This book had a great plot with intriguing characters. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

I really rated this book. I can’t stand reality television but parking my reservations at the door.
This started out like all of the other reality tv shows in books, and then it turned completely into something different. Meatier and Louise, for a debut fiction author, can really pack a punch in her book.
Lauren was likeable, all the characters had a distinctive style and voice, but it really felt like it was Lauren’s story. It’s a definite five star read.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher and author for allowing me to read this in advance for an honest review. #Netgalley #IsolationIsland

Ooh this surprised me. I was intrigued by the concept of a reality show for celebs. I love trash TV so knew I would enjoy this in a book.

Everyone has a hidden agenda and it is a battle to see who will survive. The characters were well written, especially Nate who is not what he seems.

I struggled a little at first with the heavy descriptive writing but as I got used to it, I could engage with the plot. And I did not guess the twist at all!

Worth a read.

This one sounded absolutely brilliant..who doesn’t love a bit of reality TV! This one started great with a few little accidents sprinkled in to create tension and a who done it atmosphere. I did feel that it fizzled out a little until the very end where everything seemed to happen. Isolation island ended a little abruptly so maybe there will be more to come in the future maybe a second book who knows.

A debut novel from the popular tv presenter Louise Minchin set on an isolated Scottish island during a reality show. I liked the premise and the setting of the novel and the gothic element. However, I felt there was too much 'tell' rather than show and this slowed the narrative. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

The book is fairly well written but does read a little like a dramatic play rather than a believable story.
It is action packed full of dramatic moments, you never get too bored for long feeling like you’re wading through the story.
If the author intended to ensure the reader didn’t fully trust the main protagonist, then that’s a clever ploy to try to steer you into wondering what secrets are lurking. If it wasn’t intentional then Lauren is not very likeable!
Unfortunately the major twists were as expected, predictable, which lessened the enjoyment somewhat.
I expected some errors with this being an ARC but I must warn the publisher that this needs a very serious and thorough review and edit as there are gramatical errors and repeated words and all sorts of repairs needed to ensure this book is readable when published.
Overall, the book is an easy, enjoyable read but don’t expect jaw dropping moments that you weren’t already expecting.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC

3.5 stars
I was really gripped by the first half of "Isolation Island" by Louise Minchin and read far into the night, which is the sign of a good book. However, when I picked it up to finish the second half, it didn't captivate me as much. Not sure if it is because I didn't keep up the momentum or if the plot started unravelling when the bodies started mounting up. There were a few good twists in the story and you really did feel the isolation and desperation when the storm started raging. But, I'm still not sure about the portcullis and harness. Red herrings or something strange afoot. Thought there could have been a bit more explanation on these points.

A group of Z-list celebrities thrown together on an island for 2 weeks with their only other companions being the camera crew filing their every move for a reality TV show. What could possibly go wrong?

There's a mix of characters some of whom don't hit it off with each other from the very beginning. Sparks fly and tempers flare and then things start to take a turn for the worse.

Some of the tasks the group have to undertake are dangerous and prey on their greatest fears. As if that's not enough, people start disappearing and then the body count starts to rise. With more red herrings than a fishing trawler this book keeps you guessing until the very end.

3.5 This is a clever twist on an island reality show mystery in that all of the characters are Z list celebrities except Nate, a Hollywood star. All are tempted to participate by a final prize that is tailored to the specific desire of the winner.

Almost immediately, strange goings on are evident that go far beyond normal game show challenges and it is quickly apparent that there is something strange afoot.

Overall it’s quite an interesting setup but I was frustrated by a number of unexplained threads that occurred quite early on in the book. Authors please stop doing that, it’s so annoying, I’m thinking portcullis and harness, for example.

It’s both interesting and undemanding enough to be a great holiday read and you can take pleasure in likely being in warmer climes than on the island!

With thanks to NetGalley, Louise Minchen and the publisher for an arc of this book.

When I started this I was expecting, well, not this! It started very basically with everyone arriving to take part in a reality show, then everything changed. Near misses kept up the tension so when someone died everyone was already stressed so accusations flew. I had a few suspicions but by the end I found I was completely wrong. I didn't see the ending coming. A book I finished in a day!

Ten celebrities thrown together on a remote island where to win they have to survive two weeks alone except for the cameras streaming their every move for a reality tv show.
I loved the mixture of characters as there was obvious tension from the start which builds to the whole atmosphere.
When a storm hits and the production team are out of action things start to get a bit dark.
I really enjoyed this book for what it was. I loved the tension and the secrets

Lauren is an investigative reporter who's career as stalled. She decides to take part in a reality television show, on an isolated island, with others she does not know, with the hope of putting her career back on track. Things do not go to plan. Not that she had a detailed plan in the first place.
I really loved this book from start to finish. The characters were believable and the pace was just right.

An enjoyable story about a group of celebrities on a TV programme much like ‘I’m a Celebrity’.
Here they are dropped onto a remote Scottish island - where things start to go wrong very early on and then escalate over the next few days as a huge storm hits the island. Enjoyable read.

There seems to be a trend lately for reality show based psychological thrillers. I've read several of them recently, but this one was different enough to hold it's own.

10 celebrities are placed on a island in an old monastery. Then they get cut off from production during a massive storm. Whilst isolated by the bad weather people start dying...

There's a real sense of claustrophobia and being unsure of who you can trust. I partially guessed the ending but not fully. This was a quick and enjoyable read.

Interesting book set on a Scottish island in desolate surroundings and in turbulent weather. The latest celebrity tv show is about to start and 10 of them arrive on the island, all hoping to win the prize of their dreams. Everything seems very barren as they arrive at their monastery home, a home which puts them against each other and the elements. It doesn’t take long for circumstances to take a dark turn and for some of the contestants to leave the island, some may never leave. Laura is the main storyteller and is ok the island hoping to learn more about film star Nate for her investigative work and a feature she is writing about him which has touched the lives of many, including her best friend. Isolation Island will allow her to do that but at what cost?

Well written and a concept, especially as a celeb reality show is hugely popular. The story is well told and the characters are interesting, some feature more than others, meaning that this may be a the start of another book in a series or follow up.

I didn’t warm to Laura, but enjoyed the character of Mac, who we saw some of during the events that take place.

Would recommend this to those who enjoy reality tv and books with a thriller plot line.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it. The story grips you from the start and has you tense and a little frightened on behalf of the various characters. It’s easy to imagine the bleakness of the island and certain real life celebrities come to mind as you are reading. A very good debut novel.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and to Louise for her imaginative story.

A mystery on a reality show was a different subject which was original. The setting was atmospheric. Good characterisation. Enough twists to keep me reading. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

Come on. 'Fess up. Does anyone really watch reality TV, particularly featuring celebrities, for any other reason than to have a good laugh when it all goes wrong? Maybe we eventually get into the programme and end up rooting for one or the other of the victims participants, but the errors and catastrophic moments are where the real entertainment comes from. Well, when it comes to Isolation Island, a brand new format reality survival show in which a group of 'celebrities' are left on the remote scottish island of Eilean Manach, once home to an active monastery, the catastrophic moments are off the scale, and with a storm brewing, both psychological and literal, things can only get worse. Which they do. My only advice to anyone of a mind to enter such a show - if Louise Minchin is behind the production team anyway, say no. She's vicious!

Isolation Island follows investigative journalist Lauren Brooks who, against her better judgment, has agreed to be one of the celebrity 'victims'. There is method in her apparent madness, for despite an initial reluctance to engage, never mind that it might just save her flailing career, it is the rumour of who one of her fellow contestants might be that seals the deal. The prize, should she win, is tailored to her dreams, as it is for each of the contestants, but for Lauren, the real prize is something money cannot buy. From the very outset of the book it is clear that this will not be your typical reality show. Even getting to the island is fraught with peril, and the tone of the book and the ensuing challenges is set from the moment part of the set almost ends one challenger's journey before they've even set foot in the monastery.

Now, I'm not a big follower of reality shows but, even by any standard, the format of Isolation Island seems a trifle harsh. Made to dress in less than fashionable habits, and left in conditions that may be the 'authentic monk experience' but are far from the luxury they are used to, they are set a series of challenges. The failure to achieve their challenges results in them paying a penance, including forced fasting (not popular), and rest is something they are forced to learn to live without. It allows the author to ramp up the tension, using the natural conflict that such deprivations can create, to amplify the clear divisions that soon start to form in the camp. It certainly kept me glued to the page - kind of car crash TV but in a book.

Louise Minchin has created a really varied bunch of characters for her survival show, from all walks of life - professional sport, investigative journalism, business, influencers, even a Hollywood superstar - and imbues them with a real sense of authenticity. I can't help but think they may be an amalgam of many people she has met over her career - I'd hate to think that some of them were based on any specific person, although it's not impossible, certainly in the case of one particular characters, whose personality if very much informed by current affairs. It creates taht believability factor. as for her opening chapter - well I was immediately gripped as you already know that a terrible fate is to befall one of them - it is just the who and why that needs to be answered. You might make a judgement on that early on, but be careful of jumping to conclusions. Louise Minchin is one crafty author and with deft use of misdirection works to quickly throw you off the scent, or at least introduces some uncertainty to proceedings.

I loved the pacing of this book and the constant sense of jeopardy that infuses every chapter. It is not the longest book, but no page is wasted and I absolutely tour through it, finishing in a single evening. It's the kind of book that has that one more chapter vibe, keeping me hooked to the final somewhat surprising conclusion. Not everyone makes it off the island ... at least, not every leaves on their own two feet anyway. I loved and loathed the characters, wanting to slap my kindle on more than the odd occasion, and loved the madness of the show format. Introducing a severe storm to increase that sense of isolation for the contestants, placing them where even the production crew cannot help and removing any access to crucial evidence (hard to commit the perfect crime when your every move is being recorded after all) just builds the already lofty tension and dashes any hopes Lauren may have had of easily getting her big scoop. Where would be the fun in that?

Pacy, thrilling, with delightfully loathable characters and a packed tight with tension, I really enjoyed this and can't wait to read more from the author. Heartily recommended but fans of action and adventure style thrillers.

Really interesting plot. It's like I'm a celebrity but with a twist.
I'm not a reality tv fan but I am a Louise Minchin fan and this did not disappoint! Brilliant.

I enjoyed reading this book. It is about a group of celebrities ent by a TV company to spend time on an island (similar to I'm a Celebrity). However about a third way through the book, the plot changes from what you might expect. I thought the characters were interesting and I enjoyed the ending. I wold recommend this book.