Cover Image: A Stranger On Board

A Stranger On Board

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Member Reviews

A job on a Superyacht with its own gym and museum must be a dream, mustn’t it? Or perhaps too good to be true.

Ward’s writing is engaging, providing a balanced description of the characters and the luxurious surroundings before the action unfurls. At first this appear to be quite a straightforward crime but the plot becomes increasingly complicated and the tension on board mounts, making this a tense action read.



Thank you to Penguin Books and NetGalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review

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The start started promising, but dragged towards the middle. picked up again towards the end.

I found that the majority of cruise ship thrillers to be very similar.

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An action packed locked room thriller. This seemed more original than most thrillers. It is really well written. The tension builds throughout the book.

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Wow. What a ride. Really enjoyed the locked room mystery of this one whilst rooting for the crew to survive. Packed full of action and thrills. Great novel.

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A very different book from my normal reading list but the title intrigued me. As I started to read this book I found it very slow to get involved in continuing the book. However I persevered and am I pleased that I did. As the story evolved from getting employed as a security guard on a luxury hatch the ex royal marine had to battle with murders starting with the captain and continuing with other members of the crew. She had to battle with the owners representative and niece who was hitching a ride. I cannot recommend this book highly enough and suggest that you purchase a copy as you will not be disappointed ina well written and intriguing novel.

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Gripping, intense and fast-paced read.

Ex-marine Sarah French is starting a new job in security with a seemingly cushy assignment on board a luxury super-yacht as it travels to the Caribbean.

But when things start to go wrong, crew members go missing and they have to contend with a powerful storm, Sarah battles to stay in control and overcome her PTSD.

Sarah is likeable and strong, and this is a great read, with a diverse cast and a gripping plot.

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A good read, keeps you guessing all the way through.
Interesting characters, great storyline. Loved the ocean setting, really good.

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Ex marine Sarah French joins a luxury super yacht named "Escape" as onboard security. She is still suffering panic attacks and PTSD following her discharge from the navy.

As they head into open water tension builds between the crew and when someone goes missing, Sarah realises that there may be a killer onboard. Everyone is a suspect and there is no escape. Can she find out the truth before she becomes the next victim.

I do love a murder mystery and for me the added bonus of it being located on a yacht, in the middle of the ocean was just brilliant!!!

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

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Not as good as I was hoping.

Sarah is a former marine who has left the Navy following a traumatic event from which she is still recovering. Her therapist and sister have encouraged her to give her mind a break to process what happened so she takes a job with a former colleague acting as security on a Superyacht being moved from Spain to the Caribbean. The yacht is travelling with a skeleton crew and the owners representative, Jason, however a late arrival scuppers the crews plans of a relaxing crossing as the owners niece, Harriet, joins them.

From the outset their is conflict among the crew. The bosun has been fired, the captain is sleeping with his very attractive assistant Karis, the mechanic is an alcoholic and everything seems to be going wrong - from electrical failures to a mishap with the safe water tanks which leaves them with very little drinkable water. Deckhand Arno catches Sarah's eye but she is wary of getting involved with someone again, specially as she can't stop thinking about her former boyfriend Kay. Harriet is seasick so spends most of the time locked in her cabin, and Jason is just plain offensive to everyone. Now they are sailing, full speed, into an approaching storm and no one can work out why the Captain is so hell bent on continuing their journey when everyone else thinks they need to turn back and get the ship repaired first.

It soon becomes clear that most of the crew have secrets and that something far bigger is at play. With Sarah's nerves already shredded the continuing catalogue of problems do nothing to help her settle her nerves. But just what is going on behind the scenes?

Beware Spoilers follow!

I did like this book, however, I struggled with the writing style. Some things felt like they were explained for no good reason. As someone recovering from trauma myself I know that flashbacks occur at the most inopportune time but Sarah's flashbacks felt like they were so frequent she could barely function. At the moment when the crew needed her the most she passes out and when she comes to explains why she passed out and what happened to her in her past and how she ended up being where she was - all while they are about to be boarded by a band of killers who are going to rob and murder them, thank God there was time for her to tell her story!!!

I found it too far fetched in places - like when the Captain went missing and his assistant couldn't function because she was dating him so placed Sarah in control instead - what??? Ok. yes she has been in the Navy and been a marine but she was there as security not as someone to assume control of a superyacht.

The 'bad guys' were kind of obvious from the start specially as she keeps coming across them whispering in corridors and, on one occasion coming out of her room - yet she never thinks to keep an eye on them or check to see if her weapons are still onboard.

A bit too early James Bond for my taste, however, some people will love it and think it is very exciting. For me, it wasn't as intense as it could have been.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Great premise and well written but just too many characters interweaving for my enjoyment.
I like the way the plot unravelled at the start but as the book continued it just got too ridiculous and no clues or any answers along the way.
Some may enjoy but not enough to keep me interested.
Thanks to Netgalley

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As I sat on the deck of The Escape, feeling the ocean breeze and basking in the sunshine, I couldn't have imagined that my vacation would turn into a dangerous mystery. A Stranger on Board by Cameron Ward had me on the edge of my seat, trying to figure out who the killer was among us.

The author did a great job of setting the scene on the luxury superyacht, making me feel like I was a part of the experience. But then the tension builds as the first passenger goes missing, and everyone becomes a suspect. I was immediately drawn in by the different characters, all with their own secrets and motives.

One of the most intriguing characters was the newcomer, with a past that she was trying to keep hidden. I found myself wanting to know more about her and what she was running from. The unexpected guest was also an interesting addition, with his own reasons for wanting to be on the yacht. And the crew had their own agendas and vendettas that made them suspect as well.

The plot twists and turns kept me guessing until the very end, and the reveal of the killer was unexpected. I won't spoil it, but I will say that the author did a great job of tying up all the loose ends and bringing everything together in a satisfying way.

Overall, A Stranger on Board was a thrilling and entertaining read. The setting was immersive, the characters were intriguing, and the mystery was well-crafted. If you're a fan of murder mysteries or just looking for a suspenseful read, I highly recommend this book. But be warned, it may make you question the motives of everyone around you.

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Who wouldn’t want a job on a super yacht where all should be luxury and peaceful. Sarah comes aboard as security officer and she hopes it will help her to recover from her time as a royal marine.

Enjoyed this novel but really glad I was not cruising on The Escape. Sarah’s skills will be needed and relied upon the keep people safe.

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Sarah is an ex-marine who has been hired to work as security on board a yacht. When a passenger disappears, it becomes clear that there is a killer on board and Sarah needs to find out who they are.

This was a claustrophobic thriller set on board a ship (think Death on the Nile) and I enjoyed it and raced through it but guessed the killer pretty early on. Still a solid thriller though and it didn’t take away from my enjoyment.

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Sarah is looking forward to a fresh new beginning when she is hired as security on a luxury super-yacht. Instead what she gets is stuck on a boat in the middle of nowhere with a killer.

When the walls of your locked room are water as far as you can see, where do you turn? An intriguing page turner of a read, that is difficult to put down until you are done.

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Thank you for providing me with an advance review copy of this book. Enjoyed reading, would recommend....

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Firstly, I would like to thank Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book.

The story of Sarah, an ex marine, who in order to get over a previous trauma, and to help a friend, agrees to act as security on a superyacht as it’s sailed across the Atlantic. However, it soon becomes apparent that all is not well amongst the crew. There are tensions and when crew members start to disappear Sarah suspects that someone on board is a killer. It takes all her previous experience in the Marines to try and save the remainder of the crew.

Well written and very enjoyable.

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I really enjoyed this book, and couldn’t stop reading it. It joined up my two loves, thrillers and below deck. The writing was enjoyable and the story was gripping throughout.

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I haven't read anything by this author before, so I didn't know what to expect. I didn't expect to be entertained from beginning to end, and really enjoyed the read. Book was well written, will read more in future.

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This thriller has a great heroine, setting and plot. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review

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I was looking at this book on Amazon and then realised i had it on my shelf, im glad i bumped it up the list, however i did end up getting a bit bored and wanted it to finish. It was a good read just needed a bit more of a punch and less boating terms

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