Looking at the elements of 'No Escape', it should have been a five-star read. A prologue that starts the book with a body in the water. A mystery disclosed over two intercut timelines Now and Then where the Now is in crisis and who, if anyone, survived is unknown and you know the Then is doomed even before you have any idea of why. Secrets on boar. Beautiful people in a gorgeous location living a life away from care. Two young worsen, best friends since childhood, escape from their cares in the UK and reinvent themselves on a gorgeous yacht, All of which is spiced up by deadly violence, betrayals of trust, a covert romance and crewmates with dark pasts and deep secrets.

Despite all that, I nearly set this book aside a couple of times and, although I finished it, I found it unsatisfying, like a sponge cake that hasn't risen properly where knowing what it could have been only deepens your disappointment.

So what was it that didn't work?

irstly, the pace: it drags at times. I felt the book could have been a third shorter. I could see that information was being held back to create suspense but it just made me want to get one with things. The narrative seemed to me to meander rather than move forward.

Secondly, the main characters, Lana and Kitty, were not very interesting. They were two slightly shallow young women who ran away from their lives: Kitty because she likes to party and be where Lana is and Lana because -boo hoo- her daddy lied to her - how unbearably sad is that? OK, maybe I'm lacking a little empathy here, but if The Blue had been my boat, neither one of them would have been invited to join the crew. The problem for me was that the story is told from Lana's point of view and I was clearly meant to share her joy and pain, not be sitting there wondering when she would grow up.

Thirdly, too much of what makes the plot work is disclosed in a confessional rush in the final chapters. I thought it was a clever and plausible plot that got buried under Lana's overwrought angst and then suffered from being disclosed as a tell rather than a show.

Still, I'm sure it will make a good TV mini-series for Paramount+: beautiful locations, beautiful people, a little sex, a little violence, secrets and lies. With the right director and camera work, it should be fun. ( )

While vacationing in the Philippines, Lana and her friend Kitty are invited aboard a yacht manned by a small crew of young folks like themselves. After a social afternoon excursion evolves into an overnight adventure, the captain announces that they have voted to welcome Lana and Kitty aboard as members of the crew. Sailing on a yacht in the south Pacific, leapfrogging from island to island, sunbathing and swimming during the day, relaxing with drinks in the evenings - naturally, they jump at the chance!

To be in one's twenties with no responsibilities, sailing in paradise with new friends — I have to admit that as a reader it sounded pretty appealing! But you know what they say about things that seem too good to be true... This was an entertaining mystery with some fun twists, and I appreciated the unusual setting. It would make a great vacation read. ( )

Character development is lacking. I wanted to know what happened, but didn’t need to know, if that makes sense. ( )

This book was simply amazing, completely gripping and an absolute page-turner. I’ve had it in my pile to read for quite some time and although I was interested enough to request a copy, other books seemed to pique my interest more. How wrong I was to leave this little beauty gathering dust. If you have it in your TBR pile, read it now!

I love books that flick back and forth between the past and the present so I knew that once I picked this up, I wouldn't be able to put it down. You feel that all of the characters on The Blue are running away from something or perhaps simply trying to make a new start, either way they are all hiding secrets and you don't know who can be trusted. You can feel the air almost crackling with tension; on the surface they all appear to be friends but underneath alliances are being made and it's only a matter of time before the weakest may get thrown overboard.

I was absolutely captivated by this story, I fell in love with the beauty of both The Blue and the scenery she sailed in. I read it so fast as I wanted to know why Lana left The Blue, what happened to Joseph and whose body is now floating in the sea. There was so much I didn't even see coming, even though the clues were there but I was just enjoying myself so much being swept along with the magic of The Blue.

This really is a stunning book, it is so vivid and written so beautifully that I felt I was part of the voyage. I won't ever hesitate again in picking up another book by Lucy Clarke.

I received this e-book from the publisher, HarperCollins, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ( )

"She stares beyond the window, thinking about how regrets can burrow under your skin, take root inside you, so that there is no escaping them."

Well paced story posing an ethical question - I found myself thinking "what would I do in this situation?" a couple different times. Friends, disaster, moral decisions, figuring out who you are.....all themes that wind throughout the book. Not really an adventure story though I did enjoy the description of the "free" lifestyle of living on a yacht - more a story of situational ethics/morals.

The surprise at the end totally caught me off guard and added another layer to consider at the very end....Very good summer read. ( )