Trouble Island by Sharon Short is a debut Historical view Suspense set in 1932. Prohibition is in full swing and gangsters are rife in Ohio. Bootlegging is a lucrative business on both sides of the border.

Aurelia is Rosita's maid in the mansion on the island. At least that's her cover story. The two women share a connection as deep as the lake and when secrets are no longer safe, murder happens. Years before, Aurelia had committed a crime which left her bereft and feeling undeserving of good things. Rosita is beside herself with grief for her tiny son. The past unexpectedly comes knocking in the form of a gangster and his motley crew. The two women have different reasons to feel uneasy. The entire household is on edge.

The premise is fantastic. Though there is mystery, I didn't feel suspense or tension. Nevertheless, I enjoyed my time on Trouble Island.

My favourite aspects of this novel are the beguiling atmosphere and bird watching, a beloved pastime of mine. The story is based on true events and place of the author's ancestors. Hopefully in future books she reveals further snippets of her fascinating history. Personal details add a lovely touch. Talk about potential issues with Largo as well!

My sincere thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with an early digital copy of this novel.

My thanks to Net Galley and St. Martins /Minotaur for allowing me this arc to review.

Who killed Rosita? That is the question. When Susan Walker kills her husband, Rosita has her come to Trouble Island to work as her maid, Aurelia. But when mobster guests arrive(St in Prohibition) someone sets Susan/Aurelia to find the body.

Nice locked room mystery with an Christie feel.

I'm normally a fan of closed door mysteries, but this one didn't quite hit the mark for me. I think it was because I was a lot more interested in the characters and their history, much of which was left blank, than the mystery itself. The mysterious histories at times made it hard to connect with the characters, not understanding the motivations of their decisions. It made it so I didn't really care about the characters' fates, and didn't really believe the twist.

This novel did have a moody atmospheric setting, where the place becomes a character itself, which is another thing I love in stories. But again, this element felt half-finished at times. The best part was the bird.

This book was certainly gripping, but it also had a much slower pace than I was anticipating
It was well executed, but there are a few too many characters to keep track of.

Trouble Island by Sharon Short was a historical mystery that had some great ingredients: a remote island, an impeding storm, gangsters, lots of secrets and a setting near Lake Erie in 1932.

Aurelia, our protagonist, is working as a maid in the mansion but is hiding a huge secret. She thinks no one knows, but nothing is as it seems around Trouble Island. There were a lot of characters to keep track of in this book, and since all of them had something to hide, I had a little trouble keeping track of who was who and who was loyal to whom. The pacing was quick and the bodies began to fall before long. I did not guess the biggest twist, which makes it even more fun.

I will recommend this to readers who like historical mysteries, locked room mysteries and/or gangster stories from the 1930's.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I looked forward to reading this debut novel with its gothic elements but I was disappointed in the execution. I thought it was rather slow paced and had a lot of characters to keep track of. It was an okay read for me, but not great.

This debut suspense novel is the story of a group of folks stranded on Trouble Island, a stop-off place for prohibition criminals between Canada and the US (Lake Erie). Pretty much all of them are keeping secrets and are morally gray characters with plenty of double-crossing going on.

The story is told through the eyes of Aurelia Escalante, the maid to the wife of the powerful criminal prohibition gangster Eddie McGee, who has been basically subjected to servitude via blackmail. I won't go into more details so as not to mention spoilers, but there are deaths galore and any number of suspects.

I found this book just average because of a few over-the-top scenarios and also, I felt from the beginning that I was thrown into a narrative that I was already supposed to be well versed in. The ending also seemed farfetched and threw me for a loop. So, while aspects of the book were suspenseful and entertaining, overall, I just was not as invested or bowled over as I had hoped to be.

My sincere thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for providing the free early arc of Trouble Island for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

Thank you to @netgalley and @MinotaurBooks for this ARC. Aurelia is banned to Trouble Island after she kills her husband Pony in self defense. Her so called friend Rosita, asks her gangster husband to cover up the crime and drop her off at Trouble Island to be her servant. While the island is used to transfer bootleg liquor from the US to Canada and back, Rosita and Aurelia are on this sequestered island with only a handful of staff. When Rosita's husband shows up to bring her back home and sell the island to his competitor, their lives take a terrible turn.
I am a big fan of Sharon Short's Kinship books written under a her other author name of Jess Montgomery. This book, though I enjoyed the story and writing, I got lost in the twist and turns of "who done it". Would I read another of hers? Youbetcha! #TroubleIsland #SharonShort #MinotaurBooks #Dec2024

This was a great read! I liked this locked room mystery, and I really liked the characters and how they were written. The author did a good job being descriptive, because it felt like I was watching a movie while reading it, I enjoyed this one a lot!!

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complementary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: Dec. 3, 2024
“Trouble Island” by Sharon Short, who also writes books under the pseudonym Jess Montgomery, is a historical suspense novel that takes place during the winer of 1932, on an isolated island off the coast of Lake Erie, that is based on actual events experienced by the author’s family.
Aurelia Escalante is the maid hired to serve Rosita McGee on Trouble Island. Rosita owns the only home on the island, along with her troubled ex-husband, Eddie, who Rosita wants nothing more than to divorce. Although Aurelia is grateful to Rosita for taking her on, Aurelia hides her own secrets and knows that even if she is able to escape Trouble Island, her past will follow her. When Eddie and his entourage arrive on the island with the intent of convincing Rosita to sell, Aurelia is convinced that Trouble Island will more than earn its name and all she can hope for is to come out on the other side- alive.
Trouble Island is the perfect setting for a locked-in mystery such as this- an isolated manor house, secluded in every way and, once the winter ice sets in, there is no way off the island until the spring thaw. Set during the 1930s when Prohibition is still rampant in many of the United States, years before the Great Depression hits, is the high time for gangster Eddie and his team of cronies to “influence” “Eddie’s dame” Rosita, to give up her home.
Narrated by Aurelia, right away it is obvious that she is hiding some big secret. She drops hints left and right but it isn’t until the final few sections when we finally found out why Aurelia was sent to the island, and her past relationship with Rosita. The other characters are just as interesting, and their backstories helped add extra drama to the already intriguing plot.
Most locked-in mysteries have a few outcomes from which they can choose and, although I won’t give anything away, the biggest “Trouble Island” twist was a familiar trope. Short managed to ensure all of the characters got a satisfying ending, and there were definitely some unexpected points, but the ending was not completely original (although still very entertaining!).
Short is known for her series of novels, and “Trouble Island” is her debut standalone. As much as I appreciate a good mystery series, I will give credit where it is due and applaud Short for taking the chance on this individual mystery. I will investigate Short’s past works at my leisure and I have no doubt I will not be disappointed.

Book Title: Trouble Island
Author: Melissa Larsen
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books
Genre: Locked Room Mystery Thriller
Pub Date: December 3. 2024
My Rating: 3 Stars
Pages: 338

Locations: A mansion on a remote island in the middle of Lake Erie –
Time period: Winter during Prohibition.
Cast of Characters: Narrator Aurelia, Rosita- the owner of the island, group of gangsters including ex-Hollywood stars, a questionable doctor, and the servants aka –help.

Rosita, the wife of a bootlegger, is still mourning the murder of her young son when a group of guest arrives even though the snow and ice of winter is making travel to and from the island difficult.

There is a lot going on in this story – a lot of characters with a lot of secrets.
It is not a light easy read but one that required your full attention.

Story had me curious. Especially since we know it was inspired by events that took place with Sharon Short’s husband David’s family. In her ‘Acknowledgements, she tells us that it is the story of his Great Aunt Ruth It is a historical suspense at the time of bootlegging.
Trouble Island is the fictitious name for the real ‘Middle Island’ yes in Lake Erie. Middle Island is not open to visitors as it is a conservation area. It is part of an archipelago and can be seen with binoculars from other islands in Lake Erie near the north shore of Ohio. It is the southernmost point of land in Canada.
If you would like more information be sure to read her ‘Acknowledgements’.

Want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press-Minotaur Books for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for Tuesday December 3, 2024.

I liked the premise of this book but felt it was slow paced and had way to many characters. It was readable but not something I would remember in a month . I did love the setting
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review the book

I enjoyed this one way more than I thought I was going to when I first dove in. It had my attention right from the start wih plenty of unlikeable characters. It's a locked island mystery with dead bodies piling up, suspects at every turn, and plenty of secrets to uncover.

Prohibition era Great Lakes thriller? Oh yes. The exquisite detail provided about the era is an additional character in this spine tingling murder mystery with larger than life gangsters and their crew.  A fantastic read filled with twists and turns.

After reading this I have to say I hope there are many more!


Historical Fiction, Mystery, Suspense. It’s all there in one island that is more than just trouble.


In the middle of Lake Erie, the island was a hangout for gangsters in the early 1930’s. And the fact that it is a real place and the author used her family past is a plus.


The island is home to a few permanent residents. There are reasons. They are marvelously wicked!


Unable to leave they plot. And oh my, what a plot and what twists.


No one is above suspicion. Not even the dead!


I don’t know why I haven’t come across this author before, but I am very happy that I did.




NetGalley/ St. Martin’s Press December 03, 2024

Trouble Island is an atmospheric, gothic mystery at its core. Set on an island in Lake Erie as winter comes, new guests have arrived that throw everything off balance. Aurelia, a companion to the lady of the house and gangster's wife, finds a body one morning, setting off a deadly chain of events. While this was mysterious and suspenseful, I wouldn't necessarily call it a mystery. The writing had me intrigued though and how the story would play out for all the characters. There were some twists and the author had us rooting for Aurelia, but it didn't leave me wanting more. Overall, it was a satisfying story, but think it was just not the right book for me at the time. This would be a great winter suspense read with the setting and writing.

_Trouble Island_ by Sharon Short is a fast-paced historical fiction mystery read with plot twists and twisted characters. Aurelia is a maid on the secluded Trouble Island on Lake Erie serving Rosita, the wife of a notorious Toledo gangster. Originally forced to find safety on the island, now Aurelia wants to escape, but must stay with the arrival of Rosita’s husband Eddie and his entourage. Drama, romance, and murder ensue as the characters reveal secrets and devious plans. A great read for mystery lovers.

“Trouble Island” is a closed-room type murder mystery by Sharon Short. While I’m usually okay reading closed room mysteries, this book wasn’t one that I really liked. It’s difficult when so many of the characters are unlikable and, also, untrustworthy. With the exception of the caretaker couple, the bird, and Liam, I didn’t really like or trust anyone (and even Liam’s background when it came to light was a bit interesting). I thought the descriptions of the island - from the birds and nature to the ice creeping in over the winter - were excellent. There is action and intrigue in this book - bootleggers, double-crosses, revenge, who is lying to who and why. I think others will find this book a lot more interesting than I did.

Trouble Island brings two of my favorite genres together, historical fiction and mystery. Trouble Island which is a (fictional) Island in Lake Erie takes place during prohibition and has a great group of characters including the mobsters. I absolutely loved this single narrator/ time line story.

It’s the winter of 1931. Somewhere in the middle of Lake Erie, the remote island of Trouble Island sits quietly. The island's lone occupants are Rosita, the owner of the large mansion located along the coast, and her maid, Aurelia Escalante. Their quiet life will soon change when Rosita’s husband, Eddie, arrives with his right-hand man and a strange group of criminals and scoundrels.
Aurelia is now desperate to escape Trouble Island, but Rosita refuses to let her leave. She is hiding behind her troubled life by serving as a maid after killing her gangster husband five years before. She fears that Eddie or someone in his group knows who she is and wants to kill her.
When Rosita suddenly disappears, Aurelia plans her getaway. While retrieving her hidden treasures from beneath one of the docks, she discovers Rosita’s body in the water. When a sudden ice storm hits the area, she is unable to escape the island.
This story will have you on the edge of your seat until the fantastic ending.