I really enjoyed this book. Isolation Island the reality shows sounds awful and I couldn't think of anything worse than being stuck on an island esp when a storms comes in and then the dead bodies start piling up. I normally work out he culprit but couldn't with this one! 5 stars

I loved this really real and compelling novel that would work really well as a mini series. Well rounded characters and a main intrigue I would fully recommend

Really enjoyed this take on a locked room mystery. A haunting island, a bunch of strangers, trials and tribulations. Is there a plot to bring the islanders down or are these isolated accidents.

This was a great premise for a thriller. 10 celebs in a reality tv show. Plus murder! It's gripping and twisty-turny. I devoured it!

An immersive and atmospheric whodunnit. Ten celebrities are stuck on a remote Scottish isle as part of a reality show. But when a contestant dies, the others find themselves in unexpected peril. Great fun.

A group of celebrities take part in a reality show on a remote Scottish island. Located in a ruined monastery, the show seems to be a cross between Big Brother and the Traitors. However, after a series of scary events things start to go a bit wrong...

I read this book really quickly as I wanted to know what happened next. A fun, fast-paced read.

Lovely debut that could be a tv series of film. A bunch of stars put on an isolated island filmed 24 7. Performed tasks and each given their own unique potential winning prize. You are dripped fed crumbs as things arent what they seem near accidents are avoided but then a storm arrives and death with it. This was a gripping will they be rescued and who is the killer.. The twists and turns at the end gave me satisfaction as it clearly showed everything can be viewed in different ways. A good selection of characters with just enough side story made it compelling. It is however a little a to b plot but the predictable nature just allowed you to read long into the night wanting to discover the truth. This is a 4 star read a great mystery perfect for all mystery lovers who like a traditional a to z approach. Thank you netgallery, publisher and author for this entertaining read i look forward to the next one.

Reality TV is something of a guilty pleasure so I immediately was taken with the idea of this book, which sees a bunch of minor celebs abandoned on an island for a survival style reality TV show that takes a morbid turn. It's an entertaining story with a good cast of characters and an interesting conclusion. The remote island murder mystery has obviously been done before but this is a fresh take on the idea, and I enjoyed it.

In this fun take on a locked-room whodunit, we meet journalist Lauren as she joins nine other celebrities on a deserted Scottish island, ready to take part in a brutal reality TV show that could win them the prize of their dreams. Lauren is there not just for the prize, though, but rather to investigate one of the other contestants – a popular actor whom Lauren believes is hiding dark secrets.

What is already a gruelling existence, attempting difficult challenges under harsh conditions, becomes infinitely worse when first one then another celebrity dies in mysterious circumstances. Lauren must use her powers of deduction to work out what is happening and why, before anyone else dies.

This was an entertaining take on the genre, and the addition of the reality tv element gave it an interesting twist. I worked out “whodunit” fairly early on, but that didn’t hamper my enjoyment of the story. 3.5 stars rounded to 4.

My thanks to the author, NetGalley, and the publisher for the arc to review.

An atmospheric, gameshow thriller filled with twists and turns. I ate this up! I was hooked from the start and the tense atmosphere throughout meant that I sped through this. A thoroughly worthy debut.

Isolation Island by Louise Minchin is a compelling and heartfelt story that balances drama, intrigue, and self-discovery in a uniquely immersive setting. The story follows a group of strangers brought together for a reality TV survival show on a remote island. What starts as a game quickly turns into a journey of personal revelations, unexpected alliances, and the unearthing of hidden secrets.

Minchin’s writing is vivid and engaging, drawing you into the isolation and challenges of the island. The setting is beautifully described, and the tension between the contestants feels authentic, creating plenty of gripping moments. Each character brings something different to the table, and their growth throughout the story adds depth to the narrative.

While the plot is engaging, there are moments where the pacing dips, and some subplots could have been explored more fully. That said, the themes of resilience, trust, and the power of human connection are well-executed and leave a lasting impression.

Isolation Island is an entertaining and thought-provoking read that offers more than just a survival story—it’s a celebration of perseverance and the strength of the human spirit. A solid 4 stars and a great choice for fans of character-driven dramas with a touch of suspense!

This is an enjoyable, tense story about a group of celebrities engaged in a reality television show where they are on an isolated island in Scotland. They must undertake various challenges….and then one star is found dead….

It’s a decent story and well paced. I found it to be an overall good read, with some decent twists and a satisfying ending.

Thanks to NetGalley and Headline publishers for the opportunity to preview..

Investigative journalist Lauren Taylor finds herself on a remote island off the coast of Scotland taking part in a new reality show with ten other celebrities.
The last person standing will win the prize of their dreams - although they are not allowed to discuss what they have asked for - but we know the reason that Lauren is there is due to a rumour that a world-famous Hollywood heavyweight is going to be one of the contestants, and Lauren is desperate to get close to him.
Before long, it is obvious that the production team behind the show aren't really interested in keeping the contestants safe when there are a few close calls.
The celebrities begin to feel paranoid and a divide begins to show among them all. When they are warned that a deadly storm is about to hit the island, the fear really begins to set in. Especially as the storm has wiped out all of the cameras and satellites. The contestants realise that they really are on their own.
Then a body is found!

I enjoyed the majority of the book. It's well written and very descriptive, however when the main character suddenly decides that she's going to try to investigate what is going on, paying no heed to crime scenes or evidence, I pretty much lost interest. I think the only reason that I continued to read was because I was expecting (hoping) for a few more plot twists. I was disappointed as there were none.
The end felt rushed and I was left with a few questions that had not been answered.

3.5/5 ⭐️
Lauren, a journalist, signs up for a new reality show that finds contestants at an old monastery on a remote island all to expose a celebrity who uses and abuses women. Things are weird from the start when a voice controls their every move and people are deemed saints or sinners. However, things really take a turn when a storm comes in and Lauren and the others find themselves alone, potentially with a killer.

This one had highs and lows for me. The first half was slow, but once the storm came in, it definitely picked up. Part of the first half is Minchin does a good job convincing the reader that the danger is from the show. I kept thinking ok when is this show going to turn out to be evil. But (spoilers ahead), the storm throwing things off (and essentially showing the show was "normal") was unexpected. The whodunit overall was not unsurprising, even the motive, although there is a slight twist at the end. I also wish there had been an epilogue. It ends clearly with Lauren making her decision regarding what story to tell, but it just felt incomplete. Even a short epilogue would have helped here.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ten celebrities have arrived to a remote Scottish Island in the dead of winter to take part in a survival show. When one of them ends up dead, they soon realise they are fighting for their lives not the prize. A brilliant debut novel.

This was such an interesting concept and excellent execution. I definitely need this
to be a show (cough cough netflix).

Ten strangers are abandoned on an incredibly remote island in Scotland in winter, the only way off is via boat, which has long left. There is nobody on the island but them, and limited resources and shelter. The strangers are all celebrities of their own kind. Actors, social media stars, soap stars, news readers, and then Lauren Taylor, an investigative journalist.

Lauren never anticipated finding herself on this island, taking part in what is going to be the most gruelling reality show ever. Each celebrity has their own reason for taking part. They have each been promised their dream prize of a lifetime. But Lauren is playing for something even more desperate, and her life is on the line along with the game.

As the celebs land on the island and begin to play the game, it is even more brutal than they anticipated. A series of incidents occur which lead them to think that the production team don’t care if they get injured - anything for more views in the gaze of the hundreds of cameras all around the island. The divided team finally manage to access their shelter in the old abandoned monastery, when word comes from the production team. A once in a lifetime storm is coming and the island is in the path. Nothing will be safe, they need to take shelter, batten down the hatches, and do it fast.

When they emerge, the island has been battered, the cameras all offline, and no power remains anywhere. There is no way for a boat to come rescue them for days. They have to try and survive by themselves until they are picked up. Then they find a body. One of their party of ten. Suddenly they realise that they are playing the game for their lives, and everyone is a suspect.

This was a thrilling read. All the celebrities were brilliant, like typecast roles of what we see in the media now, but that didn’t detract from the story, it added. They all had their part to play in our almost escape room-esque tale. The tension ramps up when the storm rolls in and the imagery of the dark and foreboding remote monastery was a perfect setting for this murder mystery. Everyone had something to hide, and no reason to talk and explain themselves, further complicating the tale as it unfolded, causing some great twists and turns, helping to keep the ending from being too predictable.

There were a few gaps in the plot by the end, such as the almost fatal gaps by the production crew at the beginning not being explained - were these just coincidental accidents? Otherwise, a gripping read, that sweeps you up at the same pace that the storm rolls in!

*I received this book from NetGalley for review, but all opinions are my own.

I couldn't read this as the formatting was dreadful.
I have to leave a rating to keep my NetGalley score up

Wow, wow, wow. A reality show set on an isolated island of the coast of Scotland.. 10 celebrities stranded together and each one of them having something to play for and a production team who have no clue of the events to come. When a raging storm hits the contestants are told to stay together. All the cameras are dead, no way for a boat to get to them. They just have to wait for the storm to clear.
When one of the celebrities is found dead suspicion falls on everyone. But what does the investigative journalist Lauren know about the victim? He was the only reason she signed up for the game and now he's gone.
This is a brilliant, tense piece of fiction. Twists and turns lead the reader into a deep and thrilling ride. It is a read that is hard to put down keeping the reader guessing until the very end.

3.5 stars

I found Isolation Island to be a great debut by Louise Minchin. The story follows characters trapped on a Scottish island as part of a game show. I liked the characters and how they were almost stereotypes of celebrities, and I really loved the visuals of a scary abandoned monastery alongside loads of cameras and technical equipment - there was some great imagery in this book!

The plot was very interesting and I thought the ending was decent and not super predictable. My only big criticism would be that I felt there was not a lot of time spent on the 'whodunit' aspect, and there could probably have been some more time given to this.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!