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Below The Deck: The Addictive, Escapist Destination Thriller For Fans of Ruth Ware and Lucy Clarke
OUT ON THE WATER, THERE'S NOWHERE TO HIDE
On a sun-soaked voyage around enchanting French Polynesia, three rising stars, their CEO and their partners are living the cocktails, coral reefs, and the promise of reward after a year of hard work.
But as the tight quarters of their luxury superyacht close in, tensions emerge - not just between the guests, but the jaded crew serving them. Soon, secrets surface, marriages crack, and danger stalks guests below the deck. And when a passenger is found dead, it's clear the glossy facade has shattered forever.
Because here on the high seas, everyone’s hiding something - and no one can escape what they've done . . .
Below Deck is the pulse-pounding destination thriller from Nikki Allen, perfect for fans of Ruth Ware and Lucy Clarke.
Praise for Nikki
'A brilliant, twisty thriller . . . I was gripped' – Peter James, author of the bestselling Roy Grace series
'An absolute must-read for your summer - Nikki Allen is one to watch!' – Sarah Goodwin, author of The Yacht
'An accomplished white-knuckle ride from start to finish' – Kate Riordan, author of The Heatwave
'The perfect destination thriller to lose yourself in this summer' – Natasha Boydell, author of The Fortune Teller
'A twisty debut' – Amanda Reynolds, author of Close To Me
'Dangers and secrets lurk in the shadows in this unputdownable destination thriller' – Allie Reynolds, author of Shiver
'The thriller debut of the summer!' – Sara Ochs, author of The Resort
On a sun-soaked voyage around enchanting French Polynesia, three rising stars, their CEO and their partners are living the cocktails, coral reefs, and the promise of reward after a year of hard work.
But as the tight quarters of their luxury superyacht close in, tensions emerge - not just between the guests, but the jaded crew serving them. Soon, secrets surface, marriages crack, and danger stalks guests below the deck. And when a passenger is found dead, it's clear the glossy facade has shattered forever.
Because here on the high seas, everyone’s hiding something - and no one can escape what they've done . . .
Below Deck is the pulse-pounding destination thriller from Nikki Allen, perfect for fans of Ruth Ware and Lucy Clarke.
Praise for Nikki
'A brilliant, twisty thriller . . . I was gripped' – Peter James, author of the bestselling Roy Grace series
'An absolute must-read for your summer - Nikki Allen is one to watch!' – Sarah Goodwin, author of The Yacht
'An accomplished white-knuckle ride from start to finish' – Kate Riordan, author of The Heatwave
'The perfect destination thriller to lose yourself in this summer' – Natasha Boydell, author of The Fortune Teller
'A twisty debut' – Amanda Reynolds, author of Close To Me
'Dangers and secrets lurk in the shadows in this unputdownable destination thriller' – Allie Reynolds, author of Shiver
'The thriller debut of the summer!' – Sara Ochs, author of The Resort
353 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 1, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
July 29, 2026
This was a fun, entertaining escapist destination thriller, perfect for holiday reading, and I raced through it !!
As a company CEO, his wife, three of his employees and their partners all cruise around the French Polynesian islands in the super yacht Lusso Di Mare, tensions rise, secrets emerge and marriages crack.
What started out as a luxury vacation ends in murder.
Because here on the high seas, everyone’s hiding something - and no one can escape what they've done . . .
Below The Deck is told from four main POV’s which are cleverly woven together, with little bits of the puzzle being slowly fed to the reader. It seemed that everybody had a secret they wanted to hide and I enjoyed trying to guess what they were, while trusting no one. The setting, although exotic and picturesque, felt claustrophobic, everyone being stuck aboard a yacht with no means of escape, adding to the tension.
I love a story that uses mixed media and still keeps me fully engaged, and this was done so well with excerpts from police interviews, text messages, emails and recordings at the end of the chapters.
I also loved that it explored misogyny and domestic abuse issues in such a unique and subtle way, getting the point across without overpowering the narrative.
This has everything you want from a popcorn thriller, jam-packed action, adrenaline surging plot, some nail-biting action towards the end and a holiday vibe. I will certainly be looking out for this author’s next book.
Publication date -30th July 2026
Many thanks to @netgalley and @panmacmillan for the ARC.
As a company CEO, his wife, three of his employees and their partners all cruise around the French Polynesian islands in the super yacht Lusso Di Mare, tensions rise, secrets emerge and marriages crack.
What started out as a luxury vacation ends in murder.
Because here on the high seas, everyone’s hiding something - and no one can escape what they've done . . .
Below The Deck is told from four main POV’s which are cleverly woven together, with little bits of the puzzle being slowly fed to the reader. It seemed that everybody had a secret they wanted to hide and I enjoyed trying to guess what they were, while trusting no one. The setting, although exotic and picturesque, felt claustrophobic, everyone being stuck aboard a yacht with no means of escape, adding to the tension.
I love a story that uses mixed media and still keeps me fully engaged, and this was done so well with excerpts from police interviews, text messages, emails and recordings at the end of the chapters.
I also loved that it explored misogyny and domestic abuse issues in such a unique and subtle way, getting the point across without overpowering the narrative.
This has everything you want from a popcorn thriller, jam-packed action, adrenaline surging plot, some nail-biting action towards the end and a holiday vibe. I will certainly be looking out for this author’s next book.
Publication date -30th July 2026
Many thanks to @netgalley and @panmacmillan for the ARC.
July 29, 2026
After thoroughly devouring Nikki Allen’s debut work, The Hideaway, I was pleased to see this summer was going to be rewarded with another destination thriller.
Aboard the luxury yacht the the Lusso di Mare, we join a group of colleagues from Ashworth Property Partners, as they enjoy the trip of a lifetime, financed by CEO Rory as part of his incentive plan to reward exceptional work throughout the year.
The trip very rapidly descends into the trip from hell, as we start to realize that maybe not everything is happy within the work family.
Below The Deck had me from the first page, and I absolutely loved visiting the tropical locations alongside our Ashworth family, and learning all about the cast which i grew to love and hate in equal measure.
If you’re looking for a summer read, perhaps not on a luxury super yacht, you’re in for an absolute treat in Below The Deck, as Nikki works to cement herself as the true queen of the summer destination thriller genre.
Aboard the luxury yacht the the Lusso di Mare, we join a group of colleagues from Ashworth Property Partners, as they enjoy the trip of a lifetime, financed by CEO Rory as part of his incentive plan to reward exceptional work throughout the year.
The trip very rapidly descends into the trip from hell, as we start to realize that maybe not everything is happy within the work family.
Below The Deck had me from the first page, and I absolutely loved visiting the tropical locations alongside our Ashworth family, and learning all about the cast which i grew to love and hate in equal measure.
If you’re looking for a summer read, perhaps not on a luxury super yacht, you’re in for an absolute treat in Below The Deck, as Nikki works to cement herself as the true queen of the summer destination thriller genre.
May 18, 2026
I read an eARC of this book on NetGalley so thank you to the author and the publisher.
I really enjoyed this ship based thriller. This involves a wealthy business owner who has taken his top performing staff on a luxury yacht trip to French Polynesia. There’s tensions between the attendees as some don’t feel others deserve to be there. Also some people are harbouring secrets. I won’t say anything else on plot to avoid spoilers!
I thought the way this unravelled was good. We switch perspectives a lot, giving a sense of unease and a lack of trust. We also see interviews with the police dotted through giving us a sense of something bad that has happened.
The setting is amazing with the beautiful islands. The yacht is a great location for creating claustrophobia with the characters in very close proximity. There’s also issues with the remote location which lack of connectivity to other people.
This was very entertaining with plenty of secrets and lies.
I really enjoyed this ship based thriller. This involves a wealthy business owner who has taken his top performing staff on a luxury yacht trip to French Polynesia. There’s tensions between the attendees as some don’t feel others deserve to be there. Also some people are harbouring secrets. I won’t say anything else on plot to avoid spoilers!
I thought the way this unravelled was good. We switch perspectives a lot, giving a sense of unease and a lack of trust. We also see interviews with the police dotted through giving us a sense of something bad that has happened.
The setting is amazing with the beautiful islands. The yacht is a great location for creating claustrophobia with the characters in very close proximity. There’s also issues with the remote location which lack of connectivity to other people.
This was very entertaining with plenty of secrets and lies.
July 30, 2026
I enjoyed this read. Firstly, the location of a luxury yacht was enjoyable, it felt like I was watching "Below Deck" at times but it definitely helped to create a holiday environment and a luxury one at that. We read this through the eyes of the different characters and we know they are all holding secrets from the beginning, as the book progresses, these are slowly revealed.
If I had a negative it is that this is perhaps a bit too long, towards the end of the book the pace drops off and I began to get bored. At the same time, I thought it ended quite quickly.
I enjoyed the different characters, they work well together and I liked seeing how they interact and how this changes as the book progresses.
Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for an advance copy.
If I had a negative it is that this is perhaps a bit too long, towards the end of the book the pace drops off and I began to get bored. At the same time, I thought it ended quite quickly.
I enjoyed the different characters, they work well together and I liked seeing how they interact and how this changes as the book progresses.
Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for an advance copy.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Below Deck is my favourite TV show, so to combine that with my love of psychological thrillers, it's safe to say that I was excited for the opportunity to read this one!
I thought it was great - I enjoyed getting to know the guests and discovering their individual reasons for wanting to be on the trip. I loved that the yacht setting provided the necessity for the characters to be in close proximity for days on end and enjoyed reading as the tensions rose and the secrets came tumbling out .
The ending did require some suspension of disbelief, but I liked it. Overall I would definitely recommend this and I had fun reading it.
I thought it was great - I enjoyed getting to know the guests and discovering their individual reasons for wanting to be on the trip. I loved that the yacht setting provided the necessity for the characters to be in close proximity for days on end and enjoyed reading as the tensions rose and the secrets came tumbling out .
The ending did require some suspension of disbelief, but I liked it. Overall I would definitely recommend this and I had fun reading it.
August 5, 2026
✨ARC✨
A luxury holiday turns deadly. Tensions rise, facades start to crack, and secrets threaten to spill.
I loved Nikki Allen's last book (The Hideaway) so jumped at the chance to read this second one. It did not disappoint! I didn't want to put this book down! I was gripped from the very first page.
This had me on the edge of my seat, suspecting everyone, trying to piece together the clues. Nikki is cementing herself as a fantastic destination thriller writer. Perfect for fans of Lucy Clarke and Lucy Foley.
Thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy
A luxury holiday turns deadly. Tensions rise, facades start to crack, and secrets threaten to spill.
I loved Nikki Allen's last book (The Hideaway) so jumped at the chance to read this second one. It did not disappoint! I didn't want to put this book down! I was gripped from the very first page.
This had me on the edge of my seat, suspecting everyone, trying to piece together the clues. Nikki is cementing herself as a fantastic destination thriller writer. Perfect for fans of Lucy Clarke and Lucy Foley.
Thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Below the Deck by Nikki Allen� is a tense, fast-paced thriller that kept me guessing the whole way through. The twists and shifting suspicions made it hard to put down, and I was constantly changing my mind about what was really going on. While I enjoyed the suspense and atmosphere, the ending didn’t quite work for me personally. Still, an entertaining read overall for thriller fans who enjoy unpredictable plots.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A trip of a lifetime for 3 lucky employees from Rory's property company on board a luxury yacht sailing around French Polynesia. But Eleni, Sam and Lucy all have their own reasons for wanting to be on the yacht and its not going to end well for one of the guests.
The tension in the novel builds steadily as the alcohol flows and secrets are slowly revealed. It's a perfect summer holiday read.
The tension in the novel builds steadily as the alcohol flows and secrets are slowly revealed. It's a perfect summer holiday read.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A super twisty thriller set on a luxury yacht. Both guests and crew become suspects for the most unlikely crime, the tension building is excellent. Highly recommended.
August 16, 2026
gripping and satisfying
Nearly every page has a cliffhanger and keeps you guessing right to the end.
I couldn’t wait to go back to it each time.
Nearly every page has a cliffhanger and keeps you guessing right to the end.
I couldn’t wait to go back to it each time.
August 16, 2026
It took me forever to finish it. It just goes on forever without any real tension. Boring.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Three rising stars, their CEO (and partners) are living their best life on a luxury superyacht travelling around French Polynesia (can I go please?) Enjoying the sun, the cocktails, the breath taking views - they deserve this after working so hard. But soon the atmosphere changes - they are in close quarters and even the staff serving them are feeling the rising tension. Secrets are revealed, relationships are tested and there is peril out in the dark.
Then a body is found…
The Pros:
1) You get serious holiday vibes it being set around French Polynesia
2) You get the luxurious vibes with the passengers being waited on hand and foot on a superyacht
3) I loved the rising tension throughout the story. You are not sure who to trust and also the ‘feeling of being watched’ which brings on the creepy ambience.
4) There are multiple POVs
5) I liked the ending...
The Cons:
1) There are dark themes and sad parts. Advise checking trigger warnings if you feel you need to.
2) At the start I struggled to remember who was who as there are quite a few characters
3) I now want to go on a voyage around French Polynesia on a superyacht... which I can’t afford 😭😂
The Quotes:
1) She was constantly juggling a hundred balls - some made of plastic, some of delicate crystal, and she never knew which one was about to crash to the ground.
2) Behind every man - no matter how successful, how strong, how powerful - there was a frightened little boy who just wanted their mum.
3) Why do we women always do that? The self-gaslighting; the waving away of micro-aggressions. Maybe it came from childhood - the messages girls get about being good and nice and compliant, and not making a fuss.
The Summary:
This story really appealed to me: a voyage around an exotic location, a luxury superyacht, oh yeah and a dead body lol. I liked how the simmering tension on board kept rising up, you got creepy vibes, you don’t know who to trust and I kept trying to work out what secrets everyone was keeping. It did take me a while to remember who was who though in the book, as there are quite a few characters on board the boat. I thought the ending was a fun idea (no spoilers) and I liked the interludes between chapters, where the superyacht communicates with others. Overall I really enjoyed this book!
Summed up in a sentence?:
3x high fliers join their CEO on a superyacht, then a dead body is found
I rated the book 4 stars.
A big thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for an open and honest review!
Then a body is found…
The Pros:
1) You get serious holiday vibes it being set around French Polynesia
2) You get the luxurious vibes with the passengers being waited on hand and foot on a superyacht
3) I loved the rising tension throughout the story. You are not sure who to trust and also the ‘feeling of being watched’ which brings on the creepy ambience.
4) There are multiple POVs
5) I liked the ending...
The Cons:
1) There are dark themes and sad parts. Advise checking trigger warnings if you feel you need to.
2) At the start I struggled to remember who was who as there are quite a few characters
3) I now want to go on a voyage around French Polynesia on a superyacht... which I can’t afford 😭😂
The Quotes:
1) She was constantly juggling a hundred balls - some made of plastic, some of delicate crystal, and she never knew which one was about to crash to the ground.
2) Behind every man - no matter how successful, how strong, how powerful - there was a frightened little boy who just wanted their mum.
3) Why do we women always do that? The self-gaslighting; the waving away of micro-aggressions. Maybe it came from childhood - the messages girls get about being good and nice and compliant, and not making a fuss.
The Summary:
This story really appealed to me: a voyage around an exotic location, a luxury superyacht, oh yeah and a dead body lol. I liked how the simmering tension on board kept rising up, you got creepy vibes, you don’t know who to trust and I kept trying to work out what secrets everyone was keeping. It did take me a while to remember who was who though in the book, as there are quite a few characters on board the boat. I thought the ending was a fun idea (no spoilers) and I liked the interludes between chapters, where the superyacht communicates with others. Overall I really enjoyed this book!
Summed up in a sentence?:
3x high fliers join their CEO on a superyacht, then a dead body is found
I rated the book 4 stars.
A big thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for an open and honest review!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews