I fell in love, hard and fast, with Katherine Wood's excellent SUNBURNED. Private investigator more comfortable behind a computer than out in St. Bart's with one-time lover and friends, Audrey is immediately set on the defensive and into realms of past loves, high stakes, and current possibilities while trying to figure out who sent a threatening message to the enigmatic billionaire ex-boyfriend Tyson. Is it his brother? His partner? His unhappy wife with a history of dead husbands? Wood kept me guessing, while also dropping me into a beautiful country and ultraweatlhy lifestyle. Wow. Just wow. Great dialogue, fantastically complicated characters, fast paced and believable plot? A read that kept me up too late -- and loving every minute of it. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

After Ladykiller, I was sold on the talent of our author so this was an immediate yes for me.

Throw in a perfect Carribean get away, locked room on a yacht and a mystery and you couldn't ask for a better summer read.

I absolutely love dual timelines where our characters know more than we the reader do. So we don't quite know why they're making the decisions they make until jumping back at key points starts unraveling them.

I love a good who dun it and not knowing until it clicks and then you know. Even when you read this genre and can figure plots out, if the author knows what theyre doing as Ms Wood does, it doesn't take you away from the writing and story. This is a page turner and I'm going to keep on reading this authors works every time she rolls one out.

What a fun thriller! Our main character, Audrey, has investigative skills. When her billionaire ex, Tyson, asks her to come to his home on a Caribbean island, she can hardly refuse as they share a secret that she doesn’t want to have revealed. Tyson wants to know who is out to get him and he suspects the people that he has surrounded himself with might be the ones involved. As Audrey learns more about these people, the stakes continue to escalate leading to a fateful dive. I thoroughly enjoyed the book. Great page turner, loved the characters both good and bad, there’s betrayal, romance, family dysfunction, glamorous destination, just element after element of a fun read.

I was hooked from the beginning! Why does the ex boyfriend want to see her again? What is the secret that they are hiding? And they are crazy rich??? Sign me up!

Tyson Dale is getting blackmail threats so he calls his ex, Audrey, for help. She flies to the Caribbean Island of St. Barth’s to help him out. They were friends and dated 10 years ago, he is the father of her twins and they share a secret, a man was killed at his house and they covered it up. Now that body has surfaced and someone knows their secret and is asking for money from him. He is at his mansion with his family and others and each one is considered a suspect. Audrey must figure out who the guilty person is. While on his yacht a Tyson’s death takes place, everyone is a suspect. Who is the killer? Audrey makes a shocking discovery which puts her life in danger.

The author had me on the island St. Barth enjoying its beauty. The novel is full of twists and turns. There are flashbacks to what happened those ten years ago when Tyson and Audrey were together which adds to the mystery of the story.




Audrey Collet owned a small business gathering intelligence on corporations and individuals which was useful for trials. She worked hard and finally had a 5-day trip to St. Barth’s. Tyson Dale agreed to pay her company $100,000 to identify a person who blackmailed him.

When she was young, Audrey and Tyson were lovers on and off again until she couldn’t stand it and left at 21. Why did he really want her there now? He owned a business that was worth billions and his home was described as peaceful with a relaxing pool. Yet there was nothing relaxing about Tyson. He gave her chills.

This plot had a gradual start but after a few chapters, it was entertaining and worked well with two timelines: the present and eleven years prior. It surprised me with unexpected twists and turns. I wasn’t able to figure out the outcome as much as I tried. And, with all the sunshine, pristine blue waters and refreshing drinks, I believe it screamed: beach read.

Sunburned is the perfect summer thriller—glamorous, twisty, and impossible to put down. Set against the glittering backdrop of St. Barth’s, this locked-room style mystery blends luxury, secrets, and murder in a way that feels fresh and compulsively readable. I loved how Katherine Wood wove in flashbacks to Audrey’s past with Tyson and his brother, giving the present-day mystery extra depth. The ensemble cast is messy, suspicious, and endlessly entertaining—you’ll be second-guessing everyone until the very last page. With its mix of sharp suspense and sun-soaked atmosphere, Sunburned is exactly the kind of popcorn thriller that begs to be read poolside.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Perennial for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

3.5/5!

Prepare to be swept away to the ultra-exclusive St. Barth’s where you’ll now be stuck with your ex, who wants you to launch an investigation into what he believes to be blackmail for a crime from your youth that could ruin your life if the truth comes out. Sound dramatic enough? No? What if you were also trapped on a massive yacht with a killer?

Katherine Wood has put together a thriller with almost as much drama as there are twists and turns. While the story takes a bit of time to ramp up, once readers have a solid footing the action starts to take off and you find yourself glued to the pages.

I love the mix of flashbacks to the past to give readers a bird’s eye view into what happened in Audrey’s youth with Tyson and his brother, Cole. That foundation made it easier to understand some of the moves that these characters were taking in the present day. In addition to our core cast, Wood delivers a handful of secondary characters that keep readers suspicious of their motivations.

Sunburned is a great selection if you’re looking for a popcorn thriller to take poolside or a hot weather escape as the chillier months set in.

☀️ Sunburned by Katherine Wood ☀️

“What happens in St. Barth’s… might just kill you.”

This was the perfect summer who-done-it that blends summer vibes set on a private island with the thrill and suspense of a murder mystery that leaves you guessing the whole time. This story follows Audrey who gets tangled up in a murder in high school and said victims foot washing up 11 years later on a private island that her high school ex lives on and the story goes from there. This was a fast and fun read and the perfect book to finish off the summer. If you love…

🔎 Who-done-it’s
🩷 Romance side plots
💵 Billionaire ex boyfriends
🌪️ Twists and turns
☀️ Summer vibes
🌴 Set on a tropical island

Then you will love this book!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was an engaging and well-written book that kept my interest throughout. The author delivered strong ideas and storytelling, with memorable moments that made it stand out. While there were a few areas that could have been expanded or polished further, overall it was an enjoyable and worthwhile read. I would recommend it to others looking for a thoughtful and rewarding experience.

3.5 stars

A perfect summer thriller adventure, Sunburned FMC Audrey is drawn back into her tech-billionaire ex-boyfriend's life when he faces blackmail. Set in St. Barth's, the luxurious lifestyle of the elites provides a stunning backdrop for the drama and intrigue of this murder mystery. Katherine Wood keeps readers guessing with numerous misdirections and potential suspects. Readers will find it impossible not to keep turning pages!

Advanced reader copy provided by Ballantine Books. All opinions are my own.

Sunburned" by Katherine Wood is a captivating mystery novel set against the lush backdrop of St. Barth’s, a Caribbean paradise that serves as the perfect stage for suspense and intrigue. This is the second book I've read by Katherine Wood, following "Ladykiller," and it offers a different yet equally engaging reading experience.

The novel cleverly adopts a locked-room mystery format, but with a twist—it's set on a yacht. This unique setting intensifies the claustrophobic tension and heightens the stakes, making every twist and turn more impactful. Initially, the story takes a bit of time to unfold, requiring some patience as the layers begin to peel away. However, once the narrative picks up, it becomes increasingly absorbing.

Audrey, the main character, is brilliantly crafted—smart, capable, and relatable. Her depth adds a significant layer to the story, making the reader invested in her journey and the challenges she faces. The plot weaves together elements of blackmail and murder, creating a rich tapestry of drama and suspense that keeps the pages turning.

The story unfolds with a dual timeline - with some backstory some 11 years ago and present day.

Comparatively, while "Ladykiller" left much to reader interpretation with its open-ended conclusion, "Sunburned" provides a more straightforward resolution. This approach is satisfying as it ties up the narrative threads neatly, leaving a sense of completion.

Overall, I would rate "Sunburned" 3.5 stars. It's an excellent choice for a summer read, combining an exotic setting with a compelling murder mystery.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Bantam for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

SUNBURNED was so good. My ears devoured every word. The audio narration was perfection. Every single person was a suspect. This reminded me of Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. I’ve read both of Miss Wood’s books and am looking forward to all of her future works. Brilliant.

I really enjoyed this! Gave me Knives Out vibes on an island and yacht. I had some guesses but I enjoyed the twists along the way and how it wrapped up. Thanks!

It's all about choice and accountability. It seems everyone in this story made choices, some for good reasons and some for bad, but they have to be held accountable. Audrey has known Tyson and Cody for many years. Audrey dated Tyson, but their relationship ended badly. Years later, Tyson invites Audrey to his birthday celebration, and it isn't to celebrate his birthday. Someone is trying to blackmail him, and he thinks it is either Audrey or someone close to him. He wants Audrey to discover who it is. That sets so many things into motion and so many secrets are brought to light. Audrey isn't sure she will survive this investigation. Will she be able to go home to her boys?

Katherine Wood writes the very best summer thrillers! This was the perfect book to take on vacation and the mystery kept me tuned in. The ending shocked me as usual!!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Sunburned.

Audrey Collet is a tech wizard and entrepreneur, a single parent of twin boys, and the ex-girlfriend of a tech billionaire.

When he requests she help him find the person blackmailing him, she has no choice but to agree.

The two of them have a shared past...and shared secrets.

First, I like the writing style and tone; it flows and is easy to read.

Audrey isn't unlikable but I wasn't a fan of her; she's incredibly naive when it comes to Tyson.

Also, considering their past, she seems shocked by his callous behavior and insensitivity, as if she's still the college student who was madly in love with him.

Second, I liked the Caribbean setting, though this is my third or fourth book featuring a super yacht. Are yachts the new literary trend?

Third, the mystery isn't original; I figured out the twists from the beginning, who did what and to whom and why.

I figured out early in the story how Tyson he made his millions and it wasn't because he was kind and brilliant.

There are a few moments that will test the boundaries of your ability to suspend disbelief; it did for me but by that time I had long guessed who the blackmailer was.

It isn't that it's hard to believe Audrey wouldn't recognize this person despite how much surgery you've had but it's hard to believe this person could insinuate themselves into someone else's life and be confident their ruse would work.

It would have been more believable if this person had been a business partner rather than a romantic partner.

Speaking of romance, I've said it before and I'll say it again, not every novel must feature the main character coupling up.

Did we really need Audrey and Laurent making eyes at each other and Audrey mooning over him in her thoughts and actions?

There are a lot of characters and everyone is hiding something, naturally, so there are red herrings to take into consideration and disregard.

I liked the writing, but the formulaic mystery and silly romance made the narrative tedious and repetitive as it progressed.

This was a quick and easy beach read with some thriller vibes, but I found myself getting bored at times and never really connected with the characters. The first half was pretty slow for me, though it did pick up as the story went on.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC!

While some of this is beyond ridiculous, the plot and characters were engrossing and had a depth that you don’t always get in a thriller/mystery. I knew some bits of the plot immediately but much of it was twisty and well orchestrated. My biggest gripe is that I just didn’t quite believe the main character as an investigator.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC!

Really enjoyed this one. Easy read and easy to follow but kept me engaged throughout. Would definitely recommend this to a friend

A suspenseful story of how people and events in our past can come back to haunt us. A fast paced mystery that kept you guessing until the end.