Adult, Thriller

eBook, Paperback, Audiobook, 384 pages

August 26, 2025 by Poisoned Pen Press

The Blair Witch Project meets Fyre Fest in this bloody new thriller from the queen of scares, Darcy Coates!

It was supposed to be the party of the century: miles of idyllic white sand beaches, lush jungle foliage…and a dark legend nobody dreamed might be all too true.

When an online influencer and several hundred of his most loyal fans land on Prosperity Island, the plan is simple: five days of elaborate games, drinking, and suntanned fun.

A week in paradise should have been a welcome respite. The only survivor of an infamous cult, Ruth wants nothing more than to keep her head down and not draw attention. She’s spent decades outrunning her blood-soaked childhood, and her identity is a closely held secret.

But then the true history of the island is revealed…along with its sinister connection to Ruth’s past. As guests go missing and games turn deadly, Ruth and the rest of the attendees are forced to question whether they’ve really been invited to paradise…or whether something much darker―and far bloodier―is waiting for them just beyond the bonfire’s light.

Wondering what would happen if you combined the island settings and competition format of Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 by Lisa Unger and One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware with a cult like in Midsommar? Check out How Bad Things Can Get!

Ruth was the only survivor when at 8-years-old the cult she grew up in drank the proverbial koolaid. Now on the 20th anniversary she along with her boyfriend Zach and his friends are on an island where another cult came to its devastating end in the 1970s.

Now belonging to an enigmatic influencer who hosts challenges and games, the island is welcoming in influencers and lucky contents winners for a week of revelry and competition.

Right away, Ruth senses that there is something off about her and her group winning tickets to the festival. Someone knows who she is and as guest start disappearing and mysterious things start happening, Ruth will have to get to the bottom of what is happening on Prosperity Island.. before her deadly vision comes true.

I was hooked on this one from the beginning! I loved the setting and the creepy history of the island mixed with the competition style of the festival. Ruth is a strong lead, and her reaction to what is going on around her is well written based on the character’s backstory.

We bounce between Ruth’s perspective and that of Logan, an influencer known for ripping reputations to shreds as well as the event organizers and some of the unfortunate victims giving us a full picture and building up the dread with each chapter.

I think this might be my favorite Darcy Coates book to date! It was such an eerie, fun read I didn’t want to put it down!

5 of 5 Knives