Nadia and Cass Brenner are the heirs to Ocean House – a mega-yacht construction company about to expand into the Asian market. While heading up their next big project for an AI mogul in Singapore, Cass turns up dead from a fall off of a high-rise balcony. While law enforcement rule the death as a suicide, Nadia isn’t convinced. While digging into Cass’s life and project plans across the world, she discovers that she didn’t know her sister as well as she thought. Additionally, mysterious people are following Nadia’s footsteps as she tries to unlock the truth. And the secrets she uncovers, she begins to understand the truth is much bigger than just another superyacht. The Drowning Game by Barbara Nickless is a suspenseful thriller in which Nadia must decide whether to risk her own life and continue Cass’s work, or else leave the fate of their company and clients in the balance.
Book
Understandably, Nadia is devastated to learn about her sister. After all, she had just spoken with her hours before receiving the dreadful news. Her parents and uncle – the founders of the company – insist that the project must be completed. So Nadia travels to Singapore to not only collect her sister’s remains but also determine how to proceed. While speaking with law enforcement and medical examiners, Cass’s death is ruled as a suicide. But a mysterious man and his associate follow Nadia wherever she goes. As she learns more about the Pacific’s various governing bodies and motivations, Nadia begins to suspect that Cass had possibly been participating in dangerous, illegal activity. But the larger questions remain – who would put her up to this, and why would she agree?
Nadia can’t seem to trust anyone’s word for what Cass’s true goals were. She finds discrepancies in original blueprints, hidden photos in her apartment, and even a contact from the CIA that she was in communication with. Even more mind-boggling is the truth about the Brenner’s family history and their company’s success. And once Nadia uncovers everything, she has to decide if she will take Cass’s place, and also how to right wrongs of the past.
Review
Readers who appreciate Nickless’s writing style from her previous work will definitely enjoy The Drowning Game. I’ve read the author’s Sydney Rose Parnell series and enjoyed those books and characters. The Drowning Game has strengths in multidimensional characters, unique plot points and suspense-building. But the story seemed to drag on and threw off the pace. I appreciated the high stakes and international political drama. However some plot points didn’t quite tie into the main storyline and the ending was somewhat predictable. I’m usually a sucker for suspense/thriller novels but this book wasn’t the author’s strongest work. I enjoyed her previous titles more but nevertheless look forward to her future titles.
Barbara Nickless joins the Cantina Book Club Podcast to talk about her writing career and plans for the future. Keep an ear out for the interview on an upcoming episode and preorder The Drowning Game, available January 1, 2025.
