I really enjoyed the story and was very quickly engaged form the start. Much seemed credible as the “celebs” made their way to the island – but trips and turns along the way had me surprised. Hidden cameras, danger lurking, and natural disasters kept everyone on their toes before and after someone dies. Yes, some bits were a little implausible, but did not to spoil the very good read! A good ending too…….. An excellent fiction start by the author and I await her next book eagerly. I was disappointed by the proof copy as it had line numbers in every line, making it hard to read – and not fair to Minchin!

A great debut fiction book by Louise Minchin. A take on the reality tv show but with a twist. A great thriller that kept me hooked and guessing right to the end.

The thought of being stranded on a remote island in Scotland has its appeal, right up until you add in several strangers with egos and their own agendas, cameras and an absent production team that have your day-to-day life in their hands, giving you tasks to complete, or your time is done, and I am out. I may have watched the odd episode of I’m a celebrity usually for the gruesome tasks but even that after a while just became very meh. Isolation Island takes all that we see on these types of programmes and then ramps it up to an extreme that has you wondering why anyone would sign up for these types of programmes and put themselves out of their comfort zone.
From the start Louise Minchin sets the scene perfectly highlighting just how remote and inaccessible the island is and how it is very much left to the whim of the elements. The 10 “celebrities” are all there for one reason only, to try to win the one thing that is personal to them that will set their careers apart or put them back on track. Lauren Brooks has another reason for being there, she is determined to expose one of the other contestants and show the world his true character. Having been forced to shut down her original story she thinks that if she can get him on camera, it will be game over for him.
There is certainly quite a mix of characters, who on the face of it seem like a nice group but as time progresses and the reality of their situation sets in, their true characters show through, and secrets are revealed I am not sure that you would want to know some of them. Louise Minchin has done a good job creating the main players in the book, showing how public and private persona’s can be so different when the cameras stop rolling. What is slightly more worrying is what she puts them all through potentially in the name of entertainment. There is clearly a wicked mind lurking behind the person we saw on breakfast TV for years (proving my earlier observation).
The pacing and tension never let up, making this a definite page turner as you want to know what is going to the contestants and who if anyone will get off the island in one piece. One thing is certain, if this is Louise’s first journey into crime fiction, I am looking forward to what comes next

A bit of a slow start for me, but once the characters were introduced then things progressed. Very atmospheric and moved along at a cracking pace. Would recommend this to others.

Wow, was totally hooked on this book, and literally couldn't move from my sunbed once I was into it.

I had to know what would be happening next, and somehow didn't see the final reveals coming.

I am absolutely loving this new trend of thrillers et in remote locations combined with reality tv programmes.

The setting is this instance is a run down monastery on a remote Scottish Island and although the basic premise of the game is rather familiar feeling, it's a fabulously claustrophobic and tense book as things start to go wrong almost immediately.

You are never completely sure what will happen next, and I incredibly gripped by the action.

With a cast of characters that on the whole I warmed to, I really couldn't get my head around just what might be happening.

Thoroughly enjoyed every page of this and will definitely be looking out for more books from this author in the future.

Thank you to Headline and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Isolation Island is set on a remote Scottish island in the depths of winter, as a reality survival show is beginning with ten celebrities set to battle it out for a unique 'money can't buy' prize. It starts with a wobble and the celebrities start to wonder how safe they really are; but then the game kicks in and they are faced with a number of challenges whilst being filmed. But when a storm hits, the celebrities become even more isolated, and then one of them is discovered dead. It then becomes a frantic race to keep themselves alive until they are finally rescued, knowing that their is a murderer in their midst.

This book was a debut novel for Louise Minchin and I was really impressed with how quickly it had me gripped. The writing is excellent and I stayed up late on numerous occasions for 'just one more chapter'.
At first, I thought it would be tricky to get to know so many characters, but they were all so wonderfully unique and well written, that I actually got to grips with them pretty easily.

Isolation Island is a whirlwind of a book, with many twists and turns - some that I guessed, but plenty that I didn't. I can't wait to see what Louise Minchin writes next.

My thanks to NetGalley and the Publishers for sending me this ARC in return for an honest review.

Louise Minchin is one of those authors you know you can rely on for a gripping read and this title is no exception, thoroughly recommend

Isolation Island is set on an abandoned island with an old monastery! The story is about 10 celebrities on a reality TV show and how they will survive on an isolated island, where they are given challenges to complete in order to provide them with food. Our main character is Lauren, an investigative journalist, who is hoping to catch and write about one of the celebrities, an American actor called Nate Stirling, This has all the elements of a locked mystery with lots of intrigue on the isolated island. How will the 10 get along with each other as they all have different characters and traits, will they come together or fail to become a cohesive group. They were plenty of nail biting moments and it is a page turner of a book. The story was very atmospheric and descriptive. The ending came as a complete surprise for me.

Oh my goodness, this is so well written. For anyone reluctant to read a book written by a celebrity, I can advise you to put your prejudice aside. Louise Minchin has created a cast of very believable celebrities and placed them in a game show on an isolated island in the manner of ‘ I’m a Celebrity’. I loved her protagonist, a tough female journalist with a sixth sense for danger and a clear sense of right and wrong. Tense and unpredictable.

Ten celebrities are marooned on a Scottish island far from the rest of civilisation. As part of a new reality games show, the idea is that the last man/woman standing walks away with the prize of their dreams. Obviously, as with all isolated islands, things tend to go awry!

Imagine I’m a Celebrity, crossed with Big Brother, married to The Traitors, with Christie’s Then There Were None thrown in for good measure, and you will get an idea of what the plot is like.

As a debut it’s ok, not compelling. A little amateurish at times, more like an exercise in writing, with everything thrown in.

One or two things didn’t quite add up - Frank and Kez? Nico brought in as last minute sub? No explanation given 🤷🏻‍♀️perhaps I missed it. Also time line a bit off now and then. The culprit was signposted very, very early on, no great surprise!

An interesting read, but the premise has been trotted out a lot and I think readers possibly expect more from a well established plot. Something different needed to shake things up!

I did like, but expected more.

2.5*

Thank you NetGalley and Headline.

I absolutely loved this book about 10 contestants taking place in a reality TV programme set on a remote Scottish island which was once a monastery. Our main character is Lauren, an investigative journalist who has only signed up because she believes the subject of her latest two year investigation will also be on the island. It appears early on that health and safety does not feature majorly on the production team’s agenda, when one contestant nearly gets killed soon after arriving on the island. Things take a turn for the worse when a major storm closes in the contestants. I thought I had it all worked out but at 65% my theory was blown apart. At this point I had to cover the page in order to read one line at a time for fear of spoiling what was about to happen. This book is exciting right up to the very last sentence and I highly recommend it. My top book for 2024.

This book kept me hooked from the first page! I devoured this book in a weekend and feel no guilt about that!
Amazingly written, wonderful twists and turns, and great characters.
Louise Minchin is up there for me now with the best thriller writers I have come across

Ten celebrities have agreed to take part in a gruelling reality survival show, spending two weeks completely alone on a remote Scottish island, in the depths of winter. With some careers on the rise, and others whose fame is fading, almost everyone has something to play for. Investigative journalist Lauren has her place but is intrigued into what Hollywood megastar Nate Stirling has to gain by taking part? With a production team that seems incapable of keeping them safe, a gathering storm and the unrelenting gaze of hidden cameras, the contestants are stretched to the limit as they try to outshine their fellow competitors and hide their darkest secrets. When a body is found, it's clear that the game has become a matter of life and death...

There have been a lot of locked-room, celebrity-type reality TV show scenario thrillers lately and I must admit it’s a synopsis that instantly hooks me in! Although it’s safe to say that it’s probably a good idea that our TV friendly shows in real life are a lot less dramatic!

This is a fast-paced read that I devoured in two days, each chapter making you want to know what happened next. There are a lot of characters but I found you soon got your head round who was who, being only told from Lauren’s POV also helped to ground this a you discover the facts as she does. The first half does an excellent job of setting the scene, with the second part ramping up the tension and intrigue as the ‘game’ takes a deadly turn.

Some elements are a little more drawn out than perhaps necessary but overall it’s a twisty, suspenseful thriller that I really enjoyed. The dramatic conclusion has less of a punch than I thought it would, but succeeds in being something completely out of the blue, nicely bringing everything together, with an added element of wonder about what happened afterwards. I wasn’t sure what to expect from Minchin for her debut title but am pleasantly surprised and this was a great read which I would recommend!

This book was, well, ok. It felt quite predictable and took quite a while to move away from a standard script of a celebrity game show. The twists and turns were not to unexpected and without too much drama. Having said that, the scene and character descriptions kept the book interesting and despite a long wait for any real ‘action’ I still enjoyed it enough to finish. A good start start for Louise and hopefully some food for thought for another. I will look out for it. I’d give it 3.5 if I could.

Ten celebrities, including a Hollywood superstar, all on an isolated island- what could possibly go wrong? Louise Minchin’s debut thriller is rather good. What could have been a formulaic novel is actually a well thought out clever plot twister. Minchin has produced a gripping tale with a decent plot and a few dead bodies thrown in for good measure. The originality with the prize for the contestant who wins is also original and the main protagonist, an investigative journalist called Lauren is a great character. A thrilling read and I am sure we will see Louise Minchin as a regular writer in crime thrillers after this.

I for one would not want to be a contestant on one of these reality tv shows, no matter that it takes place on a cool isolated island with an abandoned monastery. It did make for a fun and thrilling story though. It is always interesting when you take a group of several wildly different people, with dreams and goals of their own for if they win the prize and then set them up for unfair challenges which further divide them (like the saints and sinners sleeping quarters) and also raise one person higher than the rest and you are sure to get drama, even if everything is being recorded. Though the bodies don't start showing up until the storms hits and knocks out all power. People sure behave differently when they think they aren't being watched so they can get away with much more!

Since the point of view is from Lauren's perspective and her being a journalist albeit one with a mission of her own for one of the other contestants, it is easy to root for her and hope she can find justice for her friend. There are lots of suspects for the murders and it was fun to try and figure out the who and why and how. I will say I did not feel bad for the ones who ended up dead, except for the last one. And I do like how Lauren chooses not to go the easy way but is willing to put everything on the line to discover the truth.

A thrilling read though I wouldn't mind going to see the island, as long as there was power and no big storm on the way!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review this book!

I would like to thank Headline Publishing for providing a readable version of this book after I initially said it was impossible to read due to the numbers merged within the text.

Unfortunately, I did not enjoy the book as much as I had hoped. Here, I will explain why...

I have a Masters in Creative Writing and Louise Minchin has done MANY of the things we were told not to do within the first months of the MA. I won't list all (I paid my £7000 etc fees myself so do not willingly share all info for free) but one MAJOR thing I will share is that there is far too much telling and not enough showing and I do not feel it has been closely edited enough. SHOW me the character is angry. Don't tell me and then follow it up with a sentence of the character shouting.... I know that there's a chance more changes will have been made to this proof, but I doubt it would be enough. I am strongly considering using this story as an editing resource as my pen would love to cross out lines, edit words/paragraphs etc!

Furthermore, something else I spotted is that, initially, there's an abundance of colons, then none! I also feel that - whilst the concept is clever - Minchin has relied too heavily upon her I'm A Celebrity... appearance and it would've been more impressive without this as she already got paid a fee to appear there and is now using that to help to create this (amongst other research) and earn from this! Talking of which - I preferred the note at the end that Minchin wrote t0 the actual novel itself.

There are also threads that are not tied up and I also spotted 'who' was going to be guilty a long way before they were revealed. It's such a slow start and I took much longer to read this than with most books I read. There's a flurry of activity at the end and it all felt a bit rushed.

The writing style is amateurish and, whilst she may be a journalist who has written non-fiction previously, this novel seems a step too far.

I pondered between one and two stars... I have gone with one star as I think I need to be honest. I would like to apologise for my honesty and I am not sharing this on my blog or on other review sites as I don't want to be negative in other places. I felt it important to leave a review here as I was given the chance to read the book a second time - as explained at the start of this.

I was a bit worried about this as I do love Louise presenting the news and I hoped this wasn’t just a new moneymaker for little work.

I am pleased to say that I did really enjoy this - Louise is excellent at setting a scene and building up tension. It does get off to a slow start with nothing happening really until halfway through but I didn’t mind this at all as I was just enjoying myself.

I read this really quickly, and thoroughly enjoyed it. I did feel the ending was a bit flat but it’s not hampered my enjoyment to be honest. An excellent debut!

My thanks to Netgalley and Headline for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This thriller is the debut work by British television presenter Louise Minchin and has already attracted a slew of favourable reviews from fellow media personalities, so I approached it with some excitement, grateful for the free e-ARC that the publishers and NetGalley had gifted me. The book is a good blend of tried-and tested gothic elements (such as the remote island setting involving a sombre graveyard and howling winter winds) and new spins on the genre (such as reality TV show plot). I thought the two main characters – investigative journalist Lauren and her nemesis in the shape of Hollywood star Nate – were perhaps a little ‘overdone’ when it comes to characterisation, but the ancillary cast was entirely believable and the storyline, following the ruthlessly ambitious contestants whose quest for the top prize is only interrupted by murder – was well-constructed. What made the thriller even more readable were the insights, along the way, of how the UK T.V. industry works. Overall, an enjoyable read!

Eventually I did enjoy this book. A bit of a slow burner but after a while I couldn't put it down. Lots of plot twists. One of which I had worked out but the one at the end, wouldn't have guessed that in a million years.

Well worth a read if you like a bit of a thriller. At some points I couldn't read at night if I was on my own as my imagination runs riot.

Can't wait to read what Louise Minchin comes up with next!!