"Widow's Island" by L.A. Larkin is a gripping thriller that had me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. The author weaves a tale of suspense and danger around the life of Stephanie Miller, an average working mom thrust into the spotlight after her war hero husband's death and her own work as a scientist makes headlines.

Larkin does an excellent job of creating a palpable sense of fear and paranoia as Stephanie and her teenage daughter, Amy, seek refuge on a remote island in Washington. The narrative skillfully captures the struggle of a woman trying to rebuild her life while constantly looking over her shoulder, anticipating the revelation of a dark secret from her past.

The pacing of the story is relentless, with tension steadily escalating as the protagonist faces increasing threats both online and in the real world. The inclusion of graffiti on Stephanie's garage door and the ominous feeling of being watched outside her home add layers of psychological suspense that kept me eagerly turning the pages.

The character development is another strong point in this novel. Stephanie is a relatable and well-rounded protagonist, and her transformation into a determined fighter adds depth to the narrative. The emotional resonance of the story is heightened by the murder of someone close to Stephanie, forcing her to confront her worst fears.

L.A. Larkin's writing is sharp, and the plot twists are cleverly executed, keeping readers guessing until the very end. The author masterfully creates an atmosphere of menace and intrigue, making "Widow's Island" an addictive, unputdownable read. Fans of thrillers, especially those by Rachel Caine, Lisa Regan, and Gregg Olsen, will find this book to be a perfect addition to their collection. Overall, a four-star recommendation for anyone seeking a heart-pounding and suspenseful experience.

It’s not difficult to see why crime writing legends Peter James and Lee Child are full of praise for L A Larkin. In her latest novel, Widow’s Island, she has penned a nail-biting thriller that is so captivating, it will make your heart jump out of your chest!

Stephanie Miller’s life had been turned on its head when her war hero husband died. As if coping with grief and loss wasn’t enough, Stephanie has to contend with her work as a scientist becoming front page news. With the tabloids desperate to dig up dirt on her, Stephanie is desperate. She needs somewhere to lay low for a couple of weeks until this media storm dies down, so decides to take refuge on a remote island in Washington, alongside her teenager daughter. However, Stephanie will soon come to regret this decision as she realises that escaping the past is far easier said than done…

Stephanie cannot shake off the feeling that somebody is watching her. Her fear is compounded by graffiti on the garage door and the incessant harassment which she is receiving online. Stephanie’s unease grows with each passing day, but when somebody close to her is murdered in cold blood, it seems that all of her worst fears are coming true. Someone knows the truth about her past and they will go to any lengths to terrorize her. With everything to lose, Stephanie needs to fight with everything she’s got to protect herself and her daughter from a dangerous adversary who will stop at nothing to make her pay the ultimate price.

Fast-paced, twisted and definitely not for the faint-hearted, L A Larkin’s Widow’s Island is an addictive thriller I read in a matter of hours. A first-rate thriller that is absolutely impossible to put down, Widow’s Island is a terrifying, sinister and jaw-droppingly shocking page-turner guaranteed to keep you reading until the early hours of the morning.

L A Larkin certainly knows how to keep her readers completely and utterly hooked onto every single word she writes and in Widow’s Island, she cements her position as one of the genre’s most exciting and most ingenious writers.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Big thanks to Netgalley and the author for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
The premise of this book sounded like my style of reading so I was excited going in! Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed :(
There was a lot happening, with the murders, the politics and cyber harassment, but it was slow for me. I got a bit lost during the political talk, there also seemed to be some unnecessary details. The main character was not very likable in my opinion and seemed to take sage advice in her teenage daughter. There were however, a few great twists, but some were too predictable.
The setting on the island was great! Very creepy!
It may appeal to other thriller lovers, but it was just a miss for me :(

This book successfully addressed a number of relevant issues today, like social media and how it is used to spread rumors, bullying and fall news (can anyone remember Covid 2020...). I enjoyed the book and will read more by the author in future.

Another surprising novel, I have to admit. I didn’t begin this book with high expectations, but left with the most refreshing thoughts on this lovely novel. Stephanie is looking for a fresh start after the death of her husband. Her daughter Amy is making her life difficult, because Amy doesn’t like their new town. This is a quick read with plenty of good moments.

Stephanie Miller moved to an island to get away from it all. Her memories of her life before her war hero husband’s death were too much. Little does Stephanie know, someone is digging up all of her secrets to ruin her. When her best friend ends up dead, Stephanie knows something so much bigger is going on.

L.A. Larkin crafted interesting voices throughout this book. From Stephanie, who is a mourning mother, to FBI agents, who have worked on this serial killer before, each character feels developed and easy to follow.

I loved the pace of this book. Everything felt quick and urgent, so there was never a dull moment. Little elements of the book continue to put you on edge over and over again, especially when this case is connected to past cases.

This book was captivating from start to finish! I gave it a solid 5 star rating. If you’re a fan of Criminal Minds this one is definitely for you.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

The blurb of Widow’s Island totally drew me in. However, as the chapters began to unfurl and the story began to have a political element, I admit I groaned inside. I tend to stay away from any political dramas or thrillers. There’s just too many books in this world to read and those genres just don’t do it for me. However, I was committed to this book so buckled myself up for the ride.

Widow’s Island is the perfect blend of a crime and political thriller. Both themes went hand in hand throughout the book, and tied up at the end for a compelling conclusion. It certainly helped that the political element was focused on climate change. It’s certainly an interesting topic and one of high interest today. The use of a trolling farm also gave the story a new twist.

One of the main things that put me off political-type genres is that the characters are often cold and you don’t get the chance to bind with them. Despite the fact that Stephanie is a professor involved in a climate report potentially set to change the law, I felt I really knew her beyond her job. Both Stephanie and daughter Amy are strong, independent women with a fragile side as they battle their grief following the loss of husband/father Patrick.

Overall, Widow’s Island was a pleasant surprise and gets a thumbs up from me.

Wanting a change of life, Stephanie moved to Widow Island when there was a message for her on the social media. This was a suspenseful tale with murder and cyberbullying. There was complexity in plot line and the character build-up. Twists written in were good, but I wanted a bit more of tension across the scenes. Overall, an entertaining read.

A fantastic read, it had me gripped from the start and what an amazing ending WOW. I look forward to reading more

I had such high expectations for this read as the blurb really sounded like my kind of thing. It was gripping to begin with and there was so much secrecy and suspense it really kept me turning the pages. Then the pace changed dramatically and it just dragged. There seemed to be a lot of unnecessary fluff and I was urging it to get to the good stuff. There was certain aspects of the storyline I found interesting and others I didn’t see the need to include. The main character Stephaine I found I liked one minute and she got on my nerves the next. It definitely has the creep factor but when it came to the finer details it lacked the follow through. The wow factors just didn’t hit the mark which was disappointing. It was ok but could have been great.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review this ARC that was published on the 3rd of June.

I had previously read Prey by this author, and I loved it, so I was really looking forward to Widow’s Island.

It certainly didn’t disappoint. There were gory murders galore, and so many red herrings. While at the time of reading I had felt that perhaps we were entering into too much backstory of the characters, the necessity of this became clear as the book progressed.

I enjoyed the twists and had a particular soft spot for Samson.

A well-written book with many tense moments.

Couldn't get into this book and DNF. I couldn't connect with Stephanie and found her character whiny and unlikeable. The plot was slow and just didn't hold my attention. Won't be reviewing anywhere else as I didn't finish

Widow's Island was my first L.A. Larkin novel, and it definitely won't be my last! This is an amazing psychological thriller that's full of twists and turns. I couldn't wait to find out who was behind the cyberbullying and murders, so I had an incredibly hard time putting this book down...and the ending was great. I've read plenty of serial killer thrillers, but I've never read any quite like this one. Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read and review Widow's Island. : )

A psychological thriller
Has plenty of twists and turns
Will have you on a rollercoaster ride so fasten your seatbelt
Brilliant read
Thanks NetGalley

Professor Stephanie Miller is an eminent scientist resarching climate change. She is newly widowed and has moved house to escape the painful memories of her happy previous life. Her teenaged daughter is not happy with the change. Before they can settle properly into their new life, Stephanie's character is assassinated on social media in a deliberate attempt to discredit her opinion. Further tragedy ensues when a murder takes place but is Stephanie the real target of a serial killer?
Widow's Island is a fast paced thriller about cyberbullying and a serial killer! It is the first book I have read by this author but won't be the last :)
Stephanie is a strong woman, trying to care for her teenager as they both cope with their grief. She also has a worthy job, trying to informed the US government about the risks of climate change. I felt so enraged that both Stephanie's personal and professional lives are under attack. She struggles to keep her cool as all aspects ofher life are opened to scrutiny and I really felt her frustration. Her devastation at the murder of a friend and fears for her daughter were also realistic and caught me emotionally.
The book is written in the third person so that we see the viewpoints of Stephanie and her daughter, the internet trolls, the police and the killer. This gives us insights into multiple actions and the motives behind them. I found the trolling system to be particularly insidious and it had an authenticity which is worrying.
The tension and danger are maintained throughout. There were twists and turns as the cyberbullying and discrediting of Stephanie's reputation ramps up the pressure. And then we had the physical peril she faces as the serial killer moves closer. Location is important as the island makes the danger more concentrated as there are not many police and little chance of escape.
Widow's Island was an engaging crime thiller that had me hooked.

I am honestly not sure how I made it through Widow's Island; I wanted to give up so many times, but I kept hoping things would get better. But, unfortunately, they never did.

There were so many unnecessary things added to the story to make it seem thrilling and keep you guessing, but they just made the story boring. With a dead war veteran husband, a political climate change bill, online trolls, and a creepy island that isn't welcoming to newcomers, this story felt like it was trying too hard. Also, strange POV chapters from the killer felt clichéd and unnecessary and didn't hit the creepy stalker vibe that I think L.A. Larkin was trying to achieve.

On top of everything, the protagonist, Stephanie, was nails-on-a-chalkboard level of annoying. Whiny and pathetic, she stumbled from one page to the next with no backbone. She's supposed to be this impressive scientist and professor, but she came off as ignorant and naive. And the 'secret' she's been hiding from her daughter since her husband died was so dull it made perfect sense - Stephanie is such a tedious character, of course, her 'deep, dark secret' would be pointless.

There are so many good thrillers out there, this does not rate highly on that list.

Wow, I have just finished this book and my heart is still beating out of my chest!!! Usually, when a book is described as nail-biting, I am not sure whether to believe it or not, but in this instance, it is very true. I have no fingernails left!

Stephanie has been widowed and she moves to Whisper Island with her teenage daughter, Amy, to make a fresh start. What follows is the stuff of nightmares. Stephanie and Amy are targetted in social media by vicious trolls and they are in grave danger.

I loved Stephanie's character. She was a quiet, nerdy woman who stepped up when she needed to protect her daughter, like all good lionesses. Her daughter was a typical teen - surly, rude at times, hard to handle but at other times soft and vulnerable. The two of them though, made a formidable team.

The story just kept getting more intense and I kept on reading, reading long into several nights (even though I got scared) because I just needed to know if these two women would be ok and who was targetting them.

Finally, it was done. And I could finally breathe again.

5 well-deserved stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture.

Absolutely addictive. A thrilling, heart pounding rrollercoaster of a read. I just could not put this one down. Very highly recommended

⭐⭐⭐⭐ -- Enjoyed this one a lot!

This turned out to be quite an engaging little book! It was well written, and well paced. The plot was intriguing, and different from your straight up "serial killer" type of book with the addition of the cyber bullying angle. All the characters were likable. Although, I found Stephanie's character frustrating at times. I just wanted her to grow a backbone and stand up for herself. She was supposed to be this uber smart, and world renowned scientist, yet she acted like a scared rabbit half the time. However, that was just a small niggle for me in an otherwise great book. A strong two thumbs up from yours truly.

**ARC Via NetGalley**

Thankyou NetGalley, Bookouture and the author, L.A Larkin, for the opportunity to read Widows Island in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion .
I thought this book provided a good read.
Well drawn characters and a fast paced narrative.
Worth a read for fans of the genre.