🤍 Book review 🤍

The Getaway
by Nicola Martin


The Getaway by Nicola Martin is an addictive, tropical thriller that combines luxury, mystery, and suspense.
Set on the exclusive Keeper Island resort, new manager Lola is hoping for a fresh start after a traumatic event in her past. But when her boss is found dead, her dream job quickly turns into a nightmare.
The author expertly captures the clash between the opulence of the super-rich guests and the hidden lives of the resort staff. Lola is a strong, relatable protagonist, determined to uncover the truth while dealing with her own fears and insecurities.
Packed with twists and secrets, the story kept me guessing and provides a glimpse into the dark side of wealth and privilege.
Fans of White Lotus or escapist mysteries will find The Getaway an enticing read, with a thrilling pace and a setting as beautiful—and as dangerous—as it seems.

Very grateful to the publisher for my copy, opinions are my own

Twisty pacey read. Locked room thriller where none of the characters is at all likeable (which I don't mind!). The setting of glam island gave it a White Lotus feel, which really worked.
Love that cover.

This started out like a fun beach read and was fine until the last quarter where Lola seemed to make a series of bad decisions.

The characters were interesting (Diara, Fizzy, Moxam) until they all became caricatures and they either didn't make sense or became unlikeable. I was also interested in knowing Lola's past which turned out to not be as interesting or well written as I liked it to be.

Overall a decent read with a very enjoyable atmosphere. I felt like I was on Keeper island and was working alongside Lola. Thanks to Netgalley & Bloomsbury Publishing for the e-copy!

2.5/5

The Getaway is the second novel from Nicola Martin, following her debut thriller Dead Ringer, and as evidenced from the evocative colourful cover art, it focuses on the darker side hidden beneath the wealth and glamour of the luxury hospitality sector. The novel’s title is a double-entendre highlighting both the isolated holiday locale of its British Virgin Island setting, and also the fact that the lead protagonist Lola is escaping a traumatic incident in her recent past. Martin’s novel deftly balances the opulence of the Keeper Island resort against the mundane existence of its working staff in a familiar upstairs/downstairs manner. However, despite the huge wealth gap between the staff and the guests, there is one thing unites the two groups – they all have their own dirty, little secrets, and someone on the island is willing to kill to protect theirs.

The Getaway is primarily a murder mystery set on a paradise island where everyone is a suspect, and Martin does a great job at ensuring her central ‘whodunnit’ has plenty of twists and turns. The investigation and drip-feeding of clues is impeccably timed, which each new revelation reframing the behaviour and motivations of characters. With her own mysterious past, Lola is introduced to the reader as something of an enigma; what is she running away from and is she capable of murder herself? Initially, Lola comes across as strong-willed, ambitious and motivated in her professional life, but less so in her personal life, to the extent where she suffers from panic attacks that leave her practically paralyzed with fear. Martin does a great job at making Lola into a multi-faceted character, juxtaposing her efficiency at her job as a resort host with the chaotic way she copes with her private life and past. I really enjoyed my time with Lola, and witnessing the growth in character she undergoes throughout the novel, especially in regards to resolving her issues with her past.

Alongside the murder-mystery element, Martin also gives us a realistic view of what it is like to work in the tourism industry, catering to the whims of the ultra-rich and privileged. While it might seem desirable to work on a tropical island surrounded by affluence and excess, the staff are often presented as tools to facilitate the desires of the guests. When one of the staff members ends up dead, and the event is quickly covered up as an accident and Lola suspects foul-play and begins her investigations into what happened, discovering conspiracies and blackmail lying underneath the resort’s glossy façade. With almost every guest and member of staff carrying their own dark secrets, each chapter is packed full of dramatic revelations that keep the pages turning. Martin’s writing style is extremely cinematic and skillfully maintains the pace of the investigation throughout the novel by dropping plenty of new clues. While I did predict part of the ending midway through the book, Martin throws in enough additional twists to keep it from being too obvious, with a surprising epilogue that adds an extra layer to the killer’s motivations.

With its fun twist on the ‘death in paradise’ trope, The Getaway is a brilliant sun-kissed thriller filled with enjoyable characters and an engaging central mystery. By blending its investigative story-arc with the mundanities of working in hospitality, The Getaway feels unique in a sea of ultra-dark and gritty thrillers on the bookshelves, to the point where the bright pastel colours of its cover artwork immediately draw you in. Immensely fun and expertly constructed, this is the perfect crime thriller to live vicariously through and imagine life amongst the luxury.

The book combines the addictive allure of a locked-room mystery with the drama of a luxury resort setting. Martin's writing captures the tension between opulence and danger, as Lola navigates a world where everyone has secrets and no one is truly safe. Lola is a sharp, relatable protagonist, and her determination to survive is palpable as she scrambles to figure out who she can trust—if anyone. Her experience with the super-rich reveals both their privilege and their capacity for cruelty, adding an extra layer of social commentary to the story.

Fans of escapist thrillers with a dark edge, especially those who enjoyed White Lotus or Below Deck, will find Getaway both entertaining and chilling. Martin keeps the suspense tight, with plot twists that keep the reader guessing. Getaway is a fast-paced thriller that balances high-stakes intrigue with razor-sharp observations about class and privilege, making it as irresistible as a tropical cocktail—yet as dangerous as the island itself.

This was sooo good! Full of twists and turns and had me guessing til the end. I think it would be a perfect summer read. My only problem was I didn’t really care too much for the characters but the overall plot was fun and had a great ending when it all came together.

Loved this book, just when Lola thinks she can have a fresh start with a nice relaxing holiday she is wrong and must keep her wits about her to survive. Nice easy read but I couldn’t put it down. Kept me guessing until the last second and I really enjoyed it, my first book by this author but I’ll definitely be reading more from her. 4 stars, highly recommend.

Thank you Bloomsbury Publishing and NetGalley for giving me this ARC to review.

Lola has escaped to Keeper Island in the Caribbean after a disastrous end to Hong Kong. But it seems like her bad luck for quite a lot of blood has come back to haunt her when her new boss Mike is found dead less than a day after. Who is the killer? Who can she trust? And who is next?

Now thriller isn't normally my go to genre, so I don't enjoy them or rate them highly as often as I would with romance or fantasy. But I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed the Getaway. For those who are lovers of the thriller genre, I feel like this is the perfect holiday read for you that will keep you hooked whilst poolside. It has all the ingredients vital to a thriller, fast-paced, unreliable characters and twists and turns that will constantly keep you guessing. Would definitely recommend!

Thank you Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK & ANZ), Raven Books + NetGalley for the opportunity to read this before it’s published.

The blurb set this up to be quite the read but I struggled to get into it and was overwhelmed by the number of characters introduced in the first few chapters. I found myself not caring what happened to anyone which never ends well.

This book completely took me by surprise! At first, I wasn’t sure it was going to be my thing, but the further I read, the more hooked I became, largely thanks to the complex character development. Each person's backstory is gradually revealed, and it becomes clear why they ended up on Keepers Island—and more intriguingly, why they’ve stayed.

At first glance, Keepers Island is painted as the perfect getaway for the elite. But beneath the surface, nothing is as idyllic as it seems. Secrets are woven tightly into the fabric of the island and its residents, and Lola, the determined main character, is on a mission to unearth them all. Her relentless pursuit of the truth, the murderer, and the mystery was what kept me invested throughout.

The plot twists kept me on my toes the entire time. Every time I thought I had the story figured out, the narrative took another sharp turn. The care put into creating this island setting, coupled with the gradual revelation of each character’s motivations, made the journey so worthwhile.

What drew me to this book in the first place was the striking cover and intriguing blurb, but I’m glad to say that the story delivered beyond my expectations. Nicola Martin’s vivid descriptions brought the eerie beauty of Keepers Island to life, creating a stunning juxtaposition between the lush, exotic backdrop and the dark, sinister events unfolding. The island, while visually gorgeous, feels isolated and dangerous, a place where evil actions play out against paradise.

The story begins with Lola, a character escaping her own past in Hong Kong, and from the get-go, we’re left wondering whether she’s someone we can truly trust. Martin is brilliant at feeding readers just enough to keep us guessing. Even the subplot involving Nathan, Lola, and Allie, while not central to the main mystery, added a layer of intrigue that kept me glued to the pages.

Martin’s skill at building suspense and tension is undeniable. Every twist felt fresh and surprising, and the dark humor scattered throughout the novel helped to balance the intensity. Those moments of levity, however brief, were a welcome relief amidst the otherwise charged atmosphere.

If I had one critique, it would be the sheer number of characters. While I was invested in Lola and enjoyed the dynamic between some of the staff (Diara, Kip, and Fizzy were standouts for me), the numerous background characters at times felt unnecessary. That said, many of these side characters—particularly the wealthy, entitled guests—added humor and a touch of absurdity!

A twisting story set on an island paradise where nothing and no one is what it seems. This was a twisting and complex story where none of the characters particularly cover themselves in glory and everyone has something to hide. A beautiful setting, some light relief in terms of the rich, entitled guests and a series of murders that kept me intrigued to the end.

Nicole Martin's The Getaway was surprisingly adapt. Set in the caribbean on the eerie Keepers Island, this thriller was quite dark and tonally less kooky than the cover art.

Starting more or less from the death of the manager of the hotel, we have a frenzied story that has an open-ended conclusion for further in the series.

Thanks, Nicola Martin and Goodreads for giving me an advanced copy of the book.

3.5 stars. You know how we all suspect that we know what super-rich people get up to and how depraved they can be...this book shows you that they are always much worse than we could ever imagine!
The idyllic setting of a private island where your every whim is catered to and your comfort is the ultimate goal is contrasted with the living quarters and hectic lives of those unseen people that make it all run smoothly. It is to this ragtag group of nomads that Lola runs when she needs to disappear from her life...only to realise that she is running from one awful situation to another.
The world of the very-moneyed gives Nicola Martin lots of scope to offer up potential murderers only for them to turn out to just be entitled and awful, leaving the reader thinking they've solved the mystery time and time again but having to double-back and start looking at the clues once more. The writing of the vast cast of characters is great, they are juggled expertly and really help you to imagine the island in more detail - it opens up like a map in your head. I could absolutely smell the ocean and feel the oppressive heat, whilst thinking about wiping the sand off my feet.
The imagination on display in the nefarious doings of the island inhabitants and the twists of the story are testament to Nicola Martin's skill...and maybe also hint at a darker side to her!
All in all, this was a fun read that brought some sunshine and escapism to October.

I really wanted to enjoy this book, thrillers are my favourite genre. Unfortunately this book wasn't for me. A real shame as the setting was idyllic and the write-up and front cover made it look really interesting, I wasn't at all invested in it, I found it too slow, the plot lacking and uninteresting.

I will be honest and say that I didn’t really enjoy this book.
I love the idea of an idyllic private island where luxury is expected and money is no object, however I just didn’t get that feeling with this book. It was either too hot, too muggy, too many midges, too much rain and mud and far too many conspiracy theories!
No one was happy, except Reggie, there were arguments, mistrust, sadness, anger and resentment.
Utopia isn’t everything that it seems!

I enjoyed it, but wasn't blown away. A little darker than the cartoon-like cover implies, and violent in places. Interesting enough to keep me reading to the end though and plenty of twists and turns along the way.

I loved the setting of Keepers Island and how Nicola Martin contrasts its beauty with the sinister actions of the characters. Her vivid, descriptive writing pulls you into the eerie isolation of the island. From the start, suspense builds as we follow Lola, who is escaping a mysterious incident in Hong Kong. Readers are left questioning her intentions while uncovering small, intriguing clues. Although the subplot involving Nathan, Lola, and Allie added some interest, it didn’t feel essential to the main storyline.

Martin excels at creating tension with unexpected plot twists, and the occasional dark humor helps break the otherwise intense tone. However, the large number of background characters made the plot feel a bit crowded at times. Despite this, some of the eccentric, entitled characters were amusing and memorable.

While I enjoyed the suspense and writing style, I rated the book 3 out of 5 stars. It felt solid but didn’t stand out compared to others in the genre. Nonetheless, Nicola Martin has great potential, and I look forward to seeing what she writes next

This is a murder mystery set on an idyllic carribean island for the rich and famous.
I thought it started off well with plenty of intrigue about what Lola had run away from and who the mysterious Moxham was.
Unfortunately for me, it wasn't gritty or realistic enough - I found the characters clichéd and unlikeable and the pace too slow. It was also hard to keep track of who was who- a lot of characters were introduced in a fairly short amount of time and oftern only referred to again by their first name.
Overall its a fairly undemanding beach/holiday read but not for me.

✨3 stars✨

I enjoyed this murder mystery set on a secluded island in the Caribbean - I really like the setting!!

However, I found the majority of the book to be slow-paced and struggled to keep up with all the characters introduced because they all seemed to blend together. And then when the reveals did happen at the end, I found them to be a bit lacklustre and unsatisfying because I didn’t believe any on the individual characters’ motives.

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this. The Getaway is a fun murder mystery that I really enjoyed. There’s a great cast of characters. I hope there’s a follow up.