the previous year. This year might just be the year but for all the wrong reasons.
This novel was another page turner from Sarah, a tense locked room scenario. It's hard to imagine how Hannah, a mild mannered woman, could be friends with some really unlikeable people but she shows great fortitude and patience in dealing with them.
Thanks to Netgalley and Avon Books UK for the opportunity to read this advanced copy, I'm under no obligation to leave my review

Wow!!! Thank you Netgalley, Sarah Goodwin, and Avon Books for the advanced ebook. I honestly am not sure what I expected from this book but whatever I expected it was definitely not it (in a great way). The twists and turns this book took and just the crazy wild ride and journey into finding one self. I loved it!

What better way to celebrate New Year’s Eve than on a private luxury yacht with your closest friends?! Even though a few of the party goers would prefer not everyone attend.

Six people are about to board the yacht for a cruise like no other. The next morning the yacht sets sail and one party goer is missing. Tempers are high. Fingers are pointing! Who can you trust? Who will survive!

This is no Gilligan's Island, folks. So grab a life-vest. We’re about to hit some choppy waters!

This locked room thriller was unputdownable! I devoured it in 2 sittings! I was at a complete loss as to who to trust or who to run from! Witnessing everyone come apart at the seams as the danger increases, with lives hanging in dire jeopardy.

This was my second read from Sarah Goodwin. She has a remarkable insight as to what humans are capable of when they feel their lives are at risk. Survival.

I have one more book from Sarah Goodwin on my shelf, and that will have to hold me until her next release The Festival which she provides a sneak-peak for at the end of her acknowledgments!😱 (Gimme! Gimme!)🙏

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK

Sarah Goodwin’s latest novel is a twisty modern ‘locked room mystery’ – but one that unfolds on the open sea. The plot is centred on Hannah, who cannot match her former friends Libby and Maggie in money or relationship success, but who decides to join them on a yacht in Italy for a New Year’s Eve celebration together with their husbands. After overhearing some disparaging comments and deciding she has had enough of these so-called ‘friends’, Hannah wants to leave but finds that the yacht has cut loose from its moorings and is now adrift at sea, with no way of contacting people onshore. In what follows, the author spins a powerful web of lies, deceit, condescension and confusion, but the saving grace in the middle of it is lead character Hannah who becomes more assertive as her horrendous time offshore continues. Masterfully executed, this novel shines a light on the true values of genuine friendship and mere entitlement. Although the majority of the characters were truly unlikeable, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel and cannot wait to see what Sarah Goodwin writes next. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this ARC and to write this unbiased book review.

Omg, some of the 'friends' in this story are completely contemptable, just awful.
The sham friendships and loathing were something to behold! The appearances being kept up were off the scale! The helicopter!
I loved this book, it was fun, scary, treacherous all at the same time!
Brilliant from start to finish - the setting at sea was so good, you could feel the icy water and the desperation to get back to land, the suspicion of each other and the following consequences of each persons actions.
Great ending too, I was so pleased!

I’ve read a few of Sarah’s previous books but this one had me gripped.

Hannah is invited to join her old school pals Libby and Maggie on board a luxury yacht to celebrate New Year, along with their husbands and an old pal from uni. Always keen to show off her wealth with an annual party, Libby has gone for the unexpected option of a party for 6 this time. A party of 6 that will soon become 5….

When the party turns heated Hannah retires to bed. But when she awakes, it’s certainly not to a Happy New Year.

Would highly recommend.
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read and review.

I really enjoyed this lock room mystery ,set on a luxury yacht in Italy .All Is not what it seems ,disasters keeps happening until there is only one man left standing ! Fast paced and intriguing a great read .I liked Hannah but all the other characters were horrible perhaps with the exception of Harry .The ending was brilliant I didn't see it coming .Thank you to Net Galley for my ARC.

This author’s books have the ability to simultaneously make you unable to stop reading while wishing you could bury the book somewhere deep underground where it can't be found. Compelling and didn’t want it to end!

Mystery, thriller, adventure… this book has it all. I’ve enjoyed the author’s previous efforts and this one is entertaining and very addictive. Hannah is the poor friend of a group of millionaires, but she’s convinced that they like her. When they invite her to an exclusive New Year’s Eve party on a yacht, she makes a big effort and drives a long way to attend. Soon, it is obvious that she made a mistake, and she decides that she’ll move on in the morning but, when she wakes up, she discovers that they’ve been cut adrift, with no fuel and no way to return to land. It is often said how civilization is a few meals away from total chaos and Hannah discovers that it’s true. Then, one of them disappears and things spiral with breathtaking suspense. I hated all but one of Hannah’s friends, they are cruel and mean and selfish, but I was rooting for her and her only ally Harry. We all want to think how we’d know how to survive extreme circumstances, but they both learn the hard way how easy it is to make mistakes. I was under the impression that this was a whodunit, but it’s not really that. It is definitely a thriller with a solid plot. Enjoyable.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#Avon Books UK.

A locked room mystery and a vaction-gone-wrong...my absolute favorite!

Hannah makes the mistake of attending a party with her old college friends. All of the friends are wildly successful which highlights Hannah's lack of a profession and steady paycheck all the more. The ultra rich couple throwing the party invite Hannah onto their yacht which will stay docked for the duration of the party weekend.
The night is fraught and Hannah isn't sure if she should stay. It's not until she hears some of the friends disparaging her, in another room that she decides to leave in the morning. When she wakes, however, she finds the the yacht is a sea and there are multiple obstacles to returning to lan d. Before long one of the friends disappear.

Suddenly Hannah can only count on herself and has to work against the clock to find a rescue plan and solve the mystery of the missing friend. Great fun! Recommended!
.#Avonbooksuk #theyacht #sarahgoodwin

A gripping thriller which i read in two sittings. The characters (which are 90% awful) are well written and really got my back up. I enjoyed trying to work out who was going to come unstuck next although the ending felt a little flat for me.
My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy.

"The Yacht" by Sarah Goodwin revolves around a group of uni friends who find themselves stranded at sea. I am a sucker for locked-room mysteries and books that take place on a boat, so I grabbed the book once I read the blurb. And, boy, what a ride!

A group of friends from England, consisting of Maggie and her fiance Leon, Harry, and Hannah, come to celebrate New Year's Eve on Libby and her husband Olly's yacht, which is anchored at the Italian marina. All of them have made it big and are rich, except Hannah, who is stuck in a dead-end job and single due to unresolved issues. Maggie, Libby, and their partners look down on Hannah, the poor one in their midst.

At first, the party is going relatively well, aside from some snide comments toward Hannah. The atmosphere becomes tense the more they drink and do drugs, and masks are removed. The plot takes a turn the next morning when they find themselves stranded at sea with no Wi-Fi, no food, and no fuel. While they try to figure out what happened and what to do, tensions rise, and secrets are revealed, tearing them apart. As they lurch from one disaster to another, "Swim or sink" becomes their new reality.

I loved the book and couldn't stop reading. Sure, the premise isn't original; this trope has been done many times, but its execution makes it shine. The book is written in the first person from Hannah's perspective. She was a great character, one I could relate to and root for, which is more than I can say for the other characters. The other characters, with the exception of Harry, were insufferable and thought themselves superior to less fortunate people. I was glad when Hannah finally grew a backbone and didn't bow to her friends.

I appreciate the writing and the way the story unfolded before my very eyes. The author made the characters and scenes come to life. There were surprising developments and turns, and although there were some scenes that required a suspension of disbelief, I could live with it.

The setting was great, and I could feel the atmosphere as conditions deteriorated. The descriptions of the storm, the cold, and the despair were very realistic. The book explores various themes like bullying, toxic relationships, loss, and fear of getting close to someone and getting hurt in the process. The book is exceptionally well-crafted and compelling, and I found myself thoroughly caught up in the tale. Readers will be hooked until the very end, wondering where all of this is going. Full stars from me!

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

I do have a particular fascination with thrillers set on boats, the isolation, the uncertainty, the elements..... its everything you need to build some tension and excitement and omg, did this book do all that and more!

The writing flows so naturally and I flew through the Kames. The characters Wetwang original and unique. They had layers and depth and were very human in their behaviours and responses.

I loved the twists and the fact that little secrets are revealed through the whole book

I usually don't really rate books based around the premise of "old friends meeting up again after years and all of a sudden tragedy strikes" because its just been don't so so so many times but this was worlds apart from other books I've read and I was invested from the start.

Must read!!