I did very much enjoy this ‘locked island’ thriller but felt it was slightly let down by a lack of character development and unanswered red herrings. However, the description of the island itself and the conditions suffered by the contestants were extremely well written and allowed my imagination to run free. I was expecting a totally different ending due to the direction I thought the story was taking, which I guess is clever story telling. It was a very strong fiction debut and I look forward to Louise Minchin’s next offering.

Thank you to Headline and NetGalley for an ARC of the ebook.

This is one of the best debuts I've ever read. It's absolutely brilliant. Characters are well rounded and the plot was mind blowing. Loved every page and the twist at the end was like an explosion, loved it.

Thank you for the publisher for the ARC.
This was a nice and entertaining read for the fall season. The concept of a reality show with a mix of reality "stars" on a remote island even though not as unique but really fun to follow along. It was exciting, thrilling and very atmospheric. Really cool debut and i would love to read more from her.

It will be the reality show to beat all other reality shows. Ten celebrities left on an isolated island off in Scotland. An island that was once the home of monks. All those taking part have a strong motive to be the last one standing. Lauren, an investigative journalist is not just in in for the prize. One of the other contestants ruined her best friend's life. With him being under the camera's eye she is sure she can reveal to the world what he is really like. From the start things do not go smoothly. There is a death, a storm hits cutting them off. Suddenly the prize changes - just staying alive to get off this rock.!

This was a fast paced read. The setting was perfect to create the creepy menacing atmosphere & the characters kept me guessing. This was a great read. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

Unfortunately I had to give up at around 50% through this book.Did nothing for me by this point. Although not a fan of so called "reality TV"I thought I would give it a try however the scenarios and people became too predictable and I got bored with it.

Thank you NetGalley, Headline and Louise Minchin for this copy in exchange for my honest review.

Wow! What an unforgettable experience! This compelling novel takes you on a thrilling journey filled with mystery, emotional depth, and a stunning backdrop that will transport you to a remote paradise.

Minchin expertly weaves a tale of survival and self-discovery as the characters navigate both the physical challenges of the island and their own personal struggles. The vivid descriptions make you feel every wave and breeze, immersing you completely in the setting.

What I loved most were the rich character dynamics—each one brings their own story and secrets, leading to unexpected twists that kept me guessing. The themes of resilience, connection, and the power of nature are beautifully explored, making it a thought-provoking read.

I love a reality tv themed thriller, there are so many opportunities for what could go wrong for the characters and plenty of drama at every turn.

Isolation Island is set on a remote Scottish island in an abandoned monastery. It’s a bleak rough location with wind and rain beating down at any given moment.

The 10 celebrities have been told that the winner will receive their hearts desire, whether that’s a new tv show or a world tour , it is bespoke to each of them ans has to be kept a secret from the rest. They just have to survive life as a saint or as a sinner in their island location. The challenges start from the very beginning, as the contestants are left on a rocky beach without any clue how to access the monastery, and from there on in it just gets tougher .

Told from the perspective of Lauren, an investigative journalist who has been trying to unmask the sexual assaults carried out by American film star Nate- when she hears he’s on the show too there’s no way she’s going to miss the chance to meet him and find out more.

The story is fast paced and well told, some great twists and reveals which I enjoyed.

Ten celebrities have been picked to take part in a reality show on a remote Scottish Island. As soon they arrive they realise the production team may not be able to keep them safe and when a storm blows in and all communication is lost and a contestant winds up dead it is clear they are fighting for more than just the prize but to survive.
This was a decent quick read thriller in an atmospheric isolated setting. It started off slow but once it picked up it was fast paced and kept me engaged throughout. I did not see that ending coming at all.
Thank you to Netgalley, Headline and Louise Minchin for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley, publishers and author for an ARC of #IsolationIsland.

I was expecting a cross between survivor and I'm a celeb when I started reading this book, but with some dead bodies. I could not put it down once I started. The tension starts early and stays throughout all chapters. I suspected everyone and even the supernatural got blamed at one point by me.
Highly recommend, with a very slight irritation of a forgotten about or unexplained part to the story. Still a good read though.

This book was an anxiety inducing rollercoaster.

The setting was transporting and this is the perfect book to cosy up with in a stormy night.

Minchin clearly cared so much about her characters and this really translated to me as the reader making it hard for me to be ready for anything to happen to any of them.

It felt so real with the climate of reality tv and the different areas the celebrities came from.

I was worried that this book would be a little too much of a self insert but I believe Minchin played on her experiences without it feeling like I was reading about her life.

Eye For Atmospherics..
Ten celebrities, a remote Scottish island, a reality survival television show- what could possibly go wrong? This group, in the deepest depths of winter and with a storm on the horizon, are determined to play but soon.. things will begin to disintegrate and it’s not too long before a body is discovered. Nicely penned with a keen eye for atmospherics and character, an underlying vein of dark menace and a lively narrative this is a compelling and immersive suspenseful read.

Good story with a lot of celebrities that are left stranded on a island who can survive to be the winner. Or in this case who can survive to stay alive with lots of problems arising who will leave the island alive.

10 celebrities left to themselves on a deserted island, no phones, no comforts, no favourite item from home to help. Given robes and hoods to wear, stiff and uncomfortable slippers! Seems like a prison sentence almost like Papillon on Devils Island Penal Colony.

Tasks are allocated by "Big Brother" like voice with commands over the communication system.

The most well known of the celebrities, a movie star called Nate is allocated as the leader. Lauren, a journalist, is there also but she has a different agenda and is out to expose Nate, even though risky. There is a terrible storm, comms are lost, shelters are destroyed and the group have to pull together to survive.

Cue a dead body, then another! What on earth is happening? Who is next? Will they get rescued?

Not a bad read, although I did find some of the events a little predictable. I will not be put off by reading any more books by Louise and I did quite enjoy this one.

I really enjoyed this. I liked the concept of it, the setting and the story!!
It kept me gripped, it was such a great debut.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I found this slow and I really didn't like the characters in this story. I found it all a little too obvious and bland. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

I'm a celeb/survivor/traitors equals the perfect book but mixed together it was clearly missing a vital mystery ingredient.
I'm obsessed with reality TV and love to know more on the workings, behind the scenes and how it feels really being there in the moment so I loved the beginning with awkward excitement/nerves, the sussing each other out, who's out for top dog leader role etc and knowing that our main character had a hidden agenda made for some future excitement to come.
The a few things. Begin to happen to make the cast mates feel a little uneasy, are they being messed with, how safe are they really, is production trying to hurt them? I loved where I thought this side of the story was going but then it kind of decided to scrap that line of thought and we had a huge storm which caused the staff and all communications to be abandoned, leaving cast mates truly isolated and alone. This is when they begin to turn on each other and one by one their dead bodies r being found. This clearly creates suspicion within the group. I didn't get the 'whodunnit' until moments before the reveal which is a good sign for me but overall it judt didn't gel well enough for me. I wonder still, was production really messing with the cast?

Louise Minchin's debut novel sees ten stars from various backgrounds taking part in the latest tv reality game. They are deposited on a remote island off the Scottish coast in a former monastery. The authors own experience of taking part in " I'm a celebrity, get me out of here" was the inspiration behind the book and it was quite apparent the lead character was loosely based on herself.
Lauren, an investigative reporter, volunteered for the show on the hope that a Hollywood star whom she had been investigating for some time was also going to be a participant, as was heavily rumoured, to give her the opportunity to finally get the evidence she required to bring him down. Very quickly it became clear that health and safety was not high in the production teams list of priorities as lives were put in extreme danger. The sparse environment was comprised severely when a major storm descended on the island wiping out all communication with the mainland. That and one of the characters being found dead should have been the catalyst for a tremendous thriller, sadly it didn't quite hit the dizzy heights.
The story has a slow start, taking quite a while to materialise. The conclusion however was the opposite as it seemed rushed and inconclusive. Don't get me wrong it is not a bad book but at the same time not one that's going to set the heather on fire! It does have the potential for a follow on book.

A compelling & well-paced novel set on a remote island. I loved the reality tv show premise and thought the story was well executed. The slow build up, getting to know all the characters, a few red-herrings thrown in, it was a perfect and refreshing take on a closed murder mystery.

A well written and paced story. Kept me interested all the way to the end but is it really ending like that or is there going to be a follow up, who knows?

At times a tad ridiculous that such a supposedly hard boiled reporter/journalist would lose control in the way they did due to a few drinks but if you put that to one side then definitely a credible plot

With a slower start, as we met the cast of celebrities arriving on the island ready to be isolated, the weather set the scene. Windy, brutal, wild, and preparing for a huge storm chaos is there from the start.

Each character has their own agenda, and when the storm hits and the isolation ramps up a gear, things turn nasty. Will anyone survive the carnage that ensues?

Similar to other isolated island books, the story didn't feel entirely original. However, I did like the idea of the characters surviving as the monks previously on the island had.

That being said, this was a great debut crime thriller, and I look forward to reading more from the author.