This was a middle of the road read for me, I enjoyed it, didn’t hate it - didn’t love it.

It’s a great read for a quick, holiday thriller. When you want a bit of an escape without anything too heavy.

It is likely a book I will forget but it was fun at the time.

I was drawn in by the synopsis of the book and thought it sounded amazing! All the hallmarks of a perfect thrilling drama, where a plane headed for Fiji ‘disappears’ to the outside world, but the reality is far from what it seems.

Erin is in a fight to find out what happened to the fate of her sister Laurie, who remains trapped on an island with no means of escape..

Wow, just wow. This audiobook was everything I thought it would be! It was so entertaining and the hours flew by. The narration was absolutely brilliant and so easy to listen to. It really brought the book alive and I was truly hooked after the first chapter.

Once started, it’s one of those books that you can’t put down and just have to keep listening to.

I loved the dual stories running alongside each other, each separate perspectives following each sister (with separate narrators) and their respective situations, slowly converging to the same point in time - it made for great listening. It was great getting to know each character as the story went along and it was so so compelling and so hard to put down!

I got more and more invested at the time went on and it has to be one of the most enjoyable audiobooks I’ve listened to in a while! So so good and I definitely recommend it.

The audio was narrated by Jess Nesling and Helen Phillips, which really added to the uniqueness of each sister. Reading the novel is always my first choice but having listened to the audio the dual narrative and distinct voices really enhanced the novel and I would recommend the audio as a very good option.

‘The Castaways’ is a story about two sisters Lori and Erin, who are heading off to an island holiday. The night before they are due to fly to their island destination they have an argument and Erin storms off leaving Lori alone for the evening. On their departure date Lori ends up departing without her sister.

Then the plane disappears.

This novel was gripping from the start. The dual narratives are told two years apart Lori on the plane heading to her destination and Erin two years later still haunted by her sister who has disappeared with the plane that no one can find. There is enough mystery and sinister possibilities that kept me intrigued. The less you know about the story the better as it would spoil the many twists and turns that unfold.

It is most definitely worth a read for anyone who enjoys a good suspenseful thriller.

With a sparse synopsis, I went into this book with no preconceptions and really enjoyed it!
The opening was excellent, very gripping and it then follows a past/Lori, present/Erin timeline and unravels the story well.
I don't want to say much more as I loved going into it knowing virtually nothing, but it had some great characters, kept me guessing till the end and the narration was excellent.

This mystery thriller was narrated by Jess Nesling; Helen Phillips. They did a good job. Clear and concise very easy to follow.
The story starts off with a bang and follows 2 timelines. Very mysterious and had me on the edge of my seat. The story had lots of broken people and I didn’t see the end coming. Very entertaining if you like mystery/thrillers then I definitely recommend this one.
Thanks to HarperCollins UK audio via Netgalley for this audiobook. I’m voluntarily leaving my review.

Two sisters. They love each other but couldn’t be more different. Lori has lost her cheating partner to another woman. With the last of the money left in their account, she books an all expenses paid trip to Fiji for two, and invites her sister Erin to join her. Once in Fiji, they plan an excursion to another island, just a short plane ride away, but the night before the flight, the sisters have an argument, and the next morning, Erin is a no show. flight departs, Two years later Erin is obsessed with finding out what happened to her sister after her plane, with all passengers and crew, disappeared shortly after takeoff. Motivated by both love and guilt, Erin won’t stop until she finds out what really happened to her sister. Told in alternating voices and time periods, this story kept me glued to my phone. Like catnip, Clarke and her narrators are impossible to resist in this thrilling story

Idyllic Holiday Turns Sour...
An idyllic holiday turns sour in this easy listening suspense. With a credible cast, some top notch descriptive passages and an intriguing plot line this is absolute escapism. An entertaining audiobook, well performed, clear, concise and well pitched narration.

A compelling read,
Erin and Lori are the two sisters whose differing narratives takes us through this book. They are going on holiday to Fiji , but after a row only one sister makes the connecting flight .
The plane and its occupants are never seen again.

I loved the descriptive and emotive writing. I needed to listen to chapter after chapter to reach the conclusion. The book is gripping with the right amount of intrigue . I’ve kept the review deliberately short so I don’t give any plot spoilers.
Highly recommended!

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK Audio

I found this so intriguing that I listened to it in 2 days. It all starts with a dream of a holiday in Fiji.. 2 sisters who stop of overnight have a row, one goes of in a small plane that crashes on a desert island. The story covers the ones left alive and is told in two time scales by the sisters. I love the fact that I listened to this story, beautiful descriptive narrative. Thank you for the opportunity to listen to this book. I am sure I will now be looking for more audiobooks.

I recently read this book so I will copy my review and then discuss the narration of the audiobook.
Absolutely fantastic.
Dual timeline, seriously gripping plot where I was thinking about it even when not reading it, and great characters.
I have LOVED reading this and thinking through all the theories and clues along the way, wonderful to experience life on an island.
The writing was wonderful, extremely descriptive writing that made me feel like I was there living through it too. So many times I gasped or held my breath in anticipation!
AMAZING.
Great narration, to the point I got taken in by the story and loved having a slightly different reading experience! People who say " listening to audiobooks isn't reading" should try an audiobook like this!
Utterly immersive!

Lori and her sister Erin are flying to Fiji on holiday but fall out the night before and Erin misses the plane. The plane disappears without trace and 2 years later Erin is till trying to find out what happened to her sister.

The beginning of the book is epic and hooks you right in. The story is told on two timelines from the POV of Lori then, and Erin now. Each of their stories was gripping. The characters are drawn brilliantly and the bond between Lori and Erin is exquisitely written. As the story unfolds I was holding my breath trying to work out what happened to Lori and there were many twists and turns. This is definitely a 'just one more chapter' book! The ending was unexpected, but perfect.

The narration by Jess Nesling and Helen Phillips was excellent.

This was a great audiobook. It was easy to follow which character was speaking in each chapter. I enjoyed the twists and turns. This mystery was hard to guess. There’s a twist near the end that made me roll my eyes but the very ending made up for it.

The plot is unlikely yet still the author made me think believable. The book is very cleverly written in a now and then format with the two sisters each taking turns. I loved this handling of the story and stayed up till 2am one night to finish it.
I don’t want to give any clues away because it really does keep you wondering right up,to the last page so won’t say exactly why I’m giving four not five stars but just that I would have enjoyed the conclusion to have come earlier than it did to add a more authentic note.

Wow. What a great novel. Really enjoyed getting to know the central characters and the storyline kept me in suspense throughout. Liked the slightly unexpected ending.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher Harper Collins UK for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

When i requested this one i had no clue what it was about but the cover gave me The Island by CL Taylor (which was another Netgalley arc) and Lord of the Flies vibes. I really adore survival stories and find myself straying towards them more and more. After the first few chapters i realised this was a story about a plane crash that left the remaining surviving passengers stranded on an island off the coast of Fiji.

The story follows the story of sisters Lori and Erin who were meant to be going on a luxery holiday to Fiji to escape their lives in London. Lori has just split from her husband after he admitted to having an affair and Erin is living from paycheque to paycheque doing a job that doesnt make her happy. The sisters are planning on taking the holiday to reconnect but when the night before the flight they have a huge argument only Lori makes the flight.

The story is told is past tense Lori during and the aftermath of the plane crash and present day (2 years later) Erin who has never given up on knowing what happened to sister and her search for answers. At the very beginning of the story the planes pilot Mike Brass turns up in Fiji very much alive with only one problem, hes not talking. Erin immediatley realises there is more to the story and flies out to Fiji to get her answers.

Meanwhile in Lori's chapters we get to know the other survivors, Mike, Daniel, Felix and 4 month old Sonny. It has a very Lord of the Flies feel in that you dont know who you can trust and as rations dwindle the group become more and more tense. I was constantly wary of Daniel and Felix and less so but sometimes of Mike too and the fear of what might come of the baby was terrifying!

For me the thing i really enjoyed about this was that the chapters felt like very different stories but they merged so beautifully. Lucy Clarke is an excellent writer and definitely one to watch. Just when i would find myself favouring one timeline over the other the author would draw me back in with a little twist or mini cliffhanger and i was constantly left wanting to know more. I enjoyed both sisters and they were so realistically done, they felt so real to me and that really amped up my enjoyment levels. This book is 100% worth a read, i wont say too much more as i dont want to ruin the mystery/thriller elements of it but pick it up and read it.