The Last Ferry Out

Bestseller Bartz (The Spare Room) chronicles a grieving woman’s quest for answers in this stylish, serpentine thriller. Four months ago, Abby’s fiancée, Eszter, died unexpectedly during a solo vacation on a small Caribbean island off of Cancún. Abby attempts to deal with the loss by heading to Isla Colel herself. Once she arrives, she becomes involved with a trio of expats Eszter had befriended during her trip, each of whom is dealing with their own trauma. As the behavior of the expat crew grows increasingly suspicious, flashbacks reveal escalating tensions in Abby and Eszter’s relationship before Eszter left. When one of Abby’s new friends disappears just before sharing the details of Eszter’s death, Abby fears that her fiancée’s killer is still on Colel. Though the setup signals a traditional locked-room mystery, Bartz delivers something sadder and stranger, pairing tender explorations of grief and homophobia with a series of horrifying twists. The results aren’t for the squeamish, but those willing to follow Bartz’s lead are in for a memorable ride. Agent: Alexandra Machinist, CAA. (May)