First published 2026
Charlie Engels desperately needs money when her bookstagram account opens an unexpected door. She accepts an invitation to join Empress, a luxury yacht anchored in the Florida Keys that serves as home base for internet influencers. The deal promises lucrative brand partnerships and a built-in community of social media stars. Charlie also hopes the arrangement will help her escape a devastating betrayal by her former best friend. The yacht houses five other women, each carrying secrets: a ruthless leader, a fashion influencer losing control, inseparable twins, a peacemaker struggling with doubt, and the lingering presence of the woman Charlie replaced. Charlie keeps spotting this missing influencer on board, though the others claim she simply quit. When a hurricane strikes, the group becomes trapped at sea with their billionaire employer. Communication systems fail and supplies run low. Past betrayals surface as tensions escalate. Then someone dies. As paranoia spreads and trust dissolves, Charlie discovers the real threat comes from within their group, not from the storm raging outside.
Genres: mystery, contemporary, thriller, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Florida Keys
Period: 21st-century
384 pages · Paperback · Cosmo Reads
Content warnings: death