Dead Below Deck by Jan Gangsei is a great young adult mystery that will keep readers guessing until the end. It starts with what seems like a straightforward crime. Maggie is seen in video pushing Giselle from the railing of a luxury yacht into the open ocean. The two are about to graduate from a prep high school, and two other friends are along for a spring break trip on Giselle’s family yacht.

From there, the story travels back in time, with each chapter going one step prior to the previous one, as the story leading up to the night of the fateful event unfolds. Occasional chapters switch to events after the crime, through media reports and police interviews with other people on board.

Maggie tells her side of the story through straight narrative. Reader’s learn about Giselle’s perspective from her diary entries. Both girls seem to be hiding something from each other. They also misinterpret each other’s motivations. It all makes for an interesting mystery with lots of twists.

I guessed some of the some of the truths revealed at the end, but not all of them. I would have liked a little more time with the story after the reveal, but in general I found the end satisfying. I recommend Dead Below Deck for readers aged 16 and up.

The publisher provided a copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.