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!

I really enjoyed this, great concept and I enjoyed the characters. I think with the main character Lauren being an investigative journalist, we know that there is more to this set up than first meets the eye. The plot fair whizzed along and it was gripping with some unexpected revelations. Great debut and I hope there will be more to come.

A good thriller where celebrities are abandoned on a remote Scottish island for a reality show. From the beginning it goes wrong and when a storm sweeps in, destroying everything put together for the program, they’re left with each other and desperation.
It’s a bit far fetched and there are a few too many twists and turns but it’s a good debut novel.

Ten celebrities go to a remote Scottish island for the latest reality tv show. All have their reasons for being there and there are a few secrets too. A few near misses in the first couple of days make everyone realise this is a game like no other and they need to take it seriously. Then a storm comes which cuts them off completely, and one of their members is found dead. Lauren is a journalist, and while battling with other personalities, starts to try and work out what actually is happening. Well paced with some good characters. It would have been nice to have found out what was behind the possibly deadly mistakes made by the production crew in the first few days. This would have brought the whole story together.

There was a lot going on in this story, which should have made it fast-paced and exciting, but it wasn’t. It just kind of wandered along.
The big issue for me was the whole premise-a reality TV show with a ludicrous concept is not outwith the realms of credibility but this was nonsensical. The sheer lack of anything remotely resembling safety precautions is staggering. The challenges and arbitrary rules ….it all stretched credibility a bit too far.
As a murder mystery it was ok, if a bit predictable.

Ten ‘celebs’ are marooned on an island off the coast of Scotland and must love like monks for 2 weeks
Totally cut off from the mainland, they all have their own agendas and things turn ugly and it’s survival of the fittest
Who will win the big prize?
But when a contestant winds up dead it’s clear that the players are not just fighting for the prize but also their lives
It had a bit of a Agatha Christie vibe and loved the locked room thriller element
A fabulous debut novel that’s a rollercoaster of read, very atmospheric and creepy
Thanks @louiseminchin @headlinebooks & @netgalley for the tense atmospheric read

As much as I wanted to read and enjoy this book, I struggled to get through it I am afraid. I couldn’t get into the story and the characters all seemed very shallow. Sorry, I did not finish it.

I was really excited by the premise of this book as it sounded like it could be a modern day "and then there were none". Unfortunately, this didn't quite meet my expectations.

The story started out strong by setting the scene but I felt that a lot of the characters secrets and motivations were exposed quite early in the book and that the true explanation behind the plot lacked depth.

If you enjoy watching "I'm a celebrity: get me out of here" and want to explore a similar setting with a sinister plot then this could be the book for you

A thriller book about celebrities on a remote island as part of a reality TV show? SIGN ME UP!
I was super excited to receive an e-copy of this in exchange for an honest review. The story was somewhat gripping although didn't necessarily feel attached to any characters. In my copy, it had the numbers of chapters scattered between words, which completely threw me off and I found it a struggle to concentrate on the story, which may be why it wasn't as an exciting read as I'd hoped.
If it wasn't for this, I think it may have been a different experience when reading, which would've made for a higher rating.
As always, I appreciate the opportunity to pre-read the book.