I recently became a member of NextGalley and Devils Island is the first book I’ve read from there. It will be out in September 2024.

At the start of the story Brooke is on a boat. She was invited by Jane, to whom she has a long time but now complicated friendship, to accompany her on a hike across the most beautiful island in the world. Besides Jane and Brooke, there are six other people on that boat as well: the tour guides Kerry and Bryan, and two couples Malcolm and Charlotte and Ian and Margaret. The couples are friends. We quite early in the story learn why Jane wanted to go on that hiking trip, because she tells Brooke the real reason why she wanted to go. Then someone goes missing, and about a day later someone gets murdered and the remaining members of the hiking group get divided.

From the first sentence this story had me. I love the writing style that is used and for me this style makes it an easy read. The characters are likeable, flaws and all. I had a hard time putting the book away when I was reading. What I liked was that I read chapters through the eyes of a character (mainly Brooke and Kerry). Another thing what doesn’t happen often to me is that at one point this story had me teary-eyed.

When I started reading I went globally through the acknowledgments and information. While I can understand a writer’s need to place this at the beginning of the book, as a reader I’m more interested in the story that lays ahead. At the end, there was another author’s note and information and because I'd finished the story, I could read it with more attention. My advice would be to add the acknowledgments and information, in the beginning of the book, at the end as well.

Would I advise people to read this story? If you like a good mystery, care for animals, and like plot twist, then yes, I’d advice you to read this one.

Thanks for letting me read this book Oceanview.

(This review will also be posted on Goodreads and my instagram)

I really enjoyed this standalone novel, mostly for its nature setting in Australia as well as doing research on the Tasmanian Devils. As for the book itself, it’s an easy whodunit with an..interesting cast of characters, all with their own flaws.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I really enjoyed reading this book. You can tell that the authors thoroughly researched the wildlife in the area the story is set in. The plot was also suspenseful and grabbed my attention right from the beginning.

Set on a (fictional) remote island off the coast of Australia, Devils Island offers armchair travellers a vacation to die for. I devoured this book - with plenty of suspense, murder and mayhem - it's both a mystery and a thriller. The plot moves quickly, the details are lush, and the characters are nuanced. This one will definitely be a re-read for me.

Devils Island is very descriptive, as it follows a hiking trip between a group of people who have secrets between each other. The book instantly draws you in and is a great mystery. The plot twists were predictable; however, it was overall enjoyable. This book is interesting and allowed me to learn more about Tasmanian devils and the island's environment. It was a great suspense story, with excellent pacing. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Thank you so much to Oceanview Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.

This story follows 2 couples and a pair of friends as they embark on a camping/hiking trip to Devils Island - known for its home to the Tasmanian devil. As they arrive on the island, secrets come out and it seems that the group may not be strangers with one another after all. As members of the group start disappearing, the book sends you through a maze of “who done it.”

This book does a really great job of immediately drawing you in and not lingering over the unnecessary parts.

This was a very quick and easy read, there was nothing that you had to really work to piece together yet very enjoyable… until the end. The plot twist was rather disappointing and that definitely took the book down from a potential 4 to a 3 star. There wasn’t anything too exciting about it and the book didn’t go into the direction I was hoping for. The island itself really didn’t have much in the reasoning for the disappearances and suspense.

This is a good, quick read but not one that is memorable.

The book was a bit predictable in the developed of the characters. But it was a whole new concept of book for me and was interesting to read and it was a very quick read and I enjoy how the book build and I recommend it for sure.

Devil’s Island was an easy read. The character developments were a bit predictable but the characters themselves were enjoyable. The twists weren’t unplausable.

The nomenclature of Devils Island could refer to the Tasmanian devils on the island (loosely named Marbury Island for the real Maria Island) or the "devils" who are part of the group of six, two Americans and four Australians, who have suspenseful and questionable relationships which lead to at least one death. The most interesting and not particularly likeable character is Jane, an American who is unstable and a bit of an egomaniac who travels with an old friend whom she hasn't seen in years, Brooke. They both have an interest and background in theater that seems a bit unrelated to and somewhat interrupts the plot.

Kelly and Bryan, the two assigned guides for the three day hiking and camping trip, are a bit more interesting, and Kelly's interest in and knowledge of Tasmanian devils is, to me, the most intriguing aspect of the book. Kelly's interest in the environment of the island, and her carefully woven information about the devils piqued my interest in the topic and led to a desire to know more about the island's wildlife and their struggles.

The plot of the book moves quickly but has, perhaps, too many directions to make it comprehensive. Nonetheless, this book is interesting and mostly compelling.

Thanks to Oceanview Publishing and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book.

This was a new concept for me! locked room mystery is something I haven’t read before. I’m not sure that I loved it but it was interesting enough to keep me reading.

I felt it missed the mark a bit on the thriller aspect however the setting and story telling was pretty good. I liked how the author included facts and actually things regarding the real Tasmanian devils which was a learning experience. What drew me to this one was the cover and the title. Overall it was a pretty decent book!

I enjoyed this book. I would like to thank Oceanview Publishing and the authors Midge Raymond and John Yunker for the opportunity to read it early. I loved that the island, weather, and animals were as much of “characters” as the people on the trek. I liked that the underlying focus was on saving the Tasmanian Devils and removing the stigma around the animal.

I had a little bit of trouble keeping track of the characters early on, and some of the first chapters had very descriptive sentences with lots of phrases punctuated by commas which was distracting but it helped paint a bigger picture.

This was a great suspense story, good pacing and twists, and I loved the multiple points of view.

Devil's Island is a quick read. I enjoyed the setting and it made me do some homework on the plight of the Tasmanian Devils. It was a fun read with a few twists.

I’m a huge fan of atmospheric novels because I love to feel like I’m in the place I’m reading about and this did not disappoint in that aspect! I absolutely loved the premise of this book and it just flowed. I do not think it was the best book I’ve ever read, but I would absolutely recommend to people who want to read an entertaining book that is atmospheric and outdoorsy with some murder! 4.5 rounded to a 5.

I enjoyed the background and scenery as well as learning so much about the Tasmanian Devil, however the mystery was lost on me. I struggled with the character development and the fact that I didn’t care who lived or died as the story didn’t seem to connect me to any of them. Most of the energy seemed to be sent on building the atmosphere and the history of the animals and conservation efforts which is great but not for me.

This is a fantastic read, perfect for those who love wildlife, nature, suspense & mystery! After finding my feet with who's who with the characters, I really became engrossed in the story and was surprised by all the twists and turns in this book! The pace and flow was just right. The setting was ideal, being on an isolated, uninhabited island with limited mod cons and phone signal! The stormy weather also brought in a sinister uneasy feeling to the trip's experience! I love also how this book is loosely based on real-life wildlife conservation concerns. The writers cleverly told the story from 2 group members POVs, adding a 3rd later which added to your intrigue. Highly recommend!

Suspenseful story with plenty of twists. The main characters were well-developed and the plot moves along quickly. Perfect vacation read - doesn't require too much concentration or focus, but it's got enough depth to keep the reader interested.

Side note: The author also includes a lot of information about the plight of the Tasmanian Devil but does so in a completely relevant way.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

Thank you to netgalley and Oveanview Publishing for this ARC. This book was interesting. I didn’t even know the Tasmanian Devil was a real thing until I read this book. It had a great setting but I found the characters needed a little more. They just didn’t draw me in as much as I would have liked them too. I enjoyed the twists in this book and I kept wanting to turn the pages to see what happens next. Overall, I enjoyed the book and would recommend as a good mystery/locked room type of thriller.

A great "locked room" mystery, plenty of surprises and unexpected twists. Perfect airplane read and you can set it down and pick it back up without losing anything

If you’re interested in a mystery set in Marbury Island (fictional version of Maria Island) in Tasmania, Australia, then this may be the book for you. The island has abundant wildlife including reintroduced endangered species. Kerry has worked for years to rescue, rehabilitate and release species back into the wild. However, the job came with an emotional toil and she accepted a job as a naturalist guide for a tour company.

On her first tour group as a lead guide, she and the other guide, Bryan, have six people on the tour. The two Australian couples are friends. Malcolm and Charlotte have known Ian and Margaret for years. The other two tourists are American friends, Brooke and Jane, reconnecting after five years. Things are not going smoothly for Kerry. A severe storm is headed their way and on the first night one of the guests disappears. This is only the beginning of a harrowing trip.

The story alternates points of view between Kerry and Brooke for most of the book with a couple of chapters from another point of view. The characters were well-defined, but only a few of them are likeable. Additionally, there was a lot of tell versus show when it came to information about the characters. Some of the background information seemed unnecessary to the degree that was provided and this affected the pacing.

I loved the information about the island, its history, and the wildlife that is on it. The author did a great job of enabling this reader to envision the island and its plants and animals. The remoteness and isolation came through vividly. About 70 percent through the novel is a twist that I did not see coming. The novel is broken up into acts and acting is a theme in the story line. Other themes include relationships, mental health, disappearances, endangered species, loyalty, lies, secrets, manipulation of others, and much more.

Overall, this is an entertaining and informative mystery with a couple of surprising twists and turns. The authors’ note at the end gives some important information about Maria Island, its history, and its inhabitants. Book club discussion questions are also included at the end of the novel.

Oceanview Publishing, Midge Raymond, and John Yunker provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for September 3, 2024.

I was very surprised and pleased with this book, It has everything a very good book contains, action, mystery, story, outdoors, nature, suspense , romance too, until the end. Can you get better than this? I think the title is very misleading so maybe that is what gave me a different idea of what was to happen. I highly recommend you try.