When a group of influencers and rich kids descend on the Maldives with an all expenses paid trip to paradise, what is the worst that can happen?

When a personal vendetta is threatened from years ago, it takes some working out as to who is could be from and who is on the warpath.

I loved every bit of this fast paced thriller and could not guess who it could be! Secrets are to be spilled with skeletons that come out the closet and people will get hurt, or even worse, killed. It’s just a matter of time until the Maldives become hell on earth.

You’ll think twice before a once in a lifetime holiday after this book! Brilliant, twisty and gruesome. Another brilliant book from Catherine and it did not disappoint!

This was a pretty fast and easy read and kept my attention throughout although the big reveal wasn't really a huge surprise. The cast of characters was fairly unlikeable but it flowed along smoothly and most of the loose ends were tied up at the end. It was certainly an eye-opener on how the super-wealthy like to spend their holidays.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I have enjoyed everything that this author has written and this was no exception. Fast paced story and great characters. Really liked it.

When I saw the latest Catherine Cooper on NetGalley, I couldn't resist requesting it. Like The Chateau, The Cruise, and The Chalet before it, THE ISLAND is a page-turning thriller set in an isolated, luxury location, whose twisty plot reveals itself through alternating characters and timelines. It's a premise I can't resist, and it didn't disappoint.

When a select group of influencers and journalists receive an exclusive invitation to a luxury resort in the Maldives, it seems like the ultimate press trip. But when the island is cut off during a storm and people start dying, it looks like someone has murder in mind.

I read THE ISLAND in one sitting. Every time I reached the end of a chapter, the way the next chapter started caught my eye and dragged me in. The pacing of the alternating characters and timelines felt just right, keeping me engaged, without needlessly dragging out the story. I had no problem keeping track of who everyone was, or of the dual timelines, but they wove together to create a deliciously twisty plot that kept me guessing until the very end. I particularly appreciated that THE ISLAND manages not to resort to an overly implausible plot, and I liked the slightly bittersweet ending, which packed a surprising punch. My favourite Catherine Cooper yet.

I have read all of Catherine Coopers book and so couldn’t wait to get started. It definitely didn’t disappoint and had me hooked from the first chapter.
The story is based around a luxury hotel in the Maldives run by twins Ophelia and Henry and It felt almost like I was there with the different characters in the fantastic setting.
I enjoyed the way the book flipped between the past and present setting up the storyline and I was hooked until the last page. An excellent thriller which I would definitely recommend.
Thanks to NetGalley, Harper Collins UK, Harper Fiction and Catherine Cooper for an advanced copy in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.

I'm a sucker for a book set abroad, and the Maldives is somewhere I long to go to, so I was really looking forward to reading this. The location was wonderful, my favourite part of the book was when the characters visited the turtle sanctuary.

The story was well-paced and held my interest throughout. The writing style flowed well and was really enjoyable to read. I would have liked a little bit more character development, we didn't really get to know much about the side characters such as Lucy and River.

Overall I was really entertained by this book and I would recommend it.

Intrigue, mystery and who should you trust? Can you trust anyone?! This is a perfect beach read that grabs you from the get go and draws you into a world of murk and mystery, I loved it!

#TheIsland #NetGalley
Awesome. Ending was abrupt.
When a select group of influencers and journalists receive an exclusive invitation to a luxury resort in the Maldives, it seems like the ultimate press trip.
But when the island is cut off during a storm and people start dying, it looks like someone has murder in mind.
Are the guests really who they seem to be, or does each one of them have a secret to hide?
Something they would kill for?
I loved it so much.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK Harper Fiction for giving me an advance copy.

Malia, a social media influencer (I understand the concept, but suspect I'm too old to fully grasp exactly how or why this occupation works) has been invited on a luxury holiday to a new resort in the Maldives. It's a bit odd, since as influencers go she's really not that big a deal - just building up her following. She and her fellow guests - a few journalists, another influencer - are the first people to stay at the resort, owned by twin sibling toffs Henry and Ophelia, which sounds incredible. Of course, things start to go wrong quite quickly...

There's a familiar structure - stuff happens in the present day with flashbacks to when the protagonists were at school/university in the 80s/90s/2000s. (1990, in this case.) Something that happened then comes back to haunt the present, but you're not sure via who or why, or where it will all end up. It's often a winning formula, so I'm not complaining. In this case there's an obvious link to the past with hotel owners Henry and Ophelia, but clearly someone among the guests, staff, or both is not what they seem.

I didn't enjoy this as much as Catherine Cooper's previous books - the reveal was underwhelming, and the ending felt a bit unsatisfactory. It felt like a lot of information was chucked in at the end and didn't really flow. (And was it just me, or was a thread left hanging concerning a "familiar-looking" and slightly oddly-behaving member of staff? It was implied she was up to something, but nothing ever transpired, unless I missed it.) However, it was a readable story - I did like the Maldives setting and the general setup with the hotel, and there were some nice descriptions.

Thanks for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy!

Well I guess I enjoyed this book more than previous reviews. I did find the chapters from 1990 slower and skimmed those, but was deeply engrossed in the chapters on the island. I did not figure this book out. As it went on, I figured out someone was out for revenge, but never guessed who or the connections everyone had. Good book! I powered through it!

This was an easy to read, albeit entertaining, book. I read it in a day and it did keep my attention. I did guess the ending and was hoping that I would be wrong. It isn't anything that stands out from other thrillers, but it was a good read.

I have read and enjoyed several of Catherine Cooper's books so far, and since I quite like locked room thrillers, the idea of a secluded, beautiful island in the Maldives being the setting of her latest novel appealed greatly.

The story is written in dual timelines, where we are introduced to some of the key characters during their schooldays and then again as adults. As the narrative progresses, we begin to understand how the friendships and rivalries at School lead to betrayal, tragedy, injustice, and ultimately, a desire for revenge.

While attending their elite School, entitled siblings Henry and Ophelia, who belong to an aristocratic family, team up with newly-rich Xander to hold rave-type "smash parties", to which they sell tickets and make a killing. But after things go horribly wrong at one such party, it's each for himself.

The consequences of such an approach will only become clear decades later, when Henry and Ophelia are launching the latest of their successful series of high-end, immensely luxurious boutique hotels, from ski resorts of Switzerland to the tropical paradise of the Maldives. A small group of journalists and influencers are invited to sample the delights that will be available to future tourists.

But while they are there, things start to go wrong - the satellite-based internet system malfunctions, a major storm prevents anyone from leaving the island, and first one and then another of the guests are struck down by accidents and illness. What is going on here, and who is responsible for it?

The book started a little slow, with the first one-third focusing on context setting. There after, things picked up relatively quickly, and by the end, the revelations were coming quick and fast. The author did an excellent job of transporting the reader to the Maldives, and provided a lot of interesting detail that brought the location vividly to life.

All in all, an enjoyable read, with an unexpected villain. I'm giving it 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.