Dead Rich: an edge of the seat thriller about the filthy rich Paperback – 11 May 2023

When I learned that one of my favorite authors, William Shaw, had written a thriller under the name G.W. Shaw, I had to get my hands on it. I was in the mood for murder and mayhem on the high seas, and Dead Rich delivered exactly what I needed. If this book had been available last year, I could probably have read it with less prejudice, but it didn't. Now I've read too many articles about Russian oligarchs having their yachts impounded and how many hundreds of millions of dollars these yachts cost to build. It's obvious from my reaction to this obscene display of wealth that I have quite a few serfs in the upper branches of my family tree.The story in Dead Rich boils down to two characters: Kai and Erin. Kai, once a well-known name in the music industry, has had his dream fulfilled but is now resigned to watching it slip away. On the other hand, events in Erin's life have always prevented her from fulfilling her dreams. Her life has taught her to be wary and distrustful. From the first, I found myself holding back from Kai while finding myself completely on Erin's side.Once things begin to go wrong on board the Zinaida, Dead Rich turns into a white-knuckle ride, and I loved every minute of watching Kai and Erin fight for survival. There may be serfs in my family tree, but there are also a few generations of sailors. I am of the opinion that a well-written tale of skullduggery on the high seas is one of the best kinds of locked room mysteries, and Shaw certainly delivers the goods. Dead Rich is my favorite escapist read of the year so far.

Super yachts. Playthings for the Uber rich. They must be many things, but not usually sitting ducks. Kai, a faded musician, is invited aboard a Russian’s super yacht by an oligarch’s daughter. In hindsight, he should have declined. But then, how many of us have the opportunity to see something that will remain a mystery to, well, pretty much all of us.The author does a fine job in taking us not only into the super yacht itself but into the mindset of those who own these floating palaces. And in this case, into the mind of an oligarch.I did enjoy the mood created but, for me, exploring the mentality of the oligarch was the most satisfying aspect of the story. After all, this is the closest I am likely to get to either a super yacht or an oligarch.

I absolutely loved this thriller - it really did keep me on the edge of my seat and I carried on reading late into the night. One thing about reading on a kindle is that you are not aware of how far you've still got to read. At one point I really thought the story was over and was surprised to find more layers of intrigue, danger and jeopardy. There was a terrifying sense of how normal people can get caught up in abnormal events and how, if someone really wants to track you down and find you, they can, even in the remotest of places. Really well-written, believable characters - as much as oligarchs can ever be believable for ordinary mortals - a very timely storyline and a satisfactory ending.

I have read, and thoroughly enjoyed, a few William Shaw books. Dead Rich was compulsive, I really didn’t want to put it down. I may have been a little late to work this week due to reading ‘just another chapter’!Great read.

Absolutely terrific page turner. I’ve read William Shaw’s police novels set in Dungeness so wasn’t sure what to expect with this novel. However, it’s brilliant.

An enjoyable and quick read mainly because you don't want to put it down. Well written and thrilling. Would highly recommend.

Dead Rich is enjoyable enough as a brain-off read, but despite its setting aboard the super-yacht of a super-rich oligarch, it’s a pretty run-of-the-mill, generic thriller.The set up is probably the best part of the book. It’s a slow build, but a good one; Our Hero, Kai, is adrift in London as his career as a successful music producer and DJ has declined. He has a new relationship with the daughter of a Russian oligarch, and when she is summoned to join her parents on their yacht in the Caribbean, Kai accepts her invitation to join them. However, Sinister Forces are at work and the family are under threat. We also meet Erin, the supremely competent First Mate of the yacht; she and Kai don’t get on at all to begin with…and of course, I wouldn’t dream of giving away any spoilers about that or subsequent developments on the yacht.It reminded me rather of some old Alistair MacLean thrillers; decent protagonists battling evil, an unlikely but rather obvious romance - plus a little added modern geopolitics. It’s competently written, there’s plenty of action and the aftermath plays out for some time – too long, in my view, so that it got more than a little silly by the end. Nonetheless, it did hold my attention despite having to suspend disbelief, sometimes from a considerable height.This would make a good beach read in that it’s quite enjoyable but rather readily disposable. 3.5 stars rounded up.My thanks to Quercus Books for an ARC via NetGalley.)

I'm always on the lookout for something different, and a thriller novel set on a luxury yacht in the Caribbean sounded like it fit the bill. It turned out to be just okay. The characters are an interesting bunch; the Russian billionaire's family, the fading musician, the strong willed female first mate and a collection of other crew members. Something is obviously amiss early on in the trip, and of course this plays out into the thriller it promises to be. It's fairly entertaining, without ever really breaking sweat, but misses a three star rating for a couple of reasons. Firstly, Kai does something phenomenally stupid which almost stopped me reading. No spoilers, but I'm sure other readers will know what I mean. If that wasn't enough, the conclusion tied every loose end up in a nice bow which was completely unnecessary. Not a bad novel, but could have been much better.

I love William Shaw. I have read all of his books. I was very disappointed with his newest book. Too much happening towards the end nothing happening in the beginning.