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A review by mackenzierm
On the Surface by Rachel McGuire
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? No
4.0
Sawyer Stone III and Dani Fox are a young couple who are sailing the world and sharing their adventures on their fledgling Youtube channel Sailing with the Foxes. They've currently anchored in Exuma, in the Bahamas, and are waiting for the price of crypto to rebound so they can provision and continue their journey. In the meantime, they are partying and exploring with their fellow cruisers. On the surface, their lives look perfect. But one night, Dani disappears after a boat party and Sawyer has no memory of her disappearance. The search for Dani is fueled by concerns that she may have drowned on one of her daily swims, but when Dani's pre-scheduled Youtube videos post and show a darker side to her relationship with Sawyer, suspicion turns in his direction.
ON THE SURFACE is a fun 'locked room' type thriller set in Exuma, Bahamas. The setting of the Bahamas and mostly on a boat is excellent, making this a perfect summer beach read. It's a quick and easy read that keeps you wanting to know more as the plot thickens.
I really enjoyed the cruisers aspect of the story with the tie in to social media influencers and the reality vs what you see online. The world of cruisers is something I had no clue about so it was fun to discover this lifestyle in this thriller.
ON THE SURFACE is told in multiple POV in the first person, with Sawyer, Dani, and Detective Knowles as the main POVs. The characters here are all fairly unlikeable but they are well-developed, compelling, and hiding a host of secrets. I enjoyed the plot of this book which is relatively fast-paced, binge-worthy, and intriguing, hooking me in from early on. It's a twisty read that kept me guessing right up to the end. I will say that I personally found the ending to be too open-ended for my tastes and I was left feeling adrift with too many questions unanswered.
I really enjoyed the full cast audiobook narration which was very well done.
Overall, a great debut!
I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher, Dreamscape Media, of this advanced listener copy for the opportunity to listen to this novel in exchange for an honest review! All opinions shared are my own.
ON THE SURFACE is a fun 'locked room' type thriller set in Exuma, Bahamas. The setting of the Bahamas and mostly on a boat is excellent, making this a perfect summer beach read. It's a quick and easy read that keeps you wanting to know more as the plot thickens.
I really enjoyed the cruisers aspect of the story with the tie in to social media influencers and the reality vs what you see online. The world of cruisers is something I had no clue about so it was fun to discover this lifestyle in this thriller.
ON THE SURFACE is told in multiple POV in the first person, with Sawyer, Dani, and Detective Knowles as the main POVs. The characters here are all fairly unlikeable but they are well-developed, compelling, and hiding a host of secrets. I enjoyed the plot of this book which is relatively fast-paced, binge-worthy, and intriguing, hooking me in from early on. It's a twisty read that kept me guessing right up to the end. I will say that I personally found the ending to be too open-ended for my tastes and I was left feeling adrift with too many questions unanswered.
I really enjoyed the full cast audiobook narration which was very well done.
Overall, a great debut!
I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher, Dreamscape Media, of this advanced listener copy for the opportunity to listen to this novel in exchange for an honest review! All opinions shared are my own.