Surprisingly good. I know that sounds like a bad review but it honestly isn't. I'm not really sure what I was expecting but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Lots of interesting characters and plentiful suspense and drama with a build up to a hypnotic ending.

Twists and turns a plenty, great plot line, easy to follow and captivating to the end.

Highly recommended, 5 stars from me.

In Isolation Island, investigative journalist Lauren agrees to participate in a new reality game show set on the eerie, abandoned Eilean Manach. The contestants, a diverse group of celebrities, from influencers and athletes to investors and actors, must survive in a derelict monastery cut off from the outside world by severe weather. The stakes quickly escalate as the show transforms from a lighthearted competition into a life-or-death struggle when one contestant is found dead after a heated confrontation.

This fast-paced novel is a thrilling, modern twist on the classic “whodunnit,” reminiscent of Agatha Christie’s *And Then There Were None*. The well-drawn characters and tense atmosphere make it a captivating read, with each twist pulling you deeper into the mystery. The isolated, storm-battered island serves as the perfect backdrop for the mounting paranoia and suspense.

It’s clear that author Louise Minchin, a journalist herself who has appeared on *I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here*, drew inspiration from her own experiences, infusing the novel with authenticity. I could vividly picture her in the role of Lauren, navigating the treacherous dynamics of the game show, and the vivid setting felt almost cinematic, perfect for a TV adaptation.

If Agatha Christie had ever been a contestant on *I’m a Celebrity*, this might be the kind of gripping, clever story she would have written. A must-read for fans of mystery and reality show intrigue!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Psychological drama about some B list celebrities trying to boost their careers y doing a reality TV programme set on a deserted Scottish island. Whilst told in 3rd person, we see it through the eyes of Lauren, an investigative journalist/TV presenter, who is there to uncover Hollywood film star, Nate's past regarding how he treats women.
But then a storm hits and filming has to stop as communication is lost with the film crew stranding the celebs on the island.
Well thought out story with unexpected twist. Louise Minchin has researched well, characters portrayed well.

If you think this is 10 celebrities on an island blah blah boring story heard it before!! Think AGAIN
This is so not that sort of story yes 10 celebrities get dumped on an island but that’s were the similarities end!
There are no production teams with them, no medics, no helicopters to fly them out absolutely nothing they even have to wear monks robes with horrible slippers
They are followed by small drone cameras buzzing around their heads and there are cameras set up in each of the monastery rooms
All tasks are set by a loud booming voice that drones out to them
If they fail they lose food which can be sparse
In the first two days two people are almost killed and it leads to a great feeling of unrest amongst the celebrities they become uneasy around each other
Then a different voice warning them to all get into the car great hall with as much of the provisions and bedding and stuff as they can carry as the worst storm in a hundred years is heading there way and no one can get to them at all
Suddenly it hits them they really are ALONE

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.