**The Island** by Adrian McKinty is a thrilling and tense novel that masterfully combines elements of crime, survival, and psychological suspense. Known for his gripping writing style and twisty plots, McKinty delivers yet another page-turner in this standalone novel, which is filled with danger, moral dilemmas, and the constant, haunting question of survival.

### Plot Overview

Set on a remote island off the coast of Australia, *The Island* follows the story of **Tom and his wife, Olivia**, who are on vacation in the hopes of rekindling their relationship. The island, isolated and beautiful, promises a peaceful getaway — but their holiday quickly turns into a nightmare. The couple, along with their two children, find themselves trapped in an increasingly perilous situation after a series of violent and unpredictable events unfold.

When a local man named **Mick** and his gang of thugs cross paths with the family, what begins as a chance encounter escalates into an intense and life-threatening situation. Stranded and surrounded by hostile forces, Tom and Olivia must navigate not only the dangers posed by their environment but also the cracks in their relationship and their personal moral compasses.

The novel is an exploration of trust, betrayal, and the fight for survival in an unforgiving setting. McKinty takes readers on a wild ride through a series of escalating dangers, forcing his characters into impossible decisions with life-altering consequences.

### Strengths

1. **Tense and Atmospheric**: McKinty has a gift for creating a palpable sense of dread and tension, and this novel is no exception. The island setting itself — isolated, beautiful, and treacherous — becomes almost a character in its own right. The natural environment serves as both a sanctuary and a threat, intensifying the feeling of danger that pervades the story. The desolate landscape plays a huge role in enhancing the psychological tension, making the reader feel as if they, too, are trapped on the island with Tom and Olivia.

2. **Well-Developed Characters**: McKinty excels at crafting characters who are flawed and complex. Tom and Olivia are both sympathetic and deeply human, with their own weaknesses and insecurities. As the story progresses, their relationship is tested in extreme circumstances, and their inner struggles — both personal and moral — come to the forefront. McKinty does a great job of exploring their individual and shared vulnerabilities, making their actions and decisions feel grounded in emotional reality.

3. **Moral Complexity**: One of the novel’s strongest aspects is its exploration of morality under extreme pressure. The choices the characters must make are not black and white; they are often difficult, messy, and uncomfortable. McKinty examines how fear, desperation, and the instinct for survival can blur ethical lines and lead people to make decisions they might never have imagined themselves capable of. This moral ambiguity adds depth to the narrative and keeps the reader questioning what they would do in similar circumstances.

4. **Pacing and Suspense**: The pacing of *The Island* is tight and relentless. McKinty does an excellent job of keeping the tension high throughout the novel, with each chapter ending on a cliffhanger or introducing new complications. The reader is constantly on edge, unsure of who to trust, and unsure of how things will unfold. This quick pacing, combined with McKinty’s sharp writing, ensures that the novel is hard to put down.

5. **Action and Thrills**: If you’re a fan of action-packed thrillers, *The Island* doesn’t disappoint. The book features several high-stakes confrontations, clever twists, and unpredictable moments that keep the reader on their toes. McKinty keeps the story grounded in realistic situations but doesn’t shy away from heart-pounding moments that feel straight out of an action film.

### Weaknesses

1. **Predictable Villains**: While the main plot is suspenseful and gripping, the antagonists in the story (Mick and his gang) fall into familiar villainous tropes. Their motives and actions can feel a bit one-dimensional at times, and while they serve as a catalyst for the central conflict, they don’t offer much in terms of depth or surprise. Some readers might find the villains a bit predictable compared to the nuanced exploration of Tom and Olivia's characters.

2. **Pacing Lulls in the Middle**: While the book is generally fast-paced, there are moments in the middle where the action slows down a bit as the characters reflect on their situation or try to regroup. This temporary lull might not bother all readers, but those expecting non-stop thrills might feel that some sections drag.

3. **Unbelievable Moments**: As with many survival thrillers, there are certain plot points that stretch the bounds of believability. Some of the decisions the characters make, especially as the pressure mounts, might seem a little far-fetched or overly convenient. While these moments don’t necessarily break the narrative, they may require the reader to suspend disbelief.

### Conclusion

*The Island* by Adrian McKinty is a tense, well-crafted psychological thriller that explores the complexities of survival, relationships, and moral choices. The vivid island setting, compelling characters, and suspense-filled plot make it an engaging read for anyone who enjoys high-stakes thrillers with psychological depth. While the story might lean on some familiar thriller tropes and occasionally falter in pacing or believability, the overall experience is gripping and thought-provoking.

Fans of McKinty’s previous work, particularly those who enjoy his ability to craft tense atmospheres and complex moral dilemmas, will find much to enjoy here. It’s a thriller that will keep you hooked and leave you reflecting on the choices of its characters long after you've turned the last page.

I really enjoyed survival thrillers that take place in a short period of time so this book ticked those boxes for me straight away.

Following 2 families that head to a secluded island off the coast of Melbourne hoping so see some of the local wildlife this book takes a dark and gruesome turn.

I loved The Chain and so was excited to pick up another book by this author. I liked that the main character's background was explained to make the situations more believable.

I'd recommend this book but recommend checking trigger warnings before picking it up.

A fast paced thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. I could not put this book down. Another great book by Adrian McKinty.

Adrian McKinty made a noticeable change in direction from his Sean Duffy series with his book The Chain, and The Island, is very much in the same thriller style targeted at a more general audience. The story, set on a private island off the coast of Australia, is pacy and engaging. Heather, Tom's second wife, accompanies him on a business trip with his two children, Olivia (fourteen) and Owen (twelve). While struggling to build a relationship with Tom’s children, Heather abandons caution and agrees to visit a family-owned private Island for some exploration and adventure.

The visit suddenly turns deadly, and the group is trapped with a family seeking revenge and no way of contacting the mainland for rescue. The story adds a gripping layer of suspense, and the setting is vividly depicted, enhancing the story’s atmospheric tension.

The novel, however, is not without its flaws. While McKinty excels in creating a tense and terrifying atmosphere, some plot points and character decisions feel outlandish and hard to believe. These moments can pull readers out of the story, making it difficult to immerse in the narrative. The antagonists sometimes appear overly dramatic, bordering on caricature, undermining the otherwise well-crafted suspense. Character development is a strong point, with the protagonist's journey offering a mix of emotional depth and unexpected twists. Yet, the frequent reliance on improbable scenarios can detract from the overall believability of the plot.

Fans of thrillers will still find it worth a read but with tempered expectations. While this review has been a long time coming, I would like to thank Orion Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing a free ARC in return for an honest review.

Pageturner about a family holiday to Australia that takes a turn when they take a trip to an island offshore. Wrong time, wrong place and they get trapped there and hunted by a criminal family who live in the island.
A bit too far fetched for me but I read to the end to see what happened!

A brilliantly quick popcorn thriller!
I was unable to put this down once I started and loved the 'females doing it for themselves' themes.
I'm all for a bit of female rage!

It’s been a while between novels from Adrian but each one is an immursive experience and total page turners.

This book is so weird. It starts of weird and just continues to get more weird.

Even though it was weird it was for sure a page turner and once i started i couldnt put it down and read it in one sitting.

This book was an experience and overall i just don't think its the kind of writing/storytelling for me.

Really good, edge of my seat kind of book. Twists, turns and moments where I held my breath. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers and the author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion

I really enjoyed this book such a good thriller that I would recommend. I really enjoyed The Chain and The Island did not disappoint

This is very dark and disturbing. I found the plot very choppy. It kept jumping around. The pacing was all over the place. The ending was so flat. The characters are well developed.

Action packed adventure with a nail-biting end.

Heather grew up in a small community and recently moved to Seattle where she trained to be a massage therapist, meeting and quickly marrying Tom, a widowed doctor with two children.

With Tom visiting Australia for a work conference, the family tag along to do some exploring. But one trip has serious repercussions when they decide to visit a nearby island. The island is run by one family, and they are not keen to let their visitors leave.

Used to being underestimated, Heather turns out to be the only one who can save the children, drawing on the the skills she learnt from her parents who had served in the armed forces.

A family of four go on a holiday to a remote island off the coast of Australia. But then they’re in an accident and it turns out the locals aren’t all that friendly. What follows is a survivalist story where the family have to survive being stalked and get off the island.

This is a good novel and it kept me gripped and turning the pages. But it’s been done better by others. Unfortunately for the author, I’d recently read The Hunted, by Gabriel Bergmoser, and while that has a slightly different premise (couple lost in the Australian Outback, rather than a family on an Australian island), it’s similar enough that this novel suffered by comparison.

Of course, that’s unfair and a reader should judge a book on its own merits and not compare it to something they so happen to have recently read. And judging the book on its own merits it is a good read; it’s a good, solid, survival horror. There’s no supernatural element, just evil locals stalking and slashing their victims. If that’s what you’re after, you can’t go wrong.

But even so, I just wasn’t blown away by this title. Indeed, some of the author’s previous titles have been better, not least his last novel, The Chain.

Really enjoyed this - will definitely be recommending and looking forward to the next one by this author!

Loved this book, really engaging page-turner and I was hooked from page 1. Definitely recommend both this book and this author.

This wasn’t as good as the author’s previous book in my opinion, but still a very solid thriller. I enjoyed the plot twists and unravelling of twists, but found it to be a tad generic in places.

When I started this book, I wasn’t sure if it was for me. However, I carried on and was glad I did.
While some of it was a little far fetched, it was a good read.

Really liked this one, haven’t read anything from the author before but was pleasantly surprised, it’s a good book that will keep you guessing and have you up all night with one more chapter 😂

3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

Whilst on holiday, Heather, her new husband Tom, and Tom’s children get the opportunity to go to exclusive remote island.
They’re excited for the adventure but soon after they arrive they’re involved in a terrible accident.
Heather and the children are separated from Tom and the islanders want revenge.
The three must escape the locals, who want them dead.

This is the definition of an edge of your seat read. There’s a couple of chapters before the family arrive on the island and then it’s go go go.

It’s quite gruesome in places which I struggled with to be honest and that’s usual for me. I can’t put my finger on why that aspect didn’t work for me.

I also found it a teeny bit repetitive. They’re on the run for the whole book and I found myself not all that interested in the surviving in the wild aspect of the story.

From about 80% the twists come and they don’t stop!
One of them I kind of saw coming but the others were a surprise which is the best part of a good thriller!

Well, this was indeed a thrilling thriller! Fast-paced the tension is high from the outset really, plenty of twists and definitely gripping. Why Heather was married to Tom is still baffling but the varied family dynamics really worked with the plot. It had cinematic elements and without spoilers can only say its not for the feint hearted!