The Yacht Girl

Sean Black

Aug 2025 · Ryan Lock Book 13 · SBD

About this ebook

Billionaires don’t play by the rules. But neither does Ryan Lock.

When military veterans Ryan Lock and Ty Johnson are hired to provide a security audit of a billionaire’s private island, they uncover a sinister secret beneath the luxury—one that powerful people will kill to keep buried.

What starts as an easy payday quickly turns dark. The island caters to the ultra-rich with sun, sea, and every indulgence money can buy—but something about it feels wrong. Deeply wrong.

Marketed as a no-questions-asked sanctuary for the world’s wealthiest and most powerful, the island promises total privacy: no cameras in the villas, no paper trail, no accountability. But Lock and Ty didn’t build their reputations by looking the other way.

As they peel back the layers, the cracks begin to show—discreet surveillance networks, contradictory stories, and a missing 'yacht girl' no one wants to talk about. The deeper they dig, the more it becomes clear: this isn’t just a job. It’s a trap.

Perfect for fans of Harlan Coben, Gregg Hurwitz, and James Patterson, The Yacht Girl is the next heart-pounding entry in the Ryan Lock series from International Thriller Writers Award winner Sean Black.

Ratings and reviews

Sean Black’s "The Yacht Girl" launches readers into a dazzling yet treacherous world where the waters of the Mediterranean shimmer with secrets, ambition, and peril. The novel, which stands as a testament to Black’s gift for taut plotting and immersive atmospherics, expertly weaves suspense, character depth, and the irresistible allure of luxury into an unforgettable ride.

I read this book before release and was blown away by it. It was fast paced and packed with action from the very first page. Very relevant to today's society and actually quite sad in parts. If you have read other books in the series you will definitely enjoy this but it can also easily be enjoyed as a stand alone book. One of the best books I have read all year, can't wait for the next one!

I love Ryan & Ty! What begins as a routine job quickly turns into a deadly trap. Fast-paced and action-packed, true to the series’ reputation, raced through this and could not put it down. Tackles timely themes around wealth, secrecy, and exploitation. Sean Black delivers another action-packed thriller that’s not just entertaining but deeply relevant. One of the best reads of the year. I’m already counting down to the next one.

About the author

To research his books, Sean Black has trained as a bodyguard in the UK and Eastern Europe, spent time inside America's most dangerous Supermax prison, Pelican Bay in California, undergone desert survival training in Arizona, and ventured into the tunnels under Las Vegas.

A graduate of Oxford University, England and Columbia University in New York, Sean lives in Dublin, Ireland.

His Ryan Lock and Byron Tibor thrillers have been translated into Dutch, French, German, Italian, Portugese, Russian, Spanish, and Turkish.

When he’s not writing, Sean trains in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. In Paris in 2023 he became the only amputee to ever become a European champion in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competing against able-bodied athletes. He is also the only amputee Pan-American champion in the sport.