Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Unfortunately I could not get into this book and did not finish it. Other readers may enjoy this more.

Written, I understand by someone who has experienced cults - or the Church of Scientology, is that a cult? - I was looking forward to an informed, authentic experience in reading this, the first in a trilogy on cults. And the writing never quite reached that level... nearly, but not quite.

Sofia's introduction to and indoctrination by Franz Oswald was intriguing enough but I'm not sure I felt the tension and suspense that there needed to have been.... and I'm not sure we learned anything new about cults that we didn't know before....

Perhaps with some more robust editing it could have been turned into a decent thriller; perhaps it just didn't quite manage the balance between memoir and fiction adeptly enough.

When Sofia and a friend attend a lecture by the charismatic Franz Oswald, Sofia has no idea of the impact the man and his organisation ViaTerra will have on her life. She is vulnerable in that she wishes to escape the difficulties in her life imposed by an ex-boyfriend and is instantly pulled in by the beauty and opportunity she sees on Fog Island, the home of Oswald’s “community”.

With everything seeming idyllic at first we are taken on a journey with Sofia as Oswald, and therefore ViaTerra, begins to change. With things becoming darker and darker and increasingly sinister, Sofia must decide if she is prepared to continue life in what is clearly a cult, or does she risk escape and trying to return to the life she was once so keen to run away from?

Much of this was incredibly interesting as I have long been fascinated by cults and the ability of one (more often than not crazed) individual’s ability to take over the lives of seemingly intelligent people and influence their every move and decision. What we are given here is an insight into how changes that are initially subtle can soon escalate and become nothing short of terrifying and how devotees can become so brain washed that they will continue to follow a leader no matter how much they are caused to suffer.

I did find the book a little slow at times and quite lengthy, but equally there are moments of incredible tension that kept spurring me forward. I found the language a tad simplistic at times (perhaps down this being a translation of a Swedish novel I believe) but If you enjoy a tense thriller and like myself, are interested in the cult mentality, then I would certainly recommend this read.

My thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of #TheCultOnFogIsland in return for an honest review.

Atmospheric and unusual this I a book you will recommend to your friends I thought it was excellent. Definitely worth reading

An interesting book about the idea of control and manipulation. As a grown adult in my 30s, married and a mum it is easy to see how we can underestimate the influence that others can have over us. This book cleverly allows us to see the evolution of cult behaviour and to realise that it is easy for even grown adults to get ‘sucked in’.
The character of Franz Oswald is enticing - he is everything Sofia seems to be looking for, and he certainly pays her attention.
The disquiet in the book grows and that development in tone certainly helped make this book different to other thrillers I have read. This is the first book about cults I have read and I would definitely read more!

I’ve never read a book about cults before, I didn’t think they would be my sort of thing, but I take that back right now; Fog Island was great! It literally had me hooked from the beginning and the end of each chapter had me desperate to carry on to the next. Don’t get me wrong there are some incredibly annoying characters, but I think it just added to the feel of the book - it just wouldn’t be right if everyone was nice/normal. I understand that this book is the first in a trilogy so I will definitely be looking out for book 2.

This is a book that really highlights how easy it is for a normal, intelligent person to be swept up into cult life. Great thrilling read.

I was hoping this was going to be more of a horror story so was a bit disappointed, more of a cult story and people being recruited to live on an island with a bit of history with the big house and the family that had lived on the island and had moved away. The house and family had bit of a chequered past, hence the new lease of life by being transformed for use by the cult and used for retreats. Staff were recruited for 2 year contracts but then never seemed to want to leave only Sofia wasn't keen to stay.....

I found the story got more interesting towards the end but it was quite heavy going for me. Took quite a long time to read but I was determined not to let the book beat me!

I am always fascinated by cults and what brings people to join them, so I was very excited to get a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for a review.

When best friends Sofia and Wilma go attend a lecture by Franz Oswald who runs a retreat on Fog Island, where their motto is “walk the way of life” Their goal is to save humanity from toxins, stress and other evils. To eat healthy foods, sleep and exercise.

Sofia and Wilma visit the Island and they are offered the job of organising and running the new library. Sofia is tempted and after completing the programme she excitedly accepts the job unbeknown to her its a cult she is entering!!

The island is notorious for famous people paying a lot of money to complete the programme and come away stress free.

At first life on the idyllic island seems perfect for Sofia there is an instant attraction to the charismatic leader Franz who seems concerned with everybody’s well being and then slowly starts to evolve into a crazy, manipulative tyrant!! Rules are changed on a daily basis and punishments are often harsh and brutal.

I really liked this tense thriller, it starts off slow but the tension soon builds up and I was soon fascinated by this whole story.

I am looking forward to the next book in this series, you definitely left me wanting more.

This is a tense psychological thriller with a different spin.

Sofia and her friend Wilma attend a lecture held by Franz Oswald. He runs a kind of retreat he calls ViaTerra, from an abandoned and supposedly cursed manor house on Fog Island. Celebrities and other guests pay a fortune to go through Franz's program and try our his theses for themselves. This rich, handsome and very charming man convinces Sofia to attend the retreat and see what it is like before deciding whether to join the staff. Sofia loves it there, and decides to stay for a while and set up the new library. Of course, after a while Sofia realises that things are not as idyllic as she first thought, and the island holds a great deal of secrets.

There is also another story which goes alongside the main plot - a sort of diary which is interspersed throughout the book, from a boy who lived on the island before the manor was transformed. This adds an extra layer of intrigue, trying to work out what happened all those years ago and how that fits in with the main storyline.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It is very tense and mysterious, and you honestly never know what's going to happen. The characters are so unpredictable that there are unforeseen twists everywhere in the story, and so many secrets to uncover. Nobody can be trusted; nothing is as it seems. I was constantly on tenterhooks and just full of feels for Sofia and the other unfortunate staff members.

Franz is a fantastic character - he is terrifyingly unpredictable and basically just insane. But intelligent, and charming. You are left wondering right the way through what he is thinking, and what on earth will he do next? It was very exciting in an insidious way, and it kept me glued to the pages. I hardly wanted to put this book down.

I also found it interesting that the author seems to have had some connection to a cult in the past, and that this is likely her inspiration to write the story. I wonder how much of what is in the book actually happened to her or someone she knew. It's a scary thought.

I believe there are more books in this series, and I will definitely be looking out for them in the future. I thoroughly enjoyed this and would recommend to anyone who likes a book to leave them feeling slightly unnerved, even after they have finished reading.

Imagine sitting in an inspirational speech and everything you hear sounds amazing. This place sounds like Nirvana. Out of the blue you are invited to see this wonderful place for yourself. As you travel by ferry to the island you have doubts but as soon as you see the place all your doubts and worries are dispelled. While you are there visiting you are offered a job. Infact your dream job, you think to yourself this is too good to be true. I must be dreaming, no your nightmare has only just begun.
Sophia has joined a cult but does not realise it yet.
This book delves into the ease with which a person can get lured into a cult. How they are manipulated without their knowing as it begins so subtle, then slowly accelerates in debasement, punishment and killing your own self worth.
I did not think i would like this book but i was hooked. There are a lot of threads and you keep getting glimpses of something far mre sinister. It is fast paced and full of tension. Overall this book is deeply disturbing and shows how one man's sway can influence so many others to do his bidding. No matter what. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
I would like to thank the author, HQ and Netgalley for the advanced copy in return for giving an honest review.

Didn't get finished due to health reasons. I will read eventually and will still review on my blog when I can

Fog Island was a well-written thriller and will probably be marketed as a 'page-turner'. For the most part, I enjoyed this novel - particularly the first 3/4 which had more of literary vibe about it and broke down the personalities of the cult members. Lindstein certainly knows how to layer menace and as more about the cult and the dark history of the island is revealed - I remember turning on the light - just to make sure I was alone.

I do have to say that, in my opinion, the story should have finished when Sofia escapes the Cult. I found the extended plotline about her being discovered, betrayed and then saved (which was crammed into the last couple of chapter) to be a wee bit irritating. It made a really fascinating thriller become trite and commercial. If this was a suggestion by a developmental editor - I don't' think it helped the book at all.

This book had some nice qualities. The vivid and bleak depiction of Fog Island was a well-formed world which often felt dream-like and haunting. The author cleverly weaves the web of cult behaviour which traps all its subjects, in a manner that’s plausible though not entirely suspenseful.

My criticisms are that the novel is far too long, slow in many places and unfortunately doesn’t quite draw Oswald, the cult, leader, in quite a convincing enough manner.

I think lots of people have wondered about cults and the life that was lived within them. This book gives an insight to this life. The book is very fast moving and keeps you reading for long periods. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, with the atmospheric setting of the island. Well worth reading.

A disturbing plot with lots of threads intertwined. A good fast paced book with a very creepy undertone! An enjoyable read, I will be looking out for more by this author!

This book delves into the ease with which a person can get lured into a cult and how difficult it can be to leave. There are numerous threads to the story and several key characters which are richly woven. Overall the plot is deeply disturbing, with a sinister overtone woven throughout each scene so you are left wondering if anything good will ever happen. The descriptions of the island and surrounding areas is colourful and makes me wish the area wasn't fictional so that I could go visit and experience the scenery in real life.

I was looking forward to reading this, but afraid that it wasn't for me. I managed to finish it, but I didn't really enjoy the novel.

The concept was a good one, a young woman tricked into joining a cult on a remote island, slowly realising that she is trapped, that her life is in danger, and what she then does about it (no spoilers, so won't say anything about what she does do!) but there wasn't anything new or fresh about the approach. The plot reveals felt contrived and the characterisation was 2-D.

I really don't like giving negative reviews, so I would like to end on a positive note by saying that this novel does have a fast-moving plot; it also provokes the reader into thinking about what THEY would do in a similar situation and raises awareness of how to recognise that a friend may have got themselves entangled with a cult.

This book was really enjoyable and I kept reading until I was finished. And I am now searching for other books by the author because of how well the book was written and how well the characters seemed to come alive