Well this one was an absolute blast! The story of an American family visiting Australia who end up visiting a private Island in search of wildlife and oh boy do they find it. Its just of the human kind.

A kind of a mixture between Deliverance and Die Hard(except here the John McClane character is a female)this is a thriller, a road movie, a survivalist story, a horror with sprinklings of humour thrown in.

The pace is relentless in this once it gets going and you will probably have palpitations throughout.
Our main chacrters (the family)are very well written and likeable and their foes on the island....well they are all kinds of bonkers.

A stonkingly good read. I flew through this one as I couldnt wait to find out what happened next and there seemed no good places to pause such was the tension.

My first read from Mr McKinty and an easy 5 stars from me. I just had way too much fun reading this twisted tale.

Thanks to the publsher for the ARC through Netgalley.

I fell in love with this story when I read the sampler and the rest was up to my expectations.
It's a brilliant, gripping, and entertaining story. It's a page turner I couldn't stop reading and I read it in one sitting.
Fast paced, humorous and tense, it's an excellent read.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

3.5 stars. This was a quick easy read with a unique storyline that grabbed my attention. Unfortunately it was so unrealistic and far fetched I founded myself cringing at some points. Oh I also didn’t really like the main character Heather. I look forward to reading more by this author

The Island by Adrian McKinty is a tense and dramatic adventure on an almost-deserted island from which the unfortunate sightseeing Baxter family cannot escape.

Dr Tom Baxter is a renowned knee surgeon and has been invited to speak at an international conference in Melbourne. Heather, his new wife and his teenage children come along for a holiday. In their quest to see exotic wildlife, they end up on an almost-deserted island but things do not follow the plan and they find themselves stranded with some rather unpleasant hosts.

The Island is an edge of your seat, action thriller ; McKinty's characters all have engaging backstories which perfectly fit the narrative and the dramatic conclusion.

This book was outstanding! I loved The Chain and was excited to read this one. It has all the edge of your seat elements and some of the scenes made my toes curl.

Heather, her new husband Tom, a recently widowed doctor and his young son and teenage daughter take a trip to Australia for a conference Tom is speaking at.

Trying to have some fun between work they chance upon the residents of remote Dutch Island, who are about to return from the mainland via the Ferry they own. Buying his way on board, Tom and his family, as well as two more sightseers are promised an adventure where they'll see all the animals the kids want.

An accident shortly after they arrive thrusts them at the mercy of the owners of the island where they deliver their own justice.

The book has a cat and mouse theme all the way through which I absolutely loved. I was rooting for Heather from the start, knowing what would happen to her when she was caught.

I can't recommend this gripping read highly enough! Thanks so much for the opportunity to read it.

A first time read of this author for me and what a read it was. Set in Australia this is a really fast paced read full of action and thrills. Quite a bloodthirsty tale, which I don’t mind, and the storyline and writing are so good. Heather is a great character. Seemingly so quiet and gentle it’s shocking to see her change when the chips are down and her family is under threat.

Briefly Tom is a widower with two children, now married to Heather, and the family are on holiday from USA. The children are keen to see koala bears and wombats so they visit Dutch island, where are told they will find them. What they don’t know is that the island is run by one family and after Tom is involved in an accident the family are after revenge. Tom is separated from the rest of the family and it’s up to Heather to save the children, but at what cost!

What a tense read that was. You don’t know who to trust. There are some amazing cliffhangers that have you holding your breath, waiting for the outcome. All in all this was a very enjoyable read and I will definitely be reading this author again⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Absolutely breathtaking novel, written with the dry wit expected of this author. For those who want deep characterisation may find this is not for them as it is plot driven, not a criticism from me but intended as guidance for others. Finding yourself in difficult situations can lead to awkward decisions having to be made and making the wrong one could have dire consequences. Great read and perfect for the summer!

This book really hit the ground running and it right sucked me in... Sadly it did lose its way a little during the middle third but it did finish strong and left me wholly satisfied.
Heather has married into her own self-made family of Tom, a widowed doctor, and his two children Olivia & Owen. They kinda rub along OK but when Tom is booked to give the keynote speech at a conference in Australia, it is decided that it would be a good bonding exercise to turn it into a family holiday. Long story short but they meet up with a couple of guys who live on a remote island festooned with the wildlife the children are gagging to see in their natural habitat. Negotiations take place and they managed to persuade/bribe them to let them, and a Dutch couple who tagged into the conversation, pay a brief visit to the island....
But their excitement soon tuns to horror as there's an incident and it all gets a bit ugly and perilous... This being the part where it lost its way a bit for me... Eyes were rolled and belief suspended as the action unfurled...
Then the author manages to just about rein it all in and finish off as strong as he could, given the middle wayward bit.
I did love The Chain when I read it a while back, and I also loved the first few chapters of this one which I got as a taster. I guess the thing I didn't quite get on board with was the complete change of character of Heather as she stepped up to become the force of nature she became. All a tad on the Captain Scarlet indestructible side of things!
But, all that aside, and they are pretty minor niggles in the big picture, it was a thrilling ride that I did engage with and which held my attention (eye-rolls aside) all the way through, leaving me satisfied at it's conclusion. Pacing matched the narrative pretty well consistently and the characters (Heather comments aside) all acted well within their roles.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Hey Siri, play 'Gaslighter' by The Chicks.

Well, what an absolute rollercoaster ride that was! 'The Island' has a creepy premise and the action kicks off very quickly. As with any thriller I read, I was instantly suspicious of every single character. So many of the characters in this book turned out to be major gaslighting jerks and some of their actions were truly disgusting and evil.

The pace of this is very up and down with some incredible action scenes but also with some quite slow moments. Overall the pacing was very good and I personally don't think there's anything that could have been edited out further. I previously read 'The Chain' by the same author, but I have to say, this book was better by a mile. So much more badassery from the main female protagonist and a very good plot.

Plot twists a plenty and untrustworthy characters from the very beginning make 'The Island' a thriller you'll definitely want to pick up this summer.

Adrian McKinty is back with another cracking thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat. You’ll definitely think twice about what trips you agree to do on holiday after reading this!

I was rooting for Heather and the two children to survive the whole time I was reading this. So many people underestimated Heather mainly due to her age as she’s only 24 and actually talked down to her. I found it so baffling but I was in awe when she started fighting back. I marvelled at her determination to not only survive but to take this family down single-handedly for what they’d done to hers and I was cheering her right on. She was easily running rings around the O’Neils and fought to protect her two step-children. The tension builds up as the story progresses and there’s so many nail-biting scenes that left me feeling chilled to the bone.

However, even though I did really enjoy this, it did start to drag towards the end and I was at that point where I wanted it to wrap up. Heather and the kids are just trying to survive on the island, so since most of the story has the same setting, it did get a bit tiresome the longer they spent trying to escape. The story consists of Heather and the kids being chased, hiding, being chased and hiding again. While at first it was really intense and I was urging them on, it did start to get a bit tedious and I found myself looking at how long I had left until the end.

Nevertheless, it’s still a fantastic thriller. It has plenty of action, twists and enough tension to keep you turning the pages. I’m already looking forward to McKinty’s next book!

I don’t know where to start. The Chain was excellent but this book was the very opposite. It was almost a joke and I’m hoping I haven’t fallen into the very short sentence writing that the author used. For example this direct quote :-
“ the made a record of the black line f the massacre. They went down. It tasted like chicken,,or maybe wildfowl. It was good. It went well with the eggs. “
Dreadful writing style, ridiculous storyline and so so many occasions it was so puerile it made me laugh out loud!
I know I’ve never written a book but that’s because I know I couldn’t. Maybe the lesson could be not every idea makes into a good book.

The choices you make have consequences ... some of them deadly!

Whilst on a working holiday in Australia, the Baxters decide to do some sightseeing and find their way onto the isolated and private Dutch Island. They are hoping to see and photograph some of the native wildlife but end up being involved in a tragic accident which brings them to the attention of the O'Neil clan who call the island their home and they are not happy!!!

The Baxters quickly get into a fight for their lives and so begins the non-stop action that is The Island. There is lots of tension, violence and scenes of peril with a few twists but, overall, it's the story of survival ... but who will make it off The Island?

This book has a vibe akin to the film The Deliverance with a bit of Rambo thrown in for good measure so if you like that sort of action, I would definitely recommend this ... you won't be disappointed.

Thank you to Orion Publishing Group and NetGalley for allowing me to read The Island and share my thoughts.

💭 ᴍʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛꜱ:
If you’re in the mood for some quick paced/heart pulsing action, this is it. Straight into the deep, I could not get enough. The pace was high and just kept going. Alternating between the ebook and audio was thrilling. The audio added even more to the story. Heather is such a strong woman and I hope I will be acting just like her if I would ever be put in such a position. It’s such a quick read and with the short chapters, I couldn’t stop reading this one.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🤓 ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
Short Chapters
Quick read 🤓
Heart pulsing action
Character built

ꜱʏɴᴏᴘꜱɪꜱ:
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.

Heather and her family visit an island off Australia, and it is their worst decision to visit it.
The island is lawless,run by a hillbilly family. Heather and her family must go on the run in this unfamiliar territory. They must use skills learnt in their pasts to survive this far outback land.
Thrilling book and I was hooked! Couldn't wait to find out what happened next in this fast paced novel, excellent!

This is a great read.
Heather and Tom are in Australia for a conference but whilst they are there they decide to see the sights.
Tom’s two children, Olivia and Owen are keen to see some koalas but after a day searching they’re about to give up.
Some locals overhear them and agree to take them to their private island where there are lots of koalas.
A tragic accident causes their plans to change pretty quickly and they just want to get back to the hotel.
The family on the island have other ideas though…
This is a real fight for survival and will definitely have you hooked.
A gripping thriller.
Thanks to Orion Publishing Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of The Island by Adrian McKinty in return for my honest review.
I really enjoyed The Chain by Adrian McKinty so was really excited to read his latest book The Island and it certainly didn’t disappoint this is a really fast paced thrilling read which once i started i couldn’t put down.
A family holiday to Australia leads the family to visit a small island to see koala bears one accident later and all hell breaks loose its the survival of the fittest. There is an interesting mix of characters and some very gory bits all adding to the atmosphere of the story.

Rating - 4.5 stars rounded off to 5

Riveting, edge of the seat - blockbuster worthy!

Thanks NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for the e-ARC in exchange of an honest review!

Synopsis –

Tom, a recently widowed doctor from Seattle, takes his new wife Heather, young son Owen and teenage daughter Olivia, on a working vacation to Australia. But their drive to a remote island near Melbourne turns sinister. Run by a closely knit clan of local family, they are not treated kindly after having been involved in an accident. When Tom gets separated from Heather and the kids, the game of survival in the arid Australian scrubland begins.

Review –

The opening hooked me straightaway. The unique cast of characters – a doctor dad, the kids with their hostility and mistrust towards their step mom, Heather’s own struggles as a ready-made parent, worked its wonders with the storyline.

The setting is indisputably the finest part of the book. McKinty’s research about the Australian rugged terrains and remote island vegetation is clearly evident from his plot construction. I simply felt I was right there on that island amongst these folks witnessing their fates unravel.

As things go from bad to worse for this family, we get to witness the local islander’s crazy mindset that tends towards outright evilness. And that’s when the heat and intensity of this situation hits us hard, creating a deeply disturbing and suffocating atmosphere.

I loved how Heather rises to the challenge. Having grown up with a military dad in the remote Goose Island of the US, she employs her skills to the best extent. Her keen instincts and tricks for survival, coupled with Owen’s science geek brains, the cat and mouse game that ensues with the locals, is sure to sky rocket the adrenaline factor.

I reveled in the twists brought in towards the end and was rooting all the way for Heather and the kids, as they took on everything head on.

Although the ending feels a teeny bit unrealistic, I still greatly enjoyed the wild thrill of it and the exciting adventure it took us on.

This is definitely TV series/movie material and I am glad its soon to be one!

Highly recommended to thriller lovers!

The Chain was the strangest read, with the first half being AMAZING and the second half being… but why?
The Island was much better, in my opinion. Clearly plotted well, we’ll thought out and also enjoyable. It was The Ruins but for people who don’t like body horror and if the plants were people haha. A good read, worth trying out.

A family from Seattle travel to Australia, the father combining a work trip with family time. The family dynamics are complex, with Heather being Tom’s second wife and step mother to his children. They decide to go off the beaten track and visit a remote island, previously housing a prison but now ruled by a feral family and led by a fierce matriarch. An unfortunate accident sets off a train of events which lead to the family fighting for it survival and revealing previously concealed truths. This is a plot-driven action story, with very little character development. Entertaining and engaging but without much depth. Great holiday read, unless you’re vacationing in Australia!

With thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advance copy to review.

An Island family vs a family on holiday in a fight for survival. An action packed novel with great characters. One of the best thrillers of the year.
I received this book from Orion via Netgalley for a review.