The Yacht

By: Sarah Goodwin

Narrated by: Beth Eyre

'A white-knuckle descent from champagne and caviar to blood and murder. Toxic friendships, jealousy, private helicopters – I loved it! Lord of the Flies in a cocktail dress!' – RACHEL WOLF, Author of Five Nights

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WHEN THE TRUTH SURFACES…

New Year’s Eve, 2023. When Hannah and her friends rent a luxury yacht in an Italian marina, they party in style under the stars until they pass out.

…WHO WILL SINK…

The next morning, they are horrified to find they have been cut adrift into the open ocean, with no sight of land and no fuel in the engine. And that’s when the first person goes missing…

…AND WHO WILL SWIM?

The Yacht is a twisty locked-room thriller that will have fans of The White Lotus, Lucy Foley and Amy McCulloch addicted from the very start!

©2024 Sarah Goodwin (P)2024 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

‘A Sarah Goodwin novel never fails to impress, but THE YACHT is by far her best yet. Fast-paced and brilliantly written, it had a real Lord Of The Flies vibe, with each one of her well crafted, animalistic characters swiftly descending into chaos. Every page left me wanting more, every word crafted with harrowing brutality. THE YACHT has it all. Terror, desperate urgency and impactful emotion that will force readers to take a closer look at their own lives and address what we all deem important.’ – Nicky Shearsby

Wow!

So exquisitely and vividly written. I felt like I was right there. Not to mention, what an original plot line. Performance: perfect. Bravo!!! What a treat!

Great story

Another great survival story from Sara Goodwin. I’m on a rampage to get through all of her work now. So addicting.

Good, but not my fav from her

Maybe it's because I listened to too many of her stories one right after the other, but I found this one to be almost formulaic in the sense that it's so similar to her other books, just with a different setting and slightly different characters. I almost immediately knew who the guilty party was. I had hoped I was wrong, but turns out I was on the nose through the entire book. The whole "the bad guy is the one who you least expect & on whom suspicion is never cast," for the sake of a twist is becoming a trope that I don't like, because it's something that can be pulled off a limited number of times before the least expected becomes my first suspect.

Aside from it being too similar as all of her other work, I enjoyed it. As a work standing on its own, I still don't think it was the best, but it did keep me engaged, and the main character was sympathetic, so all in all, a decent read. Just seems like the author needs to vary things up a bit..

Who’s next?

Suspenseful reading in trying to figure out first will anyone survive. Then who set everything in motion and why?

Sadly , I felt zero connection to the characters in all except for the lead

Well , no spoilers but it’s my worst review of 2025
I thought the premise was right up my alley , I wasn’t thrilled about any of the characters. The lead was ok. But honestly I could barely tell you the others names. It was going along until I had 2 hours left and I thought “ where could this possibly go for another 2 hours. “ It was at this point I realized I didn’t care , I did finish it just because and it didn’t get any better in my opinion. Sorry to the author. I guess just not my cup of tea.
That being said the narrator did a good job because if the narrator was bad I would not have gotten very far

A Powerhouse Read..!!.. Get It.!

Taut,.. hold your breath moments one after the other.. it’s the perfect time of year to treat yourself to this amazingly crafted book

FINALLY a narrator whose age and tone matches the age of the characters!

**4 Stars: A Gripping Tale with a Few Hiccups**

Sarah Goodwin’s "The Yacht" is a captivating read that kept me engaged from start to finish. The plot is well-constructed, and Goodwin’s writing style is immersive, drawing you into the world of luxury and mystery aboard the yacht. However, I found the last few chapters to drag on a bit, and the ending, while satisfying, lacked the shocking twist I was anticipating.

Despite these minor drawbacks, the overall experience was enjoyable. A special mention goes to the narrator of the audio version. Her expressive voice and the way she conveyed the characters' emotions truly brought the story to life. Her performance made it easy to get lost in the book and connect deeply with the characters. The last several books I’ve listened to have been narrated by senior citizens in their 70s who are portraying 30 year olds and it ruins the book! This narrator was fabulous!

If you enjoy thrilling mysteries with rich character development, "The Yacht" is definitely worth the read.

A heartbreaking struggle for survival

Author Sarah Goodwin creates an engrossing journey aboard “The Yacht,” a gripping thriller from the very start. On New Year’s Eve, Hannah and friends gather on a luxury yacht, however, their celebration quickly turns into a nightmare when they wake up adrift in the ocean with no fuel and someone missing. With its slow-burning tension, devious twists and vivid characters, Beth Eyre's narration brings the story to life with skill and precision. Her narration is exquisitely done. I will be looking for more by this talented duo. Grab it now from Audible’s “Deals” section for just $7.99 and get ready to set sail on a captivating adventure.

Solid story

The beginning was rough character wise for me. The protagonist was really frustrating because she was such a doormat. I do not enjoy reading stories like that. But it’s clear that was done on purpose to showcase her journey and character growth.
The ending was very satisfying .
I also enjoyed thinking what would I do in this increasingly perilous situation.