In all honesty, it’s a miracle I enjoyed this book at all if it’s aimed at people who were fans of The Sanatorium. I think most of you know precisely how I felt about that particular novel.

The less said now, the better, in all honesty.

This book focusses on two families: Adam (bit of a jerk) and his wife Lou (possibly experiencing post-partum psychosis) and Eliza (bit of a non-entity) and her husband Noah (high-functioning alcoholic) along with their non-descript offspring. For some reason, these people decide to go on a little jaunty holiday together, despite the fact they’re not really friends, but they’re all stupidly rich so what-what, off we go.

I was expecting a tense and atmospheric thriller, set on a tropical island – everyone’s trapped. Oh help, oh no! Alas, what I got felt like a slightly stressy weekend in Blackpool.

The characters are all horrible – there isn’t a single one of them I didn’t want to discover had been murdered or drowned. I just had no interest in any of them. Then the author threw a whole myriad of events, twists and turns in to the mix which just made it feel confusing.

It wasn’t awful by any means, but it really wasn’t very good either. In fact, I think I’m being overly generous with a three, but I’ve made my line in the sand now and I’m sticking with it.

Do I recommend this? No. I don’t even have the energy to warn you off – unless of course, like me, you hated The Sanatorium, then seriously, steer clear of this one!

I honestly found this quite difficult to get into. I didn't particularly like any of the characters, which made it hard to feel fully invested in the story. I did enjoy the vivid descriptions of the island, but with that being said I thought the book overall was a bit *too* descriptive in some places and I found myself skimming over certain sections. I also thought that there were too many short sentences for my liking so it didn't seem to flow very well, however that may just be an issue with the ARC. Sadly this just wasn't the book for me!

This book begins by meeting Lou and Eliza and their families who are going on a long weekend away - a desert island called Turtle Cove - it has four beaches and reachable only by boat 20 minutes away from mainland - so really deserted island.

Each chapter is told from a different characters point of view - Lou, Eliza, Noah and Adam which I liked as you got a real good insight into each of their points of view, how they see things and I was able to begin to build up a picture of their stories and backgrounds.

I didn't like Adam as a character but when he goes missing followed by others on the island, paradise begins to turn in to trouble. I couldn't stop reading to find out what has happened.

This story is full of family secrets, murders, turtles and storms. A good thriller to keep you turning the pages.

An easy read with enough of a plot to keep you hooked without being overly complicated. This would make a good book to read on holiday, just being thankful the beautiful setting isn’t your destination! Narrated from the different characters although still easy to follow.

Beautiful luxury tropical island thriller is my all time favourite set for a great book. Unfortunately #TheCove did not do it for me. To be honest, I just found it boring, I can't really say much else really. I only continued reading just because I can hope to escape to such exotic white sandy beach location in my head. I'm sorry to say with a boring storyline and unlikeable characters, I have to give just 2 stars #NetGalley

Starting with an epic opening scene which introduces the reader to the quite stunning scenery of Turtle Cove, and an unplanned kayak trip which dangles, like the most tantalising fruit over the ensuing pages, this book then takes us quite literally beneath the veneer of this paradise island to expose its darker side.

These two couples, and their 4 children, know each tangentially as part of a privileged, and monied, group of ex-pats in  Singapore. They might have gravitated towards each other in another setting, but here they cling to each other as aide memoires to another life. The long weekend ahead, at the luxury resort where wi-fi is blocked to encourage relaxation, is time to step away from the monotony of child rearing, law, book writing. Before long, however, this exclusive and excluding island setting becomes an echo chamber of bitterness, resentment and recrimination. Lack of internet services soon becomes the least of their worries.

One husband is constantly drunk, leering at the other man's wife, and clearly not noticing that his own wife is on the verge of unravelling. The other wife, on sabbatical from a career which she has let go of , is flattered by the attention, her husband, not so much.

And in the midst of this, 8 year old Raffy (son of Adam and Lou), twins Chloe and Sam (children of Eliza and Noah) are thankfully blissfully unaware that much is wrong . They have the round the clock baby sitting service which is teaching them survival skills,cooking skills, diving, conservation and so forth.

But nature abhors a vaccuum and this cove, this inlet of tranquility is shattered by human engineered and natural events. Monsoon season, forest fires, disappearing people, all combine to turn a paradise into a purgatory of waiting to find just what happened to one of the 4 central characters who take turns narrating the book.

For much in the same way that retreat owner Lars is trying to persuade the local Malayans that charging people to come and watch the turtle eggs hatching is more profitable than the pennies they get from selling them, the island which relies on the trade from rich , mostly white , privileged tourists is more valuable than blowing them up. Or kidnapping them. Or even killing them...

It is a really gripping thriller that left you in suspense at who did what to whom, I really felt for one of the women who is clearly struggling to cope with a baby who does nothing but cry, it was such a vividly realised character study in desperation . I was not so fond, however, of her suddenly discarding her medication as though that were a veil which prevented her from truly being herself. Her tablets were not the issue, her (quite frankly) knob of a husband was, with his 'it's just parenting , how hard can it be' attitude. He is 100% one of those dads who 'babysit ' their children.

For me, the quiet and ruthless Inspector Khan who comes to investigate the disappearance of , by now, 3 people, stole the show. He was a mirror to the Western indulgence which had led them to try and get away from it all and his observations were spot on in the face of those who genuinely seemed to think that he, a foreigner, could solve this crime satisfactorily (in a riff on Poirot who is always underestimated , and incorrectly identified as French!)

A satisfying thriller is what I have come to expect from this author, and The Cove is no exception. She brings to bear her understanding of ex-pat life and her profession as a lawyer to bear on this all too human tale of human frailty in the face of the elements.

This was sent to me by Netgalley in return for an honest review.

This book promised so much - according to the blurb it had everything I enjoy in a mystery thriller. Two families who haven't known each other very long going to a luxury island resort for a short break and - according to the blurb - one of them knows another very well.

I was expecting all sorts of reveals, twists. Who was this person who knew everything? What were they planning? In the end I was disappointed - the big reveal just didn't seem that big. The expected tension never really grabbed me.

The setting and the interactions with the locals - there was so much there that could have been expanded, but the focus was on the two couples who I felt nothing for. The two men were unlikeable, and the two women were too busy with their own emotions. They were not engaging and I found that I didn't really care what happened to them. The locals were more interesting characters and I would have preferred more about them. However, the description of the island, the weather, the weather conditions - these were all vividly painted.

All I can say is that this novel was ok, a decent book to take on a plane or a beach. I just wish I could have loved it, but thank you Netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for allowing me to read this.

Two couples on a remote island for a weekend of rest and relaxation... but all is not what it seems in paradise and as tensions between the couples rise their safe haven might just turn into a prison...

I was intrigued by the concept of this book, but unfortunately it ultimately fell flat. It held my interest in the beginning and seemed to be setting up an interesting mystery, however the second half struggled to maintain pace and bring it all together.
It became increasingly convoluted and the structure of the rotating POVs seemed to devolve, interrupting the flow of the narrative. This can sometimes work in the favour of a mystery as a tool to keep the reader in the dark, however here it simply felt a bit messy and unplanned. We were introduced to several side-plots and mini mysteries that felt extraneous to the central narrative and not very well fleshed out.
The final twist felt unnecessary and seemed to be an afterthought more than anything else, the story would have functioned just the same without it, if anything it made all the neatly tying up of all the loose ends seem a bit unrealistic.

An interesting concept, and it did manage to hold my interest for the most part, but pacing and plot issues took from my enjoyment of the overall story.

Thank you NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing Plc for my e-arc of this title, received in exchange for an honest review.

A domestic noir in an exotic location. The descriptions of turtle cove were amazing and transported me there. Brilliantly written, that kept me hooked from the first page. At times I just couldn’t read quick enough to find out what was going to happen next.

I think the use of the multiple narrator approach did not work for me in this book. There were certainly no likeable characters, although I did like the setting (perhaps I am just nostalgic for holidays past!) I think the use of this setting could have been put to better use with a slightly better plot. I would say give it a read but perhaps read the other books by this author first.

4.5 Stars

I’m really surprised reading some of the less-than-favourable reviews here because I was thoroughly engaged by this novel. I requested it after having read (and loved) the first few chapters of the book in a teaser that was put on NetGalley.

I thought the setting here was wonderful: both beautiful and dangerous. It makes for an excellent summer reading escape.

Books told through multi-party narration are really enjoyable to me because they keep the book feeling pacy and also force the reader to decide if there is a trustworthy protagonist.

I’ve read a few books recently where my
attention span has started to flag and that didn’t happen once in this book - finished it really quickly! The mark of a good summer thriller.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Bloomsbury Publishing and the author for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Turtle Cove is a beautiful Malaysian island resort. Adam and his wife, Lou, travel there with their two young children and new friends, Eliza and Noah. First impressions are wondrous and people feel relaxed…but before too long strange events are taking place and there’s evident tension.
We see that locals are resentful of the resort, the couples themselves are hiding secrets from each other and there’s the added tension of an impending monsoon to contend with.
While the book offers lots of events, it always felt a little flat. I never felt as if we were really getting under the skin of the characters, and the lack of detail about the reality of their situation was frustrating. While there was always something happening, I couldn’t shake the niggling feeling that it was often a kind of smokescreen.
As soon as Adam disappeared after a drunken argument, things definitely picked up the pace. Much of the story focused on events that were primarily a distraction, though their relevance to events was eventually shared. Unfortunately, since I wasn’t overly engaged with any of the characters I didn’t find myself as thrilled by the ending as I might have expected to be.
I’m grateful to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this prior to publication. It was not a bad read by any means, but nor was it a book that will linger long in my memory.

This started off really well - characters were interesting and I was looking forward to seeing where it was going. Unfortunately it went downhill towards the end and left me completely lacking any desire to finish it. It all seemed a bit far fetched and not thought through, too much coming and going and a lot of underdeveloped characters appearing towards the end. Really disappointing after a very good start.

The Cove transports you to paradise with so many excellent descriptions of the island. And the very fast paced plot moves along at a furious speed, which I loved. I would highly recommend this one to my friends.

Readers are welcomed to Turtle Cove. This is the height of luxury, a Malaysian resort that is a weekend reprieve from the hustle and bustle of life in Singapore. Couples Lou and Adam, Noah and Eliza, recently made friends with small children, it’s an opportunity to relax and unwind, and hopefully invest some time in their relationships. Their children are happily distracted, there’s food and drink on tap, the scenery is glorious… what more could they want? Well, there’s tension brewing between the couples and on the island. Lou and Adam are finding being parents of two more difficult than expected; in fact, all Adam wants is to get to know another holidaymaker well. Very well… Meanwhile, Noah is desperate to find Wifi and get some work done, regardless of spending time with his wife and twins. However, none of them could predict the danger bubbling under the surface… When it comes to friendship, do you ever really know who you think you know?

What a great story! I loved the characters and the twists were brilliant. If you enjoy a good thriller/mystery then you will love this book. I actually read an extract first which left me desperate to read more so I was thrilled when I got the chance to read this early! I will look out for more from this author.

Two couples, Adam and Lou, and Eliza and Noah, depart their expat lives in Singspore for a luxury island getaway in Malaysia with their respective kids. Tensions are brewing not only at the resort, but between the families too. Individuals are behaving oddly, secrets are uncovered and their holiday isn't as idyllic as first thought.

The good: the story was well paced and it was an easy read (probably not one I'd recommend taking on holiday though!) It was easy to picture the setting, even though the island of Turtle Bay is actually fictitious! I thought the description of the location throughout was very well executed.

The not so good: this book didn't satisfy as a thriller because the killer/twist was so easy to guess. I knew early on and even though there were red herrings, it didn't detract enough from that. I will say though, I still wanted to finish the book, it was a lovely easy read and I never sided with any of the characters either, which is a big plus point in a thriller!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this advance copy!

It's tricky to start with this one. I liked it, but didn't love it. I preferred the author's previous books.

The story begins with two couples, Lou and Adam and Eliza and Noah and their offspring going away for a much needed break at the luxurious Turtle Cove island resort. There are underlying tensions between the group, and when one of the party disappears, more secrets and lies are uncovered.

The island itself was captured very well and enabled me to clearly picture the setting. Each chapter is written from a view point of one of the four main characters, which worked well. For me, I didn't really engage with any of the protagonists, which made it harder to care about them. The exception was maybe Lou, I found her struggles with baby Laila realistically portrayed. I also found the dodgy island goings on plot line a bit confusing and slightly dull.

I think part of the issue was that I've read a fair few of these "locked room/island/boat” thrillers lately and this was definitely one of the less gripping ones for me.

If you enjoy locked room type mysteries and haven’t read many of the ones already out, you’ll probably really enjoy this.

Thanks to the publishers Bloomsbury Publishing PLC and Net Galley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Nergalley and the publisher for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Hmm... I liked it but I didn't love it! I was super intrigued by the synopsis and the general theme of the story was okay but I felt like it went on for too long - was very drawn out when really it didn't need to be.

The location was described beautifully and really it sounded so idyllic. I think it deserved a more capturing storyline to go with it.

The characters were okay but I felt we didn't get to know them personally and therefore I didn't think the book roused any emotion when things were going wrong. I definitely. Enjoyed the drama more between the locals!!

Overall it was an okay read.

Wow! The Cove turned out to be my Covid isolation book, so I read it in a couple of days. Fantastic book that you really can't put down (well, I couldn't). Set in paradise (Turtle Cove), paradise soon shows it's dark side when two familes who have spent very little time together go away for a weekend break. Tensions rise between the familes and tension amongst the locals spills in to their holiday and their story. The plot is fast and furious, the characters excellently developed and the narrative pacy and well-constructed. The ending has you guessing right to the last page. Superb book, the author makes the setting come to life. Clearly written during the pandemic, the author doesn't ignore it and it will be interesting to see what readers in 20 years time make of the references. Highly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC