A fantastic sun-kissed thriller set on a luxury Fijiian island. This story has a real Agatha Christie vibe to it.
When the island's residents begin dying in mysterious circumstances the fear is palpable..who's next? Who is the killer? It really could be anyone of the characters on the island.
Highly enjoyable with tons of lovable and truly appalling characters. Tons of interesting Fijian facts and cultural references, I felt very much Immersed in this fabulous Country 🇫🇯. A big five star

This was a glitzy kind of murder mystery. I love how the victims are often made insufferable in these kinds of mysteries. And dubious characters we often think will either be dubious or get dubious things happen to them!
These thrillers are also a bigger guessing game as.there is often a few bad eggs behaving badly in them.
The description of the island was brilliant.
The writing style and pace was reallyreadable. You know when a book just flows well? This had that. And the pulse rising moments were woven all the way through at the right moments. And a few twists I didn't see coming which was fun.

I really enjoyed this book. It had a lovely relaxing tropical setting in Fiji to counteract the dramatic events.

There were many intriguing characters to be suspicious about, and I found the plot was fast moving and engaging from the start.

I didn't predict the end at all.

I'll definitely look out for more books by this author in the future.

3.5 stars
Ali Lowe is a new to me author, so going in I didn't know what to expect from the writing, but having read the blurb this sounded right up my street.
I have to say that this was book of two halves for me. So, lets start with what I liked.
I loved the setting of an island in Fiji. This did play a big part of the story and really came across well.
It is packed full of rich people drama and I got into the story right away, I liked the characters and I was having a really good time reading it. The writing style was enjoyable and it was an easy read.
However by the halfway point I realised that noting was really happening.
The story felt like it was still building itself up and I was really needed something to actually happen.
The pace felt to really slow down and because of this my interest did dip slightly.
This isn't a thriller, it was definitely what I would class a mystery. But as it continued it all felt to become a bit muddled as to what it wanted to be. Cosy mystery? domestic fiction? Agatha Christie inspired?
It also did feel a bit too long for me as well.
I did really enjoy the first half of this but I did feel disappointed by the second half.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, i loved how the story was woven and told through the guests and staff's perspective.
I found this to be a gripping thriller that keeps readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish with the plot filled with unexpected twists and turns, making it impossible to predict what will happen next.
The writing is both engaging and suspenseful, with well-developed characters that add depth to the narrative.
The pacing of the novel is perfect, with just the right amount of tension to keep readers hooked without feeling overwhelmed.
The setting is vividly described, creating an immersive atmosphere that enhances the overall reading experience.
Highly recommended!

One of my guiltiest reading pleasures is the ritzy, glitzy vacation thriller genre. I love seeing the twisted, corrupt and ever so glamourous lives of the characters who, after arriving in isolated, paradise settings end up getting their comeuppance in a series of fun and inventive ways.

The Private Island by Ali Lowe ticks every one of those boxes and was a really fun read (highly reminiscent of elements of one of my favourite films of all time - the 1982 Peter Ustinov adaptation of Evil Under The Sun). There is no subtlety on offer, the key characters you hope will end up victims do and they do feel like exaggerations of the worst tropes found in this style of books but it does make the victim reveals all that much sweeter when it happens!

Pick this up ready for your poolside holiday read and I'm sure you won't be disappointed!

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this digital review copy of "The Private Island" in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.

A perfect beach read, this felt like reading The White Lotus. I loved the Fiji setting, it was well paced and I found myself captivating and thrilled by the various twists. One to add to your summer reading list.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Escapist Destination Thriller..
Loloma Island, Fiji - at an exclusive resort, preparations for the New Years Eve festivities are well underway. The resort peopled with wealthy and privileged individuals, each wrapped up in themselves, each with their own secrets and private scandals. This celebration will be like no other - almost certainly, as when a body washes up on the shoreline it becomes clear that everyone there has a motive for murder. Wholly escapist destination thriller with a pacy plot, a well crafted cast of characters and a well imagined setting. Compelling and entertaining.

Loloma is a 6 star resort and we follow the staff as they prepare for their guests to arrive. Nothing is too much trouble and they will even rake the sand for you.
As the guests arrive it is impossible to not feel an element of disgust at how some of them were going to be experiencing all of this luxury with their awful personalities.
Una the maid was a complete joy to read and I found myself devoted to her getting a happy ending.
The who, when, how and why of the murder mystery are written skillfully, and while some of this book has a few typical tropes nothing is as you expect and this is a fun, original read.

I really enjoyed this and will look out for others by the author. I would recommend to anyone who is interested in the premise but wants a different take on paradise. This would be a PERFECT beach read.

I received this eARC in return for an honest review, which this is. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.

Ali Lowe’s The Private Island sounds like Paradise… except, of course, it’s not. Loloma Island in Fiji is exclusive. If you can envision fireworks, endless Champagne bottles and a sunset that is social media worthy, you’re halfway there.
On the island, however, are a selection of guests, all of whom have a motive when a body washes up on the beach.
From the husband to the start-up founder, the dive instructor and glamorous – read: rich – heiress, what should be a holiday from heaven is swiftly going in the opposite direction.

I really wanted to love this book but it fell a little bit flat for me unfortunately.

What I did really like was the Fiji setting. I used to work on and off in Fiji when I lived in NZ and loved reading a book that celebrated the Fijian language and culture so well (even in the context of a 6 star tourist resort). The way the author describes and sets the scene is great.

However, I just didn’t get into the story or characters. Most of the characters were horrible people and I didn’t gel with any of them, which is not always a bad thing with thrillers but I also felt the character development wasn’t quite up to scratch either to feel fully invested. My favourite characters were Ula and Sailasa two of the Fijians who work at the resort and these two characters kept me going despite the other horrible ones.

I wanted to see how it all played out and there was a bit of suspense and I didn’t guess the major twists. However, they didn’t shock me either.

Overall, if you enjoy a destination thriller with a lot of mysterious drama then you will probably enjoy this one. Especially if you have been to / love Fiji. This book has great reviews already so might just be my opinion but this one was an average for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love a gossipy story about rich people behaving badly on luxury holidays, they’re always highly entertaining. I’m also a big fan of Ali Lowe - so combine the two and you have a winner. Several very unlikeable characters (and some not so hideous ones) are all holidaying in a 6 star Fijian resort; pretty soon the most unpleasant of them get their comeuppance- but there’s plenty more action to come.

What a great destination thriller! Having loved Ali Lowe’s previous novels, I had high expectations for this one and it surpassed them! Highly recommended!

This novel takes on a familiar trope, and really delivers in spades with respect to cleverness and originality.

A group of tourists arrive at a six-star resort in Fiji, one of the main characters being a truly obnoxious heiress whose behaviour would seem like a caricature except that sadly, real people like this exist (as Elon Musk has been proving of late!)

When the corpse of one of the guests is discovered, things really start to go pear-shaped and it turns out that everyone on the island has a secret of their own.

In some cases, those secrets are linked, and this story really has an Golden Era mystery feel to it. It reminded me very much of an Agatha Christie story and I have to say that at the conclusion, the multiple revelations mostly worked very well.

This was an enormously enjoyable read, and I would certainly love to encounter more of this writer's work. Highly recommended. This one gets 4.5 stars.

Luella, her husband, Benedict, her long lost sister, Thomasina, a nurse that hates that, and a couple that knows her husband all show up on an island in Fiju for New Year's Eve. While Luella is being a total B to everyone, these people are all plotting revenge on her for something in their past. How are they all connected? Are people safe?? Who will get off alive?

A group of people show up at a resort for New Year’s Eve. We have Luella, who is a spoiled rich bitch that everyone hates, and her gold digging husband, Benedict. Then we have Kitty and her husband, Fergus, who have an ulterior motive for this trip. A female doctor who also has an ulterior motive, and Luella’s sister, Thomasina. We also hear from Una and Sailisa , staff at the resort. Who will make it off the island alive? And who is working together for revenge?

3.5 🌟

Ah Luella, the character we are all going to love to hate.
Completely toxic and such good fun to read.
An idyllic holiday on a paradise island is almost certainly never going to end well for someone.
This weaves the staff and guests lives together nicely, and almost everyone is hiding something.
This is the perfect beach read.... unless you're on said paradise Island..