I’m a sucker for a good who-dunnit, and this one ticked the box for me! Good setting, great premise to build up the group of strangers in the standard ‘can you guess’ type storyline. Characters were well written, would have loved there to be a few more people getting picked off, or a few more red herrings to throw you off the scent (tho it wasn’t predictable anyway!) – but it keeps you gripped throughout. The latter half of the story goes a bit left-field & repetitive, almost as if the author wasn’t quite sure what to do with the great set up that had been outlined previous, but the accusation was unexpected, and it did go a different way than I had been predicting so for that, I was glad of the uniqueness!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my digital copy in exchange for an honest review. I requested this book because I loved the cover, I'm not gonna lie...I didn't read what it was about or anything and this time, it kinda backfired on me. Not that the book wasn't good...it was entertaining but there were times where I was not able to hang because it wasn't keeping my interest. Basically, a rich author with his own island dies and five authors are supposed be in a contest to finish his latest book and whoever wins, gets to take over the other books in his series...fairly soon after they arrive, people begin dying off and they have to fight to stay alive while they try to figure out who is doing the killing...it wasn't quite what I was expecting as I started it but it was still a good read.

I absolutely loved everything about this book. I loved the premise, the setting and the characters. This would have easily been a one sitting read for me if I had the time. Once I started reading I could not stop!

Definitely will be recommending this one!

Good suspense in an interesting setting. Not the longest read but the perfect length for the plot. Plenty of twists and lots of action even in a short plot.

A good, fun, island take on the Agatha Christie classic And Then There Were None.

Great for pool side reading or at the beach!

An interesting quick read. I loved the setting.
Many thanks to Level Best Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

The writers are gathered on the island, owned by Lily, for a competition run by Alex. They are shown to their villas and then one of them dies overnight. As they are locked on the island with no phones, they turn on each other, looking for the murderer. Then it gets worse! Risa is forced to investigate after the others turn on her.
Great twisty mystery, with quirky characters, which has the reader guessing which one could possibly be the murderer. Excellent!

This book was everything I look for in a book. It was so exciting. The plot was fantastic. It really had me on the edge of my seat, and my heart racing. It was very well written and flowed well.

Five authors, each with their own secrets, are chosen to complete a deceased novelist’s unfinished manuscript. For single mom Risa Marr, the competition is the opportunity of a lifetime. At stake is a million dollars and a contract to continue the famous novelist’s bestselling thriller series.

Transported to the tropical paradise of Key Island, the finalists are cut off from the world and given seven days to draft their best ending for the book. But when one of them turns up dead, theories and accusations abound. Accident? Suicide? Or Murder? To what lengths will competitors go to win? And who, if anyone, will leave the island alive?

This was a really easy, fun summer read. It was quite action packed and we dove straight into the story from page 1 so it pulled you in straight away. There was good character development for the main character and we really got to know her and her backstory but the same can’t really be said about the other characters, they seemed to just be more there for the numbers and suspects for the murders.

I do think this would be a great beach holiday read. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for gifting me this book for review.

The premise of this book is fantastic. Absolutely loved The Survivor/The Apprentice feel.

The first quarter of the book was fast paced, interesting and a really good thriller. Unfortunately it unravelled quickly and that was mainly because there was far too much description and pointing out the obvious. There was a fair amount of summarising and it often did not read how people speak due to this.

The book needed to be a 1/4 shorter and just tightened up quite a bit. Who the killer was and the mystery surrounding Trent were both really obvious too. It wasn't nuanced enough at all...clues were given quite heavy handed and with the over explaining, it was telling not showing and not giving the reader enough credit to look for clues.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I apologize but I was not able to finish this book. I was in a different headspace at the time of requesting / recieving this book and the time I got it.

I have mixed feelings. Loved the premise and the setting, but I'm unsure about the plot and the characters. I certainly wanted to keep reading to the end, but I already had an inkling of who the killer was. 3 1/2 stars rounded up.

DNF 30%

I really wanted to love this but, unfortunately, this one just wasn't for me. I adore the idea and the setting on the island, but I just couldn't get into it. I found it very bland. The characters, the story, nothing pulled me in or made me want to continue reading.

Five authors are invited to complete an unfinished manuscript by a famous deceased murder mystery author. For the contest, his widow has given them the use of her private island paradise for one week. The winner will receive a million dollars, and a contract to take over the book series.

A contestant drowns, and everyone questions whether it was a suicide or a murder. When the second murder occurs, it becomes obvious that the contestants are being hunted and killed, one by one. The literal smoking gun is found in the cabinet of Risa Marr, an innocent single mother who only wants the chance to win the life-changing prize and get home to her young daughter. Will Risa find the actual murderer before she becomes the next victim?

What a colorful cast of characters in an incredible setting! Each contestant has something to hide, each has an agenda of his/her own, and each is desperate for the million dollar prize and the lucrative contract. The setting of the island paradise is meant to spark the authors’ imaginations for writing, but after the second death it inspires their imaginations in a different way as they cast suspicion on each other, but especially on the woman who had the weapon planted in her bungalow. It’s a fun read, and a fast-paced whodunit. I enjoyed The Finalist very much, and would recommend it to all fans of murder mysteries.

I’d like to thank NetGalley, Joan Long, and Level Best Books for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! What a thrilling, suspenseful and engaging book! One twist after another kept me on the edge of my seat. Highly recommend!

When a well-known author died suddenly of what appears to be a reaction to a nut allergy, readers are saddened. Rumors fly because he was so careful. How was he exposed to nuts?

His latest book was nearly finished. To bring it to publication, his widow arranges for a contest. Five authors are chosen to spend a week on the author’s remote island, no way to communicate with the outside world, just a week of reading the finished portion of the book and writing a killer ending. The author who remains true to the brand will get to continue the franchise.

Maybe killer ending wasn’t meant to be taken literally. The first night there, one of the contestants, a beautiful woman whose last best seller was ten years prior, tries to make an extra special impression on one of the judges. Another uses flattery on the widow. The retired football player has a cocky attitude but a short temper to go with it. Risa needs the money as her temp job is running out and she has a daughter to care for. Trent, a man she dated briefly in college, is a mystery. No one seems to know his books, even though being published is a requirement of the contest. He’s sticking close to Risa, closer than she’d like. The next morning, one of the contestants is found floating face down in the water near the pier. It must be an accidental drowning, right?

They almost believe it.

Although there’s no way on or off the island or any way to call for help or the police, they can’t help but feel they’re being watched. Who, why, and how are questions they need answered if they’re all going to survive the week. After all, it looks like one of them took the ‘who do I have to kill to win?’ question a step too far.

This story pulls you right into the scene. Have a tropical adult beverage at hand, wear your flip flops, and dive in. Have plenty of reading time scheduled. You won’t want to put this one down until the last page.

Thank you to NetGalley and Level Best Books for an e-ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Intriguing Premise…
Such an intriguing premise - five authors are chosen to complete the manuscript of a deceased novelists unfinished work. Each author holds his or her own secrets. The competition is rife. The stake? - one million dollars. Being transported to the tropical island of Keys, each is cut off from the outside world. It’s not too long before the situation on the island takes a downward spiral and a body is found. Wholly entertaining suspense with a well drawn cast and an immersive narrative which keeps the reader guessing.

I do love a murder mystery, especially when it's set on a tropical island location.
This has everything you'd expect from a whodunnit, rather far fetched at times but I didn't mind it as I was rooting for the main character Risa and enjoyed the humour of her sidekick Devlin.
It's not the best I've read but still an enjoyable read, one for on the beach on holiday.
#NetGalley #TheFinalist

Wow, what a well written first novel for this author! A fabulous storyline with complex characters, the reader will be intrigued with the mystery of this journey. There’s a lot at stake in this competition, a beautiful relaxing setting and plenty of intrigue, definitely a must read.

Congratulations to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.