At a glance
First published2026
SettingLuxury yacht en route to Ligia Island
AudienceAdult
About the Author
Saratoga Schaefer1 book reviewed
The Last Time We Drowned
by Saratoga Schaefer
LuvemBooks Verdict
Best for: Readers who love character-driven psychological thrillers with a social-media edge — especially fans of Schaefer's earlier work or anyone who wants a locked-room mystery that trades glossy influencer aesthetics for genuine dread and a queer, deeply flawed protagonist at its centre.
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The Last Time We Drowned is a psychological thriller set aboard a luxury yacht, following bookstagrammer Charlie Engles as a glamorous voyage among high-profile social-media influencers spirals into a locked-room mystery laced with horror undertones and sharp social commentary. Saratoga Schaefer's third novel is an instant USA Today bestseller praised by Booklist and Cosmopolitan for its snappy dialogue, biting prose, and a deeply flawed, queer protagonist with genuine emotional weight. It's an ideal read for fans of character-driven, atmosphere-heavy thrillers — though readers who demand relentless pace from the first page may need patience before the second half fully ignites.
- Is it worth reading?
- For readers drawn to character-driven psychological thrillers with literary ambitions, The Last Time We Drowned makes a compelling case. Booklist praised its 'snappy dialogue, biting prose, a deeply felt sense of place, and an incredibly complicated, flawed protagonist with a big heart,' while Cosmopolitan called it 'an incredible, one-of-a-kind psychological thriller.' Multiple advance readers on NetGalley noted that the darkness ran considerably deeper than the glittering yacht premise suggested — a quality that distinguishes it from more conventional beach thrillers. The key caveat is pacing: the more measured first half is a deliberate atmospheric build, not a sign of things to come.
- Similar books
- Readers who enjoy The Last Time We Drowned are likely to gravitate toward other psychological thrillers that blend sharp social dynamics with escalating dread. Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl and Alex Michaelides' The Silent Patient share the same taste for deeply unreliable, psychologically complex protagonists. Laura Dave's The Last Thing He Told Me and Freida McFadden's Never Lie offer similarly propulsive plotting with layered twists. For a more confined, high-stakes ensemble dynamic, Natalie D. Richards' Five Total Strangers and Lisa Jewell's Then She Was Gone round out the reading path.
- Who should read this?
- The Last Time We Drowned is best suited to readers drawn to character-driven psychological thrillers with literary ambitions — particularly those who enjoy a protagonist whose flaws feel genuinely earned rather than decorative. Fans of Schaefer's earlier work in Serial Killer Support Group and Trad Wife will find this a confident genre evolution. The novel also offers meaningful queer representation through Charlie Engles, which Schaefer has highlighted as central to the book's identity. Readers who prefer pure-speed plotting with minimal atmospheric groundwork may find the deliberate first half requires patience.
- Is this a good book club pick?
- The Last Time We Drowned offers strong book club material. Its layered themes — the dark underbelly of influencer culture, the mechanics of 'mean-girl' social hierarchies, the collision of curated online performance with genuine mortal stakes — give groups plenty to unpack beyond the plot mechanics. The queer protagonist Charlie Engles and Schaefer's outsider-among-the-wealthy framing also invite discussion about representation and class dynamics in the thriller genre. Cape & Tights described it as a 'multilevel thriller,' which suggests rewarding discussion for groups who like to dig into structure as well as story.
- Where should I start with Schaefer?
- Schaefer has three novels: Serial Killer Support Group, Trad Wife, and The Last Time We Drowned. The review presents this third novel as a confident genre evolution and a strong entry point on its own terms — the USA Today bestseller status and critical praise from Booklist and Cosmopolitan suggest it has broad appeal even for new readers. That said, readers who want to trace Schaefer's development of their signature 'creeping sense of tension and dread' might prefer starting with Serial Killer Support Group and working forward.
- Does the book have dark or disturbing content?
- The Last Time We Drowned is explicitly darker than its luxury-yacht premise suggests. Multiple advance readers on NetGalley noted that the horror elements and tension ran considerably deeper than expected, and Cape & Tights flagged it as blending ghost-story elements with psychological suspense. The review also cites 'mean-girl' social hierarchies and the dark underbelly of wealth as integral to the novel's architecture. Readers sensitive to horror-inflected psychological tension should go in prepared — this is not a light beach thriller despite its glossy setting.
Summarize this book
Is it worth reading?
Who should read this?
Is this a good book club pick?
Where should I start with Schaefer?
Does the book have dark or disturbing content?
Summarize this book
The Last Time We Drowned centers on Charlie Engles, a bookstagrammer who accepts a spot aboard a luxury yacht headed for Ligia Island, surrounded by a coterie of high-profile social-media influencers. What begins as a lucrative opportunity transforms into a locked-room mystery at sea, as the glittering premise gives way to escalating dread and genuine mortal stakes. Schaefer layers horror sensibility, sharp social commentary on influencer culture and the dark underbelly of wealth, and a psychologically rich protagonist into a structure that builds deliberately before accelerating into fast-paced twists in its second half. Ashley Winstead, USA Today-bestselling author of This Book Will Bury Me, described it as 'Agatha Christie for the Instagram age in this deliciously soapy saga.'
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Age & Reading Level
Recommended age
Adult
Reading level
Adult
Content to know about
horror-inflected psychological tension
mortal peril and death aboard a confined vessel
social cruelty and 'mean-girl' power dynamics
Best for: Adults / mature older teens — horror sensibility, psychological dread, and themes of mortal stakes and social cruelty are central to the novel's architecture.
Skip if you want a light, fast-paced beach thriller with no horror undertones or atmospheric slow-burn.
Editorial Review
Published June 2, 2026, by Cosmo Reads, The Last Time We Drowned is Saratoga Schaefer's third novel — a psychological thriller set aboard a luxury yacht — and an instant USA Today bestseller. It follows Charlie Engles, a bookstagrammer who accepts a job that drops her into a world of wealthy social-media influencers, only for the voyage to spiral into a locked-room mystery at sea.…
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