3.5 stars, rounded up. I Did Warn Her is a good summer thriller! Twisty, suspenseful, locked room (yacht?) murder mystery. I really enjoyed this novel and was able to get through it pretty quickly. It held my interest most times, but the middle of the book I did feel like the pacing felt off and it took me longer to get through. I enjoyed the different story lines and how not a single person aboard was as they seem. However, I wish all of the reveals were spaced out a bit more instead of crammed into the end. Overall, this would be a great beach book (although I may keep it away from a cruise vacation).

The setting is a good one for a mystery. However, having each chapter devoted to different persons made it hard to follow the story, to keep up with who's who, and to remain interested in the novel. It took a while for a crisis to rear its head, and by that time, I had already lost interest.

The Ophelia is a lavish billionaire’s yacht, filled with beautiful stewardesses hired for high pay and a chance to escape their pasts—but beneath the luxury lies something far more sinister. Sasha, the newest crew member, joins a nearly identical group of blonde, model-gorgeous women for a weeklong Atlantic crossing, only to find herself surrounded by vanishing jewelry, shady guests, and a mystery tied to a former stewardess’s suspicious death. When another crew member turns up dead after a night of partying, everyone becomes a suspect, and secrets start to unravel fast. I thought this was a good book with a really fun premise! It had that locked-room whodunnit vibe, but on a yacht, which made it feel fresh and super tense. The twists kept me guessing, and I definitely enjoyed the high-glamour atmosphere.

Sian Gilbert's I Did Warn Her is a riveting thriller set aboard the opulent superyacht Ophelia, owned by a ruthless billionaire and staffed by a crew with secrets as deep as the ocean. Sasha, a last-minute hire, joins fellow stewardesses who are eerily identical, all drawn to the yacht by the promise of high wages and a fresh start. However, beneath the luxury, darkness looms: a previous crew member died mysteriously, valuables vanish, and tensions rise.

The suspense intensifies when another crew member is found dead after a wild night, turning everyone into a suspect. Gilbert masterfully builds tension through multiple perspectives, each revealing hidden motives and escalating paranoia. The isolated, claustrophobic setting amplifies the psychological twists, keeping readers guessing until the very end. With its mix of dark secrets, unreliable narrators, and shocking revelations, I Did Warn Her is a must-read for fans of locked-room mysteries and psychological thrillers.

Thank you to the pub for a netgalley.

After loving Gilbert’s debut, I was pumped for this one. Unfortunately it missed the mark for me. It was too many points of view with too many ulterior motives. It was dragged tremendously in the middle for the plot itself and I only finished bc I needed to know my guess was right.

I genuinely loved the author’s first book and will completely read her next one. This one just did not work for me.

I’m usually all in for locked-room mysteries and anything set on a big ship, and honestly, I love the show Below Deck, so I was kind of hoping for that vibe; messy drama, close quarters, high stakes. And in a way, this book did remind me of that, just not in the best way. The dialogue felt really YA and immature, and eventually I just kind of got bored.

Instant favorite! A wonderful mix between "Below Deck" and "How to Get Away with Murder", plot instantly grabs the reader.

The Ophelia super-yacht crossing the Atlantic is not a typical charter for the crew aboard. There's the Captain, Chief Officer, deckhands, the primary, Benjamin, his guest Digby, and the two escorts they brought on board to keep them “company” through the trip. Then there are the stewardesses, and the creepy thing is they all look exactly the same -

Add in a last-minute addition, Sasha, a nurse who wants to try her hand at yachting, and you have a blonde hair, high cheekbones, tan skin and petite bodies. It gets weirder when we find out one of the stews dies on the last charter, and now it's happening again.

With increasing suspense as the book develops, this book is a page-turner that you wont want to put down. Even if you haven't seen the show "Below Deck", this book is a fantastic locked-room mystery with very entertaining characters and a need to know suspense. I gave Sian Gilbert's debut five stars, and she hit it out the park again - I’m giving their sophomore novel five. If you like mystery, thrills and suspense, this is your book!

(Thanks to Harper Collins Publishers and Sian Gilbert for a pre-published copy of I Did Warn Her.. Released on June 17, 2025)

You’ll never look at (super)yachts the same way again!

Sian Gilbert has quickly cemented her place as one of the most compelling new voices in psychological thrillers. With I Did Warn Her, only her second novel, Gilbert delivers another absolute knockout—a high-octane, twist-filled voyage that feels like Below Deck meets Frieda McFadden or Ruth Ware!

Set aboard a luxury yacht gliding across the Atlantic, the story unfolds through six perspectives—five of whom are nearly indistinguishable: a chilling chorus of blonde stewardesses, each hiding secrets beneath their polished exteriors. The sixth, Jasmine, proves to be a wild card whose revelations and decisions ignite some of the novel’s most jaw-dropping moments.

This book is a masterclass in tension-building and misdirection, brimming with secrets, shifting allegiances, and plot twists that come faster than the waves crashing against the hull. Gilbert keeps readers guessing until the very last page, each chapter more addictive than the last.

If you’re a fan of John Marrs’ razor-sharp plotting, Frieda McFadden’s unputdownable narratives, or Andrea Mara’s intricately layered suspense, I Did Warn Her deserves a spot on your nightstand—and will likely keep you up long past bedtime. With two standout thrillers already under her belt, Sian Gilbert is officially on my auto-buy list - she should be on yours, too!

“The bitch is definitely dead. I did warn her.”

That’s all it took to hook me into Sian Gilbert’s latest twisty thriller, this one on a luxury superyacht bound for NewYork. Locked room thrillers are my favorite trope, and how much more isolated can you get than being surrounded by hundreds of miles of open ocean? Even with a limited amount of potential suspects, I still waffled back and forth of the true identify of the murderer, before ultimately deciding I thought I knew. Of course I didn’t, thanks to some deviously plotted red herrings. After loving her previous book, She Started It, and now I Did Warn Her, Sian Gilbert is now one of my my must-read authors.

I was immediately intrigued with the mere mention of Below Deck in the synopsis. I love the crew drama and their adventures of the TV series, so couldn’t wait to see how the author was going to produce a story and have it unfold. While I did enjoy the overall plot, I felt it dragged out too much with the back and forth pointing fingers and trying to solve the multiple murders (past and present). And I still wasn’t sure why all the stews needed to have a similar appearance on charter. Overall, I wish I would have liked one crew member on board, but couldn’t connect with any characters and didn’t really find any of them likable. This will be an easy read for those who like murder mysteries and whodunnit type books with a few twists though.

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to read a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

3.5 ⭐️

I Did Warn Her is an interesting, locked room murder mystery/thriller. While it didn’t absolutely blow me away, it was an overall enjoyable read.

I liked the setting of this book. A super yacht crossing the Atlantic would definitely already feel like a claustrophobic and somewhat panic inducing environment, but add in a few murders and a bunch of people that absolutely suck and you’ve got yourself a pretty atmospheric mystery/thriller.

When I say everyone on that boat absolutely sucked, I mean that. Every single one of them, MAYBE with the exception of Eva. We didn’t learn enough about her for me to pass that judgment on her. The rest though? They were all awful in their own ways. It actually made it sort of hard to pin down the whodunnit aspect of this at first, which I suppose was probably the goal.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read. Nothing too ground breaking or mind blowing, but good nonetheless. I would definitely recommend it to any fan of locked room mysteries/thrillers.

Thank you William Morrow for the free finished copy of I Did Warn Her! All opinions are my own!

Thank you to NetGalley, Sian Gilbert, and William Morrow for the eARC. I really enjoyed the super yacht setting—such a fun backdrop for a cat-and-mouse thriller! If I hadn’t watched Below Deck, some of the nautical terms might’ve thrown me off, but I caught on quickly. A suspenseful and mysterious ride from start to finish!

I read Sian Gilbert’s debut a few months ago and enjoyed it. When I saw she was releasing a new book, I knew I wanted to read it! I Did Warn Her was addicting and captivating. I ate up all the drama and unlikable characters throughout this book. Everyone had their secrets and hidden pasts, and watching the puzzle pieces slot into place was insane. I could not have guessed anything that ended up happening! I love the isolated setting trope in thrillers - this book is full of that. I Did Warn Her was atmospheric and creepy; I loved every second of it!

Thanks so much to William Morrow and NetGalley for the ARC of I Did Warn Her by Sian Gilbert.

Lifestyles of the rich and famous on superyacht Ophelia as she makes her way across the Atlantic, bound for New York.

This had a very "Below Deck" vibe and I cracked up when that TV show was referenced. The staff is preparing for the guests, there's an upstairs downstairs atmosphere, and seriously weird (kinky?) set of standards for the crew: the stewardesses are all gorgeous blondes, looking alike so much they could be staring into mirrors.

Which makes things confusing for everybody on board when one of them turns up dead.

Read this whodunit for the whiplash inducing twists and turns. Everybody knows a little something, but not everything, everybody is hiding something... and the killer is still on board!

Scooby Doo crime solving: "The darkness hangs like a fog as we creep along the corridor" and one ginormous coincidence that landed like a bowling ball, I Did Warn Her will have you cackling and eye rolling through the very last page.

My thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow Group / HarperCollins for the Advance Reader Copy. (pub date 6/17/2025)

Drags in the beginning while it's still difficult to distinguish between characters (especially the stewardesses), then hits its stride about 30% in and really flies up until the main villain reveal. I didn't like who ended up being chosen as the killer as they honestly didn't have much of a presence in the rest of the book, but the middle to end section was fun and enjoyable to read

Sian Gilbert's 'I Did Warn Her' takes the glittering luxury of a super yacht and turns it into the perfect setting for a dark, slow-burn thriller. When Sasha joins the crew of the Ophelia as a last-minute hire, she enters a world of polished surfaces and carefully curated identities. The stewardesses - Imogen, Jade, Euphemia, and Lola - are strikingly similar: blonde, poised, and trained to be invisible. But beneath their calm exteriors, something is seething.

A mysterious death from the previous charter casts a long shadow over the voyage. As the yacht crosses the Atlantic, strange things begin to happen - jewelry goes missing, alliances shift, and the thin lines between the crew's professionalism and personal grudges start to blur. Told through multiple points of view, the novel gradually peels back each woman's secrets, revealing just how much they're willing to conceal - and what they're capable of when pushed.

Gilbert's strength lies in her atmosphere: the isolation of the yacht, the performative beauty of the crew, and the creeping dread that builds with each chapter. The stewardesses may look alike, but their voices becomes distinct as the story unfolds, each one carrying her own burden of guilt, fear, or ambition. While the pace starts slow, it pays off with a final act full of sharp turns and satisfying twists.

If you like your thrillers claustrophobic, stylish, and laced with psychological tension, 'I Did Warn Her' delivers.

A twisty locked yacht mystery! Sasha was hired to work as a stewardess because she matched the looks of the other women on the Ophelia. Everything seems fine at first, albeit with some crankiness from Jade. So what happened last year? Is the same thing happening again? This is told from multiple POVs (and you'll like some of the characters more than others) as things begin to devolve, first with thefts of jewelry from the guests and then with murder. Oh, and why dd Sasha have to leave her nursing job? There's more going on here that is usual in this genre but Gilbert keeps all the balls going. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. No spoilers from me.

This book kept me on the edge of my seat waiting to know more and begging to piece together what was happening.
I Did Warn Her by Sian Gilbert is a real page turner and not easy to put down. I was lifted up and carried off into the story.
The mystery is interesting and had lots of twists which kept me guessing.
Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. And that ending simply amazing.

📚 ARC BOOK REVIEW 📚

I Did Warn Her By Sian Gilbert
Publication Date: June 17, 2025
Publisher: William Morrow

📚MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you so much to William Morrow and Sian Gilbert for sending me a #gifted ARC copy of this book, and to NetGalley for this e-ARC, in exchange for my honest review!

📚MY REVIEW:

I Did Warn Her is a suspenseful whodunnit mystery on the high seas, and if you're a fan of locked room vibes, this is DEFINITELY one you're going to want to pick up as soon as you can!!

This story kept me guessing from start to finish, and I was practically tied in knots at the book's conclusion because of all the twists and turns that Gilbert gave me! I LOVE books where everyone is a suspect, and yet somehow the ending still manages to surprise me -- in the best way!

The Ophelia is one of those superyachts for the super-rich, over-the-top luxurious, where the staff wait on the passengers' every need. Sasha is hired as a last-minute fill-in for the yacht's ocean-traversing voyage to New York City, and when she arrives, she's shocked because every stewardess looks exactly alike -- and it's a bit creepy. Then she learns that another stewardess mysteriously disappeared last season, expensive jewelry belonging to guests is disappearing, and the staff become more and more suspicious of one another. Things only go downhill from there, and Sasha is beginning to wonder if this luxurious lifestyle is everything she thought it might be. But will she survive long enough to find out?

I Did Warn Her was SO MUCH fun, a voyeuristic glimpse into the world of the super-rich that makes you happy not to count yourself among them. The book is told from multiple POVs in alternating chapters, and while it works great for prolonging the mystery and suspense of this story, I had a hard time keeping all the characters straight. Maybe it's because they all looked alike and everyone besides Sasha had snotty attitudes (🤣🤣), but it didn't detract from my enjoyment of this high-seas thrill ride!

Happy Pub Day to Sian Gilbert! Author Sara Ochs called this Below Deck with a body count, and it's a brilliantly perfect description! I give high praises to this book -- and it's out TODAY!!

#IDidWarnHer #SianGilbert #WilliamMorrow #gifted #ARC #NetGalley #NetGalleyReviews #bookreviews #bookrecs #thrillerlover #thrilleraddict #whodunnitmystery #booklover #bookaddict

The characters were not great. Its okay that every single one was unlikeable they just needed some variation. I know they were all suppose to look the same, but no way they all acted the same and similar backgrounds too. Mean Girls but just a clones.



The plot was very okay-ish. The twists werent super twisted but it doesnt always need to be a break ur neck. This just fell flat and was very much because of the characters. Strengthening up and uniquely differentiating them and their background stories and motives would have helped a lot here.