Prohibition era, island on the lake, mobsters and movie stars and murder, oh my! While the idea of this story was a decent one, and the mystery involved was clever, there was just too much to this story that didn’t work for me. All the different characters are tossed together with half-way explanations on why they’re involved. Then there’s a sort of lackluster but okay ending. It was an okay book.

A riveting "who done it" story that kept me captivated!
Sharon did an excellent job creating a space where you could fully immerse yourself in her Trouble Island. I was attached to each character and loved that they played their own part in the story.

This is a good book with a few twists. I got this book because I live in Michigan and have been on Lake Erie and know how the storms can really whip up, thankfully I wasn't on it in the winter. I visited islands like Put-In-Bay and thought it would be a read I could really get into. I know they did a lot of running back and forth to the U.S and Canada during prohibition. The book was good but I know a few times I thought well it's almost wrapped up and I would not be close to the ending. My personal feeling is it could have been a little shorter and grabbed my interest more.

Trouble Island reminded me of Agatha Christie's novel, And Then There Were None, also set on an island with people getting killed one by one. I was intrigued with the timeperiod early 1930's during Prohibition and growing up in northern Ohio I had always heard of bootleggers smuggling alcohol from Canada into the US by boat on the Great Lakes. There is an eclectic cast of characters, gangsters, washed-up Hollywood actors, quirky doctor, and sevants. Everyone has a secrets that they would prefer no one learned. Everyone has a motive for killing the first victim.

Overall, I loved the story line, the setting of the remote island with winter quickly approaching. Everytime I thought I had figured out the killer or killers and their motives the story line took a twist.

This was an interesting but forgettable book. It was confusing in parts and beautiful in others. All in all, a 3/5. I wish that it had been a little less draggy and convoluted, but it wasn’t terrible.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for an eARC copy of Trouble Island by Sharon Short.

I was hooked from the very beginning of this Clue like historical thriller/mystery based off the story of Sharon Short's own family members. Following Aurelia, a maid hired to work on Trouble Island by the owner, Rosita where all is not what it seems to be. When a storm rolls in, trapping Aurelia and a rather interesting group of mobsters, lackeys, and others where secrets are exposed, everybody wants something, and a killer on the loose. I loved that there was so much research done for the Prohibition Era and the weather of Lake Erie (which is notoriously known as the most dangerous Great Lake), not to mention Lake Erie itself feels more like a character than just a place. The twists are not expected and you are constantly guessing of who the killer may be. It's been a while since I've read a really good mystery and you will certainly find it with Trouble Island.

I’d read the teaser of Trouble Island in the Minotaur Sampler 12, and was delighted to read the entire book shortly thereafter because I just had to know who committed the murder and why! Trouble Island by Sharon Short is a suspenseful whodunit murder mystery with plenty of plot twists to keep the reader guessing until the very end. If you loved playing the board game Clue as a kid, then you’ll love this story set on an isolated Canadian Island on Lake Erie during a bitter Winter storm with an oddly matched group of guests, all with motives of course.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

A great historical thriller with a twist that will stun you. I want to thank St. Martin's press for letting me review this title! You can tell Sharon did her research because I truly felt like I was living in that 1930's prohibition era. I will be recommending this to my readers!

Trouble Island is a closed circle mystery set on a remote island in the middle of Lake Erie during the era of Prohibition. Narrator Aurelia and the rest of the cast of characters (gangsters and their lackeys, washed-up Hollywood stars, the reclusive owner of the island and its mansion named Rosita, a questionable doctor, and the help) are all on the aptly-named island facing their own individual troubles. Thrown together in close quarters with conflicting priorities and the looming threat of the lake freezing, tension quickly rises among the group which all comes to a head when Rosita mysteriously disappears. Can they find her before it’s too late?

Overall, I enjoyed this story. I loved the setting of the remote island in Lake Erie, especially with winter quickly approaching and adding an extra layer of gravity to the situation. I also appreciated the cast of rather unlikable characters who made the red herrings all the more convincing. The ending of the story was also satisfying. I did find Aurelia’s narration to be a bit tedious in parts (constantly reiterating the clues and evidence, sharing suspicions of major twists before the major twist is actually revealed, etc.), but as I am usually more of a thriller reader, it may just be because of my unfamiliarity with historical suspense as a genre.

Oh boy, what a good book. Don’t skip over this one on publication day. You’ll regret not reading this one.

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

Trouble Island was an engaging read that kept my interest. I enjoyed the simplicity of a single timeline told from a single perspective. It's soon apparent that Trouble Island, as both a title for the book and the name of the fictional island on Lake Erie, is more apt for the description of the group of characters who make up the cast. All are deeply troubled, all fighting their own personal fight, and some do so against each other. If you enjoy a locked room mystery you'll probably rate this a 5. I'm not a massive fan of that premise, as I have mentioned in reviews for other titles, but Trouble Island avoids some of the typical clichés those stories get sucked into.

4 out of 5.

I almost gave up on this book. It snagged me about 1/3 of the way through with a big event, but it was still a slower story. This was set in an older time, like during prohibition and the mob boss era. I didn’t find this book super suspenseful or a thriller. This one felt more like a well written, lengthy, historical story that involved murder, crime, and love.

I found Trouble Island by reading the Minotaur Sampler, was very intrigued, and delighted the full book was available to preview. I couldn’t put the book down and at the same time I didn’t want it to end. It’s the height of prohibition and Aurelia is forced to live on an island in the middle of Lake Erie with a gangsters wife and assorted staff. After she killed her husband, Eddie and his wife Rosita hid her away on the island, and she’s not allowed to leave. But Aurelia has grown to love the island and its natural habitat even as she spends each day catering to Rosita’s whims. But when Rosita’s estranged husband, Eddie, visits the island he informs everyone he’s selling Rosita’s island to another gangster. As storms rage and people are killed the suspense is a roller coaster as no one can trust anyone. A thrilling ride.

I appreciate having an ARC to review and loved this book. After the author’s Kinship series, I wondered if a new story could be as good - and it was! Full of twists and surprises, the intrigue of a cold Lake Erie island with murders and surprises kept me engaged and binge reading until the last page. Aurelia (Susan) and Rosita now rate with Lily as memorable characters Short has brought to life.

It's 1932 and in the middle of Prohibition. Aurelia is stuck in the middle of Lake Erie on a private island as she cares for her friend Rosita. While the mansion they live in is large and luxurious, Auerlia feels like a prisoner and is plotting to leave. It's not long before Rosita's estranged mobster husband arrives and fireworks begin to fly. Short does a great job of including historical detail and keeping the plot moving. The fact that this story is based on real events in her family make it gold!
#stmartinspress #troubleisland #sharonshort #prohibition

A haunting tale of secrets, betrayal, and unexpected twists.
Aurelia arrives on Trouble Island to serve in the mansion owned by Rosita and her mobster husband, Eddie. Rosita, grieving quietly over the death of their son, Oliver, is unaware of Eddie's plan to sell the island to Marco to settle his debts. Eddie brings Marco, Cormac (a cop), Claire (Rosita’s cousin), and Dr. Aldridge to the island in a bid to either convince Rosita to sell or have her declared insane. Amidst this turmoil, Aurelia discovers a lockbox filled with treasures that promise a new beginning. Her hopes are shattered when Rosita goes missing and the lockbox disappears. The novel reaches its climax in a frantic search for Rosita, with everyone turning against each other in a desperate attempt to save themselves.

Head out of Ohio on Lake Erie and you will spot it - Trouble Island, a secret stopover for gangsters running between Canada and the US. Visit the island and you will meet Rosita and her friend/maid Aurelia who are not what they seem. Rosita is married to a big boss - or an infamous gangster in the 1930s, but is no wallflower. Aurelia seems like the perfect friend and maid, but we learn there is much more to her than meets the eye. When rival gang leaders show up on Trouble Island to do some heavy dealings, we the readers get to watch a gripping mystery unfold - with murder, schemes, moles, and deceit keeping you turning pages. There's even a terrific twist to shock you.
This book is definitely book club worthy, and we will be looking forward to hosting it. There's a lot to talk about - from the well developed characters to the setting and suspense. I would recommend this to patrons. Congratulations, Sharon!
Thanks to NetGalley and St Martins for this advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review - which will appear on Goodreads.
5*