The Last Time We Drowned
Broke and reeling from a devastating betrayal, Charlie Engels seizes a lifeline when her bookstagram earns her a spot on the Empress—an elite influencer yacht moored off the Florida Keys. Thrown into a ready-made sisterhood of deeply flawed internet stars, Charlie tries to outrun her past, only to keep catching glimpses of the supposedly departed influencer she was hired to replace.
When a massive hurricane cuts all communication and strands the crew with their billionaire boss, the glamorous retreat becomes a claustrophobic, floating prison. Once the first body drops, paranoia fractures the group, forcing Charlie to unmask a killer before she goes down with the ship.
- Vivienne (Viv) Rockland - Head influencer on Empress
- Sage - Charlie’s friend, deceased
- Charlie - Viv's newest recruit for Empress
- Trey - Owner of Empress
- Rachel - Ashley’s twin, Empress influencer
- Ashley - Rachel’s twin, Empress influencer
- Fiona (Fee) - Empress influencer
- Elena - Former Empress influencer
- Piper - Empress influencer
- Carl - Fiona’s boyfriend, Trey's friend
- Charlie and Sage were both aspiring authors.
- Shortly before her death, Sage published A Song of Scales and Salt, which became a hit.
- Viv offers Charlie a position on Empress.
- Empress is stationed on concrete blocks just off Ligia, a private island.
- Piper has a drinking problem.
- Viv says that Charlie is replacing Elena who left Empress.
- Charlie explains that she and Sage stopped speaking because Sage stole her book idea and published it as A Song of Scales and Salt.
- A sudden hurricane strikes, trapping everyone on Empress.
- Charlie finds Elena’s phone in the unused crew quarters, with a bloody fingerprint on it.
- Viv records Charlie’s confession about Sage, posts it online, and WiFi goes out shortly afterward.
- Trey attempts to call for help but finds the radio and control panels destroyed.
- Carl is found dead with no visible signs of trauma.
- Piper admits she left Elena’s phone for Charlie and sabotaged the bridge, believing none of them deserve rescue.
- Piper jumps from the boat, swimming toward Ligia.
- Charlie finds a video on Piper’s phone: Elena planned to leave Empress to become Trey’s full-time assistant. Viv, furious that her oldest friend is leaving her for a man as she did once before in the past, confronts her. The argument turns physical, Viv grabs a knife, and Piper accidentally pushes Elena into it.
- Viv insists it’s too late to call the police and stabs Elena again to “end her suffering.”
- Viv and Charlie take a small boat out to search for Piper.
- Charlie reveals the truth about Sage: she had tampered with Sage’s boat anchor as a prank. Unaware, Sage threw the anchor then went swimming and drowned when the boat drifted away.
- Charlie and Viv are thrown from the boat during their search.
- Charlie reaches Ligia safely.
- The next day, Viv is missing, and Charlie reports Elena’s murder to the authorities.
- The Coast Guard recovers Elena’s body, weighted and submerged off Ligia.
- Carl’s autopsy confirms secondary drowning as the cause of death.
- Piper’s body is discovered.
- Charlie wants to write an exposé on Trey and Empress and Ashley agrees to help her.
- Epilogue: Charlie and Ashley receive a substantial advance from a publisher for their exposé.
- Charlie receives a social media message that might be from Viv, leaving her to wonder if Viv survived and is in hiding, now wanted for Elena’s murder.
The Last Time We Drowned is a solid mystery and suspense novel that leans away from the typical high-octane thriller. The writing style is engaging, with medium-length chapters that match the steady pace of the story. While one element did feel a bit repetitive, the overall construction of the plot is strong.
My main struggle was with the protagonist, Charlie. It was difficult to sympathize with her throughout the chaos because she felt so meek, which made her hard to relate to as a lead. However, the mystery itself is compelling enough to keep you hooked. There aren't any massive, world-shifting twists, but the ending is satisfying and wraps everything up well.
One of the highlights was finally discovering the significance of the title—it’s a clever tie-in, but you’ll have to read it yourself to find out why. If you enjoy mysteries with a trapped atmosphere, this is definitely worth picking up.
- Carl - Dead - Secondary drowning
- Elena - Dead - Stabbed by Viv
- Piper - Dead - Drowned while attempting to swim to Ligia
- Viv - Unknown - Possibly alive; if so, she’s wanted for Elena’s murder
- Charlie - Alive - Soon to be a published author with her exposé on Trey and Empress
- Ashley - Alive - Helping Charlie write the exposé
- Fiona - Alive - Teaching special effects makeup
- Rachel - Alive - Living in an ashram
- Murder
- Blackmail
- Infidelity
- Drowning
- Alcohol misuse
Publisher: Cosmo Reads
ISBN: 9781464282485
Publication Date: June 2, 2026
Note: Details are for the original edition. Other formats, editions, and audiobook versions may be available.
