A fast paced thriller about a family offered the opportunity to move to The Island, which is already inhabited by a dangerous family. This is one where you have to immerse yourself in the story and suspend disbelief... reminds me a little of Lost the TV series, with all it's twists and turns that surpass the ones before! Just go with it and enjoy the ride. Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for giving me the chance to read and review this.

Having been completely enthralled by 'The Chain' last year, (unpopular opinion, I know) it's safe to say I lept at the opportunity to read 'The Island' when it became available on Netgalley and to say I was excited when I was approved would be a considerable understatement.

Honestly, from page 1, I was gripped.

McKinty's ability to place you in the scene is incredible.
From cruising down the road to Alice Springs in the dead of night, to sitting hopelessly on a beach in scorching sunshine I honestly felt like I was right there with them.
Each stomach lurching twist had my mind spinning and my heart hammering (Literally. I have the Fitbit stats to prove it!).

Heather, Tom, Olivia and Owen are on holiday in Australia and in a bid to see the 'real' Oz they pay locals to bring them across a shark infested lake to Dutch Island. What they soon discover is the inhabitants of Dutch Island play by their own rules. Rules which are very different to those in the civilised world.

If you're looking for a thriller that will keep you wanting more then honestly look no further. A well deserved 4.5 stars.

As someone who loved Adrian McKinty’s previous high concept stand-alone novel The Chain I was looking forward to sinking my teeth into The Island. There was a lot to like about it: it was fast paced and enjoyable - up to a point. But then it went in a direction that unfortunately didn’t quite work for me.

It’s brilliantly written, as this author’s books always are, but I found myself not really caring about any of the main characters at all, which did hinder my enjoyment somewhat. I think it would work incredibly well as a TV show or movie, with the stunning visualisation that would bring, but sadly as a novel it didn’t quite hit the mark this time.

Adrian McKinty can write and write stunningly well. His Sean Duffy series provides more than sufficient evidence of that. He is capable of nuance, character depth and so much more, but this is a straightforward action thriller. The blurb, reproduced above, tells you all you need to know about the plot. It is one woman’s battle to save herself and her family from a rabid situation in which the odds are firmly stacked against them and there is seemingly no way out.

The Island is written in a cinematic style so it’s no surprise that it has gone straight to Hulu.

Tom is an orthopaedic doctor in the United States, and Heather, a former massage therapist, is his second wife. Now married for a year, Heather is tasked with looking after Tom’s two children. The family are in Melbourne for a conference that Tom is speaking at when, in an attempt to keep the children happy, they blag their way with cash on to a private island in the expectation of seeing many kangaroos and koalas.

You don’t readily take to Tom. A man who hires a Porsche to go into the outback is always going to be a bit of a tool, isn’t he? And the way he waves his cash around to get what he wants is not a good omen for things to come.

So it proves when things go badly wrong on the island and suddenly the entire family is fighting for their lives. Central to the action is Heather, a woman whose upbringing on Goose Island proves to be surprisingly helpful and it is enjoyable to watch this mild mannered masseuse change into a thundering warrior as the book progresses.

As an adventure movie I’m certain it will work well in a Die Hard kind of a way. Certainly there’s enough violence and grisly, scary, gory bits to make you squirm and squeal. I enjoyed the way that Heather was forced to it her wits against an entire family of tough and dangerous desperadoes headed up by a matriarch who brooks no dissent.

Verdict: It’s a kind of Die Hard meets Hunger Games You’ll need to suspend all your disbelief, but if you let it entertain you, you’ll find you can while away some happy hours reading this tense and action packed thriller. A great one for a summer holiday, I reckon, but really, McKinty is capable of so much more.

I enjoyed this quick read, the premise had me hooked and I enjoyed how we started with a glimpse at the ending and then went back to how we got there.
A family living their worst nightmare following an accident.
I didn't really like the characters of Tom, Olivia or Owen but I did like Heather and how she was an absolute warrior for a family that didn't really deserve it.
Loved to hate Ma and the boys from the Island who were absolutely awful, but was torn because Matt at times seemed nice and saner than the rest.
Very gritty and gory and not entirely believable.
Not as good as The Chain which I thought was brilliant, but an enjoyable way to pass a few hours. My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for my eARC in return for my honest review.

A family from the US on holiday in Australia get the opportunity to go to a remote island called Dutch Island. A decision that changes their lives and everyone already on the island.
When an accident happens and the American family are held prisoner, their world becomes a nightmare no one could ever dream of.
In an incredible battle between the residents and the visitors this becomes the ultimate fight for their lives.
A brilliant terrifying story that moves like a rollercoaster. This is one of those books that once you start it you will forget everything around you until you finish it. It is a perfect page turner and one I highly recommend. Strap yourself in for the ultimate ride.

I enjoyed this, it was an intense thriller with a clever plot; focused on a cat and mouse chase through the Australian outback. This is definitely not anyone’s idea of a perfect island getaway! There was plenty of action and tense moments where you almost have to cover your eyes to see if the main characters manage to get through! There are some quite violent parts and there was a scene with animal deaths which personally I found difficult to read and lowered my rating. All in all it was an intriguing plot which keeps you on your toes, just keep an eye out for trigger warnings if you find animal deaths upsetting.

I enjoyed The Chain and thought the premise was interesting. Not so with The Island. Boy this book is badly written! Really weird throw away lines that either don't suit the characters, are cheesy, or just plain offensive. I felt this book oozed masogeny and racism. The characterisation of Tom, Owen and Olivia was really poor. But even the more fleshed out character of Heather was full of holes, contradictions and unrealistic behaviour. I will forgive thrillers a lot if the story grips me and the plot is intriguing but this was just plain ridiculous!
With thanks to NetGalley and Orion for this digital ARC in exchange for this honest review.

This book is set in Australia with Tom, Heather, Olivia and Owen travelling there for Toms work. This is a thriller where their dream trip becomes a nightmare when they accept an offer to ride a ferry over to 'The Island' where a terrifying family live. When a accident happens on the island they find themselves at the hands of head of the family Ma and her sons and daughter. At times the scenes were quite violent and overall the book was fast paced.

“A crow with a skeptical yellow eye was watching her from the lightning-struck eucalyptus tree. The crow was death. If it called out, she was dead. … In the bay something huge moved under the water not far from the shore. They had been right not to try to swim to safety. That was the scarred dorsal fin of a great white….” from Prologue.

My thanks to Orion Publishing for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Island’ by Adrian McKinty in exchange for an honest review.

How to describe this novel? As the brief extract from its opening indicates something very bad is happening on the island. In my opinion it’s a novel that is best read ‘cold’ to appreciate its bonkers plot. So just a bit of background to set the scene.

After the teasing opening, the story goes back a short while and introduces the Baxter family visiting from the USA. Heather has recently married Tom, a widowed doctor with two children, Owen and Olivia. They decided to travel as a family to Australia where Tom is a keynote speaker at a medical conference. It seems a good opportunity to make new memories. They are taking a few days beforehand to tour though everyone is jet-lagged and both kids are whiny and fractious and not at all thrilled about having a new mom.

They demand to see some wildlife and when a local mentions that the nearby Dutch Island has koala bears, Olivia and Owen beg their father. Tom talks the ferry operator to take them and their swanky rental car over (for a hefty fee). They receive strict warnings that the island is private property owned by a tight knit local clan, who don’t like strangers. They are told to not go far and to be back to the ferry within 30-45 minutes.

Sounds easy enough though it wouldn’t be a thriller if the Baxters stuck to these instructions. When a shocking accident occurs, their nightmare begins.

I found ‘The Island’ a white-knuckled ride of a thriller that was impossible to put down. It should be noted that there are high levels of threat and strong violence throughout.

In his Author’s Note Adrian McKinty describes the incident that inspired the novel as well as assures readers that the real island that served as the geographical model for Dutch Island is populated by lovely people. Phew!

While ‘The Island’ requires some suspension of disbelief, I certainly felt that it delivered on the action and thrills.

Great fast paced book. It’s the perfect cross between action adventure and psychological thriller. This was a perfect Sunday afternoon read, feet up and cup of tea at the ready.

Hmm
3* too low but 4 feels to high.

I don't know how to review this so I'm going to do positives and negatives.

Positives-

Really good fun, a great premise with lots of actions. Reads like a good fun popcorn action thriller. I'd like to read more of these! A few 'oh dear god no' moments and 'ooooh shit' so I really enjoyed the ride.

But....
And I do hate to be negative because I did like the book....(this is nitty gritty spoilers.. So probably wait until you've read the book for this next part)


It's hard to describe my problem with the writing style, I think it wanted to be deeper than it is.. Or it wanted to provide motivation for the characters. But occasionally it felt forced or shoehorned in.

Some things where just clunky, like calling a 14 and 12 year old who you've known less than a year after they lost their mum honey and baby was just a bit... Weird? I have a 13 year old though and I know that would get her goat up now as her mum. So to imagine a very young step parent who been there not long at all trying to push themselves on you like that just sat totally unrealistic.

The minor theme of who are the real bad guys also didn't ring true, yes the whole debacle began with Tom and Heather's actions but there was never any doubt regarding who the bad guys were. It was certainly the people who tied up, threatened rape, shot, tortured and repeatedly hunted people with dogs and guns. Never a flicker of perhaps Heather has gone too far. Nope

But I did really enjoy the book, I just wish it chose to lean into the action thriller side more than the armchair psychologist. I kind of felt like, OK I get it...Heather is a warrior, she's seen some shit. She's not going to be put off by cold step children, she won't be put off by near certain death, she's awesome

And she is! I just wish it wasn't spelt out so simply and obviously. I don't have a problem with the intent just the delivery.
Like watching a Hollywood movie and being irritated wanting to roll your eyes like here we have character development, I got echoes of that feeling.

Saying all that, if you want a good fun tense action book this is definitely one for you! Despite what looks like a negative review I really did enjoy it and am going to go through the authors catalogue :)

Yet another heart in your mouth rip roaring thriller from this writer, with a truly disturbing family (who reminded me of the family in the first series of ‘The Top of the Lake.’ at the heart of it. The pace, energy and twists and turns of this novel were just right, for a really immersive read.

This was a really wild ride. I loved the pace, I could not stop reading it, the plot was a great example of "from bad to worse" An accident starts a nightmare, and they have to fight to escape.
I really like Adrian McKinty, for now I'm loving all his books.

Will get your adrenaline flowing

This book had a sense of foreboding from the beginning. It felt like the reading equivalent of watching the screen peeking through fingers. A page-turner, I wanted to keep reading to see what happened next.

IT WAS JUST SUPPOSED TO BE A FAMILY VACATION.
A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT CHANGED EVERYTHING.
YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’RE CAPABLE OF UNTIL THEY COME FOR YOUR FAMILY.
After moving from a small country town to Seattle, Heather Baxter marries Tom, a widowed doctor with a young son and teenage daughter. A working vacation overseas seems like the perfect way to bring the new family together, but once they’re deep in the Australian outback, the jet-lagged and exhausted kids are so over their new mom.
When they discover remote Dutch Island, off-limits to outside visitors, the family talks their way onto the ferry, taking a chance on an adventure far from the reach of iPhones and Instagram.
But as soon as they set foot on the island, which is run by a tightly knit clan of locals, everything feels wrong. Then a shocking accident propels the Baxters from an unsettling situation into an absolute nightmare.
When Heather and the kids are separated from Tom, they are forced to escape alone, seconds ahead of their pursuers.
Now it’s up to Heather to save herself and the kids, even though they don’t trust her, the harsh bushland is filled with danger, and the locals want her dead.
Heather has been underestimated her entire life, but she knows that only she can bring her family home again and become the mother the children desperately need, even if it means doing the unthinkable to keep them all alive.

What a gripping read this was.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own hone\st voluntary review.

An absolutely brilliant suspense story. I had to read it all T once as I couldn’t put it down. Fantastic writing and brilliant characters that you cheer for or hate! Tom has married Heather,,so she becomes stepmother to his two children, Olivia and Owen. They haven’t warmed to her as she is quite young, and they are still pining for their mother.
Tom is a surgeon, invited to Australia from the US for a conference so they all decide to go with him. They take a trip out and end up on an island that brings them all so many problems!
Such a good read!

The Island is the latest thriller from best selling author Adrian McKinty and is certainly a thrill ride from first page to last. Set in the Australia it follows Heather Baxter, the second wife of a widowed doctor named Tom on a nightmare quest for survival that brings to mind several horror movies. Heather , Tom and his two teenage children are finding their so called dream trip a little tense, so the chance to get off the beaten track and visit a private island which is home to a koala colony seems like an opportunity that should not be missed. The fact that the island was once the site of a prison and is now home to a reclusive clan ruled by the rather aggressive "Ma" isn't enough to put them off but when a tragic accident angers the locals Heather and the kids find themselves on the run , desperately trying to save their lives.
To be fair, you do need to suspend your disbelief a bit with this one, but if you are willing to do that you will certainly be entertained. The characters while not always likeable do grow on you as you read and you find yourself invested in their fates. Heather becomes quite the kick ass heroine.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

The Island begins with a character, who we learn is Heather, creeping up on someone who is a threat to her and her family. As she creeps up on him we switch to what leads up to this scene.
Tom, Heather, Olivia and Owen are in Australia combining a holiday with Tom's attendance at a conference as a keynote speaker. Heather is Tom's second, younger wife, and it is obvious from the beginning that Tom is quite an angry man who likes his own way and obviously feels entitled. His children resent her even though she seems to be the one who maintain peace between father and children, wherever possible.
Their trip to the Island is a mistake from the beginning and what follows, although far-fetched in places, definitely makes this tale a page turner. It is novel to have a heroine in this sort of adventure. It will definitely make a good film!
Three and a half stars for me!
Many thanks to Netgalley/Adrian McKinty/Orion Publishing for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

When Heather, Tom and her step children find themselves in a life threatening situation on a remote island all hell breaks loose. Forced to do the unthinkable, nobody knows how far they will go to protect their family. Nail biting, violent with many weird happenings but you will be addicted to it.