really enjoyed this book! It kept me guessing the entire time. I thought I had things figured out more than once, but I was wrong every time, which made it all the more fun. The twists were clever and well paced, and the suspense never let up.

Have you ever read a book where you guess some of the twists well ahead of time, but instead of ruining the book for you, it makes it all that much of a richer read? That was the case for me with this book. So many of the eventual reveals were things I either thought we already knew about or seemed obvious. But, this was a darn good twisty fun read! No one is as they seem and so many secrets are revealed through the course of a few days in St. Barths. I loved how Audrey maneuvered in the paranoid and off kilter world of her tech bro former boyfriend and his company. I loved how the title is used as a code word. It seemed to have so many layers! I felt like I sped through this book, but maybe it was because I couldn't put it down?

I requested to read and review this book for free from Bantam an Imprint of Random House. This book has drama, mystery, romance, and suspense. Secrets have a way of coming out sometimes not in the way we think. Our actions can cause a chain reaction both good and bad. Aubrey is a single mom that has a couple of big secrets from her past that could cause issues with her future. Tyson has always had big goals for what he wants his future to look like. How will he obtain those goals? Will his ambitions get the best of him? Cody is a nice guy that at times gets taken advantage of. When he find what he wants in life what will he do to get it. People in our past can and probably will cross paths with each other in their future. When that happens will things go right or wrong? Lies can be toxic and what happens when things start to unravel ? This book can be read anywhere but by a mature audience.

I loved LadyKiller and was happy to receive an early copy of Sunburned. This is the beach read for thriller lovers. Wood does an amazing job creating a canvas of these wealthy beach setting and well developed characters. As with her first book, I found myself not wanting to put it down. The strong characters and defined plot line make it an easy read that is well written. Corruption and murder, but make it expensive. Will recommend to others as an great "beach read".

I really enjoyed Sunburned. I love a thriller set in a tropical locale. St Bart's did not disappoint. The thriller aspect was a tad predictable. But enjoyable watching it all as it played out over the pages. The dual timelines never felt boring or detracted from the story. The cast of characters was manageable though mostly unlikeable (not necessarily in a bad way). One of my favorite parts of the whole story is the section where they are diving through the reefs. The descriptive language used there made me feel like I was right there in the water with them. Once I started reading this I couldn't put it down.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

5 stars. What a fiery summer thriller! Extortion, deadly secrets, a gorgeous Mediterranean locale.. AND a murder mystery.. enjoyed it all. Twisty and high on suspense this centers around our MC Audrey who’s sent to St Barth to help her ex mega millionaire Tyson uncover his blackmailer.. or else have her own skeletons in the closet exposed. Shortly thereafter a body surfaces and Audrey finds herself trapped aboard his yacht after a birthday dive where everyone is a suspect, all having a motive, secrets and all despise him. Loved this whodunnit with the uber wealthy and all their juicy drama.. such a fun escapist read! Pub. 7/1/25

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

Sometimes when something seems too good to be true - it is. Audrey is called to meet with an ex-boyfriend to help find out who is blackmailing him. He is now a billionaire who promises her a very impressive fee as well as accommodations at his home on the swanky Caribbean Island of St. Barth’s. Audrey feels this will be a quick solve, a short trip and an excellent money maker. But when she gets to the island, she finds that this may take a lot longer than she planned. It is going to be really hard to figure out who dislikes Tyson enough to blackmail him since it seems everyone there could be a suspect. Everyone there has secrets, and no one is a fan of Tyson.

Well written, and very well executed this thriller will keep you guessing. A constantly changing thread of blackmail, murder, and hidden secrets. Actions that are fueled by feelings of anger, envy, jealousy, and revenge create the scene for a very revealing ending.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.

<b>”This was a high-profile murder case on an island with a murder rate of zero, where high net worth tourists came to feel safe.”</b>

THE ultimate “White Lotus goes full Agatha Christie” beach thriller. Equal parts vacation vibes and cut throat whodunit. Wood’s writing serves tropical cocktails of tension, gossip, and secrets, then hits you with a sharp twist. Pack this for poolside reading!

🌴THINGS AND STUFF🌴
-dual timelines
-st. barth’s
-arrest records
-diving 🤿
-blackmail
-complicated relationships
-forced proximity
-whodunit
-code word: sunburned
-#IsThisAKissingBook open door

Thank you random house for an advanced copy!

Part And Then There Were None, part gothic mystery with a modern edge, this one will keep you guessing and turning the pages! The past has come back to haunt Tyson and Audrey, and as she realizes Tyson is nowhere near the person he used to be, and she finds herself among a cast of suspects, when things turn deadly, all fingers are pointing at her, and it's up to her, with some help from her PI partner back home, to figure out who could be the killer, and who the blackmailer might be, before any more bodies start turning up. An interesting mystery, it really churns when things getting really convoluted. You'll be reading this one late into the night!

A twisty thriller filled with secrets and blackmail! While I guessed some big surprises early on, I found this too be exciting and I was eager to find out which secrets I had right. Perfect for a thrilling beach read this summer! 4.5 stars.

This was much different than I expected .... and I loved that.

Sunburned is sort of a vacation thriller, but it's really more like a closed circle mystery that happens to be set in an island paradise. A trio of friends has been keeping a dark secret. When one of them suddenly gets blackmailed, he gathers the others as part of a group at his island mansion. Well, he's right. Someone is definitely coming for them. And it's someone they know.

The very popular past/present narrative structure worked well here, the main character was relatable and interesting, and the mystery kept me guessing until the end.

My readers guide goes up July 1 and I will link it then!

Blackmail, betrayal, and burn are prevalent in this mystery/thriller set on a Caribbean island. Audrey hasn’t heard from her ex in 10 years, and in that time he’s become a wealthy CEO. But he’s being blackmailed and needs Audrey’s help to find out by whom.

I really enjoyed this for the island setting, the mystery, and the characters. I will say that it was just a bit of a let down after reading, and loving Ladykiller by this author. But overall, I enjoyed it for the atmospheric read that it was. There’s twists, murder, and shady characters.

Unfortunately, this one didn’t quite land for me. As a fan of twisty whodunnits, I was excited to read this, but the pacing threw me off. The central mystery didn’t really kick in until well past the halfway point, which made the buildup feel slow and a bit unfocused. I also found it hard to connect with the characters, which made it difficult to stay emotionally invested. While the premise had potential and I’m sure it will resonate with other readers, it ultimately fell flat for me.

☀️What happens when paradise turns deadly? Sunburned is the ultimate summer thriller- soaked in scandal, secrets, and sun.
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When Audrey’s billionaire ex drags her to his estate in St. Barth’s to help uncover who’s blackmailing him, she’s suddenly trapped on a yacht with seven suspects, one of whom might be a killer.
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Katherine Wood serves up her signature: the glitz of the ultra-rich, juicy drama, morally gray characters, and a slow-burn mystery that keeps twisting until the very end.
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The dual timelines and layered reveals had me second-guessing everyone, and the tropical tension? Immaculate. This locked-yacht mystery is a must-pack for your beach bag- just don’t trust anyone onboard. 🌴🔪
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Out July 1st
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I LOVED Katherine Wood’s Ladykiller and I enjoyed this new release just as much! Auto-buy author for me!
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Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Bantam for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
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❔Drop a summer-themed book rec in the comments!
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#SunburnedBook #KatherineWood #BeachRead #SummerThriller #LockedRoomMystery #BookReview #TBRStack #RichPeopleBehavingBadly #GlassOnionVibes #NetGalleyReviewer #BookstagramRecs #SummerReads2025 #ThrillerBooks #CaribbeanMystery #Whodunnit #SuspenseBooks #BookishEscape #randomhouse #ballantine #katherinewood #ladykiller

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I really enjoyed this one. The slow burn worked perfectly for the story—it gave space for tension to build and for the characters to breathe. The dynamic between the main character, Audrey, and the side characters was layered and believable, with just the right amount of friction and mystery. The history behind the setup adds a haunting, almost mythic quality, and I thought Tyson was the perfect paranoid billionaire. You could almost see him self-destructing throughout the story from the flashbacks to the present. You can feel the heat, the isolation, and the subtle unraveling in every scene. There was some predictability to this story, but if you like literary fiction that simmers before it scorches, this one delivers.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for advanced copy, and I give my review freely

This is an exciting read. Audrey has built a life with her two sons. But when her ex-boyfriend (who is also super rich) reaches out for help with a potential problem that could dredge up unpleasant things from their past, she agrees to attend his birthday party in St. Barths in the hopes of figuring out who is trying to blackmail him. What she encounters is everyone in his inner circle has a reason to want him dead. This is a great thriller that keeps you guessing throughout. The characters are interesting and also just terrible people. Lots of twists and turns but with a solid ending. I would definitely recommend.

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.