Not a fan of this one. One shocking twist in the last two chapters of the entire book is not enough to save this one. Everything you think is happening is actually happening with no mystery or surprises to be had. The one thing that annoyed me the most with this book was having characters constantly assuming things in order to explain the story to the reader. That random, point on logic is unrealistic. And if the story is unfolding properly for the reader, it is completely unnecessary. It was also off-putting that the flashback scenes were sometimes meant as just a different time frame for the reader and were sometimes Jake recounting the story. Pick a lane! And please explain the reasons for having the story in the past told from Jake's point of view. It was an absolute miss to have the person telling the story in the past be the mystery stalker in the present. No rhyme, reason, or flow with this book.

I am not usually a fan of political thrillers and especially in today’s political clientele, I struggled to feel connected to this storyline.

The story is told in dialogue timelines and point of views which typically makes for a fast pace, but this was more of a slow burn.

I appreciated the twists and thought the story was overall good, but the character development and details were lacking for me.

Pike Island is a gripping thriller with some great twists and turns. The writing is solid, and the pacing keeps you moving.


My only complaint is that the characters felt a bit one-dimensional at times, but the plot was engaging enough to keep me invested. Overall, a really enjoyable read.

Pike Island, by Tony Wirt, is a quick political thriller told in past/present timeline with multiple POVs. Harry Leonard is an up and coming congressional representative with big goals of the presidency in his future. As he's getting started working for the city counsel, he receives a postcard addressed to ANDY Leonard, a name he hasn't used since he was a teenager. Trying to avoid questions from his cheif of staff, Krista, makes her more curious about who was using Harry's old nickname. What does Harry want to stay hidden and will Krista help keep those secrets hidden?

I don't normally pick up political themed books, but the blurb caught my attention so I wanted to give it a go. I was happy with this one, mostly because it was a quick read with a good twist. While much of the plot was predictable, it didn't take away from the story for me. I enjoyed the flashbacks and getting to know the boys in the past - it helped me connect more with the characters. This was my first by Tony Wirt and I'll look for another by him soon. I would recommend it for anyone who likes a quick but intriguing thriller.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

3 out of 5 stars. Thank you NetGalley for this eARC of Pike Island by Tony Wirt. I got this book when it was available as an instant read and it was hard for me to get into.

This is my first book by this author and took me some time to read through it. It's about a political figure and heavy. I just don't think this is my sort of genre = political thriller. There were some parts that were quick read and got me hooked, but then some that were okay...it did put me through some sad/depression feeling after some parts.

I'd be interested to see this author's other books to see if it's similar to this. Different for me and just not exactly my cup of tea.

I enjoyed this story… the flashbacks and the developement of how the past was revealed was interesting and suspenseful. The truth as it comes out is revealing of the characters, and the twist at the end was not expected. Great story telling.

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this one in exchange for an honest review!

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. We follow a politician whose career is in danger because his dark past is coming to light.

I honestly was just bored. I don't think political thrillers are for me.

Loved the back and forth between modern day Krista who is running Harry's congressional office and teenage Andy and friends who are exploring Pike Island during their last hurrah before college. This was a great mix of suspense, murder and politics.

It was a struggle to get through this book. I had to take multiple breaks with other books so it didn't throw me into a slump. I know this book is about a political figure, but the rants were overdone. I'm looking right at you Chapter 21.

I expected more from this book, overall it was just ok for me. It got a little heavy handed in the political aspect a few times for me. I am also a character reader and the characters in this just felt like empty shells pushing the plot of the book along. I didn’t care about them or connect with them like I would have liked to so for me that brought my enjoyment down.

Hard to put down as it was a quick and engaging political thriller. The ending was great and I would recommend this to anyone interested in a fun thriller.

Pike Island by Tony Wirt is a compelling and atmospheric novel that explores the intersection of family, loss, and nature. Set against the backdrop of the Mississippi River, the story follows a young boy, David, as he grapples with personal tragedy and the complexities of his relationships. Wirt’s evocative prose and strong sense of place create a vivid, haunting narrative. The novel’s meditative pace allows readers to reflect on themes of survival, redemption, and the haunting power of memory. While the plot unfolds quietly, it is the emotional depth and rich character development that make Pike Island an engaging and memorable read.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a little backlogged with some of my ARCs but working diligently to get caught up. I’m not usually a fan of books with any sort of political influence or agenda, but the story of the young teenagers at the abandoned house from the past kept me hooked! I liked how the author navigated from present to past while fully revealing what happened on Pike Island so many years before. I would recommend to anyone who likes mystery and thrillers with a touch of politics!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for sending me a digital copy of this book! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

WOW. This was a wild ride. I wasn’t too sure about it at first. There were two different POVs and two different timelines fighting for the limelight. While the story was getting set up, it was a bit slow and the switching of POVs and timelines didn’t help. But something about it made me want to keep reading. And boy am I glad I did!

One timeline follows Krista in modern day as a chief of staff for Congressman Harry Leonard. Their seemingly straightforward plan to the White House seemed iron proof until one day when a post card arrived and shook Krista and Harry’s world up.

The second timeline follows Jake in the late 80’s (I’m guessing?) and his friends Ryan Keltner, Seth, and Andy Leonard. Recent graduates from high school before taking off for college the boys set out to spend the weekend on a nearby like. But when Jake tells the boys about an abandoned house in a far part of the lake, there’s no stopping the boys curiosity. But what the boys find is something way more than any of them could have predicted.

I couldn’t put this book down. I immediately picked it up as soon as my daughter went down for a nap. The twists throughout the book had me gasping. The twist ending?? Oh my gosh. I would totally read a sequel if the author ever wrote one.

One of the main issues I had with the book was it was a bit political. I normally try to stay away from political books and at first it wasn’t super political but the rant in chapter 21 was really unnecessary. The storyline could have done without it. I honestly didn’t see the merit in it which was why I rate this a 4.5 out of 5 stars rounded down. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would be willing to read more from this author.

Krista’s boss Andy is a Congressman, they are on the fast track to the White House. Krista starts receiving post cards on behalf of Andy. Vague and threatening to unravel all they have done to get to their current position. Krista takes it upon herself to find out what happened in Andy’s past and will it impact their future.

Well Krista, my dear, you were unexpected. She was an unlikely character to uncover Andy’s past. She really went full arm chair detective to uncover what happened. This novel was good! It bounced between past and present, was in two different POVs and kept me guessing up to that last chapter. It was predictable, you know who did what almost immediately but there was a scene at the end that twisted up the last part.

I enjoyed this book far more than Just Stay Away! Would recommend for a quick Kindle Unlimited read!

Suspenseful, eerie, and high stakes! I enjoyed this book as it kept me guessing, and the pressure surrounding the scandal really added to the suspense I felt as we tried to understand what happened that summer. There were parts I wanted the narrative to speed up, but only because I wanted to understand what had happened sooner.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was good, not great -- but there's a lot more to that 'good' than that. I read Tony Wirt's other major release, Just Stay Away, earlier in the year and I thought it was a pretty good, albeit junior approach. I thought the beginning was good but the end kind of fell off. I approached this one with similar apprehension, but am happy to report it's better. His prose continues to be strong, however, the biggest flaw I feel with his writing is that the plots always seem to fall apart by the end. He's got the skills to be a writer, but he's still trying to find his footing at being a storyteller. But, like Harlan Coben once said, you just keep at it -- book after book - until you get it right. And this book definitely feels better than its predecessor. You can feel him getting more comfortable as the story progresses, and I think in one or two more books, he'll have the juice. So, while I may not be the biggest fan of this thriller, I feel like it's a necessary step in Tony Wirt's evolution as a writer. I'll keep reading him until he gets it right. His breakout feels right around the corner.

Published by Thomas & Mercer on November 1, 2024

Pike Island follows a familiar structure that leads to a surprising conclusion. Two storylines, one set in the past and the other in the present, progress until they converge. As events unfold, the reader suspects that a political career in the present might be derailed by the politician’s actions in the past.

The story in the past involves four high school buddies who spend a week at a cabin on Cedar Lake in Minnesota. Jake’s grandfather owns the cabin. Andy had a talent for schmoozing adults and getting what he wanted. Of course, Andy will grow up to be a politician. Ryan and Seth are mostly along for the ride.

The kids goad each other into investigating an abandoned house on Pike Island in an isolated part of the lake. They are scolded by a DNR agent, but that’s the least of their worries. The house contains something of value and one of the kids will lure the others into trouble by allowing greed to overcome his moral sense (assuming he has one).

Andy’s full name is Harrison Andrew Harrison Leonard. As an adult, he goes by Harry. He’s serving his first term in Congress and hopes to get a career boost from a viral video in which he denounces the Supreme Court. His chief of staff, Krista Walsh, is more idealistic than Harry. She wants to get things done, while Harry just wants to climb the ladder of power.

Krista is the central protagonist in the storyline that is set in the present. She’s trying to manage Harry’s career in ways that will maximize his ability to help the less fortunate. Harry is more than willing to pay the political game, setting aside idealist goals in exchange for the possibility of running as vice president. Krista would prefer that he set Washington aside, run for governor, and seek the presidency as an outsider who might get something done.

Krista notices that Harry seems upset when he receives mysterious and vaguely threatening postcards from Cedar Lake. Krista decides to dig into his past so can try to protect him from political fallout if disclosures of sinister behavior might be on the horizon. She sets out to interview the men who went to Cedar Lake with Andy/Harry — or at least those who are still alive — and turns up facts suggesting that Harry might not be the affable progressive that she has always imagined him to be.

Tony Wirt builds an engaging mystery for Krista to unravel. Something bad happened on Pike Island, but what role did Harry play in those events? Who is sending the notes that threaten to expose Harry? (A reader might wonder why the note-sender doesn’t simply reveal what he knows to the press or police, but if he did that, there wouldn’t be story.) Misdirection keeps the reader guessing about the identity of the note sender but, more importantly, about the events that gave rise to the note.

Wirt creates a convincing atmosphere (more so in Minnesota than in D.C.). His prose is crisp. Characters have all the personality they need, which isn’t much. Readers who like to invest in characters and value those who are likable may be disappointed with the way a protagnist behaves at the story's end.

This isn’t an action novel, but the story moves quickly. Wirt builds suspense as the characters move toward a final confrontation. I credit him for crafting a surprise ending that is actually surprising. I’m not sure I buy it — it requires a key character to act completely out of character — but it’s rare that I mutter “wow, I didn’t see that coming” at the end of a novel.

RECOMMENDED

This was a quick and easy thriller. The political part of it wasn’t really for me but it had some dark twists that I really enjoyed. A little bit predictable but kept my interest throughout the book

This cover was awesome and made me want to request the book.

This was captivating with a great gripping plot. This story made you want to read more and the character build was great.

I will definitely read more from this author. Great writing and great read.

Thanks NetGalley for letting me read and review.