Two ex pat couples and their young children escape from Singapore for a few days to the luxurious Malaysian resort of Turtle Cove, however there is soon trouble in paradise when they get caught up in a local dispute.

Unfortunately I guessed the big reveal very early on in this locked in thriller, and didn’t particularly warm to any of the characters. However, I did enjoy this exotic thriller which would make a great holiday read

A locked room mystery thriller set on an tropical island in a luxury resort surrounded by pristine sea and the dense beauty of the jungle. Two couples and their kids decide to have a much needed break, but things don't go to plan.

2.5 ⭐️💫 rounding up

It sounded like the perfect premise, but just didn't work for me. I never connected with any of the characters so I didn't root for anyone. I actually found all the them quite unlikeable. I felt that the plot moved far too slow for a thriller and didn't grip me like thrillers normally do. I actually guessed the twist a while before the reveal taking the mystery out of the book for me. I have heard good things about the authors other books so I will check them out.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved The Flower Girls by this author so I was really looking forward to reading The Cove. The premise is a secluded island, a locked room mystery, giving you "lost" feelings. This was definitely my kind of book. But it was not for me. The characters were all so very unlikeable and I really didn’t care for them at all, the story didn't flow, and the plot didn't move on and grip me as a thriller should.

The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

2.5/5.

This is going to do well! Sadly I didn’t get on well with it, it was a bit slower than mr usual read, but having said that I can really see who it would appeal to and will line it up in my recommending for this year!

An original version of the “closed room mystery”, set in the gorgeous surroundings of a secluded island, where two families are about to clash if certain secrets come to light.

This was a page turner of a book that had me hooked right to the very end! Two couples head off with their children to a seemingly idyllic island for some quality family time but things do not go according to plan. One of the men goes missing and it would appear that there are a few unexplained mysteries on this island. The twists and turns kept me guessing and I didn’t know where this story was going to go at all. I was sorry this book ended as I was really enjoying it but I did love the unexpected ending.
Thanks to Netgalley and to the publishers for the opportunity to enjoy this book.

This book was ok but it didn't blow me away. I didn't like the characters at all I just didn't really care about any of them. The story did have me intrigued enough going through but just didn't wow me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to like this one, as I loved the author’s debut, The Flower Girls, and the opening really drew me in with friends and families coming together to celebrate the life of a wonderful friend who has passed away. However, the flashbacks part actually revealed too much and I guessed the twist early on. A bit too predictable for my taste, and the characters just weren’t engaging.

A really enjoyable read! It's got all the elements of a good locked-room murder mystery with a humdinger of a twist at the end!
Two couples decide to book a breakaway weekend on an island. A weekend to chill and get away from the hustle and bustle of city life. No cellphone reception, cocktails on the beach, and people to look after the kids. Surely this must be paradise...or is it......soon we have dynamite going off underwater, people disappearing, and to top it off a Monsoon!
Thank you to Netgalley and Bloomsbury publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

i feel like i really struggle to write reviews for thrillers because i’m writing the same thing every time - fast paced, unexpected, crazy character links but that’s only because it’s true and what i expect from a good thriller so it’s a GOOD thing when i’m writing this! this one was absolutely jam packed with so much suspense (it also includes some scary triggers including murder, suicide and things relating to animal death and drowning/scary things relating to the sea so beware) and i love when thrillers are set on islands in the middle of nowhere, you just know it’s going to be all kinds of f**ked up!! if you love a good thriller & this sounds like your kind of vibe i’d deffo recommend giving it a read!

Thank you to Netgalley, Bloomsbury Publishing and Alice Clark-Platts for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Turtle Cove is the kind of luxury island that lost people can only dream of. Two couples visit the island for some well needed rest and relaxation. However, eerie things start to happen and tension starts to increase among the islanders and the vacationers.

‘The Cove’ is a fantastic read and completely enchanting. The island sounds absolutely idyllic until you continue reading. I did find it a bit slow at the start but it quickly amps up. I read this in one sitting. I loved it. It’s dark, creepy and nail-biting at times. A great psychological thriller.

I can’t wait to read more by Alice. This was intriguing, engaging and thrilling. The plot was cleverly unravelled as the story progressed.

The Cove follows two families who have recently become friendly and decided to have a weekend away together on a remote island resort. We know from the start that something goes wrong during the weekend and so the tension is there from the start. A lot of the characters were either unlikeable or suspicious, and one is clearly mentally unwell following the recent birth of her second baby, so this meant I was never quite sure who, if anyone, could be trusted. The setting becomes claustrophobic very quickly, with the heat and the sense of being cut off from the mainland so I enjoyed that element. At times it made me feel like I was trapped, which compelled me to keep reading so see what happened to this group of people. I did find that some of what happens in this novel predictable and it definitely requires suspension of disbelief but I still really enjoyed this one. It would make a great holiday read.

Unfortunately the book didn't live up to its blurb. The premise was good, but the characters didn't click for me.

I wanted to like this book, the cover and the description drew me in. But it was just too slow a burn, and not very likeable couples. Not for me unfortunately.

Lou books a getaway for her husband Adam and two young children and her friends another married couple join them at Turtle Cove; an exclusive resort that boasts the perfect getaway to the stresses of life and work. However, Lou is at breaking point and her husband is more interested in flirting with her friend; as tensions rise and the threat of violence hangs in the air will both couples survive the holiday?

This was a fast paced thriller however I felt a little disconnected from the characters as no one was particularly likeable. I enjoyed the premise and the cast of characters was interesting.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest

An enjoyable book with an escapist setting and a central mystery plot. I saw most of the twists coming, but the characters were largely believable with interesting back stories.

This is the type of book I can just sit and listen to without really having to pay close attention to.

I will say I didn't care too much about trying to figure anything out. I just let the book tell me.

The couples were unlikeable. Lou was clearly struggling with her mental health. I felt for her. But she also annoyed me. She didn't really see past herself and the baby.
Eliza and Noah were irritating. But also this whole situation would never have happened if Eliza was honest from the beginning. But she was too selfish then blamed anyone else.

There were a few twists and turns throughout this that kept me interested enough. Even if the reveal at the end was underwhelming.

The blurb seemed like my favourite kind of thriller. Unfortunately this was slower than any slow burn and wasn’t really the mystery it was said to be. The characters are unlikeable which can be fine but in this case it made me care less about the conclusion.

This novel is a locked-room mystery set in paradisical surroundings and features plenty of mystery and murder in a glamorous resort under a tropical sun. Adam and Lou Carter have decided to holiday here with their friends Noah and Eliza Fisher. Both couples bring their children which include a newborn, but the plot focuses mostly on the micro-aspects of the couples’ marriages. These turn out to be less than happy and psychological and physical violence constantly appear to simmer in the background. As animosity turns to violence between the couples, a monsoon drenches the resort, and in an even more sinister turn of events, first one adult goes missing, then one of the children…. I found the pace of the book picked up the more pages I turned, and I was certainly engrossed. Highly recommended. I would like to thank Raven Books and NetGalley as it was the free ARC they gifted me that enabled me to get to know Alice Clark-Platts work, culminating in this impartial book review.