Packed with secrets, this is a mental work-out!

After working abroad for a couple of years, Juliet returns home to her family in time to see her father in hospital before he dies. He gives her instructions on things he wants her to do, but she doesn’t find out why although she does discover that her brother-in-law is privy to secrets. Her father also warned her there is a killer on the loose – but who, and why? Days later, a man is killed in a hit and run, and when the vehicle involved turns out to belong to Juliet she becomes suspicious of everyone and everything. There is an atmosphere in the family home and Juliet vows to get to the bottom of it all, but doing so may put her in danger; after all, the killer is still out there . . .

Wow, so much going on in this one! I suspected everyone (of everything) and although I did pick up the subtle clues along the way (well, when you read as much as I do, detective skills are honed to perfection), I didn’t solve the big question of who the killer was. There are so many secrets abounding in this family and it makes for exciting and unpredictable reading! With expertly crafted characters and many threads woven into a fine tapestry of a story, I was engrossed from first to very last and quite worn out by the final page. A good read, and an author to follow. 4*.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy and to Rachel Gilbey for my spot on this tour; this is – as always – my honest, original and unbiased review.

Juliet returns to the Isle of Wight after 2 years away to see her father who is critical in hospital.  She doesn't expect the last things he says to her to be a warning - a warning that if someone has a motive, they will kill...... Not making much sense of what he's saying Juliet goes away determined to figure it out. But what she also doesn't expect is to find that her family all have secrets......

And then someone else is killed and Juliet could be the prime suspect.  It wasn't her so now she has to face up to the fact that it could have been one of her family.  Finding out and uncovering the secrets becomes a lot more important.  But will she get to the bottom of things? Will the secrets be revealed? And will more lives be lost? 

This was a suspenseful read that had me questioning absolutely everyone along with Juliet!  I felt really sorry for her, coming back to not only lose her Dad but then to discover everyone in her family has secrets that they don't want to reveal.  And the more she finds out the more she starts to doubt people - and you really can't blame her!  I genuinely thought it might have been everyone expect Juliet at one point!

The story is gripping and unravels at a reasonable pace to keep you hanging on and wanting more.  There are twists that you won't be expecting too. There was one I guessed early on but other than that I had no clue!!

The setting is fab, and having not been to the Isle of Wight since I was a teenager I now really want to go!  The fact that the village is small and claustrophobic provides a brilliant background and atmosphere for the story.

So if you're looking for a suspenseful, twisty psychological thriller in a great setting then check this out!

The Island by Mary Grand is a kind of book that grows on you as you keep on turning pages. Set on the beautiful Isle of Wight, it is atmospheric (almost gothic in some parts), twisty, and impossible to put down.

Thirty-one-year-old Juliet has been teaching English in China for two years, when she receives a call from her mother teling her about a serious car accident that put her father in hospital. Juliet takes the first flight home and gets to the hospital just in time to have one last conversation with her dying father, who hints at various secrets that must not be revealed. especially since anyone with a motive can become a murderer on a small island like this. He also seems to regret having confided in Rhys, the local vicar and his son-in-law. At the funeral, Rhys makes a strange eulogy talking about sins, punishment and the duty of doing the right thing. Back home, Juliet sees more and more secrets and strange, conspiratory looks.

All sisters in this close-knit family are well-written characters with distinct personalities. The eldest one Cassie is a talented musician who used to be distant and uninvolved in the family, but is about to become a partner in a new business venture. Kind and selfless Mira, married to Rhys, appears to have some disagreements with her husband. The baby of the family Rosalind, the most spoilt and impatient of all of them, has grown a hard edge. Juliet keeps remembering the day Cassie and her mother came home with the newborn Rosalind, when their neighbours' son Harry was killed. The police have never found the murderer. When Rhys's body is found outside the vicarage in what appears a hit-and-run accident, everyone becomes a suspect, and you can't help thinking that these two cases might be connected.

I really liked the way the author kept adding layers and layers, secrets, hints and suppostitions in a slow and steady manner in this compelling domestic thriller. Mary Grand doesn't tell you, she shows a detail and lets you make your own conclusions. Sometimes they will misdirect you, other times they will lead straight to the crux of the matter. You just have to be patient and pay attention to the clues that will allow you to solve the mysteries and secrets that abound in this family and this part of the island.

I particularly appreciated the portrayal of Mira who is profoundly Deaf and the details that made this character so realistic.

My first thriller by this talented author and I was pleasantly surprised by how good the book is. I was thoroughly entertained and will be looking forward to reading Mary Grand's next book!

Set on the Isle of Wight, this is an atmospheric and twisty family orientated mystery and psychological suspense. The book begins with a drama-filled incident before returning to the recent past to illuminate the reader on events leading up to this.

Juliet returns home just in time to see her dying father and listen to his last requests. She is left wondering if they have substance or are the incoherent ramblings of a dying man. Her family appear to be hiding secrets. Have they always been like this, or has her time away given her clarity? When someone else dies, Juliet is drawn deeper into finding out who the murderer is and why putting herself in danger of losing her family's respect and possibly her life.

Juliet is the main protagonist with additional points of view from her sisters and the killer. The plot has twists relating to the family and the criminal investigation, which leave the reader with many suspects and fewer answers until the climactic conclusion. The characters and familial dynamics are relatable. The plot intensifies, becoming increasingly menacing as the story progresses.

The clues to the killer and their motivations are discernible. I guessed the culprit but not the twists that came before. The multi-faceted characters, sympathetic setting, and well thought out plot make this an enjoyable read.

I received a copy of this book from Boldwood Books via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

The Island is my second novel by Mary Grand, the last one was The House Party which I loved. I went into The Island expecting great things, and that's what I got. Mary Grand is such a brilliant suspenseful thriller author and I was lured into the plot about three sisters: Cassie, Mira and Rosalind who have very different lives.

Juliet has been abroad for years and her father is sick. There's a killer on the loose, he says.

Then, after a sudden murder for which Juliet is blamed, a hunt for the culprit begins. Could Juliet really kill? Or was it one of her sisters, each of who has problems of her own?

I love how Mary Grand uses the setting of the Isle of Wight as she makes it at once welcoming then sinister and scary. I had shivers running down my spine and was hooked on the plot.

What I enjoyed about the characters was that each sister was very realistically portrayed. Cassie is a musician, Mira is married to the vicar but their marriage is on the rocks.

I was pleased, as a fellow person with disabilities, that Mary Grand has created Mira, who is profoundly deaf. I think there aren't enough books with characters with disabilities in them and I am an advocate for any book that portrays disability well.. I found my awareness and understanding of living with deafness improved through this book too.

Rosalind is glamorous but unhappy.

The setting, plot and pace of writing combined to make this novel a hit in my opinion, and I can't wait to review more Mary Grand novels. She is now one of my favourite authors for thrillers.

The Island is utterly compelling. Highly recommended.

Thanks to Mary Grand, Boldwood Books and Rachel's Random Resources for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

5 stars.

The Island by Mary Grand is an excellent psychological/domestic thriller that I couldn’t stop reading once I started. Mary Grand has such an incredible ability to create vivid imagery in her storytelling. I felt like I was on the Isle of Wight.

I love how the suspension builds. The pacing is perfect and keeps you on your toes. I felt like I was there, with Juliet, and the story kept me glued to the pages.

The characters are so well thought out. Juliet was someone I felt I could relate to, and enjoyed reading.

Overall, The Island is possibly my favorite read of the year. I’m incredibly impressed with the writing, storytelling, characters…everything. I highly recommend this book!

Thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources for the review copy and the opportunity to honestly review this book on the blog tour. All opinions are my own and unbiased.

Secrets, scandals, and shocking revelations made “The Island” a gripping suspense thriller, and I enjoyed reading this one!

I loved the twists and turned in the story. The author beautifully throws in the red herrings, so you never really know who is guilty and innocent. Whether Mira or Rosalind, or Cassie, all the sisters have their secrets that they hide from each other. I also felt their mother be very odd. As the story progresses, the secrets start spilling, and you begin to realize how intricate the subplots are.

Moreover, the reveal of who was behind the murders was surprising, as it was someone I did not expect. I liked Juliet in the lead, albeit she did get on my nerves at times for the way she snooped into everyone’s business.
I found all the sisters also fascinating and felt each of them brought something new to the table. There are also characters like Gabriel and Maddie to add nicely to the mix.

However, the only downside to the story is that it takes time to set off. The book’s first half is pretty slow, as the author tries to set the background and connection between all the characters. But the story is intense in the second half as Juliet tries to snoop in everyone’s business and tries to find out who was behind her father’s death. The story picked up only once we find out what happened to Rhys.

Apart from that, I found “The Island” to be a well-written suspense thriller and would love to check out some of the author’s other books.

Juliet returns to the Isle of Wight after her father's car accident.. On his deathbed he warns her about a killer...

This was a good book. It's more a whodunnit full of secrets than a thriller.

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This really was a book that had me hooked from the very beginning, with Juliet returning to the island from her stay in China just in time to visit her father, on his deathbed after a car accident. There’s just enough time for him to tell her some incomplete and tantalising dark secrets from the past, to hint about threat and danger from someone close to home.

We’re then introduced to Juliet’s family – her mother and three sisters – and it soon becomes clear that there are even more layers of secrets than her father was able to reveal. And then there’s another death – a character who perhaps knows more than he should – and Juliet doggedly sets about pursuing the full story, where everyone becomes a suspect, red herrings abound, and the threat to her own safety steadily builds.

The family relationships and all the undercurrents are exceptionally well drawn. Juliet is perhaps closest to Mira, married to vicar Rhys, a gentle soul, sometimes challenged by her deafness – Cassie, the eldest, is rather more distant and a bit on the abrasive side, a gifted violinist whose career has been nurtured by her parents, but now on the verge of a surprising change of direction in partnership with Rhys’ unconventional sister. And then there’s Rosalind, the over-indulged youngest child… they’re all wonderfully drawn and complex characters, and the finger of suspicion points at all of them at different points in the story as we find out more about their secret lives.

This is one of those stories that really gets under your skin, as you share Juliet’s path to uncovering the full story with its surprises in the present day and the echoes from the past. The island setting is integral to the story, and quite beautifully drawn – at first the teeming hordes of holidaymakers, making way for a tight community where everyone knows everyone else’s business, claustrophobic and atmospheric despite the beaches, clifftops and wide open spaces.

I’m not a fan of fast-moving chills and thrills, and found the pacing of this story quite perfect – the tension built deliciously slowly, the characters brought unexpected moments of surprise, and the exchanges between them were fraught with the complexity that only families can bring. Along with Juliet, I found myself desperately trying to unpeel the layers – I did get there a little ahead of her in the end, but that only left me feeling a little smug rather than spoiling the outcome.

I really enjoyed Mary Grand’s last book, but I think this one was even better – driven by its characters with their convoluted relationships but with an intriguing and compelling story steadily unfolding, and some real surprises along the way. I loved this one – very much recommended.

(#Blogtour - review copied to Amazon UK, but link not yet available)

I was intrigued by this book. Most of the book I thought I knew the answer to who killed Rhys but I was wrong. Juliet is determined to solve Rhys’ murder, even questioning her own family. Many secrets are uncovered throughout the entire book so I was always learning new information. You will not be bored with this book!

Thank you Netgalley for the advance copy. Juliet returns to the Isle of Wight when her father is involved in a serious accident. On his death bed he gives Juliet a confused warning talking about murder and tells her to look after the family. Juliet uncovers secrets and lies within her family and puts herself in danger. A real page Turner with twists and turns

Juliet returns to her home on the Isle of Wight after her father is involved in a car accident. His final words to her are 'Anyone who has the motive can kill. And if they have killed once, they can kill again. Remember that.' He also asks her to to take care of her family because she is the strong one. Juliet has no idea what he is referring to but after her brother in law, Rhys, is killed by an unidentified car, she begins to ask questions and uncovers a host of secrets and lies.

There is plenty of intrigue and mystery in this very well plotted and crafted novel. The author expertly leads you down a number of blind alleys. I thought I'd cracked the case on more than one occasion. Juliet is tenacious in her pursuit of the truth of what happened to Rhys and how the incident might be connected to a similar accident twenty-one years ago. As she digs deeper she discovers all her family have secrets they would rather remain undiscovered.

The characters are really authentic and believable and the setting is masterfully created. As the plot develops a growing tension is cleverly weaved into the cosiness of family life. The ending was suitably dramatic in both action and atmosphere.

In summary, this was a really enjoyable thriller, well written with a smart premise. I recommend The Island very highly and look forward to Mary Grand's next novel.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Living on the Isle of Wight, having a deaf sibling and loving psychological thrillers, this book was right up my street (literally!).
The setting descriptions were perfect and I could really feel how Juliet was thinking/feeling and how it was affecting her relationship with her mum/sisters.
It was more of a whodunit murder mystery than a thriller so although it didn’t have me on the edge of my seat with my heart in my throat, there were a few twisty moments and I was dedicated to finding out who did it!

The Island was an interesting book. I found it a little bit of a slow burner at the beginning but then the pace picked up. I liked the characters and I liked the setting. I found this to be an all round good book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for my ARC.

Murder mystery on the Isle of Wight

Juliet returns home to the Isle of Wight after 2 years away to find considerable change within her family. How well does she really know those she is closest to?
As Juliet’s father lies dying, he tells her that there is a secret that must stay hidden. A murder starts Juliet on a desperate search to uncover the truth – at any cost. As we follow Juliet’s investigation, so members of her family come under suspicion as the plot twists and turns, and it becomes a real whodunit, with the reader questioning the actions of those involved as much as Juliet is. I loved the skill with which the author threw suspicion on various characters, and then left plenty of doubt in the air, until the final reveal.
Meanwhile the setting on the Isle of Wight is lovely. Cowes week takes place, but further away things are quiet amongst the island community. The beaches, country lanes and the vineyard all sound wonderful – an idyllic place, apart from the murder mystery and all the secrets!
Following a dramatic opening I was immediately interested in the plot and the mystery as it unfurled. Much of the story is at a gentle pace, more about family relationships and secrets, than murder mystery, until ... . A great whodunit, set in beautiful Isle of Wight, just perfect for a relaxing read with the thrill of trying to guess who did it and why.

I enjoyed The Island enormously. Even though I have not been to The Isle of White, I feel as if I know it well through Mary Grand's wonderful description of the place. The twists and turns held me captive, and I thoroughly enjoyed this gripping read.

I'm excited to be taking part in the #BlogTour for Mary Grand's atmospheric thriller THE ISLAND.

Although this author's first psychological thriller "The House Party" still sits on my shelf, I have yet to delve into it so therefore THE ISLAND is my first foray into the writings of Mary Grand and the simply beautifully atmospheric setting on the Isle of Wight. And what a setting it is! It gave the reader that sense of claustrophobia and foreboding throughout as the pieces of the puzzle are slowly pieced together. THE ISLAND simply drips with domestic tension as twist after twist reveals secrets slowly bubbling to the surface. Shadows in the night. Objects go missing. And then...there's murder.

After two years teaching English in China, Juliet returns home to the Isle of Wight after her father's tragic accident which leaves him clinging to life in hospital. Arriving just in time, her father's last words leave her with more questions than answers as he hints at a past death and issues her with a warning to be careful and to look after her mother and sisters. His last wish was to not give her youngest sister the musical box he had painstakingly made for her upcoming 21st birthday, as he had made each one of his girls. For what reason, she doesn't know. He also cryptically mentioned a key which was just as puzzling to her. But his biggest regret before taking his last breath was that he had confided in her sister Mira's husband Rhys, the local vicar, and feared he made a huge mistake in doing so.

Her father's last words were both alarming and confusing but Juliet feels compelled to respect his wishes and take heed of his warning, whatever it may mean. His death has left a gaping hole in their lives as her mother and sisters are filled with grief, each of them dealing with it in her own way. Mira turns to her husband. Juliet finds comfort in old flame Gabriel. Eldest sister Cassie draws her mother closer whilst keeping the rest of them at arm's length. And the youngest Rosalind escapes the confines of the house and the flood of grief that envelops them there. The complexities of the relationships of the sisters reflect their differences and highlight the fact that each of them are keeping secrets. And then Rhys' strange message at the funeral leaves Juliet with a sense of of unease as well as even more questions.

In the midst of their father's death and subsequent funeral fell Rosalind's 21st birthday which slipped by, not unnoticed, but not celebrated either. That came a week later when the family planned to celebrate her "coming home" with a small family party to honour the day Rosalind came home given the circumstances of her birth were a little unusual, having been unexpectedly born when her mother and Cassie were visiting London. What should have been a happy and enjoyable day ended in heated words. Rhys revealed that he was unable to keep the secret their father had imparted on him any longer and gave the family a chance to talk things over before he revealed the secret himself.

But before he can, Rhys is killed in a tragic hit and run outside his church as he left in the wee hours. Who killed him? And was it only coincidence that it happened on the twenty-first anniversary of another hit and run on the island, when Gabriel's older brother Harry had been killed?

Suddenly Juliet begins to look at her family and all those closest to her in a different light. Who had the most to lose by Rhys revealing the secret? To understand that Juliet knew she had to find out what the secret was first before unmasking who could have killed him. She went over events of the evening in her mind and recalled hearing someone leave the house and seeing a shadow walk out their front gate. But as there are no street lights, all she saw was a shadow and had no way of identifying them. She also recalls seeing a light on in her father's workshed out the back. Who would be in there at midnight? And what on earth would they be doing? And she herself remembered how hot it had been that night and how she couldn't sleep, spending time chatting to Gabriel who video called her several times throughout the night worried about his mother Maddie who had been so sick at the time. What did any of this mean?

Despite everyone's wishes that she leave well enough alone, Juliet begins to investigate. And she soon discovers as secrets and lies begin to come to light, so too does suspicions arise.

I loved the setting of the Isle of Wight. The descriptions, the walks, the beach, the stillness, the storms, the breathtaking beauty...made for an atmospheric thriller with an eeriness and a sense of foreboding. It gave the reader the feeling of claustrophobia with it being an island that could see them cut off from the mainland at any time. And those storms were penultimate in their deliverance.

A domestic thriller of a different kind, THE ISLAND is a slow burn that gradually builds in tension creating an atmosphere that will have you looking over your shoulder as you turn the pages. While not a fan of slow burns especially, this one did hold my interest enough to keep me going until I drawn in completely and unable to put it down. The suspense and the tension are palpable to the point of a compelling need to uncover the truth.

There are plenty of twists to keep the reader guessing the killer's identity throughout. I know I changed my mind several times coming back to my first suspect early on and then the author threw in yet another twist to throw us off yet again. I figured out several of the secrets that had been simmering beneath the surface even if it took Juliet a lot longer to twig to the clues I picked up almost instantly. After one secret is discovered, it leads Juliet in another direction to uncover the truth. Even the reader is questioning how well we really know her sisters? Her mother even? But surely...not murder?

THE ISLAND is filled with mystery, suspense and tension throughout and is perfect for those who enjoy an atmospheric thriller without the graphic descriptions of those more gritty in nature. It's a riveting and completely absorbing read that is intense once it gets going.

And of course, I cannot let this review go by without the mention of Lola, Mira's therapy dog. Although she doesn't play a key part, her presence makes a lovely addition. I also enjoyed the normality in which everyone treated Mira and, despite being profoundly deaf, her ability to lip read and converse through sign and voice was a wonderful touch.

Whilst being a new voice in this genre, I think Mary Grand could be a name to watch for that touch of psychological and domestic noir with the atmospheric setting of the Isle of Wight.

I would like to thank #MaryGrand, #Netgalley, #RachelsRandomResources and #BoldwoodBooks for an ARC of #TheIsland in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at <a href="https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/</a>.

Loved this one, it was set on the Isle of Wight which I visit from time to time and I know Brook Village well. This was a good twisty story which kept you guessing all the way through. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Juliet has returned to the Isle o Wight from years abroad to visit her sick father and be reunited with her sisters - Cassie, a professional musician who seems to have lost her way in life. Mira, who is profoundly deaf, is married to the local vicar, but their relationship is falling apart. Rosalind, glamorous and charming but deeply unhappy and secretive. As Juliet's father lies dying, he warns her that there is a killer on the loose, and they may be closer than she thinks. Days later, at 1am, a man walks out of Rhys's church and is knocked down by an unidentified driver. Suspicion soon points to Juliet.

This is a gripping, steady paced and twist filled read. It's a well written whodunit where nearly everyone is a suspect. I was hooked from the first chapter, needing to find out exactly what was going on. I was hooked from the first chapter, needing to find out what was going on. Every time I thought I knew where the story was going, something was revealed to make me change my mind. I did eventually get it right, but not until nearer the end. I've been to the Isle of Wight a couple of times and the author describes it perfectly. This book held my attention throughout.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #BoldwoodBooks and the author #MaryGrand for my ARC of #Thesland in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this book, it was fast-paced, intriguing, and mysterious.
All the threads connecting the various murders/deaths came together nicely in the end and I was pleased as it often happens some questions are left unanswered.
The characters were mysterious and interesting, everyone seemed to hide something, big or small, and this added to the mystery of a good whodunnit book.
The only thing I would change are the many hints and clues scattered around the book, for me by the end it was quite obvious who the culprit was... although this can also be due to the fact that I read so many thrillers, I might pick many things up that other readers wouldn't.

Many thank to NetGallery and the publisher for sending an ARC of this book in exchange fir an honest review.