Dangerous Crossing - Hardcover

"Thrilling, seductive, and utterly absorbing."--Paula Hawkins, #1 bestselling author of The Girl on the Train

A Richard and Judy Book Club Pick 2017

"This a proper old fashioned tale of thwarted romance, impossible glamour, murder and mayhem on the high seas. The most enjoyable bout of cabin fever I've ever had . . . The pages turn themselves."--Liz Nugent "author of Unraveling Oliver "

"A book to lose yourself in. I loved it!"--Liz Fenwick, author of Under a Cornish Sky

"Completely compelling and atmospheric. I absolutely loved it."--Jane Fallon, author of My Sweet Revenge

"Utterly gripping . . . I loved Lily and the sumptuous detail of her onboard world with its constant undercurrent of tension and mystery. It's a brilliant evocation of the time."--Elizabeth Enfield, author of Ivy & Abe

"A gorgeously atmospheric read. Prepare to be transported."--Ruth Ware, New York Times bestselling author of The Woman in Cabin 10

"A sumptuous and thrilling read. It captivates you in its spell right until the end. I loved it."--Kate Hamer, author of The Girl in the Red Coat

"An exquisite story of love, murder, adventure and dark secrets, Rachel Rhys brings this dangerous crossing brilliantly and beautifully alive."--Lisa Jewell, New York Times bestselling author of I Found You

"An utter treat...a glorious mix of proper old-school glamour and a labyrinthine plot full of class war, politics and sexual tension."--Veronica Henry, author of How to Find Love in a Bookshop

In this “thrilling, seductive, and utterly absorbing” (Paula Hawkins, #1 New York Times bestselling author) historical suspense novel in the tradition of Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile and Ruth Ware’s The Woman in Cabin 10, pre-war tension and forbidden romance abound, and not everyone will survive the journey...

The ship has been like a world within itself, a vast floating city outside of normal rules. But the longer the journey continues, the more confined it is starting to feel, deck upon deck, passenger upon passenger, all of them churning around each other without anywhere to go...

1939: Europe is on the brink of war when young Lily Shepherd boards an ocean liner in Essex, bound for Australia. She is ready to start anew, leaving behind the shadows in her past. The passage proves magical, complete with live music, cocktails, and fancy dress balls. With stops at exotic locations along the way—Naples, Cairo, Ceylon—the voyage shows Lily places she’d only ever dreamed of and enables her to make friends with those above her social station, people who would ordinarily never give her the time of day. She even allows herself to hope that a man she couldn’t possibly have a future with outside the cocoon of the ship might return her feelings.

But Lily soon realizes that she’s not the only one hiding secrets. Her newfound friends—the toxic wealthy couple Eliza and Max; Cambridge graduate Edward; Jewish refugee Maria; fascist George—are also running away from their pasts. As the glamour of the voyage fades, the stage is set for something sinister to occur. By the time the ship docks, two passengers are dead, war has been declared, and Lily’s life will be changed irrevocably.