Ten celebrities are castaway on a Scottish island as part of a reality show. The main voice we hear is Lauren who is a journalist and determined to reveal the truth about a Hollywood star who is also on the island with them
Thought it was a fast paced thriller set in an eerie setting

The premise of 10 celebrities alone on an island for a reality TV show, competing for "a prize anyone would kill to win" was already enough to pique my interest, but combined with the fact that the author has been part of I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here? I was sold.

With supposed health and safety issues plaguing the show from the beginning, and several contestants having something to hide, what could have been a slow start is given enough tension and surprises to keep the interest going. And things soon pick up when a storm hits, causing them to become more isolated than ever. There are some beautiful moments of camaraderie, definitely reminding me of moments that have been aired on such shows over the years, but of course that doesn't last and it's not long before someone turns up dead.

Minchin has a great style of writing, and combined with short chapters full of twists and turns that will have you guessing and second guessing, it's a definite page turner. Had time allowed, I would have happily devoured this in one sitting.

For me there were a few unanswered questions at the end, but overall a gripping story and a wonderful debut.

A brilliant debut read. Exciting, creepy and full of “celebrities “ a page turner . Excellent, would recommend. Thank you

An Enjoyable locked room thriller

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.


Isolation Island is a locked room thriller set around the world of celebrity reality shows, where a number of random so-called famous people filmed why they are stuck in a location being filmed 24 hours a day.

In the Debut novel by louise Minchin 10 celebrities are placed on an island in Scotland that used to be a monastery however shortly after the show starts a once in a hundred year storm comes and contact is lost with the outside world.

Shortly after this one of the celebrities is found dead, the one question is did they fall or were they pushed?

With Isolation Island being set on an island that is cut off for the vast majority of the novel is not an unusual plot line for a thriller, and so may be a simple idea for the debut novel by Louise Minchin.

However it also means there are plenty other books to compare it to while it may not leave up to the best of these it was still an enjoyable read. That made me want to turn the page.

The story is told through the perspective of one of the contestants Lauren an investigative journalist who is on the show to see if she can get close to one of the other contestants,

Which she has been investigating due to a number of stories she has heard about them and has been thwarted at every turn.

While having ten characters in the show may have been an ideal thing for the contest, it may be a bit too much for a thriller as characters seemed to fade into the background, despite people leaving because of the style of show.

This did mean that while the mystery part was there in the plot line a number of characters seemed to be ruled out due to their being less memorable or not enough page time.

Having said that, there were a number of clues throughout the novel that did lead to the solution, as well as enough red herrings to throw readers off the scent.

All this makes Isolation Island by Louise Minchin the ideal thriller for readers who enjoy a mystery thriller set in a contained isolated aread.

WOW - great concept, celebrity reality TV, remote island setting, so topical and so many crazy twists and turns! Couldn't put it down and the end blew me away! Would be a great TV series.

Isolation Island is a TV show where ten celebrities have agreed to spend time in a monastery on a remote, deserted Scottish island. The premise is "I'm a Celebrity" with challenges, or "penances" but the trials and problems become all too real. Each contestant has been offered a prize tailored to them - for Investigative journalist Lauren it's her own primetime TV show. But things start to go wrong. Lauren's instincts save a couple of lives along the way. And then a storm blows in, cutting them off from the mainland, and taking down the Comms. What could possibly go wrong? A dead body or two? Accident or murder? Very creepy and a real page turner. #netgalley #IsolationIsland

Ten people on a deserted Island, think of Agatha Christie! I had high hope for this book as it sounded interesting. A unique start to get the celebrates to the Island was interesting. I managed the first few chapters and thought that there was a rather far fetched mystery, how were they allowed to treat these people as they were? I felt it was rather sadistic and unnatural. What finally stopped me reading was all the numbers appearing in almost every line of the text and lead in to each chapter ?????????Where they there for a reason I'd missed, very annoying!

A thoroughly enjoyable and twisty thriller you can really sink your teeth into. The author did such a good job at building suspense and eeriness, that came with the setting. A really unique plot that I had never seen before in a thriller book. Definitely one to recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Louise recently joined a virtual book club I am part of and spoke about writing this book, which is the reason I was interested in reading.

Unfortunately I didn't end up loving any of the characters, which I tend to find means I don't end up feeling too connected to the book itself. The story was fast paced which I enjoyed, but I found the ending to be a bit abrupt and left me with questions.

Thank you for allowing me to review this book. I was intrigued by the description for a reality TV show setting. However, I'm not sure that it was really what I had expected. The format of my download didn't help as it was full of numbers which made reading slower. The characters were a bit of a mix, some I felt were quite uninteresting. Louise Minchiin is obviously familiar with the format of reality shows and live filming, which showed. The pace of the story was a bit slow. The ending felt cut short and was definitely unexpected. I'd have liked an epilogue to tidy it up. There were plenty of twists and turns throughout the book and I did not guess the murderer.

Firstly, what a nightmare this was to read with the formatting! Every line has a number and it made it very confusing to read - took me a lot longer to read than normal and feel that it did not help the pacing of the book at all.

The overall story is good and I loved the setting, but it also felt lacking in something and I found that the ending was a bit rushed and put together! But as I said before, this may be down to the formatting and just finding it hard in general to read!!

I loved this book. It was based on reality TV and I didn’t expect it to be as good as it was. Full of intrigue, mystery and tension - and the writing was superb. If this really is a debut novel then I think it is excellent and I’m looking to reading more from this author. I highly recommend this to all mystery/thriller lovers. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the early copy.

‘Isolation Island’ by Louise Minchin is an intriguing thriller featuring a cast of celebrity reality TV contestants, a remote island location and a once-in-a-lifetime storm. The novel largely focuses on investigative TV journalist Lauren who - like each of the other islanders - has a secret reason for participating in the show…

I really liked the variety of different celebrity characters and the way tension built up throughout the first half of the book. I also found the twists unpredictable and captivating, and some of the themes very important. The fact that the author herself participated in ‘I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here’ a few years ago in a Welsh Castle added a sense of realism - and made me wonder whether any of the characters were based on actual friends or foes!

The pacing felt slightly off to me, with a long time spent introducing the location and concept, and then a lot of action very quickly. There was also a big tonal shift which was quite jarring, and a fair few plot points left loose at the end.

All in all though, this is a strong thriller with an atmospheric setting and familiarly entertaining characters. Giving this 3.5 stars.

I received an advance Digital Review Copy of this book from the publisher Headline via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

My first time reading @LouiseMinchin and I wasn’t disappointed. I really enjoyed this book. #isolationisland is a creepy, chilling and suspenseful page turner from start to finish. I couldn’t put it down.

In the depths of winter, ten celebrities arrive on a remote Scottish island to take part in a gruelling reality survival show. With hidden cameras, a production team who can’t keep them safe and an incoming storm things start to take a turn for the worst.

It’s well written with a setting that is really atmospheric, brilliant twists and dramatic ending. The storyline is good and keeps you guessing and unsure who you can trust. I loved the well drawn characters, especially Lauren who was a strong lead character.
Overall, a brilliantly written debut thriller whodunnit. Definitely recommend if you enjoy this genre. Look forward to more from this author.

With thanks to #NetGallery @headlinebooks for an arc of #IsolationIsland in exchange for a honest review.
Book publishes 12 September 2024.

This book gives I’m a celeb vibes with 10 celebrities being marooned on an isolated island, their every move watched by cameras. As always, things are not all that they seem and it goes from bad to worse when an almighty storm hits.

All 10 characters are introduced early on but I had a little trouble remembering who was who in the beginning and I found the first 50% quite slow. The second half certainly ramped up and kept me guessing. I wasn’t always right but I did guess the main plot twist at the end. The novel was very atmospheric and descriptive which gave me a great mental image of the island itself.

Overall a solid read.

I found the beginning of this book a bit slow but that was probably the need to introduce the individual characters.
Ten celebrities on an isolated, unwelcoming Scottish island, living in the deserted Eilean Manach Monastery, Nate an unlikeable but charismatic film star, Jude a TV matriarch, Frank an elderly soap star, Kez a Paralympian amputee, Jackson an Olympic sprinting star, Nico, runner up in a TV talent show, Mac a retired rugby player, Hollie and Taisie, popular influencers and lastly Lauren, Lauren the investigative journalist, Lauren who had given up everything that mattered to her in pursuit of a story, Lauren who was on the island in an attempt to trap her very clever perpetrator.
In the beginning everything in the camp is rosy.............until it isn't, it soon becomes clear that health and safety aren't high on the list of necessities for the TV company, they wanted gossip, scandal, confrontation but did they want death ?
As this story unfolds it becomes more nail biting, the suspense is high as Lauren proceeds in her crusade to bring down her culprit, but does her culprit know that he is being stalked ?
The rewards are high, the candidates play to their strengths, play to the intrusive cameras
This book started as a four star but catapulted to a five. Louise Minchin has managed to illustrate the miserable damp, creepy atmosphere of the monastery, the fear and destruction reaped by the storm and the surprise ending
Thank you Storm Publishing and Net Gallery for my ARC, my review is voluntary.

I do enjoy a bit of reality TV so loved the idea of this one.
It gives I'm a celeb/big brother vibes and was an easy read. But for me it just lacked something to really grip me, and I was left disappointed in the conclusion of it all.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc ebook.

Ten celebrities arrive on an island to participate in a game show- one quite unlike any other. Their “prize” is something they have wished for which could be career or personal based and they are not allowed to ask each other about it- if they do they will forfeit their prize and there will only be one winner. They are guided by a voice through loudspeakers as to what to do and where to go. Failure will result in penance- they are dressed like monks and have no personal belongings- there should be a bag for each of them when they get to their new home. The start is rough and tough and they can't believe what they have got themselves into. When a storm hits and they are trapped in one room for safety, their stories begin to emerge.
I quickly got into this. It’s lovely to see a celebrity with a talent for being an author. This is well written and well thought out and boy! What a premise! It's mainly based around Lauren who is an investigative journalist and wants more information on one of the other contestants who she suspects is not what he portrays to the public. This gives even more of an edgy feel to an edge -of -your- seat read as one thing settles another emerges. A deliciously dark thrill of a read. I very much look forward to more. Loved it.


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Isolation Island is a celebrity reality TV concept which becomes a locked room murder mystery. As is usual for this type of novel and TV programme there is a wide range of characters, the main one being an investigative journalist Lauren. Bad weather means the competitors are truly isolated and the pace picks up at this point. There are twists and turns and a dramatic ending. A mainly successful blend of a modern TV genre and an old fashioned murder mystery.

A brand new reality show. Ten celebrities are dropped onto an island off of the coast of Scotland. They are completely alone on the island, but there every move is being recorded. One of the contestants has an ulterior motive though. An investigative journalist who is determined to expose a major Hollywood film star. When a body is discovered on the island, with no one else present, have one of the contestants turned to murder to win the dream prize?

Right from the very start we find out about the dead body. The book then goes back to the start and tells the story from when the contestants are arriving on the island. I absolutely adore this type of book, where we know from the beginning that the list of suspects is very limited. I did find it difficult to keep track of all the characters, especially for the first few chapters. The story is very well told though, and I did not have a clue who the murderer was. I did find the ending slightly disappointing. I would have loved an epilogue to tie things up nicely, and probably would have given the book 5 stars if it had. Overall though I really enjoyed this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Headline books for providing me with a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.