Sunburned by Katherine Wood will keep you guessing til the end. It takes place on the beautiful island of St Barth on a luxurious yacht. Audrey Collet is asked by her ex-boyfriend ,Tyson, to find out who is blackmailing him
If secrets, relationships and betrays interest you then this is a read for you. The many twists and turns of the plot will keep you guessing in this book. I almost read through the night to find out the ending

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Sunburned by Katherine Wood. I enjoyed her first book, Ladykiller, and had high hopes for this follow-up—and I’m happy to say it did not disappoint!

Set on the glitzy island of St. Barts (aka “Billionaire Island”), the story follows Audrey Collet, a sharp discovery agent who investigates people on behalf of lawyers. Things get personal when her billionaire ex-boyfriend calls her to the island—he’s being blackmailed over a long-buried secret from their teenage years.

As the mystery unfolds, the tension builds: Who is the blackmailer? What do they want? And just how far are they willing to go for revenge?

With its tropical setting, layered characters, and twisty plot, Sunburned is a fast-paced, addictive read. I couldn’t put it down!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Bantam Books, and Katherine Wood for gifting me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Sunburned starts with the quote: “Man is condemned to be free. Condemned because he did not create himself, yet nevertheless at liberty, and from the moment that he is thrown into this world be is responsible for everything he does.” - Jean-Paul Sartre

This is a 352-page thriller by the amazing Katherine Wood. The book gives Knives Out: Glass Onion vibes mixed with I Know What You Did Last Summer. Our female main character, Audrey Collet, is a girl with a troubled past who is now a digital PI. She uncovers secrets for a living—is that why she’s so good at keeping them? Sunburned is filled with unreliable characters, and it’s up to you to figure out whodunit.

This book was unputdownable! I read it all the way through in one day (about 4 hours total). When I got to the end of part one, my only thought was WTF?! Then, I got to the last chapter, and I actually said WTF out loud, much to the confusion of the poor dog I was sitting at the time.

Sunburned by Katherine Wood (author of Ladykiller, 2024) comes out on July 1st, 2025. 5/5 Stars!

3.5 stars

This was an entertaining summer read with plenty of suspense, but I did struggle to connect with the plot and the ending. Overall an enjoyable read, and I am pretty sure I will be an outlier with this one as I’ve seen several very positive reviews.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the advanced copy of this book!

Audrey's PI services have brought her to St. Barts with a substantial paycheck. However, she will be working for her ex Tyson, whom she has not seen in years and doesn't have the fondest memories of. When she gets to his home, there is quite an ensemble from his wife, her best friend, brother and his girlfriend, and business partner in their billion-dollar company.

Tyson has received an article regarding a recent uncovering in Florida that could tie him to some unsavory things in his past and threaten his life. He needs Audrey to find out who is blackmailing him and suspects that it is someone in his home. Audrey is now working for her ex, whom she does not trust or have a good relationship with, navigating which strangers to trust, while also being reminded of her past.

I really enjoyed this book! I was excited to receive this copy because I have loved another one of Katherine Wood's books that I have read. Audrey was a great protagonist. She was smart, realistic, and a good person to enter the world through. The flashback story was also interesting and played into the plot well. I definitely recommend this book for someone looking for a mystery/thriller.

“Sunburned” is a mystery by Katherine Wood. This book follows two timelines - one in present day and one eleven years ago. Audrey, the main character, is in both timelines - as is her former boyfriend (Tyson) and his brother (Cody). Eleven years ago, Audrey, Tyson, and Cody did something that wasn’t legal. One of them went to jail for it, so when (in present day) Audrey gets contacted by Tyson saying someone’s blackmailing him, he convinces her that it’s in her best interest to help him. The prologue for this story was rather interesting - but then the story slowed down for a long while as backstory was filled in - along with motive in present day for people to have reasons to blackmail Tyson. Then the reader returns to the prologue timeline - and things move along at a right nice clip. Ms. Wood does a great job describing the what Audrey’s seeing during the dive - I rather liked my quick mini-dive adventure. This is a locked room type of mystery, though I saw the twist(s) in advance - though it didn’t diminish my enjoyment of the book. I didn’t really find any of the characters likable, which took away a bit of the overall enjoyment. Overall, this was a good read and it held my attention - once the second half started and the pacing picked up. 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

The mysterious arts of the book were well written—so much so that I never laid my suspicions where they should have ended up. The characters were not as well developed. I wonder that every male that came into the story was quite attractive, but maybe this island only allows the sexiest men to dot the landscape. On the good side, the mystery is well crafted, and I never set it down for long.

Audrey is requested to come to her ex-boyfriends exclusive home in St.Barths to figure out who is blackmailing him. She is reluctant to go but when something resurfaces from their past, she is swayed to go see what is going on. The first thing Audrey notes is how paranoid her ex has become and that all of his current guests have a reason to hate him. When the his birthday diving trip on a fancy yacht turns deadly, Audrey must find out which guest aboard the yacht wanted him dead or she could be the next on the hit list. I did predict some of the ending but there were enough twists to keep you guessing the whole ending. The characters are so well developed and you can picture them perfectly as you are reading.
Another great story from Katherine Wood! Thank you NetGalley and Bantam for an ARC in return for a honest review.

A fast paced suspense with some nice twists.
Childhood friends with a huge secret reunite when one is being blackmailed. Lots of suspects, secrets, rich people drama, and alas a dead body. The characters are flawed, the plot has a little of everything, and the setting is beautiful. Overall a great summer suspense novel!
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for the Advance Reader Copy of “Sunburned” by Katherine Wood.

I’m a big fan of the author, whether she is writing as Katherine Wood or Katherine St. John. She writes sharp, capable women in complicated, twisty situations, who usually have something unexpected up their sleeve. That is exactly what I got with “Sunburned”. I couldn’t put this book down.

The only thing that prevents this from being a 5 star read is that it was a little predictable in places. Fortunately, I figured out a couple of the key plot twists pretty early on. Regardless, getting to the end was so much fun.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: July 1, 2025
Audrey Collet has put her past behind her, now thriving as a single mom of twin boys and an entrepreneur. So, when her ex-boyfriend, Tyson, calls her, asking for her assistance in uncovering who is responsible for blackmailing him. As much as Audrey wants to refuse, Tyson threatens to destroy her life, and that of her young children and, Audrey knows, he has the money and influence to do it. Flown to an exclusive home on St. Bart’s, Audrey is suddenly a guest in Tyson’s luxurious home, surrounded by friends and co-workers, all who may want Tyson dead. It is up to Audrey to determine who’s behind the threats, or she will be the one who loses everything.
Katherine Wood, author of “Ladykiller”, returns with a sizzing, seductive book, “Sunburned”, perfect for the summer season. Our protagonist, Audrey, is flown to an island paradise, where she is out of place among the uber rich and super elite but is forced into solving one mystery after another to save her own skin. Yet another locked-room mystery (although in this case, more of a ‘locked yacht’ mystery), “Sunburned” is an addicting, immersive page-turner.
Among the cast of characters, there are likable ones (such as Audrey) and despicable ones (such as Tyson), making it easy for the reader to choose sides and decide who to root for. Throw in a handsome and deliciously French house manager, Laurent, and the exotic Caribbean locale and, you can bet, you’re in for a spicy thrill ride!
There are just enough characters in Wood’s novel to make for a twisty-turny guessing game, providing many possible suspects that all have potential. The ending was unexpected, but it made perfect sense, as Wood concluded her well-developed, smooth plot in a cohesive way.
I was introduced to Wood with her novel, “Ladykiller”, and I’m glad to see that she hasn’t slowed down, providing a dynamic and creative second novel with “Sunburned”. I look forward to seeing Wood’s novel in the hands of many this summer, as it is just in time for beach season!

In my opinion this book was fun and amusing. I personally prefer Wood's previous, and debut novel, but I enjoyed this one, too.
I like how she writes her characters: flawed, unhinged and sometimes realistic. A bit of 'too much' drama, indeed. But I still had fun.
This is a perfect mystery thriller for the summer. I believe readers who have read her previous novel and enjoyed it might as well enjoy this one, too.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this arc.

Audrey Colette has been asked by a long ago friend to discover who is blackmailing him. Although Audrey does not want to help,Tyson himself is not afraid to use blackmail with a secret of Audrey’s to make her comply.
I was not expecting this book to be so twisted with blackmail, manipulation, murder and no one to trust. Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Ballantine Bantam for this excellent thriller with flawed characters, clandestine meetings and secrets from long ago. I received a complimentary eARC of this thoroughly enjoyable book and this is my honest review.

First off, how did I not know that Katherine Wood is also Katherine St. John? It pays to read the acknowledgements! I'd read Ladykiller and it turns out her other work as well.

I really liked this book (and the title's dual meaning.) It kept me (mostly) guessing about who the killer (and blackmailer) was. Lots of good secrets revealed as most of the novel is set in St. Barth's with a sprinkling of flashbacks to help put the current situation in context. It strikes the right balance and at doling out clues to keep me interested without stinging the reader along.

Enjoyed a lot!

I enjoyed Katherine Wood's Ladykiller and so I was excited to see a new release. I was a little nervous because Ladykiller left loose ends and those tend to not sit well with me. However, Sunburned was an absolute 5 star read for me. The ending is wrapped up nicely and leaves no room for self-interpretation.

From the first pages I was pulled into Audrey's life. The secluded yacht set in the Caribbean makes for the best setting. Every character is suspicious and I didn't know who to trust. The mystery unfolds in layers with multiple twists which make you question everyone's motives. This book was perfectly done!

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Bantam for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to @RandomHouse and #NetGalley for the DRC of #Sunburned. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Get your umbrella drink and settle into your lounge chair. This is the perfect book to kick off your summer reading! Secrets from the past. Rich people behaving badly. Caribbean setting. A little romance. And a whodunit with lots of suspects.

Audrey, Tyson and Cody have been friends since high school and they're protecting the same secret. After years of no contact, Tyson needs Audrey's help to figure out who's trying to blackmail him. So Audrey joins Tyson and his entourage in St. Barths for a birthday getaway. There's no shortage of potential blackmailers and when someone dies while scuba diving, everyone becomes a suspect - including Audrey.

This is a well-written, fast-paced mystery/thriller. Perfect for poolside reading.

Normally I'm not a fan of locked-room thrillers (overdone and all feeling the same in my opinion) but this one was so well done! It was a story that I didn't feel like I had already read before and I absolutely couldn't put it down! Characters you liked, characters you liked to hate, murder mystery and intrigue in a beautiful setting.

scandalous and twisty murder mystery about some very intricately written characters. the book was fun to dive into. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

Sunburned is just in time for your Summer reading!

Audrey Colette is summoned to St. Barth by her former boyfriend, Tyson, with the demand that she find out who is attempting to blackmail him. Tyson has a lethal combination of paranoia and eccentricity so it could be anyone.

There are so many secrets to uncover and twists and turns to intrigue the reader, that this slow burn story is too good to put down! The suspense is incredibly woven into who to trust or distrust and who to believe or not.

Sunburned is Katherine Woods follow up to her psychological thriller, Ladykiller and she does not disappoint! I highly recommend this for your enjoyment.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the complimentary eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Sunburned is the perfect beach read, where you can suspend disbelief and just be immersed in the plot for a few hours. Audrey's ex-boyfriend enlists her help to find out who may be blackmailing him. He invites her to his mansion in St, Barth's with a group of his associates, so she can investigate. It's a quick read and an interesting thriller. Thanks to NetGalley and Bantam for the ARC.