This was a fast-paced whodunnit that kept me guessing!

Audrey is a "fact finder," and she is hired to investigate who is actively blackmailing her client.

The book is set in St. Barth in a mansion and then on a yacht. Perfect for a summer read!

When she gets to the mansion, she learns her new client is her ex-boyfriend that she hasn't seen since the night 11 years ago she helped him dispose of a dead body.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC in an exchange for an honest review.

Audrey Collet is enjoying her life with her twin boys, her company and her business partner. Then receives a phone call from Tyson Dale, her former boyfriend, whom she hasn't had any contact with for eleven years. Tyson wants her help to find out who is blackmailing him and threatening to ruin him and his multi million dollar companies. Audrey wants to refuse, but Tyson threatens to expose all the secrets from years ago that will ruin her life. So reluctantly Audrey is off to the island of St. Barth's. As soon as she arrives, she can see Tyson has changed so much, and not for the better. He is so paranoid and hateful about everyone and everything. Tyson gives her one week to find the blackmailer or he will ruin her. It doesn't help with her investigation that all the other occupants of the house hate Tyson and all wish he were dead. After only one day it is evident this will not be easy. Then on the second day they all go diving and Tyson doesn't surface. He is found dead underwater with his oxygen tank turned off. The police are sure that Audrey could be the murder and don't want to listen to her about blackmail or anything else. But as Audrey investigates on her own, with the help of the handsome butler, she begins to believe the blackmailer and the murderer are not the same person.

I really enjoyed this one. I was hooked right from the start. Every character felt like they were hiding something, and I loved the mix of secrets, lies, and motives that kept me guessing.

The story follows Audrey, who ends up on the beautiful island of St. Barths after getting a call from someone she hasn’t spoken to in years, her old friend and former boyfriend, Tyson. He’s being blackmailed and asks her to help. Even though they haven’t talked in years, she agrees, but not out of kindness. He’s holding on to secrets from her past that she can’t afford to let out.

From there, things get twisty fast. The whole story is layered with suspicion, tension, and just enough glamour to make it even more gripping. I was constantly second guessing who could be trusted and who was just really good at pretending.

This one kept me turning the pages and left me wanting more. If you’re into mysteries with complicated characters and lots of secrets, this is definitely worth the read.

Katherine Wood’s Sunburned is a sultry, suspenseful thriller set against the glimmering backdrop of St. Barth, where secrets simmer beneath the sun-soaked luxury. Told across dual timelines, the novel follows Audrey, a savvy discovery agent, who is unexpectedly drawn back into the orbit of Tyson, an old lover with a shadowy past.

When Tyson invites Audrey to his opulent island estate under the guise of a professional engagement, long-buried tensions resurface. But what begins as an uneasy reunion quickly spirals into something more sinister. An old death investigation is abruptly reopened just as a new, unexpected death shakes the foundations of the near-crimeless island. What unfolds is a cleverly plotted mystery where everyone harbors secrets and no one is quite who they claim to be.

Wood deftly navigates a cast of layered, morally gray characters, each with plausible motives and veiled agendas. Twists and betrayals keep the reader—and Audrey—constantly guessing. As the plot tightens and the dual timelines converge, the suspense builds to a satisfying crescendo.

In Sunburned, the heat isn’t just from the Caribbean sun. It’s in the simmering distrust, the emotional reckoning, and the slow burn of justice long delayed. With a conclusion that lands with clarity and impact, this is a thriller that resolves as neatly as it twists.

A must-read for fans of character-driven mysteries that keep you on edge until the very last page.

I loved this escapist thriller set in the luxe island of St. Barth! The FMC, Audrey Collet, is a discovery agent for law enforcement and private detectives who is summoned to her eccentric ex’s St. Barth home to help him investigate someone who is blackmailing him. It’s been a decade since Audrey has seen him, but his threats to reveal their shared secrets is enough to motivate her to hop on his private jet. After arriving in the lush island estate, she quickly realizes that everyone closest to her ex has a different reason to hate him and potentially be his threat. A gorgeous Belgian wife who he controls, a celebrity business partner who wants out, his older brother who always cleans up his messes, and a sexy French butler who seems to know more than he should… but before she can even begin her investigation, a scuba dive turns deadly, and all the players are trapped on a yacht with a murderer.

Bouncing between flashbacks to Audrey’s past relationship to her current investigation, this was a good slow-burn destination thriller. Everyone was a suspect, everyone had a motive, and Wood did a great job building a tense climate of mutual distrust. Short chapters and great pacing made this audiobook fly by for me! Narrator, Stephanie Németh-Parker did a fantastic job with juggling so many characters with a wide range of accent variations! I never felt confused or unsure over who was speaking. Additionally, she captured Audrey’s sharp mind as well as an increasingly claustrophobic setting well. I think readers who love their beach reads with a side or murder and mystery will enjoy this new release! Thank you to PRH Audio for my complimentary audiobook; this one releases July 1st!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Audrey was just a girl in love with 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. Audrey's mother had a recent devastating cancer diagnosis, and Audrey has extraordinary coding skills. What would you do, if you had the means and opportunity to have a chance at saving your mom?

Fast forward to today, when Audrey is a discovery agent that helps dig up facts for court. When her ex, the uber-rich Tyson, calls saying someone’s blackmailing him, he convinces her that it’s in her best interest to help him.

This book follows two timelines. The past, 11 years ago, and present day both focusing on Audrey. This is a well executed slow burn thriller that had me hooked!

This book kept me captivated from the very beginning of the book. Discovery agent Audrey Collet is basically blackmailed into investigating threats against her billionaire ex Tyson, who she hadn't seen in ten years. Audrey soon finds that there are many who have reason to hate him. She soon has a tangled web to untangle. I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher through Netgalley. This is my honest and voluntarily given review. I love a mystery which delves into the characters' lives. This time we see them through Audrey's eyes as she investigates each of them. I found the mystery fascinating, and it kept me guessing until the end. The flashbacks to her past with Tyson add to the story.

Sunburned is what happens when a tropical vacation collides with blackmail and betrayal. Audrey is the kind of heroine you root for. She's sharp, sarcastic, and just messy enough to keep things fun. The island is pure luxury, but beneath the yacht parties and sun-kissed beaches, everyone's hiding something (especially her ex and his new wife). Think 'Knives Out' meets 'I Know What You Did Last Summer! This whole story is twisty, tense, and totally addictive!

In short, if you crave your mystery with sunshine, secrets, and smart sass, Sunburned is your next beach bag essential.

Sunburned releases July 1st

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for an arc of this book. All opinions are my own.

Another juicy, thrilling and twisty book from Katherine Wood that I absolutely loved.

Katherine knows how to write rich people behaving badly with a little romance and a little murder or two. I highly recommend this and all of her books.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the chance to read and review this book.

Private Island. Luxury Yacht. Betrayal and Secrets.
The perfect captivating thriller to read this summer.

Audrey Collet is drawn back into her past life when her billionaire ex-boyfriend calls for her help as he is being blackmailed. Reluctantly she agrees to help and takes off to St. Barth island where he is living. There are secrets in their past that are slowly unraveled as the story goes on. Several very unreliable and deceitful characters keep you guessing at who did what. I loved the alternating dual timeline of past and present that tells the story of what happened between the friends. Perfect summer thriller that gives you an escape to a tropical island, luxury yacht, scuba diving adventures.

Sunburned by Katherine Wood isn’t exactly a thriller, but it kept me interested. It took me a bit to feel like anything was really happening, but once I got into it, it was a nice, easy read—perfect for summer or a vacation. I liked it, but it’s not one that’s going to stick with me for long.

I was engaged from the first page and it didn't let go until the end, it had that concept that I was wanting in this type of mystery novel. The concept was everything that I was looking for and how everything was used in this universe and how the characters were used. Katherine Wood has a strong writing style and was glad I read this.

Sunburned by Katherine Wood is a cozy mystery set in the Caribbean.
I am not sure I like the separate timelines - it took a while for the story to get going.
Audrey goes to St. Bart’s at the insistence of a high school ex who wants her to discover who is blackmailing him. He has become extremely wealthy since their split but has lost any charm he had in the past.
Before she can discover who is the blackmailer, a death occurs. She is stuck on a yacht with a killer. With all the secrets, Audrey needs to find the killer so she is not blamed.
The writing flows well and the characters were intriguing. I enjoyed the mystery very much.

Received an ARC via NetGalley.

This is the kind of book I take pleasure in guessing before the conclusion. At some point, maybe 30% in, I told my husband about a scene that would play out at the end of the book. And it did. I like when that happens. Sometimes the setup is subtle but I don’t mind when it isn’t, bc it’s fun to figure the puzzle out.

This is a good summer or vacation read. I don’t think it will really stick with me but I enjoyed reading it.

I enjoyed Ladykiller by the same author so was looking forward to a cozy afternoon reading Sunburned. It was just as good!
An exotic setting, gorgeous people with dark secrets and history. This novel had hints of Agatha Christie. A body, many characters who all had motive and one person who could solve the murder if she could keep herself alive to do so.
This was slick, oozing with charm and so many twists I felt dizzy. Another great read from Katherine Wood.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Isolated locales in thrillers completely draw me in, and "Sunburned" delivered this craving spectacularly with its luxury yacht setting in St. Barth's. The shimmering waters provide a deceptively peaceful backdrop for the darkness lurking beneath the surface of Wood's tightly constructed mystery.

The central plot—where protagonist Audrey is blackmailed by her tycoon ex Tyson to investigate who's blackmailing him—creates delicious tension. Audrey's position is precarious from the start; she's simultaneously the investigator and a suspect, which kept me flipping pages well past midnight. I couldn't believe how she allowed herself to be manipulated into this situation, yet her motivations reveal themselves with perfect timing.

Tyson emerges as one of those characters you love to hate—mercurial, controlling, and utterly self-absorbed. His unlikeability actually enhances the story, as I found myself wondering who wouldn't want to blackmail this man. The power dynamic between him and Audrey crackles with complicated history.

Wood's dual timeline structure works brilliantly, connecting past events to present circumstances without ever becoming confusing. These transitions felt natural, each revelation in the past informing Audrey's present-day sleuthing with satisfying clarity.

The pacing maintains momentum throughout, dropping secrets like breadcrumbs at exactly the right moments. I found myself rooting hard for Audrey, admiring her astute mind as she navigated both clearing her name and uncovering the truth. Her intelligence shines without making her unrealistically perfect.

The romance element woven through the suspense adds welcome dimension rather than distraction—because honestly, why not have a little heat with your thriller?

Overall, "Sunburned" delivers a sun-soaked, page-turning exploration of vengeance where paradise becomes the perfect setting for settling old scores.

Special thanks to Bantam Books and NetGalley for providing the free e-book for review, though all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

How can you not like a book that has beautiful beaches, yachts, rich people, and it’s in Saint Barthes? Add in a murder and you have one heck of a book. This book was about relationships with many secrets that spend 11 years.

The story was about AudreyCollet and an old boyfriend Tyson, whom she has not seen in 11 years. They were a big item when they were younger and now that Tyson is a billionaire he calls on Audrey to come to Saint Barths to celebrate his birthday. Why after all these years with Tyson want Audrey to come and celebrate his birthday especially since there is a secret that Audrey is hiding from him. Audrey finds out the real reason Tyson wants her there, and she suddenly finds herself in the mist of a real life mystery. Who’s missing leg washed up on one of the beaches and what does Audrey Tyson and Tyson’s brother have to do with this? How do the rest of the invites fit in to this plan of Tyson’s? What happens when they all go down scuba diving? Should Audrey trust any of these people? Somebody is blackmailing Tyson and there is no way that Audrey wants to reveal her secret until she has no choice. What could that secret be, and who gets murdered during this luxurious birthday celebration?

This is the first book I have ever read by Katherine Wood. she kept this book very very interesting because it was really a mystery with all of these people into twinning in each other’s lives. I caught myself wondering what is going on and why are these people acting the way they are I didn’t want to trust anybody. It was a really good who done it in the middle of a gorgeous island with some supposedly gorgeous people on board.

I like that the characters were complexed. You never knew what would happen next and with who it kept you guessing. I would truly like to read more from Ms. Wood and I give this book 4 stars. Thank you.NetGalley and Storm publishing for the ARC. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes a good mystery and beautiful places.

Sunburned follows Aubrey as she reconnects with a shady character from her past, Tyson. Tyson blackmails Aubrey about their mutual shady past to get her to figure out who is currently blackmailing him. This happens on a beautiful island and yacht on st. Barts. I enjoyed this book and would recommend.

I loved Katherine Wood’s first book, LadyKiller, and was so excited to read her sophomore book, Sunburned! It is a different sort of mystery, as this one takes lace on St Bart’s but still has the elusive quality of expensive vacations and people who drink champagne for breakfast.

We meet our protagonist Audrey, a single mother of twins who is good at computers and hacking. She is summoned to St Barth’s by her billionaire ex-boyfriend, Tyson, as he is being blackmailed and wants her to investigate... although we don’t really get why since he wasn’t asking her to hack anyone, but he has some dirt on her so I guess he figured that is as good as anything to get her to investigate for him. ANYWAY, she finds herself among Tyson’s inner circle and is growing more and more concerned for everyone involved as Tyson is showing some real paranoid behavior. Each character seems to have something to hide, and we follow Audrey along as she investigates, as well as flashbacks to her time with Tyson.

I liked this book, I didn’t love it, as I found it to have heavy exposition from Audrey and I feel we could have been shown, rather than told, a lot of the details, which ended up getting a little confusing (maybe just for me!) The author also throws in a love interest for Audrey, which is kind of cathartic for the character but sort of unnecessary to the plot line. I liked the setting and the cast of characters but would have loved a little more ‘showing not telling,” but it was overall a fun book and a good beach read.

This slow burn thriller set in exotic Saint Barth’s features a cast of flawed, vulnerable, and morally gray characters.
The suspense and paranoia increase as the novel reaches its climax, and the reader, like the protagonist, is never certain who among the people onboard the luxury yacht is reliable in their account of events. The murder of the rich, reclusive tycoon who has gathered them together has repercussions for each character. The writing is smooth and engaging, and the tension builds nicely until all is revealed. A solid thriller, and a great beach read!