I struggled with this book at first - I found both female protagonists unlikeable and couldn’t get in to the story. However, I persisted and carried on reading. I found this book to be a bit of a slow burner - it definitely took a while to get going, but once it did I thoroughly enjoyed it,

Decent suspense/thriller about a missing child on a secluded vacation island. Loved the setting of the book and enjoyed the dual POV between the two main characters also enjoyed the short chapters and felt like it was fast moving. Was a quick and entertaining read would recommend. I want to thank NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

“The Rip” is a run of the mill mystery/thriller that honestly doesn’t bring much new to the table, featuring some of the most infuriating characters I’ve read in a while. It’s a slow burn, taking nearly half of the book for the mystery to actually begin, with the payoff at the end not being worth the setup unfortunately. I really wanted to enjoy this book, but it just wasn’t for me. It’s an easy beach read that’s entertaining enough, but if you’re wanting to find something fast paced and stimulating, this may not be the read for you.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for an arc of this book.

The chapters had two different POV’s and they were really short and to me it felt confusing because it was so short in one persons pov before the next that we didn’t really have time to learn anything about the characters. Some chapters were like 5 pages and then switched POVs. I think that there should’ve been a couple chapters in one persons pov and then switch it have longer chapters.

Another issue I had with this book was that most of it felt not relevant to the story. Like we learned about the characters but I’m not sure how that actually fit into the story at all. Also in this book there really wasn’t any way to guess who took the kid or what happened. Half of the book didn’t even focus on the disappearance.

I was so intrigued by this one and I was sure I would love it, but the buildup was very slow and I found myself very bored in the first half of the book. It truly took all out of me to finish this book.

Author Holly Craig is new to me, and wow what a great read! Island beach + family drama + missing kid = wild read.

Holly Craig’s, The Rip, is the second book I’ve read from this author and it’s just as good! The Rip is set on a vacation island off the coast of Australia. A few families are vacationing there together and a child goes missing. Finding this little boy is a theme interwoven with stories about the lives of two married couples and their marital problems. Craig does a good job drawing the readers in with rich character background details and descriptions of a beautiful setting. The Rip is a page turning mystery.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the copy of this eARC. I enjoyed the twists and turns presented in this book and how it kept me on my toes. Too often, thriller/mysteries can be predictable but The Rip had me guessing until the ‘big reveal’ at the end. While it was a bit slow at the beginning, it quickly picked up the pace and had me hooked to figure out what happened to the missing child. The main characters, Penny and Eloise, had interesting back stories and more in common than they realized. Their back stories added to the twists and turns presented throughout the book and shed light on their behaviors. I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys a good mystery and doesn’t mind alternate perspectives from different characters.

The premise of the book and its setting drew me to read it: an island, the disappearance of a child, and dark secrets coming to the surface. The beginning of the book doesn’t disappoint. There is a breathtaking island where something sinister lurks. But the climax does not live up to this sinister vibe built up at the beginning of the book.


The story is told from the perspective of Eloise and Penny. There is a complicated undercurrent of admiration, envy, adoration and hatred between these two mothers. Their inner monologues and the way they judge themselves and each other as good and bad mothers brought a lot of questions to mind. Who is a good mother? Who is a bad one? Who gets to decide? What are the qualities that make one a good or bad mother? Who chooses these qualities? The portrayal of this politics of motherhood, where each mother is insecure and judges other mothers to feel better, is very apt.


In the book, the burden of the household and the kids is put on the women. They take it on or don’t; either way, they berate themselves as if they are the only ones responsible. Like Penny, every character in the book agrees that her husband, Kav, is the perfect husband. But Kav is never shown to do any household chores or take on the responsibility of some of the tasks related to the kids. At one point, Penny thinks, “Kav won’t mind putting Edmund to bed while I go about settling the little girl.” It shows that Kav is doing her a favour by putting his kid to bed. And the book is riddled with these instances. The portrayal of the male characters in the book as mere props or spectators in the domestic drama of bringing up children feels inaccurate. The focus is on the women and what they experience. But some balance would have been nice.


The climax of the book felt more like an anticlimax. It was because of the constant hints of a dark past in both the characters’ lives at the start. If you follow the Chekhov Gun rule, “If in the first act, you have hung a pistol on the wall, then in the following one, it should be fired. Otherwise, don't put it there,” these so-called dark secrets should have had a more significant effect. Ms Craig foreshadows these murky, ominous secrets, but nothing comes of them. Yes, we find out what they are, and they form a foundation to understand Penny and Eloise and their actions. But other than a back story for the two of them, they serve no purpose. The gun is not fired.


The descriptions of the island and its beauty. The juxtaposition of the lovely landscape and the alarming situation is perfect. But the climax is a letdown. Also, the characters remaining unchanged, having no significant insights or learning from their ordeal, is disappointing. I give this book 2.5 (3 stars because can't choose 2.5) out of 5 stars.

This had me on the edge of my seat. I didn’t want to put this book down.

I think this is a great book if you’re wanting to dip your toes into the Thriller genre.

I loved that both of the main characters that the story follows have secrets that leave you side eyeing them. I tend to be suspicious of absolutely everyone in this genre because you never know who to trust.

I will definitely be picking up more works by this author, especially being that they are an Australian.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing me with this ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Wow, this was a nailbiter! Even though I didn't like the two main female characters, I couldn't stop reading and had to remind myself to breathe. Set on an island off the coast of Australia, these two women were mentally a mess and couldn't stand each other, until one of their children disappears. Even then the relationship is tenuous; both have such low self esteem, a background they're hiding and are on the verge of a mental breakdown, but present a totally different face to the world. Brilliant read, highly recommended! Just as good as her previous book: The Shallows!
Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the eARC.

Eloise and Scott have been invited to his friends' 40th birthday celebration on an island. Eloise does not want to go, as she has a past connected to the island, and is afraid of being recognised.

Penny and Kav are the hosts, and Penny has a shameful past as well that she is trying to forget. Her daughter, Rosie just wants to be loved by her Mother, but has to compete with her adopted brother Edmund.

During the party, booze flowing freely, Edmund goes missing, and Penny is convinced that his birth parents have taken him.

The secrets and lies that each person is hiding could be dangerous for Edmund.

I really did enjoy this book. It was suspenseful, not giving a lot away, the build up was very tense. I liked the switch between Eloise's account and Penny's account. Although, I do think Penny gave herself a monumental task trying to be the Perfect Wife and Mother. In real life, it is impossible!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

When two families vacation together in paradise to celebrate a special birthday, the “perfect family” will be tested. Penny is a social media icon who has everything luxury and money can buy. And Eloise is a self-absorbed guest who will do anything to keep up appearances. When someone goes missing, secrets and lies come to the surface.
The Rip by Holly Craig is an easy read for any thriller fans. It's a slow start, but 25% into the book, it picks up, and the twists and turns begin.
While reading this book, I felt Holly Craig must have grown up vacationing at the beach. She did a great job describing the island and its residents. I'm looking forward to reading more from her in the future.

This was a twisty mystery book which took me a while to get into but once I did I really enjoyed it. It had many twists and turns which I didn’t predict. I will be recommending it as once it gets going it really does become I great thriller. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my advanced copy.

I struggled with this book, the plot is okay and the action moves at an okay pace but for me the whole issue was the book just felt okay. To me, I felt like Craig was building to a bigger connection or event that never happened and I felt a bit let down. There is some excitement in the plot but not a lot and it felt a bit anti-climatic.
My other issue is with the two main characters; Eloise and Penny. I just did not find them likeable at all. To me, they did not have a redeeming feature between them and as a result I did not really care about them or what happened to them.
I finished this so something must have held my attention but this was not a great read for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an advance copy.

This story, more than most, is all about secrets - and the lasting impact they can have on family dynamics.

Eloise is a woman with a large social media following, but Penny - the other protagonist in this story - considers her fictitious. Eloise, on the other hand, thinks Penny has it all: a great marriage, a successful handle on motherhood, a beautiful life. But that's not that simple either.

Penny and Eloise are both married to doctors, and their husbands are best friends. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the two wives, who can't stand each other.

I found that the first part of the story, which is told in the alternating viewpoints of the two women, rather belabours this point. After a while, it got boring - as did the repeated references to the fact that both women are keeping massive secrets from their husbands (and just about everyone else).

The pace picks up considerably when one woman's child goes missing at a party. Since this story is set on a holiday island I had a brief sense of deja vu wrt the Madeline McCann story, but that fortunately proved to be unfounded.

Overall, the story was a mixed bag for me. I didn't like the slow pace in the first part, but there are plenty of twists. And I didn't predict the outcome, which does often happen when I am reading thrillers. So I appreciated that. For those who enjoy atmospheric, gradually developing stories, this could be a good fit.

I absolutely loved this book! It was fast paced, and had me up until 3 in the morning because I literally could not put it down! Full of twists and turns that make you say WOW! Had a few little tears at the end aswell which is unusual for a thriller but I really enjoyed it! Highly recommend! 🫶🏽

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the copy of The Rip by Holly Craig. This book just wasn’t for me, but you will love it if you enjoy a slow buildup and a lot of character development. I was bored for the first half, waiting for something to happen. I liked how both of the main characters had secrets, and I wish we had learned them earlier because their behavior would have made more sense. Instead I had to read about their annoying thoughts and behaviors with no context. It got more interesting when the child went missing, but by that time I was tired of the book. This book just wasn’t for me, but you will love it if you enjoy a slow buildup and a lot of character development before the action starts.

I think I need to keep a Craig book for emergencies.
This is the second time I've read her, and the second time she's pulled me out of a slight slump with a one sit read.
It's blooming good entertainment, people I don't particularly like, with secrets I can't wait to uncover.
Honestly, fast paced and fun.
Plenty going on with the two main characters, I really enjoyed the alternate pov narration.
Right to the last sentence I was hooked.

A celebration turns into a tragedy when Eloise throws a birthday party for her husband and their friends and a child disappears during the festivities. There are a few sketchy people at the party, but Eloise is inclined to believe her own daughter, Rosie is to blame. It wouldn’t be the first time Rosie was up to no good. With the party being held on an island, there are only so many places the child could be, but will he be found dead or alive?