I was so pleased to find out that a favourite author of mine, William Shaw, is also writing books under the name G.W Shaw. This book is the first he’s written under this name and I’ve already requested his next one. Its a really enjoyable standalone thriller, fast paced with great characters. I read it in 2 days as I couldn’t put it down. ( )

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. ( )