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The Sickness
Best-selling author Britney King returns with an adrenaline-fueled thriller about an unlikely array of characters and their heart-pounding plunge into the dizzying depths of madness.
March 2020: Stranded on a remote cruise ship as the pandemic ravages the world, 753 desperate passengers find themselves in a perilous situation. With no hope of docking in sight and dwindling supplies, each must fight their inner demons to survive. Among them are an eclectic mix of people—a father desperately searching for a way to save his daughter’s future, an artist running from a broken past, and a hacker looking to make one last score. But what they didn’t count on is the mysterious cult convention taking place on board.
With enough resources at stake to change or end lives, suspicion and fear quickly build. When bodies begin to drop, they question—is it the virus? Or is it one of them?
Don’t miss this spine-tingling psychological thriller that takes readers on a white-knuckle ride to uncover the truth and find out who—if any —will make it off the ship alive.
March 2020: Stranded on a remote cruise ship as the pandemic ravages the world, 753 desperate passengers find themselves in a perilous situation. With no hope of docking in sight and dwindling supplies, each must fight their inner demons to survive. Among them are an eclectic mix of people—a father desperately searching for a way to save his daughter’s future, an artist running from a broken past, and a hacker looking to make one last score. But what they didn’t count on is the mysterious cult convention taking place on board.
With enough resources at stake to change or end lives, suspicion and fear quickly build. When bodies begin to drop, they question—is it the virus? Or is it one of them?
Don’t miss this spine-tingling psychological thriller that takes readers on a white-knuckle ride to uncover the truth and find out who—if any —will make it off the ship alive.
269 pages, Unknown Binding
First published April 20, 2023
229 people are currently reading
1,316 people want to read
About the author
Britney King
68 books1,608 followersBritney King lives Texas with her family, two literary dogs, one ridiculous cat, and a partridge in a pear tree.
When she’s not wrangling these characters, Britney crafts psychological, domestic, and romantic thrillers that dive deep into the complexities of human nature.
You can find Britney online here:
Website ➜ https://britneyking.com
Facebook ➜ https://www.facebook.com/BritneyKingA...
TikTok ➜ https://www.tiktok.com/@britneyking_
Instagram ➜ https://www.instagram.com/britneyking_/
BookBub ➜ https://www.bookbub.com/authors/britn...
Newsletter ➜ https://britneyking.com/newsletter/
When she’s not wrangling these characters, Britney crafts psychological, domestic, and romantic thrillers that dive deep into the complexities of human nature.
You can find Britney online here:
Website ➜ https://britneyking.com
Facebook ➜ https://www.facebook.com/BritneyKingA...
TikTok ➜ https://www.tiktok.com/@britneyking_
Instagram ➜ https://www.instagram.com/britneyking_/
BookBub ➜ https://www.bookbub.com/authors/britn...
Newsletter ➜ https://britneyking.com/newsletter/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
April 20, 2023
If there was ever a reason to avoid going on a cruise ship, this book is it!! I have never been on a cruise and probably never will. I don’t like the thought of being stuck out at sea with a group of strangers and not being able to get off when I want to. And that is exactly what happens in this book.
Early 2020, and a father and his sick daughter are boarding their cruise. Yep, just as Covid-19 is beginning to rear its ugly head. Nobody knew what to expect and believed it wouldn’t be a problem for them. How wrong we all were. Soon it becomes clear that they are not going to be able to continue the journey, but the ship is unable to dock anywhere. Food supplies are limited, as well as fresh water and medicines. It is not going to be pretty.
Add to that, a power hungry cult leader and his minions, a killer and so much more and you have a wild and deadly situation. An absolute page turner from Britney King once again. She is certainly the queen of the twists. This book did not disappoint, and left me thanking my lucky stars that I was home safe and well during the pandemic.
Thanks to Britney for sending me a copy of her book and having me on her ARC team again. Always a pleasure
Early 2020, and a father and his sick daughter are boarding their cruise. Yep, just as Covid-19 is beginning to rear its ugly head. Nobody knew what to expect and believed it wouldn’t be a problem for them. How wrong we all were. Soon it becomes clear that they are not going to be able to continue the journey, but the ship is unable to dock anywhere. Food supplies are limited, as well as fresh water and medicines. It is not going to be pretty.
Add to that, a power hungry cult leader and his minions, a killer and so much more and you have a wild and deadly situation. An absolute page turner from Britney King once again. She is certainly the queen of the twists. This book did not disappoint, and left me thanking my lucky stars that I was home safe and well during the pandemic.
Thanks to Britney for sending me a copy of her book and having me on her ARC team again. Always a pleasure
April 26, 2023
The Sickness is another wild and crazy ride from Britney King, and man is there a lot going on! I feel like there were probably too many subplots here, but that definitely made for a lot of excitement and there was never a dull moment. I was a little worried that this book would be all about Covid due to the title and the fact that the synopsis mentions the pandemic, but I shouldn't have worried because it was about so much more than that. We have a cult that was wild enough in itself as well as a murderer onboard the ship, elements of the pandemic, and a girl with cystic fibrosis trying to find her mom.
Most of the story is told through the eyes of Abby and her father Roger along with occasional chapters with the POV of the murderer. I do have to admit that I figured out who that was prior to the reveal, but not by much, and The Sickness was full of the twists and turns that I have come to expect from one of my favorite indie authors. This definitely didn't have me anxious to board a cruise anytime soon, and the setting undoubtedly supplied a very claustrophobic and eerie feel as the book went on. This isn't my favorite work from King, but it was exactly what I needed at the moment, and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Most of the story is told through the eyes of Abby and her father Roger along with occasional chapters with the POV of the murderer. I do have to admit that I figured out who that was prior to the reveal, but not by much, and The Sickness was full of the twists and turns that I have come to expect from one of my favorite indie authors. This definitely didn't have me anxious to board a cruise anytime soon, and the setting undoubtedly supplied a very claustrophobic and eerie feel as the book went on. This isn't my favorite work from King, but it was exactly what I needed at the moment, and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
July 18, 2023
First and last book I'll read by Britney King. It's a miracle I even finished this one. The story line is chaotic with way too much going on. Had this been a book about being stranded on a cruise ship during the outbreak of COVID, it may have been better. But throwing in a serial killer, a deranged/murderous cult, and a mass shooting? Nah. This felt more like a middle school writing assignment than a novel by an "International Bestselling Author".
April 26, 2024
This was not a Great American Novel but it was a popcorn thriller lol I read the bad reviews and almost ran away, especially since it refused to go on sale but I'm a sucker for COVID fiction and cruise ship claustrophobic thrillers. This has both so I wasn't going to miss out!
While atmospheric in its prose, which is admittedly a little messy, it was not as focused on the pandemic as you'd expect it to be, if that's a concern. There's a cult on board the cruise and they're using the opportunity to their advantage and the rest must fight back or bend to their will.
It was somewhat silly but I tore through it so I'm giving it a high rating. No, it isn't believable. What was believable during early covid anyway?! I imagined seeing this story on CNN lol speaking of, it wasn't political so that was cool also. To be able to write a story around something divisive without being political is a gift, and I appreciate it.
King's books are hit and miss for me but I think she's growing as an author and I am always interested to see what she's up to next because she isn't afraid to take creative risks.
While atmospheric in its prose, which is admittedly a little messy, it was not as focused on the pandemic as you'd expect it to be, if that's a concern. There's a cult on board the cruise and they're using the opportunity to their advantage and the rest must fight back or bend to their will.
It was somewhat silly but I tore through it so I'm giving it a high rating. No, it isn't believable. What was believable during early covid anyway?! I imagined seeing this story on CNN lol speaking of, it wasn't political so that was cool also. To be able to write a story around something divisive without being political is a gift, and I appreciate it.
King's books are hit and miss for me but I think she's growing as an author and I am always interested to see what she's up to next because she isn't afraid to take creative risks.
April 20, 2023
It’s book release time and you need to buy this book!
When 753 souls board a cruise ship they expect to have a vacation of their lifetime. What none of them could predict is that the virus spreading back home could affect them here - nor did the passengers predict that the virus would be the least of their problems. They boarded this ship to escape all of life’s problems, what they didn’t know was that they were boarding a ship straight to hell. On this ship are a cult who plans to do their rituals here, an anonymous passenger who’s going around killing people, a lot of devious people, and then the regular passengers mixed among them. As everything escalates, these passengers would wish they were anywhere but here. Now there’s no getting off this ride.
I know I say this every time Britney King releases a new book, but I will say it again, this is the best book King has written. There’s so much action and suspense I couldn’t put this book down. I don’t know how she does it, but with every book she writes she just gets better and better. I had no idea where the book would lead us but I didn’t see that end coming.
When it’s a battle over life and death you can’t ever predict how anyone will act. I loved the locked room feel of this story; I think it really amps up the seriousness of the situation and the emotions that the characters will go through being stuck and unable to escape. King portrays this tension so well that you feel this book as much as you read it.
The alternating perspectives allow you to see the entire story of the passengers, which make things even more interesting.
I recommend to every psychological thriller lover – cult fans, locked room, stranded and regular thriller readers also. Grab your copy now, I promise you won’t regret it!
#ad I received an early advanced copy of this book and leave this review of my own accord. Thanks to Britney King and her team, I am forever grateful and cannot wait to buy the paperback of it.
When 753 souls board a cruise ship they expect to have a vacation of their lifetime. What none of them could predict is that the virus spreading back home could affect them here - nor did the passengers predict that the virus would be the least of their problems. They boarded this ship to escape all of life’s problems, what they didn’t know was that they were boarding a ship straight to hell. On this ship are a cult who plans to do their rituals here, an anonymous passenger who’s going around killing people, a lot of devious people, and then the regular passengers mixed among them. As everything escalates, these passengers would wish they were anywhere but here. Now there’s no getting off this ride.
I know I say this every time Britney King releases a new book, but I will say it again, this is the best book King has written. There’s so much action and suspense I couldn’t put this book down. I don’t know how she does it, but with every book she writes she just gets better and better. I had no idea where the book would lead us but I didn’t see that end coming.
When it’s a battle over life and death you can’t ever predict how anyone will act. I loved the locked room feel of this story; I think it really amps up the seriousness of the situation and the emotions that the characters will go through being stuck and unable to escape. King portrays this tension so well that you feel this book as much as you read it.
The alternating perspectives allow you to see the entire story of the passengers, which make things even more interesting.
I recommend to every psychological thriller lover – cult fans, locked room, stranded and regular thriller readers also. Grab your copy now, I promise you won’t regret it!
#ad I received an early advanced copy of this book and leave this review of my own accord. Thanks to Britney King and her team, I am forever grateful and cannot wait to buy the paperback of it.
April 20, 2023
Thank you kindly to Ms. Britney King for an early look at this one! I’m always so impressed with King’s ability to write such unique storylines, and The Sickness is absolutely no exception.
Told through dual first-person POVs, this was a fast-paced, quick read, with plenty of ‘likeably unlikeable’ characters along the way. King builds psychological suspense like no other, and I simply couldn’t turn the pages fast enough!
The Sickness is out 4/20/23!
Told through dual first-person POVs, this was a fast-paced, quick read, with plenty of ‘likeably unlikeable’ characters along the way. King builds psychological suspense like no other, and I simply couldn’t turn the pages fast enough!
The Sickness is out 4/20/23!
June 8, 2023
I saw buzz for this everywhere. All I can say is no, no, no!
April 24, 2023
Another fabulous read by the amazing @britneyking_ ! Britney never fails to get me and keep me invested in a story and of course The Sickness was no exception!
I always love the fast pace and short chapters of Britney's books! They are so easy to sit down and read in one session!
The Sickness is filled with many types of sickness! Covid, a cult and a psychopathic killer! Not the type of cruise that I would dream of going on and neither did Roger when he took his dying daughter, Abby on her dream cruise. The one request she had that turned into an absolute nightmare!
Fear is building quickly and as Roger battles to keep himself and Abby alive, he begins to question who he can trust. Will they make it off the cruise ship alive? You will have to read this one to find out!
I always love the fast pace and short chapters of Britney's books! They are so easy to sit down and read in one session!
The Sickness is filled with many types of sickness! Covid, a cult and a psychopathic killer! Not the type of cruise that I would dream of going on and neither did Roger when he took his dying daughter, Abby on her dream cruise. The one request she had that turned into an absolute nightmare!
Fear is building quickly and as Roger battles to keep himself and Abby alive, he begins to question who he can trust. Will they make it off the cruise ship alive? You will have to read this one to find out!
April 26, 2023
Imagine this…
🛥️ you’re on a cruise
🌊 in the middle of a damn ocean
🦠 COVID breaks out on board
💀 a cult hoards all of the supplies and takes over the ship
This book is what my nightmares relating to cruises and cruise ships are made of…Britney did a great job setting the scene and there are more than a few twists and turns! One star taken off because I felt like there were quite a few subplots when only a couple would have sufficed with the same effect.
Let me just say I’m glad I was home during COVID and I don’t see myself booking any cruises anytime soon 😂
⚓️ I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review ⚓️
🛥️ you’re on a cruise
🌊 in the middle of a damn ocean
🦠 COVID breaks out on board
💀 a cult hoards all of the supplies and takes over the ship
This book is what my nightmares relating to cruises and cruise ships are made of…Britney did a great job setting the scene and there are more than a few twists and turns! One star taken off because I felt like there were quite a few subplots when only a couple would have sufficed with the same effect.
Let me just say I’m glad I was home during COVID and I don’t see myself booking any cruises anytime soon 😂
⚓️ I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review ⚓️
June 19, 2023
This was a very convoluted story. I won’t be looking for anything from this author again.
November 20, 2024
DNF. Made it 40% before I bailed.
I thought the idea of being stranded on a cruise ship during a pandemic would be thrilling - exploring what people would do when they learn their options are running out and they can’t go home. But somehow a cult manages to get on the ship and people are getting kidnapped to be used for some human sacrifice and there’s a mysterious passenger on board who has nothing to do with the cult but gets off on humiliating and killing women, which is just uncomfortable and doesn’t have anything to do with the overall story. It doesn’t feel like there are ever more than 10 people on the ship at one time so there is no build up of tension when people start disappearing and on top of that, plot points just happen and no one seems to blink an eye. The cult starts limiting food rations and everyone just goes along with it. The captain gets kidnapped (and killed?) and no one fights back. There’s barely any mention of background characters. The relationship between the two main characters, a father and a daughter, never becomes solid, because they can’t seem to make up their mind on how they want to interact with each other. Chapters end before they even begin which limits any kind of development, story, or foundation to understand the characters more. There are way too many plot threads for this book. Save yourself a trip on this cruise and avoid this book.
I thought the idea of being stranded on a cruise ship during a pandemic would be thrilling - exploring what people would do when they learn their options are running out and they can’t go home. But somehow a cult manages to get on the ship and people are getting kidnapped to be used for some human sacrifice and there’s a mysterious passenger on board who has nothing to do with the cult but gets off on humiliating and killing women, which is just uncomfortable and doesn’t have anything to do with the overall story. It doesn’t feel like there are ever more than 10 people on the ship at one time so there is no build up of tension when people start disappearing and on top of that, plot points just happen and no one seems to blink an eye. The cult starts limiting food rations and everyone just goes along with it. The captain gets kidnapped (and killed?) and no one fights back. There’s barely any mention of background characters. The relationship between the two main characters, a father and a daughter, never becomes solid, because they can’t seem to make up their mind on how they want to interact with each other. Chapters end before they even begin which limits any kind of development, story, or foundation to understand the characters more. There are way too many plot threads for this book. Save yourself a trip on this cruise and avoid this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 3, 2023
What a terrible book! I just didn’t care about any of the characters because they weren’t developed enough. There was too much going on which meant all of it was done badly! One idea would have been more than enough; a cruise ship not allowed to dock because of the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and the effect of that on a cystic fybrosis sufferer. Add in a serial killer on board and then add in a cult whose leader is determined to blow up the ship who just happen to have an FBI agent working undercover and it’s just too much! And what was all that crap about when they were boarding and the group of lads that were threatening to assault a woman? Crazy. Crap book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 22, 2024
This book was a mess of confusing storylines, tired cliches, and juvenile writing. Horrible.
April 22, 2023
Any Britney King book is an automatic read for me. The psychological thrillers she writes always captivate me.
Overall the story intrigued me. But there was just something about it. Maybe I misread, or misunderstood parts or characters. I feel that some parts did not flow as I expected, and am unsure where they were going. However overall the story was interesting, I felt a little Ruth aware with this one. I have never been on a cruise and do eventually plan to go on one, but definitely hoping it’s nothing like this story. It’s also very real, since the world most definitely did go through a pandemic. Makes me think, if something actually like this did occur. Any how, I’m still very much interested in what comes next for Author Britney King.
Overall the story intrigued me. But there was just something about it. Maybe I misread, or misunderstood parts or characters. I feel that some parts did not flow as I expected, and am unsure where they were going. However overall the story was interesting, I felt a little Ruth aware with this one. I have never been on a cruise and do eventually plan to go on one, but definitely hoping it’s nothing like this story. It’s also very real, since the world most definitely did go through a pandemic. Makes me think, if something actually like this did occur. Any how, I’m still very much interested in what comes next for Author Britney King.
May 2, 2023
I wanna start by saying britney king is one of my favorite authors and this book was great....until the ending. The way this book ended highly disappointed me because this book was really good all the way through. It just wasn't much of a thriller compared to britney kings other books. It was definitely worth the read and was very well written but near the end I was waiting for the big final twist and it just never came. I thought we would also find out a little bit more about the mother but we never really did. I'll always be a britney king fan but this wasn't my favorite book of hers. I will be patiently waiting for her next book!
July 20, 2024
3.5 stars. It was a quick simple read. It started off really good and I was very into it. There were a few different plots going on that made it kind of unrealistic. I think I would have been more interested if the Pandemic was mentioned more rather than the cult taking over. Overall, quick easy read for a thriller.
December 21, 2023
The book was not what I expected. Too dark and unrealistic for me. Although did keep my attention to the end.
September 24, 2024
Didn’t live up to my expectations. Too many things going on IMO.
January 10, 2025
A cruise, covid and a cult. How could it go wrong? It does
April 20, 2023
This was a totally scary story that hits a little to close to home.
A cruise ship is out at sea when the pandemic starts and the crazy begins. Some things bring out the worst in people.
A suspenseful story that has you on edge until the very end.
A cruise ship is out at sea when the pandemic starts and the crazy begins. Some things bring out the worst in people.
A suspenseful story that has you on edge until the very end.
July 14, 2023
DNF. Felt all over the place. I made it 40% through.
July 24, 2023
Well wow how awesome was that, this is another incredible read from Britney King fast become the legend of Physiological Thrillers (in my mind already is )
So when loving Father, called Roger takes Abby his dying daughter on her dream vocation a ocean cruise 🛳 what could possibly be more idealic apart from the dying bit. They get to share it with a group of drunken rich kids seen harrasing a beautiful passenger before they board o a serial killer and a evil cult. So its your average everyday cruise on the hot ocean with lots of rich folk and Roger and Abby. Wonder why she's so sweet on this liner ?
The tension (on this smooth cruise) is fantastic the characters are excellent you won't know whose good whose bad till you do (obviously) but people aren't always who they appear to be and even more so in Thriller land specially when Britney's fingers are on the keyboard. I really loved this one I've never found a bad one from Britney King and this is no exception, infact like all her others it's Physiological Thillers at their best. I've read alot of thrillers so I know what I like and this is definitely a yes yes yes to quote someone I know. A great twist is guessing not so much who the victims are but who got them was it the killer, the cult, old age or well you have to read for that to make sense so I won't give anything away. This is a great ride but on the ocean and is you heard some tales during covid of tales aboard then this will make them all very small fry or cry as auto correct wanted to say.
There are lots of things going on but they all tye in really well and your not going to be confused as can be the case with lesser authors as it's only confusing where it's meant to be a in how will they, he or she escape that or get around the other if you know what I mean.
I really hope you enjoy this because it's incredible and needs to be read 📚 I think you're going to agree.
So when loving Father, called Roger takes Abby his dying daughter on her dream vocation a ocean cruise 🛳 what could possibly be more idealic apart from the dying bit. They get to share it with a group of drunken rich kids seen harrasing a beautiful passenger before they board o a serial killer and a evil cult. So its your average everyday cruise on the hot ocean with lots of rich folk and Roger and Abby. Wonder why she's so sweet on this liner ?
The tension (on this smooth cruise) is fantastic the characters are excellent you won't know whose good whose bad till you do (obviously) but people aren't always who they appear to be and even more so in Thriller land specially when Britney's fingers are on the keyboard. I really loved this one I've never found a bad one from Britney King and this is no exception, infact like all her others it's Physiological Thillers at their best. I've read alot of thrillers so I know what I like and this is definitely a yes yes yes to quote someone I know. A great twist is guessing not so much who the victims are but who got them was it the killer, the cult, old age or well you have to read for that to make sense so I won't give anything away. This is a great ride but on the ocean and is you heard some tales during covid of tales aboard then this will make them all very small fry or cry as auto correct wanted to say.
There are lots of things going on but they all tye in really well and your not going to be confused as can be the case with lesser authors as it's only confusing where it's meant to be a in how will they, he or she escape that or get around the other if you know what I mean.
I really hope you enjoy this because it's incredible and needs to be read 📚 I think you're going to agree.
April 20, 2023
Don’t let the title fool you… this book is about much more than a physical illness. The title refers to all sorts of sicknesses in the human element, physical, psychological, societal. You take a father who just wants to give his very ill daughter a chance to go on a cruise, add in a power hungry cult, a psychotic killer and the beginning of the Covid pandemic and you have a wild ride. Not only was I drawn into this book as an entertaining read, the undertones also grabbed me. The sense of “what else could possibly happen?!” throughout the book was so reminiscent to how a lot of people felt when the pandemic began. I loved the twists and turns in the story and the fact that there could be deeper relatable meaning that isn’t forced on the reader. You can enjoy it as a regular story, or you can be pulled into the feelings of the characters. I highly recommend this book.
April 20, 2023
The Sickness by Britney King is her latest psychological thriller and it will blow you away! I have read a few of Ms. King’s books and she is one talented author with a very twisted mind. This one is well written and down right scary. The suspense, well it is like “ suspense on steroids!” It is fast paced and unputdownable from the start. The characters are well developed, real and likable…..well some are and some are not!! The twist and turns are well placed and will keep you on the edge of your seat. Extremely intense with a ton of drama and some romance. You do not want to miss this one!
Thank you Britney King, you truly knocked this one out of the park. I enjoyed reading and reviewing this one!!! The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
#thesickness #britneyking #arc #psychologicalthriller
Thank you Britney King, you truly knocked this one out of the park. I enjoyed reading and reviewing this one!!! The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
#thesickness #britneyking #arc #psychologicalthriller
April 21, 2023
I love a story that grips me from the start and this one doesn't disappoint. I liked the way there are two stories for us to follow, ramping up the suspense. The characters were believable, the dialogue was realistic and the twists made it hard to put it down. A wonderful blend of action, intrigue and psychological suspense. I would highly recommend it. I received an advance copy of this book from the author and this is my honest review.
May 16, 2023
2 1/2 stars
I loved the synopsis of this book. I had just come back from a cruise and this just jumped out at me. Unfortunately this book did not do it for me.
I liked the whole mystery of how this was going to end. But for me i think there was too much going on and I did find myself rolling my eyes quite a few times.
this was a fast paced book and I did finish it in a couple of days. And I really wanted to love it, but nope :(
I loved the synopsis of this book. I had just come back from a cruise and this just jumped out at me. Unfortunately this book did not do it for me.
I liked the whole mystery of how this was going to end. But for me i think there was too much going on and I did find myself rolling my eyes quite a few times.
this was a fast paced book and I did finish it in a couple of days. And I really wanted to love it, but nope :(
June 19, 2023
You can rip this story from today's headlines! Gave it a pure realistic feeling. Abby and her father are enjoying the free cruise, sponsored from a source like "Make a Wish." There are even more events happening on the high seas. A cult is hijacking the cruise for the end times, killing people who get in their way. Abby is searching for the mother that abandoned her. And love is in the air, with crazy cultists, murder and mayhem. An excellent read from Ms. Brittney King!
April 28, 2023
Britney has done it again. The author knows how to keep her readers on the edge of their seats from almost the first page until the end. This story is well written with some surprising dark humor toward the end. This is a not to be missed book!
I received an arc of this book and voluntarily provided a review.
I received an arc of this book and voluntarily provided a review.
November 15, 2023
Probably the worst book I’ve ever read. Absolutely awful, fiction at its very worst !!
April 19, 2023
I love psychological thrillers. I love their tone: chilling, disturbing, unsettling, suspenseful, ominous, foreboding, and, most of all, thought-provoking. I love their twists and turns and unexpected revelations. In her latest release, The Sickness, my favorite writer of psychological thrillers, Britney King, has shown once again that (as Carly Simon sang) “nobody does it better!”
The story is perhaps loosely based on actual incidents. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring of 2020, there were several reports of COVID-19 incidences on cruise ships. I recall the most publicized was The Diamond Princess, with over 3000 passengers and crew that traveled from port to port for 39 days without the passengers being allowed to disembark. I recall thinking at the time how horrible it must be to be trapped on a ship during a disease outbreak. So, I was thrilled that “trapped on a cruise ship during the pandemic” was the setting for Britney’s latest psychological thriller.
Abby, a 16-year-old girl with cystic fibrosis, has been told by doctors that she likely has only a few years to live. Abby wants to take a cruise before she dies. Abby is certainly not the typical female protagonist in Britney King's novels. The other central figure is Abby’s father, Roger, who agreed to the cruise only because it was Abby’s wish. Roger has some skeleton’s in his closet but proves to be, among other things, a model father.
As one would expect on a cruise ship, an eclectic group of characters is on board, including a beautiful woman hiding from her past, another beautiful woman who is not who she seems to be, and a duplicitous and dangerous man with a history of bad behavior on cruises. But the strangest is a mysterious religious cult led by an evil, cruel, and perilous man.
Quickly bodies begin to stack up. But it was unclear if people were dying from the virus or due to the evil actions of fellow passengers on the ship.
The Sickness delivers in spades all of the traits of a 5-star psychological mentioned in the first paragraph of this review. The characters and the story are well-developed, and the suspense is non-stop, keeping the reader on edge and anxiously turning pages.
I received an advanced reading copy (ARC) for an honest review. My review is provided voluntarily and enthusiastically.
The story is perhaps loosely based on actual incidents. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring of 2020, there were several reports of COVID-19 incidences on cruise ships. I recall the most publicized was The Diamond Princess, with over 3000 passengers and crew that traveled from port to port for 39 days without the passengers being allowed to disembark. I recall thinking at the time how horrible it must be to be trapped on a ship during a disease outbreak. So, I was thrilled that “trapped on a cruise ship during the pandemic” was the setting for Britney’s latest psychological thriller.
Abby, a 16-year-old girl with cystic fibrosis, has been told by doctors that she likely has only a few years to live. Abby wants to take a cruise before she dies. Abby is certainly not the typical female protagonist in Britney King's novels. The other central figure is Abby’s father, Roger, who agreed to the cruise only because it was Abby’s wish. Roger has some skeleton’s in his closet but proves to be, among other things, a model father.
As one would expect on a cruise ship, an eclectic group of characters is on board, including a beautiful woman hiding from her past, another beautiful woman who is not who she seems to be, and a duplicitous and dangerous man with a history of bad behavior on cruises. But the strangest is a mysterious religious cult led by an evil, cruel, and perilous man.
Quickly bodies begin to stack up. But it was unclear if people were dying from the virus or due to the evil actions of fellow passengers on the ship.
The Sickness delivers in spades all of the traits of a 5-star psychological mentioned in the first paragraph of this review. The characters and the story are well-developed, and the suspense is non-stop, keeping the reader on edge and anxiously turning pages.
I received an advanced reading copy (ARC) for an honest review. My review is provided voluntarily and enthusiastically.
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