Caroline (Caz) Ripley embarks on a transatlantic crossing on the luxurious Atlantica liner accompanied by her relatively new boyfriend, Pete Davenport. After a first-evening meal and drinks they retire to their cabin and bed. In the morning when Caz wakes, slightly hungover, she is alone.
More alone than just missing Pete. The whole ship is deserted. Cabins empty, decks deserted, bridge unattended. No other passengers, no staff, no crew. But the ship is ploughing on regardless. It is a scary scenario; bizarre; inexplicable. Will Dean takes it forward in all its psychological unnerving detail, until …
Well, that would be telling, and we don’t do spoilers here. However, to give some reassurance, it’s not just about one woman and a ship. Other characters are involved, and there are back stories to be shared. Then there is a mind-blowing reveal that hikes the action and tension up a notch.
And that is what drives the story on, along with, for me, a reducing willingness to suspend disbelief in the premise and a growing curiosity as to whether a more sensible explanation might emerge.
What more to say?
The main Caroline character is well drawn, the present tense narration (hers
throughout) works well enough, and give Dean credit for extrapolating a
contemporary trend to an ultimate if somewhat preposterous end point.
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