Enjoyable read that had you thinking of all the possible people it could have been. I enjoyed this.

I really enjoyed this book!!! I definitely don’t guess all the twists right away but there a couple I was able to sis out! I really enjoyed the main character as well! I thought she was pretty relatable and impressive! This was definitely the perfect poolside or beach read! I had a blast relaxing and getting lost in this twisty story!!!!

Past mistakes, secrets, blackmail, murder against the backdrop of a tropical paradise - this book had a little bit of everything. I was sucked in pretty fast. It did slow down about halfway in and became a bit repetitive; however, all in all it was a very enjoyable read. Looking forward to reading more by this author. Thank you to Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review this book!

A decent, fun beach read. Somewhat predictable, but enjoyable.

I write haiku reviews but am happy to provide more feedback.

It took me awhile to get through this book but it was fine. A little underwhelming but it’s a beach read with some mystery and suspense about an eccentric billionaire. I really just think I didn’t vibe with it which was disappointing because I’ve liked her other books when she wrote under Katherine St. John

Sunburned was such a fun summer read! I get a little squeamish with most thrillers so I tend to shy away from the genre, but I love mysteries so I decided to give this a shot and I’m glad I did. Audrey is a discovery agent who is summoned by her ex to help him figure out who is blackmailing him. Every suspect has a motive, there’s plenty of commentary about wealth throughout, and even though some of the twists were a bit predictable, overall it kept me guessing and engaged the whole time. I loved the suspense throughout and thought the characters were well-developed. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Get ready for a Sexy murder mystery thriller set on St. Barts between a mega yacht and a seaside estate that comes with a sexy butler. I will preface by saying the book starts a bit slow, but it picks up approximately 10%-15% in.

This story jumps between the current day and the summer 11 years prior, when three of the main characters are around 18 years old. Filled with twists and turns, around halfway through the book, it almost feels like a game of Clue as you start to connect the dots and the pieces click into place. It is such a page turner, and it's been a while since I wanted to stay up late into the night reading. I have read all of the books this author has written under her pen name, Katherine St. John. Kat, if you are reading this, please keep them coming. I always look forward to reading your new releases, thank you for the joyful entertainment I had reading this book this week.

3.25/5, rounded down

Thank you Bantam for the advanced reading copy!

What a great thriller for summer! The first 60% of this book was awesome -- tons of suspense and an extremely atmospheric setting. I could tell that there was chaos on the horizon and that everything would come together nicely, but I wasn't sure where things were going for most of this story. However, after a really climactic middle, things started to fall off for me and the descriptions felt like they were lacking action or urgency. I started to feel a little bit bored towards the end, and like things were being overexplained.

Overall, I enjoyed this one and thought the narrator did a great job! I wish the suspense had built a little bit longer (there was a seemingly big twist revealed towards the end, that I thought we already knew??) and that the action had been more consistent throughout. I think this will be a great discussion at book club next month either way -- certainly a lot to unpack!

This was a very enjoyable, beach read type book. Perfect setting aside, it was well paced and interesting. None of the plot devices felt too random or shoehorned in. Some things were a little predictable but I didn’t mind it.

Another great book by Katherine Wood! I loved the setting.

When Audrey gets summoned by her ex, Tyson, she has no idea what she is really signing up for. There was a long, dark past between them with many shared secrets. Now she is on an island full of people Tyson thinks is out to blackmail him, or worse. Can Audrey figure out the culprit before it is too late for him and possibly her?

There were some good twists here, even if I did figure out some of them along the way. Audrey was a great investigator, and I loved the way she meticulously weeded out the suspects one by one. Loved the hints of spice between Audrey and Laurent as well. I just wish I had been in St. Barth's while reading it!

Audrey, a skilled hacker who has turned her skill into a successful private investigative business is summoned to the Caribbean island of St. Barths by her ex-lover, Tyson to discover who is blackmailing him. A group of close family and associates has been gathered at Tyson’s vacation home and find themselves in a locked room type situation when they go out on a scuba diving trip on Tyson’s yacht and a murder happens during the dive. As Audrey tries to solve the mystery, she finds herself a target as a victim as well as a suspect.
This thriller/murder mystery is fast paced and entertaining with the usual revealing of secrets and unexpected twists. There is even a little romance for Audrey which makes the book appealing to a wider audience. There are some far-fetched factors such as why Tyson treats Audrey so poorly and why she tolerates it and why the police view her as a suspect. But it’s all part of the story. I would have liked better character development but overall, this is an entertaining summer read.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley, Katherine Wood, and Random House Publishing Group Ballantine for the eARC. Wow—what a gripping, fast-paced psychological thriller! Full of twists and suspense, this cat-and-mouse chase had me hooked. Loved the setting and the storyline. A must-read!

Best story ever, loved all of it.
Tyson Dale, what a creepy billionaire, charming but oh so self serving. Even from the beginning when he was charming Audrey and then just shrugging off the fact that he was just using her. He might have loved her in his own way at first but his dark evil ways just kept on growing. It was no surprise when it was said that EVERYONE HATED him. And wanted to kill him at one time or another. It kept things interesting to see who actually gets murdered and then how the list of murderers keeps getting increased and then increased !!! Clever story telling ! And what happened to Ian Kelley? The tensions, and dangers were off the chart great ! So was the sarcasm which I really enjoyed a lot. And the code word "Sunburned'? So clever and sure explained the title.
Audrey Collet was the best and so was her business partner and friend Rosa !! Discovery agent was an interesting choice of career fo Audrey but she was skilled and good at her job. She's going to have to be. Her two ten year old sons, Alexander and Benjamin (Benji) show up briefly and are mentioned from time to time.Tyson's brother Cody wasn't exempt and his girlfriend Jennifer had me scratching my head a lot. Whose side are they on? What are their true motives for being there? And that sexy butler Laurent was one of the BIGGEST mysteries. One that I really enjoyed. Tyson blackmailed everyone. He stole from everyone and kept their secrets and held over their heads so they HAD to do what he wanted them to do.
Astounding surprises at the end. And I especially loved the Epilogue !
I loved this story that I got through Netgalley !

Having enjoyed Lady Killer, I was excited to hear she had come out with another book. I enjoyed this one even more! The setting, the characters, the vibes were all enthralling. I was hooked from page one and had to keep reading to solve the mystery. The twists were twisting. Such a great summer thriller read, highly recommend you take to the beach and read.

This is the kind of page-turner I wanted to fall head over heels for: exotic setting, high-stakes blackmail and a beachside murder mystery trapped on a yacht. The characters are written richly, and the mystery unfolds effortlessly...except around the middle of the book, which dragged for me a bit. A truly excellent poolside read when you're getting (sorry) sunburned.

4.5 stars
☀️ Sunburned is what happens when luxury island living meets betrayal, blackmail, and murder—and I devoured every scandalous, suspenseful second of it. Katherine Wood has perfected the art of the summer thriller: think Knives Out meets I Know What You Did Last Summer, set against the opulence of a South of France private island. Audrey is a sharp, sarcastic heroine with just enough mess to make her relatable, and the locked-room mystery structure—complete with lavish yacht parties and hidden motives—had me second-guessing everyone until the final page.

Told through past and present timelines, the story expertly builds tension while exploring secrets, wealth, power, and the consequences of broken trust. Wood weaves big themes—betrayal, identity, relationships—into a fun, twisty package. The pacing is strong throughout, with short chapters, well-drawn characters (even the least likable ones are fascinating), and a perfectly claustrophobic atmosphere. Stephanie Németh-Parker’s audiobook narration is fantastic, handling multiple accents and character moods effortlessly—it truly enhanced the experience and brought Audrey’s sharp inner voice to life.

A few minor drawbacks: some of the dialogue felt overly repetitive, a few plot points leaned on coincidence, and early technology references slightly dated the tone. But those quibbles didn’t dampen my enjoyment. This is the kind of thriller you race through, then immediately recommend to your group chat. 🌴

Read if you like:
💰 Wealthy people behaving badly
🚪 Locked-room mysteries with luxury settings
👩‍✈️ Strong, messy heroines
🔪 Secrets, scandals, and slow-burning tension
🎧 Smart, cinematic audiobooks that keep you fully immersed

Big thanks to @PRHAudio, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for the ARC and audiobook. I’ll be lining up every summer for whatever Katherine Wood writes next.

This was a smart, clever, well written thriller. Perfect for an airplane or beach. It kept me guessing mostly until the end, but it wasn’t obvious in the beginning.
Character likability was about 50%. No surprise’s there. I will now go back and read the authors first book!
Thanks too NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for a honest opinion. 3.75⭐️

Audrey is surprised when she receives an invitation from her ex-boyfriend, Tyson, to join him on his yacht in St. Barth's for a dive expedition. This is after a foot has appeared in the Everglades which may or may not belong to someone they have a connection to. Their relationship ended over a decade ago and Audrey is not keen to see Tyson again. But he has hired her to see who is blackmailing him and she could use the money. Since Audrey and Tyson broke up, Tyson has gone on to build a company and his wealth. There are a cast of characters on the yacht that all have reasons to blackmail Tyson. When the dive expedition turns deadly, Audrey has her work cut out for her as anyone could have done it. Set in the beautiful Caribbean island of St. Barth's on a luxurious yacht, a turn of events turns into tragedy. In Sunburned, Katherine Wood will keep you guessing as to what happened and by whom and will keep you turning the pages.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Bantom Dell for the opportunity to read and review the ARC of Sunburned.

Sunburned is a code word for “perfect beach read”. Audrey, a down on her luck investigator, is called to St Barth’s by her ex boyfriend and coerced into doing an investigation for him or having a secret from her past explored. The island is lovely, the yacht is impressive, the women are catty but the butler is very enticing. Audrey begins her investigation but is suddenly thrust into a murder investigation when her ex is murdered on a diving expedition and many fingers are pointing at her.
Loved the characters as they each play a necessary role. This was a very engaging storyline that kept me riveted to the book. Katherine Wood’s writing is so very beautiful and I found myself rereading passages just to enjoy them again. The following sentence was my very favorite. “It’s hard to comprehend the sprawl of the decisions we make, our choices colliding with those of others to create an impossibly tangled web that can come undone with the pull of a single thread.” I am sure that every reader can evoke meaning in that amazing sentence.
Many thanks to Katherine Wood, Bantam, and NetGalley for affording me the opportunity to read an arc of this thrilling mystery. Four bright stars for this

Sunburned by Katherine Wood is the perfect summer thriller! Full of rich people and their secrets, blackmail, and deadly consequences.

Our main character Audrey is tasked with traveling to St Barths to her ex’s lavish home to help uncover who is blackmailing him about a secret from their shared past. The story culminates on a yacht after a deadly dive, where Audrey is surrounded by all the suspects. This story is twisty and suspenseful and is guaranteed to keep you turning the page.

I absolutely loved the setting of this story and having all the suspects trapped together on a yacht was such a fun situation to read about. I highly enjoyed following Audrey as she attempts to solve several convoluted mysteries that shroud this group of characters. Audrey is sharp, competent, and such a refreshing character to follow in a genre overrun with ditsy female characters. Wood’s writing style is a delight and is the perfect mix of suspense and humor. It made for such an immersive story with your trust in characters shifting at every chapter! I loved that literally everyone was a suspect, and the ending was satisfying.

Sunburned is the perfect mystery for a day by the pool this summer!

A huge thank you to Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!