This book is going to be huge!
It’s a thriller so you obviously expect it to be completely compelling but this book will absolutely blow you away.

Honestly? Probably one of my favourite reads of 2020. Everything from the plot to the characters to the twists completely enthralled me. I really liked both Erin and Lori and found them to both be relatable and realistic. I was pleased that we got to personally experience both their stories - especially Lori's - rather than just discovering everything through what Erin learnt. Sure there were a few elements that I'm not sure would have happened in real life (especially in regards to the police) but these were easy to overlook as it was such an exciting story. Lucy is a fantastic writer and it is easy to picture both the characters and the primary setting of the Island thanks to her skills. I'm cautious not to give anything away but this is most definitely a must-read. Crossing my fingers it will get made into a film/mini-series!

Thanks Netgalley for my ARC of this book.

I'm a huge fan of this author, and have read all her books, so I was excited when Netgalley offered an ARC for an honest review. Lucy Clarke never dissapoints. The Castaways is an adrenalin filled read, told from the perspectives of two sisters, Lori and Erin. Erin's account follows her ongoing and frantic search for answers after her sister's plane crashed, and Lori's is about the crash and the subsequent life lost on an island. So beautifully written as always, and the end has SO many twists that I didn't see coming. Plus, the cover is gorgeous and I can't wait to get my hardcopy when it is released to add to my collection.

I've not read any of Lucy Clarke's books before, but this was a well written book, an easy read

A classic who dunnit, murder mystery, set on a deserted island. Just enough pace to keep you wanting to read more. Just enough guessing and wondering and plenty of twists to throw you off the scent. For me, I found the setting a bit far fetched, and started to wonder just how you would manage to survive, especially with the age range of all the people trapped on the island. But, ignoring that, it was a good read and I enjoyed it.

I have found Lucy Clarke's thrillers to be a little bit hit and miss- I loved her last novel You Let Me In but sadly found The Castaways to be a disappointing read. It moves between two time frames told from the perspective of two sisters; Lori on an island off Fiji and her sister Erin who two years later is investigating what happened to her sister. I found this to be a rather mixed read. I enjoyed the parts from Erin's perspective but was really not gripped by the island setting and mystery. I didn't feel particularly invested in any of the characters or what happened to them.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC.

Similar to an Agatha Christie style where everyone is locked in a country house except this time its stranded on a beach! The book moves between the past and present and told from the perspectives of two sisters. I had enjoyed both narratives, and was eager to find out the ending. Although I wasn't particularly surprised by it, overall, I found it satisfying.

Ok, so this had eveything I've been looking for in a book and I could not put it down. I stayed up way past my bedtime reading to find out what happened. It wasn't just the "who dunnit" element, but also the why, and the survivalism really appealed to me.

The sisterly relationship between Erin and Lori really shined. And the backdrop of Fiji was written beautifully, especially in from Lori's point of view. A murder mystery, a plane crash, a tropical island, survivalism and numerous shady characters; what's not to love?

Loved the idea of a “closed room mystery” in a secluded island setting. An excellent whodunit that took my breath away.

The book reminds me of Agatha Christie. It’s a one by one murder mystery that left me spellbound. If you enjoy locked room mysteries you’ll be really into this one

I could review this book with just one word. WOW. Edge of the seat from start to finish. Plane crashes on remote Fijian island just a few survivors all with secrets. Will they be found? Do they all want to be found? How do they survive in a world that is so different from their norm? I f they do survive will they be the same people as before? I couldn't put it down until I had finished it.

A flight carrying a handful of people takes off from Fiji heading for a remote island resort... then disappears off the radar. No wreckage, no sightings, no black box recording, no evidence of any survivors. So far, so Oceanic Flight 815.

Erin’s sister Lori was on that plane, and Erin should have been, too. Although all the evidence suggests Lori is dead, Erin can’t let it go - she has to find out what happened.

The story follows both “now” and “then” timelines as we see Erin in the present day, and Lori in the past - recounting what really happened on that flight, and after, stranded on a distant Pacific island. Lori’s account in particular makes for increasingly gripping reading - the stakes felt high, and I couldn’t imagine where it was going to end.

I’m a sucker for castaway type stories - I can also recommend Stranded by Emily Barr, on a similar theme - and The Castaways was a thoroughly engaging read. Maybe a few more crash survivors might have added breadth, but it works well the way it is. Can the castaways survive the island... and each other?

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy. Wow. The description does not do this book justice. I was on the fence if I thought I would like it. but i was hooked the minute I read plane crash. This book was way better than I thought it was going to be based on the description. Great suspense, great secrets revealed, great use of going back and forth between the characters; GREAT ENDING! Loved this book! I powered through it.

Oooohhhhh this book was just what was needed in these strange times. Pure escapism!!

When I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about it.

Superb plotline and characters and an ending which I just couldn't work out which way it would go.

5 bit fat stars from me!

I have to admit I'm a sucker for a book set on a deserted island or somewhere the characters are stranded away from civilisation.

But I have to admit this one didn't quite work for me. Whilst there wasn't anything that made me even consider DNF it never really grabbed me.
I didn't feel any connection to the characters so I was never really invested in finding out what happened to them.

I struggled to get into it but it did slowly draw me in, mainly because it is well written and the pacing worked well and it was an easy read.

So overall, a reasonably enjoyable easy read

This really is a superb thriller and mystery!
You'd think in the modern world that there would be no island left unknown, where a plane could crash and be lost, with survivors having to fend for themselves in a treacherous and unwelcoming place despite the golden sands and palm trees. Lori is one such survivor who learns that being away from the confines of civilisation means that danger brings out the best in some people while others revert to savage.

This book is set in two time periods which eventually collide - Lori's begins immediately after the crash two years ago, and in the present her sister Erin, who was meant to be on the plane, is left searching for clues.

The characterisation is true-to-life with realistically portrayed behaviours and emotions, and the settings are incredibly atmospheric. The plot is certainly tense and there are some unexpected twists and surprises.

One to look out for if you enjoy thrillers, adventure, mysteries, or just good writing.

I love it. Lucy Clarke is just getting better and better. Her characters are plotted excellently. Although I liked the ending of this book very much.

Rating: 4.2/5

The official description of this book is somewhat misleading and had me expecting a "locked room" style murder mystery. That is certainly not the premise of this at all and, if anything, it does the writer an injustice. This novel has far more in common with William Golding's "Lord of the Flies" than it does with a murder mystery.

Erin and Lori are sisters. The cards that life has dealt them has led them to have a particularly close bond. Following a traumatic event, the two sisters decide to get away from it all and jet off on a paradisiacal holiday to Fiji - but events do not quite turn out as planned.

The story operates across dual timelines - the present day and the time of the holiday, a couple of years earlier - and the narrative alternates between the POVs of the two sisters.

I don't want to go into great detail here, as I have no wish to ruin your enjoyment by disclosing too much of the plot or by giving away spoilers. However, this does make for an absorbing read. It felt considerably shorter than its 416 pages, as I found myself eagerly devouring chapter after chapter and wondering which of the possible avenues the plotline was going to take.

The pacing of the story is excellent and Lucy Clarke captures the atmosphere of the setting extremely well. The result is not just a compelling mystery, complete with some quality characterisation, but also a piece of fiction that is, by turns, tense and emotional.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.

#TheCastaways #NetGalley
Electrifying, Chilling and Atmospheric.
If you have loved And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie, Sleep by C L Taylor, The House Guest by Abbie Frost and The Guest List by Lucy Foley then you must love this psychological thriller from the author of Sea Sisters.
It should be like any other holiday.
Beautiful beaches.
Golden sunsets.
Nothing for miles.
All characters were good. Narration was outstanding and setting was atmospheric.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK Harper Fiction for giving me an advanced copy.

The description for this doesn't give much away but it did sound right up my street - I'm a sucker for thrillers set abroad.

I was pulled in right from the start and enjoyed switching between past and present. Most chapters ended on a cliffhanger so I could never resist 'just one more chapter.' All of the main characters were well fleshed out and interaction and dialogue between characters was realistic. I loved the setting of the remote island and could picture it vividly.

The blurb does make it sound like the 'seven strangers' on the plane would all be relevant and all have secrets to discover so for half of them to be killed off immediately was a bit of a shock, I would have liked to have got to know them more, especially the American couple. Luckily, the remaining characters were all fascinating enough to make up for a small cast.

I would definitely recommend this book.

A really good read. From about halfway I could not put this book down. I just had to know how it finished and the ending was not disappointing. It had a gentle pace to start, as we engaged with each of the sisters separately and as we moved through their journeys the pace altered accordingly. A good plot, original characters and well written to boot .A perfect form of escapism..