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cookie10231's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Awesome to read a book set in New York!!
jenny_steffens's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
bakingbookworm's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
A fierce storm, a secluded island and a dysfunctional family.
Deception, a missing person and a police detective with a haunting past of her own.
Add them all together and you get a tense and compelling beginning to a thriller series.
Former NYPD detective Shana Merchant moves to a quiet upstate New York town with her fiancé and finds out that crime can happen even in the quietest of places. Shana is a seasoned detective whose life was thrown into a tailspin after she was involved in a case that left her scarred and unsure of her abilities as a cop.
This was an entertaining, fast-paced locked room whodunnit! Shana and her new police partner are called out to a private island owned by the wealthy (and highly dysfunctional) Sinclair family when a family member goes missing. A sudden, violent storm prevents help from the mainland and strands Shana and her partner on the island where the suspect list continues to rise.
This is a cleverly crafted whodunnit that will keep readers guessing and entertained as they witness this family implode while also being tempted by the dark tidbits from Shana's violent past.
Added bonus: I loved immediately recognizing the location of Alexandria Bay, NY since I visited Boldt Castle on Heart Island in that area last June.
Compelling, addictive and featuring a strong female main character, I eagerly look forward to reading more from this series.
mlmonnat's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
mls8957's review against another edition
4.0
Intriguing story/characters. I appreciated the homage to Agatha Christie.
miratio's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
kristianawithak's review against another edition
3.0
This is a great mystery on an island, during a storm. It’s the perfect ‘all the suspects are locked together and the detective needs to figure it out’ book.
bookish_leslie's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
- Loveable characters? No
4.5
My rating scale, for reference:
- 1 Star: Hated it
- 1.5 Stars: Really didn't like it
- 2 Stars: Didn't like it
- 3 Stars: Meh
- 4 Stars: Liked it
- 4.5 Stars: Really liked it
- 5 Stars: Loved it
It’s been a while since I’ve enjoyed a murder mystery as thoroughly as I enjoyed this one. I was a bit on edge throughout, given some of Shana’s flashbacks into her abduction, as I was worried there might be references to sexual violence, but there wasn't.
Other than that concern, I found this novel to be well-written and incredibly atmospheric. October. Upstate NY. Nor’easter. The rain lashing, the wind howling, the lights flickering. Trapped on an island with a killer. I enjoyed how the stormy weather added tension and fear to an already loaded situation - the drama of the investigation increasing as the storm gained fury - and I’m always a sucker for a locked room mystery. Shana’s PTSD also added a lot of tension. I was right there with her while she grappled with self-trust. Could she trust her instincts? What was real and what was projection? Her anxiety and flashbacks made everything feel more threatening.
The one thing that really bothered me was how Shana kept alluding to a secret having to do with her prior abduction. This secret was never revealed in the book, and while I know this is a series and the secret will likely be revealed down the line at some point, I hate being left with unresolved questions.
Other than that concern, I found this novel to be well-written and incredibly atmospheric. October. Upstate NY. Nor’easter. The rain lashing, the wind howling, the lights flickering. Trapped on an island with a killer. I enjoyed how the stormy weather added tension and fear to an already loaded situation - the drama of the investigation increasing as the storm gained fury - and I’m always a sucker for a locked room mystery. Shana’s PTSD also added a lot of tension. I was right there with her while she grappled with self-trust. Could she trust her instincts? What was real and what was projection? Her anxiety and flashbacks made everything feel more threatening.
The one thing that really bothered me was how Shana kept alluding to a secret having to do with her prior abduction. This secret was never revealed in the book, and while I know this is a series and the secret will likely be revealed down the line at some point, I hate being left with unresolved questions.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Gun violence, Infidelity, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Confinement and Kidnapping
Minor: Cancer and Drug use
Also: PTSD; brief mention of date-r**e drugs