Book Review: Sunburned by Katherine Wood

Pages: 352

Genre: Adult Fiction

Pub. Date: July 1, 2025

Publisher: Bantam

Source: Publisher for review

Other Books By Author: The Siren

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

 

 

Goodreads, "When Audrey Collet’s ex Tyson calls, threatening to expose the skeletons in her closet unless she helps him figure out who is blackmailing him, she wants nothing more than to refuse. Though their relationship ended over a decade ago, the scars are deep. And since his tech company made him a billionaire, he’s become more than a little eccentric. . . and paranoid.

But a foot has washed ashore in the Everglades—that’s right, an actual human foot, encased in an Air Jordan—and Tyson is quick to remind Audrey that it’s one whose long-dead owner they both have a connection to. A connection that could prove problematic, if it got out.

Audrey reluctantly agrees to meet Tyson at his home on the swanky Caribbean island of St. Barth’s to help him figure out who in his entourage is extorting him, and what they know about the secrets he and Audrey share. Once there, she realizes that each person staying at Tyson’s lavish estate has a reason to wish him harm. Could the culprit be the gorgeous Belgian wife whose wings he’s clipped? The celebrity business partner he’s essentially holding hostage? The older brother who’s always been in his shadow? Or the sexy French butler he seems to trust more than he should?

Audrey has only just scratched the surface of what’s going on behind closed doors when Tyson’s birthday dive turns deadly, and she realizes one of the seven people trapped on his yacht with her is not just a blackmailer, but a murderer. If Audrey can’t catch the killer in time, she might become the next victim."

 

 

 

Audrey Collet receives a phone call from her ex, Tyson, to come down to his glamorous St. Barth's house to help him figure out who is blackmailing him. A lot is at stake for Audrey as some of her secrets from years ago are tied to Tyson. A foot washed up in the Everglades, and this is part of the secret that she and Tyson share, which is why it's important she figures out who is at the source of Tyson's problems. Once Audrey arrives at St. Barth's, she realizes that all the people Tyson surrounds himself with are questionable, and Tyson, who is now wealthy, is extremely paranoid. Once they find themselves on a yacht, it becomes a locked-room mystery involving a sun-drenched drama, a murder, and more. Sunburned by Katherine Wood is a suspenseful summertime thriller that kept me flipping the pages.

I really enjoyed how Wood, who also writes under the name St. John, developed the characters of Tyson and Audrey in Sunburned. Wood skillfully uses flashbacks to illustrate their relationship from years ago, providing insight into Audrey's motives and turning her into anti-heroes that readers can connect with. Although I often questioned Audrey's choices—many of which were ethically questionable—I still cared about her and wanted her to escape the dangerous situation she found herself in.

Wood develops the locked-room mystery very well in Sunburned and it reminded me of an Agatha Christie mystery. All the suspects are aboard a yacht, and after a dive, there's a death, and then the finger-pointing begins. But don't worry, it isn't all thrilling moments; there's a summer romance that blossoms, too. After reading so many fluffy beach reads, this was a nice change and the perfect summer thriller to escape to.

Is Sunburned on your TBR list? Are you a fan of Katherine Wood (a.k.a. St. John)? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.