First published 2025
Mia Crawford lives by the rules. Her demanding job, caring for her grandmother, and managing her cats leave little room for spontaneity. She escapes through books filled with bold heroines who take risks she never would. When her boss forces her to take a vacation, Mia arrives at a luxurious private island resort determined to reinvent herself. She plans to explore, flirt with the attractive bartender, maybe even have a fling. But old habits die hard, and she finds herself reading on the beach instead. The book she picks up contains gossipy margin notes about other guests. What starts as harmless resort drama turns sinister when Mia realizes the notes contain clues about a missing guest. Now she must navigate a web of secrets among the resort staff and visitors. Every guest seems to be hiding something important. Mia discovers that playing detective in real life differs vastly from reading about it. She races to solve the mystery before whoever made the guest disappear decides she knows too much.
Genres: romance, suspense, mystery, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: amateur-detective, fish-out-of-water, secrets
Setting: Private Island Resort
390 pages · Hardcover · MIRA