After reading Sian Gilbert’s debut novel She Started It, when it released, I was eager to read this one once I learned about it.
This is a locked room thriller on a super yacht with several detestable characters, all hiding something. The multiple POVs were a bit hard to follow at first, but as we get to know the characters better that clears up. The fast pace and nonstop action kept me engaged all the way through and the end was one twisty reveal after another including the crazy epilogue! I had a fun time with the characters after getting to know them more, especially how they all spent their time messing with one another, trying to get the one up on each other during their long voyages.
If you’re looking for a longer read full of chaotic characters stuck together after a suspicious death on a super yacht, I Did Warn Her is for you!
Thank you to William Morrow for providing me with a digital galley via NetGalley.

Just watch Below Deck.
I enjoy an unlikable cast of characters some times, this was not one of those times
I was bored and annoyed

A locked room thriller with an ensemble cast of characters each having juicy secrets of their own set on a superyacht with rich people behaving badly? I binged it. Twisty and dynamic until the very end.

“I Did Warn Her” by Sian Gilbert is a slick, unsettling, and utterly bingeable thriller that had me hooked from the first page. What starts off as a glamorous getaway quickly spirals into something darker and more dangerous, and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.

This story cleverly plays with the idea of toxic friendships, ambition, and secrets kept just under the surface—until they explode. The structure alternates timelines and perspectives in a way that’s addictive without being confusing, and each new revelation lands with a sharp, satisfying twist. Just when I thought I had the story figured out, Sian Gilbert pulled the rug out from under me again.

The atmosphere was particularly well done—claustrophobic, luxurious, and ominous. It captured that perfect blend of sun-soaked beauty and undercurrents of menace, making it impossible to relax, even during the “fun” moments. And the social commentary? Spot on. There’s a lot being said here about privilege, power, and performative behavior, all wrapped in a fast-paced thriller.

The only reason this wasn’t a full five stars is that I wanted just a bit more from the ending—it landed well but left a few things slightly open-ended for my taste. Still, it’s a strong, smart, and satisfying read overall.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to read this early. I’ll definitely be recommending this one to fans of Ruth Ware, Lucy Foley, or anyone who loves a sun-drenched thriller with bite.

This was a very intense read, as the secrets and lies spill out on board the tension escalates whilst the ability to trust others diminishes. It definitely had me not knowing who I could trust on board.

A locked room mystery set aboard a yacht with stewardesses who look very similar. When a crew member ends up dead, the search is on as to whodunnit. This was an exciting read. I enjoyed the short chapters and multiple POVs . Though it did take me some time to get the hang of who was who, once I got into it, I was fully invested.

This book was difficult to read for the first 50%. I thought the concept of it was great but the characters were all so one note. There was no character development at all really. And everything just dragged on for so long. I thought the yacht locked room concept was cool and I didnt expect the ending or the twists at all. It Just took so long to get there and all the characters were so insufferable.

I absolutely LOVED She Started It so I was so excited to get the ARC for this one.

Although there were many of them, I did enjoy the multiple POVs. I definitely had a love/hate relationship with some of the characters. Imogen's POV was my absolute favorite. I enjoyed the locked room trope. There was lots of characters blaming other characters which caused me to want to keep reading. I really had no idea where this was going.

The rich people constantly up to no good and the crew who are hiding more secrets and drama than one can imagine was very entertaining. I loved that the author showed us into how both classes lived and interacted on the yacht.

There's a lot to unpack in this one but it was SO worth it!

I love the concept, especially as someone who watches below deck but this book was hard to finish for the following reasons

1) in addition to many of the “stews” looking similar, their personalities didn’t feel that distinctive which made the alternative POV not worth it and sometimes confusing

2) many of the male characters blur together, which makes it even harder to follow and decide who did what

3) certain elements that would otherwise be thrilling get drug out

Although this wasn’t for me, I appreciate the advance review copy

A super yacht with a gorgeous crew where all the stewardesses look the same - blonde and beautiful. Sasha included, who is the newest member of the crew. Her alarm bells should have been going off immediately, but she's there for a fresh start after a tragedy made her leave her nursing job. She has no idea what she signed up for.

These women are all so snarky - Sasha, Jade (head stewardess), Effie, Imogen and Lola; plus the 2 women, Jasmine and Eve, accompanying the guests of the yacht. It took a little while to keep the ladies straight, especially since we get the POV of them all. They all have secrets, and no one is to be trusted. She was warned!

A locked room mystery and popcorn thriller make this book an entertaining read. The red herrings make you suspect pretty much everyone on the yacht!

Below Deck meets mystery! Twisty, tense, and deliciously dark, I Did Warn Her is a gripping psychological thriller that keeps you second-guessing until the final page. With razor-sharp prose and chilling revelations, Gilbert crafts a tale of secrets, betrayal, and revenge that's impossible to put down.

Special thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for this digital e-arc.*

I enjoyed this “locked room” mystery. I like to watch Below Deck, so this is a sinister version of that. My only issue is that there were a lot of characters to keep track of, and the ending was a bit chaotic. Still, this is a good, solid beach read. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As someone who enjoys Below Deck, I immediately requested this one because I wanted the drama, the locked door mystery, and the tensions that exist on a yacht where you have to cater to every whim of the guests.

On board the superyacht Ophelia it's the last trip of the season with the addition of a completely inexperienced stewardess, and they're also making an Atlantic crossing all the way to New York. The passengers are two wealthy men and their escorts. But all is a disaster on the ship - drama between the crew, strange behavior from the Captain, the usual rampant misogyny and danger, sabotage and theft, and the ongoing mystery of a stewardess that disappeared during last year's season. Mysteries you didn't even know were mysteries are suddenly revealed and there was twist after twist.

Pretty much everyone is a horrible person willing to go to all kinds of lows to achieve their goal, so don't think you'll come out of this liking anyone, just know you'll be shocked, and then resigned, and then think you should've seen it coming. I had a great time.

⭐️⭐️⭐️
Did you ever watch Below Deck and think to yourself, “All that’s missing is a murder”? Well, that’s exactly what you get with I Did Warn Her! It’s LITERALLY Below Deck but make it a thriller. They even reference the show multiple times. 😂

It was a little too convenient for me at times, and I hated EVERY character, but I still had a good time. It’s fast-paced, doesn’t require too much brain power, and makes for a great palate cleanser. A fun summer thriller with a superyacht setting.

I think I might’ve felt differently if I was rooting for anyone… but nope. All awful. That said, hating everyone was kind of fun too.

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the arc of I Did Warn Her! Out Tuesday, July 17th!

Thoughts:
After reading the gifted ARC, I knew I had to listen to the audiobook too—especially with Imogen Church and Karen Cass involved! Their narration, along with the other talented voice actresses, amped up the tension and unease in this chilling five-star thriller.

Summary:
A hired yacht crew sets sail across the Atlantic to New York—but this luxury voyage quickly turns into something far more sinister.

Sasha, a former nurse trying to escape her past, immediately senses something’s off. The other stewardesses? Practically clones—blonde, blue-eyed, and eerily identical. And as the newest crew member, Sasha becomes the scapegoat for everything.

Meanwhile, Jasmine and Eva, “companions” of a wealthy guest, have their own motives—though Jasmine’s endgame isn’t just money.

Then one of the stewardesses turns up dead. With no escape and danger circling, it becomes clear: someone on board is a killer. But who—and who’s next?

Thank you NetGalley, Sian Gilbert, William Morrow, and HarperAudio for the opportunity to read and listen to this incredible five-star story!

Look for this to release June 17, 2025!

If you combined “Below Deck” and “And Then There Were None” you’d get “I Did Warn Her”, a mystery set on a super-yacht charter.

The story is told from multiple points of view. All the narrators are almost identical looking beautiful blonde yacht stewardesses, selected to meet the exacting preferences of the yacht’s owner. None of the women are super likable, and some of their personalities are quite simple, so at times it was hard to keep track of who was who and what was happening to each character.

But “Below Deck” fans looking for an escapist vacation mystery will enjoy this book.

A trapped room mystery on a super yacht? Sign me up! Full of murders, plot twists, and trapped on the ocean with no where to go. Good luck guessing who did it.

I am such a huge fan of Below Deck and this sounded right up my alley but unfortunately it didn’t work out for me. There were too many similar characters, literal carbon copies of each other that were impossible to keep straight. It’s a shame as I had high hopes but you can’t win them all.

This was actually better than I thought it would be. I enjoyed the multiple povs. They were a bit overwhelming at the beginning but once I learned who each character was and their agenda. I was thoroughly entertained more about everyone’s secrets than I was about the murder so idk what that says about me.

i didn’t like how all the women were just cutthroat and out to get one another. very poor planning in my opinion. and how everyone blamed one specific character?? annoying actually.

and the men were so useless and written as caricatures.

i did want a sharper ending than what i was given but i guess you work with what you got.

[4.5 stars]

Everyone on the Orphelia is gorgeous, staff and customers alike. And I mean model status gorgeous. However, everyone is also hiding their own dark secrets, proving that sometimes, beauty isn't always skin deep. Before joining the Orphelia, Sasha was outrunning her problems and hoping a few weeks away on a superyacht would help her forget what happened back home. Unfortunately, this boat is not without drama. After a swanky party, one of the stewardesses turns up dead in the water next to the yacht. This isn't the first time there's been a mysterious death on the yacht either. Plus, jewelry, safety mechanisms, and expensive food have all gone missing since the ship disembarked earlier that week. Sasha is naturally the scapegoat as the newest hire, but quickly, everyone seems guilty of one crime or another. With only a few days left on their trip, their final destination seems unlikely unless someone gets to the bottom of these crimes - and fast.

I loved Sian Gilbert's debut and was thrilled to have the opportunity to review this one as well. I knew I was in for a treat, but I did not expect this much action and twists from this yacht crew. Although I didn't love most of the characters, though this is also deliberate on Gilbert's part, I was quickly drawn into the story. The story is told through multiple viewpoints, and it was hard to keep up with at times, but this did not affect my overall enjoyment of the novel. I figured out none of the twists! ZERO. I thought I had some of them figured out, but I was SO far off. And the final twist - STOP IT. I truly enjoyed this one so much. I was upset at one plot point, which I won't discuss due to spoilers, which knocked .5 stars off. Overall, however, I cannot recommend this one enough! I will continue to read Sian Gilbert's books as long as she writes them.