I Did Warn Her is an absolutely riveting, darkly clever thriller that gripped me from the first page and refused to let go. Sian Gilbert masterfully builds suspense with razor-sharp pacing, layered characters, and twists I never saw coming. The setting was both glamorous and unsettling, and the way the story unfolded—dripping with tension and perfectly timed reveals—kept me devouring chapter after chapter. It’s the kind of book you can’t stop thinking about even after the final page.

What stood out most to me was the psychological depth you gave to each character, especially the women, who felt raw, real, and utterly compelling. The themes of power, privilege, and revenge were woven in with such precision that I found myself reflecting long after finishing. Sian, your voice is bold and original, and this novel is a true triumph. Thank you for such a wickedly satisfying read—I can’t wait to see what you write next.

This is a locked-door mystery that takes place on a yacht. Sasha is starting a new job as a stewardess on a billionaire’s yacht, where everyone looks and acts the same. They all have long blonde hair, high cheekbones, same beauty. A year ago a stewardess was murdered on the boat, and it doesn’t take long for another murder to occur. The mystery of the story is finding out who’s doing the killing, and there are several suspects.

It’s your typical mystery, although there are no likable characters in my opinion. No one to root for. The killer wasn’t all that shocking. I’d give this 2.5 ⭐️

I couldn’t put this book down! Sian Gilbert weaves an engrossing mystery on a super yacht full of a clear class divide between the staff and the guests. She gives characters you’ll root for and some you’ll love to hate-though one of them even grew on me towards the end. I’ve never watched Below Deck, but I think fans of that show and anyone who’s a thriller fan will eat this one up! Sian Gilbert is now an auto buy author for me

This was a roller coaster. Very suspenseful. I enjoy a good who-dun-it story. The mystery was there and it kept me engage. Some parts i felt were dragged out. I did find myself skimming alot to get to better/faster moving sections.

Huge shout out to Netgalley and William Morrow Books for the early copy of this damn good thriller.

As a huge fan of Below Deck, I was instantly transported to the high seas and was extremely impressed with the entertaining joyride this book took me on! The twists and turns this book took had my stomach in knots and the mountain of secrets that were ultimately revealed were shocking to say the least. This was a super fun read that kept me guessing the entire time and had me intrigued enough with the layers upon layers of depth each character displayed. Each had things they were hiding and I couldn't wait to get to the bottom of their individual mysteries. Some you hated and some easily became your favorites just like they do in each season of Below Deck. This is my first book from this author but it surely won't be my last.

A very interesting premise with a lot of interesting characters. Unfortunately, the writing came across as juvenile, making the execution a bit lackluster.

I enjoyed this thriller. It kept my attention and had me wanting to know what would happen next. I thought it was interesting that it took place on a yacht and the things that went on there. A fun whodunnit book that would be perfect to read on vacation or in the summer.

Well, I enjoyed how fast-paced and full of intrigues and tea this book is, and also atmospheric. But after 2/3 of it I felt it all got a little repetitive and slow. In my opinion, this is the kind of thriller that works much better if it's shorter, faster.
Also, I'm confused. I've read this author's previous novel and I really liked their writing. But on this one? Not that much. Sometimes I caught myself wondering if I were reading a book by that same author. This one feels more like a debut than the other one.
It bothered me a little.

Wow! The gossip, lies, suspense, and murder! I have to say, I’ve never read a book about a Super Yacht, so the setting itself was interesting, along with the seclusion of the characters. This book kept my attention and I couldn’t put it down! Definitely recommend!

Release: June 17, 2025
Author: Sian Gilbert
Publisher: William Morrow

Rating: 3.5 ★ 

In I Did Warn Her, a luxury yacht becomes the ultimate locked-room mystery when secrets, rivalries, and murder crash the party. Sasha, a last-minute hire, joins an eerily identical crew of blonde, beautiful stewardesses on the Ophelia—a billionaire’s floating palace. The high pay and chance to escape their messy pasts seem like a dream, but that illusion quickly cracks. With stolen jewelry, mysterious deaths, and a boat full of guests who are just as secretive as the crew, trust vanishes fast. When a crew member turns up dead after a night of excess, everyone becomes a suspect. Glamorous, twisted, and impossible to look away from, this is a high-stakes whodunnit where no one can run and the truth is darker than the ocean below.

This book was such a wild ride—atmospheric, twisty, and brimming with tension. Set on a luxurious yacht in the middle of the ocean, I Did Warn Her drops you right into a floating web of secrets, where no one is who they seem and everyone has something to hide. The setting was claustrophobic in the best way, and I loved how the yacht itself felt like a character—glamorous on the surface but hiding something sinister beneath.

There are a lot of characters, and at first it was honestly a bit hard to keep track of them all. But once I settled in, the POVs started clicking into place, and I appreciated how layered and flawed everyone was. Some characters I couldn’t stand (intentionally, I’m sure), while others slowly grew on me, which made the unraveling of the mystery even more fun to watch. The tension builds steadily, and while the middle dragged a bit for me, the ending more than made up for it—I didn’t see the twist coming at all.

I also loved the social commentary threaded throughout—especially around wealth, power, and identity—and Gilbert’s sharp, sarcastic tone really worked for the chaotic, messy world she created. If you like locked-room mysteries with unreliable narrators, messy characters, and secrets at every turn, this one’s worth a spot on your summer TBR.

Favorite Quote:
"sometimes, the things we regret the most are the things we thought we wanted at the time."

Really enjoyed how much atmosphere setting went into this book. Tons of characters with very complex motives. Almost too many characters to keep up with. Really enjoyed this story and how it was told. Lots of twists and turns all along the way!

DNF @ 5% 😬

As a huge fan of the show Below Deck and a fan of locked room mysteries I was really excited to read this book. Unfortunately I could tell from the first few pages I wouldn’t like it. The writing is not for me, it’s very Wattpad vibes (and bad Wattpad not good Wattpad). It also seems like the author may be a fan of Below Deck and wanted to write a mystery about a yacht + crew but it felt like Below Deck fan-fiction or something. The dialogue was also super unnatural and the sentences felt clunky. I just don’t think I could continue this.

Thank you to William Morrow Books, HarperCollins, and Netgalley for the eARC.

This is an excellent beach read it’s fun easy short chapters and it made me grasp a time or two thank you for allowing me to read this excellent book

Get ready for "Below Deck" meets "Knives Out" with a splash of "The White Lotus" energy. "I Did Warn Her" unfolds aboard the yacht “Ophelia”, a billionaire's playground on water where the stewardesses are interchangeable blonde bombshells (literally hired to look alike 💁‍♀️) and everyone's running from something. 🛥️

As newly-hired Sasha joins the crew for an Atlantic crossing, she steps into a nest of vipers disguised as a luxury vessel. When the yacht owner arrives with his business partner and two mysterious female companions, the tension builds like a tsunami wave. Soon jewelry starts disappearing, a crew member turns up dead, and suddenly everyone's a suspect in a floating house of lies where escape is impossible. 🔐🌊

If there’s one thing I love, it’s multiple POVS and this story had characters that had me cackling and some that had me wishing for a plank. Between the claustrophobic setting of a luxury yacht (nowhere to run or hide) to the plot twists and finger pointing that keep on coming (until the very end), Gilbert’s book will have you flipping pages like they’re on fire.

The razor-sharp commentary on wealth, beauty standards and power dynamics? Oh yea, I clocked it and I LOVED IT. This is my personal thank you to Gilbert for her expertly-crafted sarcastic tone that somehow amplified both tender and chaotic moments in the most delicious way. 🔥
While the early chapters might have your head spinning a bit with a slew of characters...just trust the process: the ones that need to pop do, and the others play their parts perfectly.

Talkin’ tropes:

🔪 Locked room mystery
👯‍♀️ Unreliable narrators
💎 Eat the rich
🤐 Everyone has a secret
👀 Voyeurism/watching & being watched
💅 Found family but make it toxic

I Did Warn Her is an addictive thriller that makes for the perfect beach read. This baddie comes out June 17th, so if you enjoy the chaos of watching beautiful people make terrible decisions while trapped together, you need this on your summer TBR! 🌞

Thank you to NetGalley and Sian Gilbert for the opportunity to read this gem early.
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#bookreview #Ididwarnher #siangilbert #thrillerbooks #newreleasebooks #murdermystery #luxurylifestyle #summerready #bookstagram

I loved Sian Gilbert’s first novel, “She Started It” and therefore had high hopes for this one. As someone who can usually knock out a thriller in a few days to a week, this took me a month. Many characters, all with their own POV, which I usually enjoy, but there were a few too many this time. You get ahold of all of them after a while, but the book just dragged until towards the end, especially in the middle half. It didn’t really hold my interest, despite having such high hopes.

Sasha needs to get away from her previous life so what does she decide to do, become a stewardess on a super yacht. Little does she know that as soon as the yacht departs from shore, everything will turn into chaos. It seems like everyone is hiding something and no one is truly safe.

I will admit, at the beginning it was very hard to keep up with the many different POV’s and the characters were hard to like. I understand how some characters are meant to be like that and I appreciate it but for me personally, some of it was over the top. As the story continued though, the suspense started to build up and I was hooked again. All the characters were pointing fingers at each other trying to stay clean themselves when in reality, no one could truly be trusted. It turns into solving this murder mystery and trying to find all the clues on this small but huge yacht. I did enjoy the build up of the storyline and how we got to see some character growth in order for them to work together. It kept me guessing up until the end!

Thank you NetGalley for early access to this ARC!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Summary: Sasha is a last minute, fill In hire for a crew that is setting sale for the horizon. A glittering yacht; a mansion that floats basically; lavish food and drink, and five star amenities. All for two men and their two beautiful women, to take a trip of a lifetime. All it takes is a shifty crew of stewards, a captain, and deck hands to help move this cruise along. Not all is as perfect as it seems on the outside though. Especially not when, mid cruise, dark and deadly secrets start to rise to the surface and a body is found floating.
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Review: This was actually so much fun!! A twisty “who did it” type of read but in the middle of the ocean. There is a current of POVs and plot twists and trying to keep up with the narrative and the story being poured out from our unreliable narrators, good luck keeping your head above water.
Filled to the brim with secrets, lies, hidden identities and hidden villains this book will have you guessing until the last chapter.
Once I picked this book up it was hard to stop, it’s like watching an accident happen in real time you just can’t rip your eyes away from it, even though it’s messy and uncomfortable. At first, I didn’t really enjoy any of our characters, and wasn’t really sure that I cared about what happened to them but rest assured, as the book goes on at least one of them grows on you. It feels weird saying that because I normally wouldn’t read a book so high if I didn’t like most of the characters, but I think it plays really well into the story! The ending was much deserved and I enjoyed it immensely.
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🚢Murder mystery
🌊Cruise ship setting
🚢Plot twists & drama
🌊Sabotage & revenge

~~*~~*Thank you to the Harper Collins and NetGalley for an early advance digital copy of this book!~~*~~

Quick thriller read! With short chapters and multiple POVs, this thriller is a fast and easy read. Everyone on board has a backstory and a reason to not be trusted. But who will resort to murder to keep that backstory behind them?

Below Deck meets Murder Mystery Train (well, yacht?!)

Huge thank you to @harpercollins and @netgalley for the ARC of “I Did Warn Her” 🛥️⚓️🔪

I was quickly drawn to Sian’s twisty tale following the Crew of “Ophelia” both as a lover of thrillers and and avid Below Deck girly.

Absolutely everybody on this boat has a backstory, a secret and something they’re hoping will not wash a shore when they dock in New York, that is, if they’ll dock…

I personally love any book that has an unreliable narrator as well as multiple points of view. Especially in the case of “I Did Warn Her”, by hopping into each character’s mind we were constantly turning over what truly happened, what we’re being told and who we can trust.

Devoured this almost as quickly as I had “She Started It”, cannot wait to see what else Gilbert has coming!!

As a final note: there was a handful of times in the book that the author describes a character going through a panic attack and overcoming their anxiety symptoms, which was extremely well done and extremely realistic (as someone who’s suffered from them)

The pacing of this story was rather slow at the beginning and felt like the attempts to wrap it up were too messy.