A great fiction / thriller / murder mystery that has it's bones in the author's family history. Trouble Island is a real island used as a stop off for smugglers of just about everything that could be imagined. I've read some of it's history in several books of one genre or another but this one makes it a central character in the plot line. Stranded on the island with no clear means of escape, Aurelia narrates as the tension builds, Rosalita is killed and the life she had suddenly doesn't seem so bad. Sharon Short weaves the eerie island's landscape through Aurelia's escape, but is she escaping from something or to something? Some parts of the book are false clues, make sure you are paying attention.

The level of detail that Short put into her novel made the setting and time period come alive. I was riveted from page one. I loved this exciting, harrowing and suspenseful read!

The plot of this novel is quite compelling. The story moves along quickly and is very exciting. There are a lot of surprising twists and turns. The characters are interesting too.

Yet, the characters are not likable people so it's hard to root for any. Even Aurelia has an incident in her past that is hard to forget or forgive. However, the incident is not revealed until quite late in the story. Plus, the ending is kind of a letdown especially if you are a big fan of romance.

First- I did not finish this book by choice. I read maybe 30% and found it too annoying.

The stress! Everyone is always watching their back, no trust anywhere that I could see except for superficial trust.

For some reason that I never found, people are on this island from which the only escape is by boat. Eddie is some bootleg wannabe who is married to Rosita who supposedly owns the island. She has spent the last year there mourning her child who is buried there. Eddie is not allowed near Rosita unless she says so, yet he is threatening to convey it to the man she blames for killing her child.

Aurelia is there for who knows how long after she feels she killed her hubby, but later it seemed maybe not. She wants to escape, but as private servant to Rosita, she doesn't feel she can leave, certainly not without escaping, but then Marcus wants to kill her.

Huh? The tension was non stop. Not a relaxing book. Not nice characters and so far, I can't figure out why I would want to read any more, so I stopped.
Thank you NetGalley for an advance copy. Honest opinions expressed here are my own and are freely given.

Bootleggers, mobsters and snow, oh my! Trouble Island is an atmospheric historical mystery based on a true story set on an isolated island in Lake Erie.

Aurelia is a maid to a gangster’s wife, Rosita. Rosita is mourning the death of her son. Aurelia has secrets of her own. She actually is not what she seems. When Rosita’s husband appears on the island one stormy night, he insists that the island must be sold to a rival gangster. The island is soon isolated from both the US and Canadian mainlands by a vicious ice storm and murder is afoot. Everyone has secrets and reasons to kill. Will anyone survive?

This book has a twisty plot but somehow I never connected to its characters. All of them, including the two female leads, were just terrible people who deserved what they got. The book starts off great and finishes well but the pacing sagged a bit in the middle of the story. My favorite part was the snowy claustrophobic setting. Being locked on an island with two rival gangsters and a boatload of hidden motives is a riveting idea.

If you are okay with unsympathetic characters, Trouble Island is a compelling historical “locked room” mystery based on a real life story. 3 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for providing me with an advanced review copy.

When I started reading this story, I had no idea where it was going to lead me. And let me tell you, it led me on quite a journey.

Many miles from anywhere in the middle of Lake Erie, Trouble Island serves as a stop-off for gangsters as they run between America and Canada. The remote isle is also the permanent home to two women: Aurelia Escalante, who serves as a maid to Rosita, lady of the mansion and wife to the notorious prohibition gangster, Eddie McGee. In the freezing winter of 1932, the women anticipate the arrival of Eddie and his strange coterie: his right-hand man, a doctor, a cousin, a famous actor, and a rival gangster who Rosita believes murdered their only son.

I absolutely LOVED this setting. A remote island in the middle of Lake Erie is perfect for gangsters and murderers! And believe me…this book is full of both.

My heart broke for both Rosita and Aurelia, but for different reasons. But don’t let these two ladies fool you. They are not wimps! And as the story unfolds…you better look out!

Need a drama-filled tale with a great setting…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel for a honest opinion.

Trouble Island by Sharon Short is a thrilling locked room mystery.
Good storyline, character development done well and fantastic writing I was sucked into this story and enjoyed every minute of it.
Short’s masterful storytelling and chilling premise drew me in from the very first page, and I was completely enthralled by the twists and turns of this suspenseful tale.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for this Arc. I enjoyed this book and read it in one sitting. I would definitely recommend this book.

4.5* What an intense ride!
"A gripping new novel inspired by a real place and events from the author's family! This made it more intense knowing the desperation in their stories. The setting is on an isolated island in a mansion owned by the notorious gangster Eddie and his wife Rosita. She dreadfully awaits his return with his violent followers. She grieves for her son who was killed by a hit-man when the target was for Eddie. By her side is her maid, Aurelia, who has her own story. She resides in hiding because she murdered her own gangster husband. For selfish reasons, Rosita will not allow her to leave.
Aurelia plans her escape after the men arrive, but plans change abruptly after Rosita goes missing. She decides to take the chance but finds Rosita's body planted where she would find it. The desperation for her turns deeply troubling when she finds out the truth. What an exciting locked room mystery. I was on edge to see where this was going. Thank you NetGalley and Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for this ARC in exchange for my review. Shout-out to the author who has a story to tell in this debut!

This book was enjoyable and entertaining, but I never connected with it. I found that the thriller aspect to this book was very predictable and repetitive. Making it almost seem like it dragged on at times. I did like that historical fiction aspect and wish there was more to that story. I do not read a ton about gangsters, especially how the women were impacted by this lifestyle in the 1930's. I wish there was more to that storyline. Most of the characters were ehh - i either disliked them completely or did not have any feelings about them. But I loved the setting - I thought the Island on l:ke Erie was the perfect setting for a thriller. Overall, I liked this book but no parts of it were standout to me. Just an entertaining read.

Thank you netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

Took a little while to get into but once established could not wait to see what happened next. Good pacing and characters

This is a locked-island mystery that takes place on Trouble Island, in the middle of Lake Erie in the Prohibition Era. The island is the permanent home to two women: Aurelia Escalante, who serves as a maid to Rosita, wife to the notorious prohibition gangster, Eddie McGee. Rosita & Eddie have been estranged ever since the death of their young son. Eddie shows up with his right-hand man, a doctor, Rosita's cousin, a famous actor, and a rival gangster who Rosita believes murdered their only son. When Rosita discovers that Eddie made a deal to sell the island to the man who murdered their son, everything goes south. The question is....will anyone walk away from this?

I really enjoyed this book. I liked the setting of prohibition era, and I am always a sucker for a locked-in mystery. My only complaint was that it seemed to get overly convoluted at the end, making it a little complicated to follow, especially with the unreliable narrators. If you are a fan of locked-in mysteries, then you should definitely check this out.

Page turner.

Fascinating characters as each had their own secrets within the plot of the story. Gripping plot with each chapter introducing a new revelation that kept the readers on a wave of uncertainty about where the story was going. The author’s style of writing was tight, descriptive, and engaging. I highly recommend it.

My review is voluntary and all comments and opinions expressed are
my own.

Unfortunately, this book was just not for me; I loved the atmospheric writing and the descriptions of the island, the wildlife and the manor. However, the plot itself seemed incredibly complicated - with so many characters and trying to remember how they are all actually connected, vs. how they are all currently acting like they may or may not be connected. It was just a lot to keep track of and made for a confusing and not enjoyable read. (Also, none of the characters were particularly likeable, so it also made it difficult to care, if that makes sense.)

I did enjoy the action-packed climax and felt that part was a quick and enjoyable read - but overall, I felt like I was trudging through all the character backstories to really enjoy the current plot.

Having loved this author's Kinship historical mysteries written under the name of Jess Montgomery, I really looked forward to Trouble Island, but the book fell flat for me. The setting and the historical detail were excellent, and the winter weather on that remote island kept me frozen to the bone-- especially since Aurelia would actually go swimming in the lake almost daily.

Where did the book fall flat? I think it was a personal reaction more than anything else. I never warmed to any of the characters. Aurelia seemed a bit too naive and unobservant, and Rosita the high-handed diva was the sort of person I'd walk ten miles out of my way to avoid. Also, I wasn't in the mood to guess the true identities of each person on the island. If I'd read Trouble Island while in a different mood, it's altogether possible I would have liked it more-- which means your mileage will probably vary from mine.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book.

It is 1932 and prohibition in America is about to end, leading gangster Eddie McGee to look for other ways to make money and keep his organization afloat. His wife, Rosita, left him several years ago following the death of their son and lives on an island she inherited from her grandparents. But Trouble Island has lived up to its name.

The tourist season has ended and the few who live on the island year round are preparing for the cold harsh winter here in the middle of Lake Erie, several miles from any mainland. When Eddie and a group of passengers arrived unexpectedly on his yacht, everything really gets worse. Because Eddie has brought along his archrival and hated enemy, who both he and Rosita blame for the murder of their son. But this man, Marco Guiffre, has made Eddie an offer he has trouble refusing. He wants to buy Trouble Island, with enough money to clear Eddie's debts and keep him going. The only impediment is getting Rosita to sign over the island to Eddie so he can sell it. But Rosita refuses flatly to even entertain the idea, and soon Rosita is found dead, murdered and stashed underneath a dock. And the murdered body of Marco's bodyguard is found nearby.

As the weather deteriorates and winter sets in, the chance to sail away from the island gets slimmer daily. The edges of the lake are beginning to ice and the yacht will soon be icebound until spring brings a thaw. But Eddie has unfinished business, removing treasure he has stashed on the island, and he refuses to leave until it is all safely aboard the yacht.

Then someone disables the boiler that heats the house and destroys the generator that runs everything else. Everyone is forced to huddle in the parlor with the only working fireplace. And then other people are killed.

The narrator, Aurelia Escalante, or Susan Walker, which was her real name, has been an eyewitness to all the goings-on and knows both Eddie and Rosita blame her for setting off the events that culminated in their son's death, so she does everything she can think of to escape the island and start a new life. But in the end, all her plans fail.

This is long and confusing and the plots and subplots don't always make sense, but the sense of the island and the isolation are compelling.

This is an entertaining, well-written, historical fiction, mystery novel which is based on an actual event and place. It has an engaging and sympathetic female protagonist, vividly described settings, secrets, suspense, intrigue, romance, twists and turns, and a satisfying conclusion. The author's note is interesting and informative, and is truly appreciated. Many thanks to St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books, NetGalley, and Ms. Short, from whom I received an advanced reader copy of this fantastic novel. This is my honest opinion.

An island on Lake Erie, between the U.S. and Canada that the head of a gangster organization uses for his business dealings. Since the island is owned by the leaders wife, it is her refuge after their young son was killed. For the people employed on the island it is a prison they will never be able to leave. When an ice storm appears, it throws a lot of secret plans into disarray. Then the woman of the house is discovered missing. During the search for her, one of the young employees if found dead on one of the paths. Still that is not all that descends on the occupants. There is still more deaths, lying and treachery, as well as not anyone is who they appear to be. Will anyone escape alive...what made this a more interesting read is that it is based on true events and facts.

Trouble Island is a suspense novel inspired by real events in the author's family. Set on a remote island in Lake Erie in 1932, the story follows Aurelia, a woman hiding from her past as a gangster's wife. When her friend Rosita disappears and Aurelia finds her body, she must navigate a web of secrets and lies as she tries to escape the island during an ice storm. The novel is a gripping locked room mystery and a powerful portrait of a woman in crisis.

It's hard to believe that this is a debut novel. The book is incredibly well-written, clever and captivating. I wasn't sure what to expect, as historical fiction can sometimes be hit or miss.

The main character is complex, with secrets and flaws, yet you can't help but root for her. The other characters are slowly introduced, but it's easy to keep track of them.

The environment described in the book is chilling and dark, drawing us closer to the events on the island. This book truly lives up to the term "unputdownable."

I was fortunate enough to receive both a digital and audiobook copy of the book. The narrator did an excellent job of keeping me engaged and truly bringing the story to life. The experience was unexpected, and I believe the choice of narrator was top-notch.

The story feels realistic and not far-fetched, offering a refreshing change for the upcoming season. If you enjoy books that delve into real events, gangsters, secrets, and secluded places, then this book is must-read. Don't miss out on this truly unique story!

Excuse me now, as I need to warm up after feeling like I was on the island with Aurelia and swimming in the cold lake with her...

Thank you, St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio for the digital ARC copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Such an unexpected book :) Takes place around 1930’s. Lots of backstory, but overall reads like a Christie book. Murders in confined environment, limited number of suspects etc. Took me a minute to get into, but enjoyed it overall.