“The perfect escape, or the perfect trap?

When a select group of influencers and journalists receive an exclusive invitation to a luxury resort in the Maldives, it seems like the ultimate press trip.

But when the island is cut off during a storm and people start dying, it looks like someone has murder in mind.

Are the guests really who they seem to be, or does each one of them have a secret to hide?

Something they would kill for?

Lose yourself in the latest twisty page-turner from the queen of glamorous crime, Catherine Cooper.”

Hello and welcome to damppebbles. Today I am delighted to share my review of The Island by Catherine Cooper. The Island was published by HarperCollins on 12th October 2023 and is available in paperback, audio and digital formats. I chose to read a free eARC of The Island but that has in no way influenced my review.

Destination thrillers are fast becoming a favourite sub-genre of mine. I think, in part, it’s due to the distinct lack of ‘Summer’ we had in the UK this year. Only a small part though. The main reason is more to do with a number of extremely talented writers being able to transport us ‘sodden, rained upon readers’ to luxurious and exotic locations. The Island is the second book I’ve read by Catherine Cooper (the first being The Chateau) and oh my goodness what a thrilling, highly compelling tale it was!

Influencer Malia can’t believe her luck when she’s picked to attend a soft launch of an exclusive new resort in the Maldives. The trip is so different to everything else she’s been asked to promote but she’s not going to point that out to Araminta, the resorts publicist. The small group of reporters and influencers are shown what the resort has to offer whilst being wined and dined by Araminta and resort owner, Henry Cadwallader. But then things start to go wrong. Essential equipment fails leading to injuries and accidents. Then the biggest storm the island has ever seen hits, stranding the group with minimal staff for company. Unable to call for help. What Malia first thought of as paradise soon becomes hell on earth…

The Island is a highly compelling and thoroughly engaging psychological thriller which I devoured with undeniable glee. I was always drawn back to the novel. Grabbing a few minutes here and there in the middle of ‘adulting’. I was so keen to discover how the events of the prologue tied in to the rest of the story. By the end of the novel it all makes perfect sense but I could not wait to find out what the author was keeping from me! The story is told using a dual timeline – at a smash ball in May 1990 where students of an exclusive school drink themselves silly and take whatever is on offer. And in the present, as the press pack drink the finest champagne and gorge themselves on what the resort has to offer. There are obvious connections between the past and the present but I could not tie everything together in my mind, despite trying! I needed the skill and dare I say, deviousness, of the author to do that!

Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. I LOVED The Island with its stunning setting and well-written sense of place, its cast of mainly unlikeable characters who create some lovely tension just by ‘being’, and a great, twisty plot that drew me into the characters’ rather privileged world. Although the characters are mainly unlikeable I did really warm to Malia who through the whole experience still couldn’t quite believe how lucky she was to have been invited! If you’re looking for a spot of escapism in your next book and you’re a fan of the psychological thriller then this is an absolute ‘must read’. I thoroughly enjoyed it and was reminded once again what a talented author Cooper is. Full of beautifully written suspense and tension, with a lovely sense of foreboding throughout, this engaging, highly addictive read was just what I needed. Highly recommended.

I chose to read and review a free eARC of The Island. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

The Island by Catherine Cooper was published in the UK by HarperCollins on 12th October 2023 and is available in paperback, audio and digital formats (please note, the following links are affiliate links which means I receive a small percentage of the purchase price at no extra cost to you): | amazon.co.uk | Waterstones | Foyles | bookshop.org | Goodreads | damppebbles bookshop.org shop | damppebbles amazon.co.uk shop | damppebbles amazon.com shop |

Catherine Cooper is a journalist specializing in luxury travel, hotels and skiing who writes regularly for national newspapers and magazines. She lives near the Pyrenees in the South of France with her family, cats and chickens. Her debut, The Chalet, was a top 5 Sunday Times bestseller.