The Perfect Accident

by Tess Stimson

'Tess Stimson is the master of the didn't-see-that-coming twist' LISA JEWELL

The brand new suspense thriller from the Sunday TImes and USA Today bestseller.

Could you sacrifice one life to save many? What if that life was your son's?

This year, for the first time, the high school prom will be held on a luxurious cruiser on the lake. Sisters Amy and Iris are excited to be chaperones at the event, seeing their sons all dressed up. It's a proud moment.

But, tonight, the boat will sink.

And as darkness falls, secrets unravel and the air starts to run out, one of the sisters will be forced to make a split-second decision - to save her own son and let her nephew and twenty-one other teenagers drown.

And then, a year later, one of the teenagers will wake up from her coma, ready to tell everyone what really happened at the bottom of the lake. And someone needs to keep her quiet - for good.

A pulse-pounding novel of small-town secrets, lies and betrayal - with a twist you won't see coming.

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Crime, Contemporary, Thriller Suspense

465 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 23, 2026

About the author

Tess Stimson is the author of fifteen novels - including international bestseller The New House - which have been translated into dozens of languages, plus two non-fiction books. Her new book, The Perfect Accident, will be published in April 2026.
A former British journalist and reporter, Stimson was appointed Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Florida in 2002 and moved to the US. In addition to writing fiction, she continues to work as a journalist and teaches reporting for media and creative writing at a university in the Northeastern US. She now lives in Vermont with her husband, and is visited intermittently by her three grown-up children whenever they need their laundry done.
For more information, visit Tess's website or follow her on Instagram and Facebook.

Reviews

[CarolG · Rating 4 out of 5]

This year the Stowebury Vermont high school prom will be held on a luxurious 85-foot cruiser on the lake. Sisters Amy and Iris are excited to be chaperones at the event. This is a novel of small-town secrets, lies and betrayal.

This is a very good book but be prepared because there are a lot of characters to keep track of and a lot of threads to follow. The sisters, Amy and Iris, both work at the high school and both have sons who are in the graduating class and I kept getting the sisters mixed up and really had trouble remembering which son belonged to which sister. The chapters are set out as Then: Before, or After, the Accident and Now: Before, or After, the Murders which also confused me at times but that's down to me not paying attention when the story switched from one timeline to another. There are also other segments presented from the viewpoints of various characters, including a reporter named Quinn who is doing a story 15 months after the accident. The story covers many topics, some of which could be triggering, such as self harm, suicidal thoughts and bullying. I also have to mention that there's a fair amount of bad language, some of it totally unnecessary imo. There are many tense moments and some surprising twists and I really enjoyed the story despite my minor quibbles. 4.5 stars rounded down.

Thank you to Headline|Mountain Leopard Press, via Netgalley, for providing an advance copy of this novel for review. All opinions expressed are my own. This review will be posted on Goodreads as of June 2, 2026 and on amazon.ca on or after June 2, 2026.
Publication Date: April 23, 2026

[Karen Barber · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love it when a book surprises you, and The Perfect Accident certainly did that.
A small town with some very big characters. Lots of secrets, and a tragedy that links them…but people are hiding lots of secrets that played their part in the tragic event that resulted in the deaths of 21 teenagers. The story allows us to learn of the events building up to the accident, the things that have happened as a result and the shocking occurrences that take place as those who need to try to hide what part they played.
There’s a lot going on here. But the story is well-constructed, so it all makes sense as you read. Far more emotional than I was prepared for, and some perfect grey areas that left me wondering where their stories could go.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this before publication.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Netgalley for giving me this free advance copy, and I’m writing this review honestly and without bias.
It took me a while to get my head round the timelines but that aside my first book by Tess Stimpson was a triumph. A dark and emotionally charged story that is rich in atmosphere and suspense. Tess Stimpson weaves a plot full of tension that keeps you absolutely riveted as the reader is drip fed the truth. Wonderfully written with a unique plot and some great twists 4.5⭐️

[Alayne Emmett · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty good story. Dragged in places which was a little tedious at times. My thanks to netgalley and the publisher's for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

[QHuong(BookSpy) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story shows what happened before the accident, what changed after it, and the surprising things that happen when people try to hide their role in it. The deeper it went, the more disturbing secrets were revealed. This book is filled with tension and secrets, as we were let know the aftermath, the results of this tragic accident and later found out which players were keeping secrets, and which were trying to cover up this accident. As the story went, the web of lies was untangled, revealing how toxic so many relationship became, with devastating consequences. It also shows how rash decisions could lead to so much heartbreak and feud between friends and families. The truth about the accident was profoundly complicated, as many people were so involved and contributed to this tragic, innocently or not.

With a big cast of characters, sometimes it was hard to keep track all of them as some were only present in a few scenes. The chapters also switch between different characters, and much of the story is told by Amy, Iris, and Quinn. At times I struggled to follow the times since it was so difficult to distinguish between the before and the after timelines, along with very confusing chapter tiltes.

The story includes some themes that may be difficult for some readers, as it talks about suicide and mental health in one character’s storyline. For me, this part of the story felt unfinished and not totally satifying.



..
Colt (Mac's father) forced Mac to make prom happen on the ship and forced Mac to keep secrets, using a footage of Ashley kissing Mac to threaten Mac. Ashley (Finn's girlfriend) was paid to do that.
On the night of the prom, Jesse and Colt used a dredger to salvage waste under the lake, because of a tip that a sudden inspection occurring on the day after the day of the prom.
Because of the dredger usage, the lights went out and the boat sunk.
Amy let Finn (Iris's son) and other teenagers die to save Iris (Amy's sister) and Nicky (Amy's son). Ashley lived but in a coma. Nicky later lived but still survived, only which Iris knew but didn't tell anyone. Nicky went away on his own, but then died due to shock and hurt.
Luke Connelly found out about pollution in the lake because of Colt's brewery business and called Finn to talk about it. Finn accidentally hit Luke and hid Luke's body, with the help of Nicky and Colt. Later, we know that Luke didn't die. Luke found Nicky dying and stayed with Nicky till his last breath.

Jesse, full of guilt and shame, confessed everything to Rose (Iris and Jesse's daughter). Then Jesse knew Amy deliberately let Finn die that night. Rose manipulate her father to abduct Colt and Amy and murder them. Colt was chained and died of drowning, Amy could get out but had to watch Colt struggle.
Jesse then intended to kill Amy but Luke found out and Luke and Jesse struggled. Jesse fell and hit his head, died.

Helen hated her daughter Amy because she thought Amy prevented her lover Colt from loving her (she and Colt were having an affair). At the end of the book, Rose killed her grandmother.




.

[Jayne Burnett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many thanks to NetGalley and Headline for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.
A fast paced thriller, set in a small town but filled with big characters.
Short sharp chapters which go between two timelines keep the reader engrossed.
It is prom night and the event is being held on a luxury boat, what could possibly go wrong?
When the lights go out on shore, the boat collides with something, water begins to seep in, 23 teenagers and two teachers, sisters Amy and Iris, are trapped. They will soon run out of air, the two sisters find themselves with an impossible decision to make, Will Amy choose to save her son or Iris’s son who she also loves. The accident leaves 21 teenagers dead,, one in a coma and one missing.
Fifteen months later the town is still struggling to heal, Amy and Iris haven’t spoken, Amy and her husband are separated, neither able to cope with not knowing what happened their son who is the missing teenager.
Quinn an investigative journalist has arrived back to the town after a year and her sixth sense senses a story. As she prods at the past secrets and lies are revealed. Everyone has something to hide.
As the tension and suspense builds the story slowly reveals what happened prior to the accident, what then happened as a result of the tragic accident and what then occurred as some players try to cover up the truth,
Enjoyed the read, apologies for late review.

[Lynsey is Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really gripping, emotionally tense thriller that took a little while to settle into, but once it did, I was completely invested.

The story moves back and forth between the lead-up to a tragic prom-night accident and the aftermath, with chapters counting down towards the murders in the present timeline. I really enjoyed the structure because it slowly lets the bigger picture come together piece by piece, and the multiple points of view helped build both the tension and the emotional stakes.

At first, it took me a little time to get oriented with all the different characters and timelines, but once everything started connecting, I found it hard to put down. The middle section in particular was incredibly tense and cinematic. The disaster elements surrounding the boat accident were vividly written and genuinely claustrophobic at times, and I could easily imagine the whole thing playing out like a film.

I ended up giving this four stars. The only aspect that didn’t fully work for me was the final stretch of reveals. Like a lot of thrillers, it keeps layering twist upon twist right at the very end, and I personally prefer a little more breathing room to process those final developments emotionally. That’s very much a personal preference, though, and it didn’t take away from how compelling and well-constructed the overall story was.

Definitely an engaging, atmospheric read with strong tension throughout.

[Kayl_may · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first time reading a book by Tess Stimson, and I was absolutely gripped from start to finish!

The story is told through multiple viewpoints and across dual timelines - around the time of the accident and 15 months later in the present day. I loved how this was done, as it gradually revealed what really happened during the accident and what led to the present day activities, while building suspense and keeping me completely hooked.

I flew through this in just three days as I just couldn’t put it down. It had everything I look for in a thriller. suspense, secrecy, mystery, family drama and heartbreak. Each chapter left me wanting to read just one more!

The plot was cleverly written and kept me engaged throughout, and the ending was definitely not disappointing!.

Overall, I absolutely loved this book and will definitely be recommending it to my friends and fellow readers. I genuinely can’t wait to read more from this author.

Thank you to Headline Books and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

A big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read The Perfect Accident by Tess Stimson.

This was a gripping thriller that really kept me hooked from start to finish. The short chapters made it so easy to fly through, always leaving me wanting “just one more.” I genuinely didn’t see the twists coming, which made the story even more satisfying as everything unfolded.

If you’re a fan of fast-paced, suspenseful reads, this is definitely one to add to your list—make sure to grab a copy when it’s released!

[Niraja Surendran · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC! Unfortunately, the pacing of this story was too slow for my taste. I also found it incredibly difficult to keep up with all the characters and their various timelines.

[Veronica · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little long, but still good.

[Lindsey Openshaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Firstly massive thank you to Mountain Leopard Press and Tess Stimson for the ARC via NetGalley.
I loved this book. The twists, the turns, the emotional pull on my heartstrings as a mum. It was perfect. It took a serious fear of mine, and made me feel claustrophobic, uncomfortable and slightly nauseous all whilst also keeping me absolutely entranced and wanting to turn the pages.
The characters were unlikeable in some instances, but totally understandable in most! It posed a different twist on decisions you make as a parent and was absolutely here for it. 5 stars all day long!

[Michael Drew · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Perfect Accident by Tess Stimson is a tightly constructed psychological thriller that blends moral dilemma, family conflict, and escalating suspense into a deeply unsettling and emotionally charged narrative. With its high stakes premise and steadily intensifying tension, the novel explores how a single moment of crisis can fracture relationships, reshape lives, and expose long buried truths.

At the heart of the story is a devastating ethical question: what happens when survival forces an impossible choice between family and innocence? The prom-night disaster on a luxury cruiser immediately establishes a claustrophobic, high pressure setting where safety disappears and instinct takes over. This confined environment amplifies every emotional reaction and transforms the situation into a psychological pressure cooker.

One of the book’s strongest elements is the moral complexity surrounding the sisters Amy and Iris. Their bond is tested in unimaginable ways as they are forced into a split-second decision that defines the trajectory of the entire story. The emotional weight of choosing between a child and a nephew creates a deeply uncomfortable but compelling tension that lingers long after the moment passes.

What stands out most is how Tess Stimson builds suspense not just through the disaster itself, but through its aftermath. The sinking of the boat is only the beginning—the real psychological tension unfolds in the years that follow, as guilt, secrecy, and fear begin to erode the lives of everyone involved. The re-emergence of a surviving teenager from a coma adds a powerful narrative trigger that reignites buried trauma and drives the second act of the story forward with urgency.

The novel excels at exploring themes of guilt, responsibility, and self-preservation. Each character is shaped by the consequences of the night on the lake, and the emotional fallout feels both believable and deeply human. Rather than relying solely on external action, the suspense is sustained through psychological pressure, fractured relationships, and the constant threat of exposure.

Another major strength is the pacing and structure. The story moves between past tragedy and present consequences in a way that steadily builds tension while revealing information at carefully controlled intervals. This layered storytelling approach keeps readers engaged while maintaining a constant sense of unease and anticipation.

Tess Stimson also demonstrates a strong command of atmosphere. The setting of the sinking boat creates immediate tension, while the later narrative expands into a world shaped by silence, secrets, and emotional suppression. This contrast between physical disaster and psychological aftermath gives the novel both scale and depth.

At its core, The Perfect Accident is a dark, emotionally complex thriller about impossible choices, hidden guilt, and the devastating ripple effects of a single moment. Readers who enjoy moral dilemma–driven suspense, psychological tension, and twist heavy narratives will find this novel particularly compelling and difficult to put down.

[Alison Bradbury · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was super twisty and hard to work out.

It is Prom night and the school have organized for the students to have Prom on a luxury boat. As the party swings into action the lights on shore go out leaving the designated look out blind. Shortly after the boat hits something in the water and starts to sink. With 23 teenagers are trapped under the waves in an air pocket with their teachers – sisters Iris and Amy. With Amy injured the two are forced to make decisions they didn’t want to make. For one of the sisters they have to choose between their own son and the nephew they helped to raise.

A year later, the reporter Quinn, is back in town trying to sniff out the truth about the events of that fateful night. She finds Amy no longer Head at the school and instead working in a restaurant and separated from her husband. Most of the town have laid the blame at Amy’s door – but where does everyone else fit in? And now, one of the injured children has woken from a coma and she has a lot to say about what happened on the lake…

This is a book with multiple mystery strands running through it and you will have more questions than answers as you read – however, almost all of the questions get answered by the end. The chapters shift back and forth in time, with some of them dealing with the build up to the prom and these are intercut with chapters set in the year after the accident and the build up to murders as one resident seeks revenge. I am generally not a fan of this kind of time slip as it can be confusing but this was done really well. The chapters also rotate between characters with much of the story being told by Amy, Iris and Quinn.

I must admit that there were some parts of the story that I felt were a stretch – having woken from a coma myself I know that I wouldn’t be sitting up in bed giving interviews to the media and having the savvy to include veiled threats to the person considered to be at fault, I know everyone is different but I just felt that lacked credibility.

There are themes within the story that could be trigger points for people as suicide and mental health issues play a part of one of the characters stories – a story that remained unresolved for me.
On the whole, this is a good story. I am a fan of a thriller and love twists and turns and this had plenty of those – borderline too many as there are lots of plot strands to keep hold of.

Fans of a thriller will enjoy this!

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

[Ceecee · Rating 5 out of 5]

4-5 stars

A town called Malice.

Quinn Wilde is a British senior war correspondent, injured in the “line of duty“ who is less than thrilled to be assigned a story in Stowebury, Vermont fifteen months ago. However, this turns out to be a really big story. A pretty town, perhaps it’s looks belying a rotten core, twenty one teenagers dead, one missing and one in a coma. A high school graduating class virtually wiped out. The authorities throw an ironclad ring around the town and the story and now over a year later, Quinn is certain she can blow the story out of the lake and get to the truth about how the high school prom aboard the boat Lady of Champlain goes so disastrously and tragically wrong. The story is told via several perspectives including two mothers who are also sisters, Amy and Iris.

There’s definitely something rotten in the state of Vermont, specifically Stowebury, to say the least there’s a pact or conspiracy of silence. Who’s to say what other conspiracies or corruption lurks beneath those deceptively benign waters?

The scene setting in this very atmospheric place is most revealing as there’s definitely trouble in paradise. The vibes are odd, the tones are off, there’s obvious dysfunction, it’s moody, malicious, there’s evil and hatred with plenty of hints of what to come. This inevitably has me reading on eager to seek out the nuggets of truth.

There are quite a lot of characters to get familiar with, but once I do, I have no problems sorting out who’s who as the characterisation is strong. There are some wolves in sheep’s clothing and one who is weaving evil at the centre of the murky waters. It’s really intriguing as things start to connect and my heart sinks and breaks along the Lakeside. There are so many layers to peel back to get to the heart of it all as the fear levels rise alongside the tension, secrets, lies and betrayals. It propels and twists itself towards an exciting, suspenseful and unexpected ending.

A times it’s a very emotional read, not only about incredibly tough choices that characters have to make but also because of some of the themes including the rawness of grief and the impact of bullying. There are some trigger warnings at the beginning of the book.

Overall, this is another exceptionally good read from Tessa Stimson in my opinion.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Headline, Mountain Leopard Press for the much appreciated early copy in return for an honest review.

[Denis Wheller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everyone in Stowebury is anticipating the high school Prom Night on a cruise ship on Lake Champlain. Those who live will come to regret this. A few hours into the trip, the ship hits an unseen object, and rapidly sinks. School head Amy and her sister Iris are trapped with a number of students and desperately try to organise an escape route for all. The sisters survive but twenty one students die, including Iris’s son Finn. Amy’s son Nicky also escapes, but is traumatised by the deaths, blaming his mother, as the organiser, for agreeing to such a dangerous venue, and disappears. The disaster has ramifications throughout the town, ruins Amy ‘s family, alienates her friends and her sister. And questions remain: why did it happen? what did the ship hit? was it just an accident? Where is Nicky?
That might sound like quite a complicated plot, but the background against which it unfolds is more complicated still, and there are two other plots which interweave. The story is told mainly from the viewpoints of the sisters, and the opening chapters are mostly a countdown to the ship sinking, and a detailed examination of what happens when people are trapped forty feet or more underwater. We are also given a whole other countdown, to “the killings”. So there is another story running that we know nothing about until the latter part of the book. Linking all of this we have an investigative journalist, Quinn Wilde ( a character who appears in earlier books by the author), who initially came to town anticipating that a coma victim of the accident is about to recover and provide a new perspective, but stumbled upon another story about a missing man,
The amount of information makes this a very long story (perhaps too long) especially the build up to the Prom. The final section follows a more normal thriller format, and reveals a series of twists in the plot, which keep the reader guessing, and are truly surprising, especially the double twisted ending. I’m in two minds about the rating. The sheer bulk and the very slow opening chapters count against it, but the twists and turns and the intellectual exercise they provide are huge positives. I’m going for 4.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

[Leanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Perfect Accident is the kind of thriller that grabs you by the collar from the first chapter and never quite loosens its grip. It opens on what should be a glittering, sentimental milestone — prom night on a luxury cruiser, proud parents watching their sons step into adulthood — and then lets everything slip, slowly and sickeningly, beneath the surface. The contrast between celebration and catastrophe gives the whole book a taut, breath‑held quality, as if you’re right there on the lake with them, listening to the water press in.

The heart of the story lies with sisters Amy and Iris, whose love for their boys becomes the axis on which the entire novel turns. When the boat sinks and the air begins to thin, the author doesn’t lean into spectacle; instead, she focuses on the unbearable intimacy of the moment — the kind of impossible choice that fractures a family long before anyone reaches the shore. It’s a premise that could easily feel sensational, but here it’s handled with a steady, human touch that makes the fallout all the more haunting.

A year later, when a girl wakes from her coma ready to speak, the narrative shifts into something sharper and more claustrophobic. Small‑town secrets start to ripple outward, and the sense of who can be trusted narrows with every chapter. The tension builds beautifully: quiet betrayals, buried guilt, the creeping fear that someone is willing to kill to keep the past submerged. The pacing is tight without feeling rushed, and the twist — when it comes — lands with that satisfying jolt that makes you flip back through earlier pages to catch the clues you missed.

It’s a dark, compelling story about loyalty, guilt, and the lengths people will go to protect the version of the truth they can live with. Atmospheric, emotionally charged, and impossible to look away from — a perfect pick for readers who love their thrillers with moral complexity and a lingering chill.

With thanks to Tess Stimson, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC

[marg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a really gripping psychological thriller told through multiple POVs and two timelines. At the heart of it is a terrible small-town tragedy: a high school prom held on a ship that sank, killing 21 students. The story is split into two timelines: the first is a countdown to that disaster three years ago, and the second timeline, set in the present, is a countdown to a separate murder, both of which are intertwined. I loved how the book kept us in the dark—until the end, we don’t know what this “murders” in the now timeline actually is, and that mystery drives the suspense. The main POVs are Amy, a former principal, and her sister Iris, along with their children, all of whom are deeply affected by the tragedy. But the POV that really brought the story to life for me was Quinn, a journalist who arrives in town with her cameraman. She’s an outsider, determined to uncover the truth, and her rational, grounded voice is such a relief. She acts like the reader would, asking the right questions, staying objective, and providing a balance to the more emotionally entangled characters.

The writing is rich and very detailed, especially when it comes to the psychological states and emotions of the characters. At times, though, I did feel the pacing was uneven. The buildup leading to the sinking goes on a little too long, and some sections before the tragedy could have been tightened without losing impact. Ironically, once the actual incident happens, the story speeds through the aftermath and present-day revelations much more quickly than expected. I would have liked more time spent on the incident itself and its immediate aftermath because that was when the story became the most gripping for me.

Overall, this was a layered and suspenseful read with strong atmosphere, compelling character dynamics, and a structure that kept me wanting to know what really happened.

Thank you to Tess Stimson, Headline Publishing Group, Mountain Leopard Press, and NetGalley for the ARC —I really enjoyed this one.

[Sharon · Rating 2 out of 5]

|#Netgalley|

I don't request many thrillers on Netgalley anymore, because I got sick of them there for a while - they all seemed a bit same-y. When I saw The Perfect Accident by Tess Stimson highlighted in an email, I thought it sounded like a fun, tense time.

Yikes...

The story flips between the days leading up to a Prom boat disaster that killed 21 teenagers, and fifteen months later, when a journalist arrives in Vermont after one of the survivors wakes from a coma. It's a great hook, and for the first section I was completely invested in finding out what happened.

But it just kept...adding things.

Every time I thought I had a handle on the story, another plot thread appeared. The main accident, the relationship between the central characters, missing people, deepfake videos, affairs, toxic family, environmental pollution, blackmail, bullying, abuse, corruption, self-harm, jealousy, cover-ups, murder - by exactly 36% I gave up taking notes and contemplated making a Charlie Day conspiracy wall, complete with post-its.

I like a twisty thriller, but this was just too much for me. I felt like I was spending more time trying to keep track of everyone's story than I was enjoying the book.

What's annoying is that there's a great story in here. The central tragedy is genuinely heartbreaking, and Maggie's experience is so sad. The dynamic between Amy and Iris was well done, striking the perfect balance between love and resentment. The author did a great job fleshing the sisters out into real characters. Unfortunately, every revelation seemed to come attached to three more, and I was ready to throw myself off the nearest boat every time we were handed another cliffhanger or another character was introduced.

I will say, I'm in awe that Tess Stimson managed to tie all these threads together (maybe she had a wall). It just wasn't enjoyable for me as a reader.

If you're the kind of reader who loves being kept on your toes and never getting the chance to settle in, then you may enjoy this, it has many excellent reviews.

It just wasn't for me.

CW - self harm, suicide, assault.

Thank you to the publisher for the eARC via @Netgalley.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not always in a thriller mood, but sometimes I really, really am, especially when I’m trying to break a reading slump. THE PERFECT ACCIDENT showed up for me on NetGalley at precisely one of those moments, and I will admit that I was a bit skeptical. The thing about thrillers is that a good thriller is one of the most fun things to read, but a middling or bad thriller is a pretty miserable reading experience. I have DNFd more than a few. But, in the spirit of adventure, I embarked on reading this book, and I was not disappointed at all. The story is compelling and complex, full of secrets and lies and veiled intentions. It is a Twin Peaks-esque small-town-with-a rotten-secret tale, but there are, like, a lot of rotten secrets in this little Vermont town. The story is centered around sisters Amy and Iris who are extremely close, raising their children together, working at the same school, and then dealing with the aftermath of the same unthinkable tragedy: half of the senior class disappeared while attending prom on a boat. I won’t reveal any more than that because a) there’s SO MUCH and b) I want you to read it for yourself! THE PERFECT ACCIDENT reads a bit more mystery than thriller in the best way; I really couldn’t wait to see what was revealed next. There was no one big crazy twist; only a twisty, layered tale of a lot of bad things happening. My ONE gripe with this book was that while it takes place in Vermont with mostly American characters/POVs, quite a bit of British slang/terminology/turns of phrase made it into the prose where it shouldn’t have been, i.e. not solely within the POV of the couple of British characters. Not a deal-breaker by ANY means, but did take me out of the action at times. You should definitely check it out if you’re a psychological thriller fan- it’s out April 23rd! Big thanks to Mountain Leopard Press and Tess Stimson for the e-ARC via NetGalley!

[Rachael · Rating 5 out of 5]

★★★★★

I went into The Perfect Accident not really knowing what to expect, but it ended up being a far more poignant and deeply reflective story than I’d first imagined. The plot centres on sisters Amy and Iris, who are chaperoning their sons’ high school prom on a luxury cruiser when the night turns into a total catastrophe. Trapped as the boat sinks, one sister is forced into an unthinkable, heart-wrenching choice between saving her own child or her nephew and dozens of other students. A year later, as a girl emerges from a coma ready to speak, the secrets buried at the bottom of the lake begin to threaten those who survived.

I started reading this on a Saturday night and before I knew it, I was turning the final page at 4 am; I just couldn't put it down. The structure worked so well for me; the chapters rotate between Amy, Iris, and journalist Quinn Wilde, with the past counting down to the accident while the present-day timeline builds toward a different kind of reckoning. I haven't read the first Quinn Wilde book, Stolen, but the references here were so intriguing that I’ve already added it to my library.

The contrast between the initial celebration and the following disaster gives the prose a taut, breath-held quality, almost as if you can feel the water pressing in against the hull. It’s a heavy, often brutal story where the tension builds through character dynamics and the weight of impossible decisions rather than cheap shocks. I really appreciated how the author explored the rawness of grief and the long-term impact of bullying. Almost everyone is flawed or driven by questionable ambitions, but they are layered enough that I couldn’t help but care about what happened to them. It’s rare that I can’t predict a thriller’s ending, but I truly had no idea where this was going.

Thank you to the author, Headline, Mountain Leopard Press, and NetGalley for the ARC.

[Jen James · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Perfect Accident is centred around a tragic evening. What started as a night to celebrate their graduation, very quickly turns into a day that will never be forgotten in their small, tight knit community. Twenty one teenagers drowned on the evening of their prom, one barely clings on to life in hospital, while another has been missing since that day.

The story moves between two timelines. The earlier being the events surrounding the prom on The Lady, a locally owned luxury cruise liner. The second being the current day, fifteen months later, when the characters are still dealing with the long reaching repercussions of that awful night.

Initially, I thought I was reading a book about a tragic loss of life. Very quickly, I discovered I was reading a book about secrets and grief, and the lengths some will go to, to keep their shame hidden. Yet again, initially I thought there was a clearly defined line between the ‘good guys and the bad guys’, but that became increasingly blurred as the book progressed.

I found the characters to be well explored, fully rounded, distinct individuals. The story line gripped me increasingly the further that I read. I loved how the author drip fed tiny details to the reader, so we knew there was so much more to know, while keeping us on tenterhooks.

I have a tendency to read the authors whose books I have previously enjoyed. To some degree, I think it’s to protect my out of control tbr tower. Tess Stimson is a good illustration of this. Having read The Perfect Accident, and loving it, I know now that I need to add her back catalogue to my poor out of control reading pile.

If you love dark, twisty thrillers, I can’t recommend The Perfect Accident highly enough. I thought it was fabulous, and I’m sure many others will too.

[Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tess Stimson has quickly become one of my favourite authors, and this latest novel is exactly why. From the very first chapter, I was glued to the pages, swept up in the horrendous circumstances unfolding on what should have been a night of celebration. Stimson has a gift for creating tension that feels almost physical, the kind that tightens around you as you read, and she pairs it with characters so emotionally vivid that you can’t help but feel every beat of their fear, guilt, and desperation. YOU CAN'T SAVE THEM ALL. WHO DO YOU CHOOSE? becomes more than a tagline, it becomes the agonising heartbeat of the story.

The premise is devastating: a high school prom held on a luxurious cruiser ends in catastrophe when the boat sinks, trapping students and chaperones beneath the lake. Sisters Amy and Iris, there to watch their sons step into adulthood, are thrust into an unimaginable nightmare. As the air thins and the darkness closes in, long buried secrets rise to the surface, and one sister faces a choice no mother should ever have to make sacrifice her own son or let her nephew and twenty one other teenagers drown. The emotional weight of that moment lingers long after the chapter ends. And just when you think you’ve recovered, the story leaps forward a year, when a girl awakens from a coma ready to reveal what really happened at the bottom of the lake and someone is determined to silence her for good. It’s gripping, heartbreaking, and utterly consuming Stimson at her absolute best.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book, all opinions expressed are my own.

[Mark taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set around family secrets, bad business practices and a disaster that kills most of the students graduating high school this year.

The Perfect Accident, is one of those domestic novels which has enough twists in it to make it similar to most books of its genre. However unlike similar books it just stays on the right line of realism, which is not always the case.

While the Boat accident is the key point of the story because of the mystery element, as the book is split into 3 time lines, before, during and after the accident.

It almost becomes a study on how a small American town is changed both as the town as a whole and the affects the peoples assumptions of what happens on the night.

While The Perfect Accident is a domestic thriller not a literary thriller it does not go into depth on this it does do it more than similar novels of this genre making the story more well rounded.

Added to this was the way that the writer was able to bring the reader into the events of the disaster as a way of showing the choices made were on par with the real character of the participants rather than what they showed to the outside world.

While the novel is split of a number of timelines to make the novel work as a story, there were times when it took a few pages to work out what part of the time line of the novel as it jumped from one part to another.

Having said that The Perfect Accident by Tess Stimson is still worth reading as it will have you gripped from beginning to the end.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Darla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quinn Wilde from Stolen is back to investigate a prom night disaster. Relive that tragedy with two local sisters and acount down impending calamity.



Last year the senior class held their prom on a yacht out on Lake Champlain. What could go wrong?

Plenty! Twenty-one seniors did not go home that night.

Now, fifteen months later the town of Stowebury is still simmering from the strife. And things are about to come to a boil.

Here's what I liked:

🤩Tess Stimson kept the surprises coming. With multiple POVs and two timelines, it was still easy to follow and so engaging.

🍁I love the Vermont setting! That part of the country is just beautiful and it was a treat to return virtually.

🚢Holding a prom on a large luxury cruiser sounds so inviting. Unfortunately this particular cruise was quite short and perilous.

📚This is my third read from Tess Stimson and she is a must read for me. Her plots are unique and the characters have to make such difficult choices. If you loved the early Jodi Picould reads, try this author!

Thank you to Mountain Leopard Press and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Aurora Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

𝗤𝗨𝗜𝗖𝗞 𝗣𝗟𝗢𝗧 𝗣𝗘𝗘𝗞
A high school prom cruise ends in disaster when the boat sinks and 21 people die. Fifteen months later, a coma survivor wakes up, and reporter Quinn returns to the tight-lipped town to uncover what really happened on the lake.

𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗬 𝗧𝗔𝗞𝗘
It’s been a very long time since I’ve been on the edge of my seat for an entire book like this. This book is exceptional.

The characters feel real, the situation is chaotic and layered, and I didn’t want to stop reading, even though I also didn’t want it to end.

The story moves across two timelines with multiple POVs, in both first and third person. It sounds like a lot, but it works. It adds tension and depth without feeling messy.

Emotionally, there’s all the feels. A lot of people die, no neat happy endings. It’s heavy and, at times, brutal. Definitely check trigger warnings: toxic parenting, bullying, drowning, teen death.

It’s also incredibly bingeable. Short chapters, sharp pacing, high drama. Almost everyone is flawed, but so layered it was impossible not to care.

I did have a tiny issue with the whodunnit of it all, but when a book works this well overall, I can live with that.

𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗛 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗?
This is the perfect thriller (hehe) for readers that like fast paced, high family drama, multiple POVs, and a ton of twists!!

Thank you Headline Books and NetGalley for this #gifted ARC.

🎧 Narrated by Helen Keeley
📖 Publishes 04•23•26 | 464 pages | 10h

[Joanna Lambert · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the lakeside town of Stowebury, Vermont, the annual high school Prom Dance has been moved onboard The Maid of Champlaine, due to health and safety issues with its normal venue. Disaster strikes, however, when a summer storm takes out the lakeside lighting, plunging the lake into darkness. The Maid, already out on the water, is struck by an unidentified vessel, causing it to sink and twenty-one students to lose their lives.
The book covers many aspects – the accident itself, the grief of the families involved and, of course, who is to blame.
Journalist Quinne Wilde arrived in Stowebury to cover the tragedy fifteen months ago. She found no one willing to talk and an investigation that appeared to have been shut down by those in charge . However, she was sure there were deeper issues to be uncovered within this community, and now she is back and determined to fit the pieces together.
The Perfect Accident is a great read. The characters are easy to empathise with and secrets and lies abound in the small knit community. The tragedy is realistically written and in some places makes difficult reading. One night will change the lives of many people.

This is yet another of those books which stays in the memory long after the last page has been read. Recommended.
I would like to thank Headline (Mountain Leopard Press), the author and Netgalley for an ARC of The Perfect Accident in exchange for an honest review.

[Denice Langley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A plotline sure to stir readers' emotions as Tess Stimson does an excellent job of building a three-dimensional community and the tragedy that kills an entire high school graduating class. A year after the accident, Quinn Wilde, an investigative journalist, is assigned to cover the story and find out what really happened that night. To say she was not thrilled would be an understatement. As she starts interviewing the citizens of Stowebury, the mystery deepens, taking on dark undercurrents of an accident that killed 21 students.

Two sisters, Amy and Iris, have agreed to chaperone their son's graduation party. The Stowebury High School senior class has chosen a cruise on Lake Champlain as their prom site. The party is everything they dreamed of, and the sisters are happy to see their sons making memories that will last a lifetime. Then the boat starts sinking, and the sisters do everything they can to save the students. When the final count comes in, 21 dead, two survivors, one in a coma. The town works hard to lock down any information, and the story stays a mystery until the student in a coma wakes up and Quinn comes to investigate. As the story unwinds, everyone is pointing fingers, and the tension builds to an explosive point. This book is an excellent thriller; it holds the tension tight as the twists identify those responsible for the lives lost and the sisters can face their grief together.

[Mary Donegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘26 - 4.5 STARS

DESCRIPTION :

TRIGGER WARNINGS - SELF HARM, BULLYING & SUICIDE.

This year, for the first time, the high school prom will be held on a luxurious cruiser on the lake. Sisters Amy and Iris are thrilled to chaperone, watching their sons step into adulthood in pressed suits and shiny shoes. It's a night of pride, celebration - and promise. Until the boat sinks. As darkness falls and the air begins to run out, buried secrets surface. Trapped beneath the lake, one of the sisters is forced to make an unthinkable choice: sacrifice her own son - or let her nephew and twenty-one other teenagers drown. One year later, a girl will wake up from her coma, ready to tell everyone what really happened at the bottom of the lake. And someone needs to keep her quiet - this time, for good.

REVIEW :

Books by this author were The Perfect Accident (‘26 - 4.5 Stars), The New House (‘22 -Read ‘23 - 4 Stars) and Stolen (‘21 - Read ‘22 - 5 Stars).

Sale $.99; reg 3.99 -3.00 Kindle Rewards. Earned Double Kindle Rewards with this purchase.

The writing flows along at a fast pace. I loved the family history built into the story. I couldn’t stop reading to see where this story went. The underwater scenes were well described and left me very anxious. Pay attention to the titles of the chapters as these indicated timelines so you know where in the story you are. Tension-filled read !

[Aditi Goud · Rating 3 out of 5]

If there's one thing Tess Stimson knows how to do, it's make readers question everything they think they know.
The Perfect Accident starts with a premise that instantly grabs your attention. A high school prom held aboard a luxury cruiser ends in disaster when the boat sinks, forcing one woman to make an impossible choice. From there, the story unfolds through secrets, betrayals, and long buried truths that slowly come to the surface.
What I enjoyed most was how effectively the suspense was maintained throughout the novel. Every time I felt certain I had figured out where the story was heading, another revelation shifted my perspective. The tension builds steadily, making it difficult to put the book down.
Beyond the mystery itself, the novel explores family dynamics, guilt, loyalty, and the consequences of decisions made in moments of desperation. The characters are flawed and complex, which made their choices feel believable even when they were frustrating.
The pacing occasionally slowed in places, but the final twists and emotional payoff made the journey worthwhile. Tess Stimson creates an atmosphere filled with unease and uncertainty, keeping readers invested until the very last pages.
A compelling psychological thriller packed with secrets, emotional conflict, and plenty of surprises. Perfect for readers who enjoy domestic suspense and stories where nobody is telling the whole truth.