He takes the mini bottle of champagne from the ice bucket, pops the cork and pours himself a glass. He doesn’t generally drink much these days, and certainly never alone. But it seems a shame to let it go to waste, and besides, being here, like this, is in itself a special occasion. One to celebrate, surely.

He pads over to the glass doors and slides them open. It’s a beautiful night. Stepping out on to the balcony, he puts his glass down on a small table, folds back the cover on the hot tub and leaves it to one side. He’s already put the ‘Do not disturb’ sign on the door.

He climbs up the wooden steps, puts one foot into the water, and 220 volts shoot through him, stopping his heart almost immediately. He falls face down into the water, where he remains until his bloated body is found by a cleaner two days later.

Prologue

The Immanis is eighteen decks high – taller than the Eiffel Tower – and the length of five football pitches. She is five times the size of the Titanic, not that anyone wants to think about anything like that right now as they embark, of course. There are twenty-five restaurants on board – one has two Michelin stars – and twenty-two bars, including one which only serves champagne, caviar and oysters. There are six pools, three theatres, two spas and a casino. There’s also a water park with slides and surf simulator, a zip wire between two of the funnels, a rollercoaster and a fully kitted out soft play centre, currently the largest anywhere at sea. In short, everything that anyone could wish for on the perfect Caribbean cruise is here.

And the suites! The twenty best suites are each two storeys high with enormous terraces and private plunge pools. Each one comes with its own personal butler who is on hand 24/7 to help with anything that is needed. Anything at all.

All the passengers are very excited – they barely have a care in the world. And why would they? What could possibly go wrong? Cruising is one of the safest forms of transport. Worldwide, nearly thirty million people typically go on a cruise every year. There are very few accidents. Very few. Almost no one thinks about the handful of people who go missing from these trips each year – most of these passengers arriving probably don’t even know about them. Naturally, almost no one yet has any idea that someone will go missing on this very trip. Preparations are already being made. Plans are in motion. They have been for a long time.

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About the Author

Catherine Cooper is a journalist specialising in travel, hotels, and skiing who writes regularly for the Telegraph and the Guardian among others. She lives near the Pyrenees in the South of France with her husband and two teenage children, and is a keen skier. The Chalet is her debut novel.

@catherinecooper