No One Aboard by Emy McGuire

Jerry Baugh doesn’t expect much to happen on his usual fishing route besides hauling in the day’s catch––so when he stumbles upon an abandoned luxury sailboat in the middle of the ocean, he can’t believe it. The ship is owned by the rich, alluring Cameron family, and while no one’s aboard, someone’s left a message for Jerry to find: Save yOur Self.

Thus begins a race to find out what has happened to the Camerons––mother Lila, father Francis, and teenage twins Tia and Rylan––and their guests: chef and Francis’s longtime confidant, Alejandro; Nico, a deckhand and Alejandro’s nephew; and MJ, a skilled diver. While the investigation takes place in the present, the book also switches to the past to give readers more insight about those aboard the ship. 

The novel is recommended for fans of the genre, particularly those who enjoy a character-driven slow-burn with lots of exposition. 

In the past, unsettling occurrences strike the Camerons and their guests, including an accidental death of one of the passengers aboard. Francis’s claims of a simple family vacation begin to unravel as Tia and Rylan piece together exactly what kind of man their father is, and where he’s really planning to take the boat (and everyone aboard). The twins become increasingly suspicious of their excursion with every passing moment, particularly because each has their own motivations to get back home safely. Freshly eighteen, Tia is ready to set out on her own and leave her parents behind for a globe-trotting experience, if only she can convince Rylan to join her. Things are far from perfect in the Cameron home, as Francis’s obsession with perfection continues to push both of his children past the breaking point. 

Back in the present, Jerry is the new owner of the Camerons’ abandoned sailboat, thanks to maritime “finders keepers” laws. As much as Jerry would like to enjoy his new find, he’s haunted by memories of his own dead brother, who drowned at sea. He fears the worst has happened to the Camerons, but law enforcement isn’t so sure. When they begin digging into Francis’s past, they discover his ties to Jerry’s deceased brother, as well as the real “family vacation” he had planned. It soon becomes clear that Francis was not the loving, supportive father and husband he appeared to be. 

NO ONE ABOARD by Emy McGuire is a dual timeline, locked-room domestic mystery that unfolds at the same time that Hurricane Ida strikes the United States. It makes readers question who the Camerons and their guests should fear more: a turbulent sea or each other. The novel is recommended for fans of the genre, particularly those who enjoy a character-driven slow-burn with lots of exposition. 

NO ONE ABOARD is available now from Graydon House, an imprint of Harlequin.

PURCHASE THE BOOK!

CHECK OUT GRAYDON HOUSE!