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.

While this book was a little slow for me to start off with. I did enjoy the spooky, Gothic vibes that the novel was throwing at me. This one is perfect for Halloween / Fall vibes.

4.5 rating up. Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this book. Highly recommend this book. Trouble Island comes out in December, which I believe is a perfect setting for this chilling winter thriller.

The setting of this book, I thought, would not be my cup of tea at first, but I quickly flipped. Set in 1930's prohibition era, on an island in-between Canada and America on Lake Erie, run by gangsters. There is no way to fully trust anyone or their dealings as a winter storm approaches that could leave them trapped on the island.

The pace of the book was one of the reasons I gave this book high remarks. Some thrillers have a long backstory and drag on at times, and even add things to "fluff" up the story before the big reveal. Trouble Island, however, gave details throughout as well as consistent twists in-between that contributed to a great pace and flow of the book. I never felt I had to push myself to get through the details to find out the main twist. I was intrigued throughout.

I also liked that there was only one perspective as well. There was no jumping through different perspectives and timelines to tie everything together. The simplicity of the one perspective lessened any confusion I may have had on who was telling the story and when it transpired. The main character did reminiscence past memories to explain details of her own past without jumping the time timeline entirely.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I've already recommended it to my friends and family and hope they enjoy it as much as I did.

Trouble Island certainly lives up to its title. The presence of a group of individuals, consisting of two notorious mob bosses, a grieving starlet, two aspiring individuals, a convicted murderer, two law enforcement officers, and numerous innocent bystanders, only adds to the intrigue of this gripping tale. Prepare to be taken on a thrilling journey as the mystery of who committed the heinous act unfolds.

At times this was very convoluted and slightly confusing but given the POV, I felt it was very fitting although slightly frustrating going through the back and forth of the whole events. I thought that the plot was great. Pace at times dragged a little to much but over all a great mystery!

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. Trouble Island by Sharon Short. Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for this advanced reader copy. I was excited to read this historical fiction novel. It’s 1932 & we are on a remote island in the middle of Lake Erie. Right away, this Buffalo girl was intrigued. Eddie McGee is a notorious gangster, and he uses his wife’s island, Trouble Island, as a staging point for his illegal booze activities. Eddie’s wife, Rosita, lives on Trouble Island with her trusty maid, Aurelia. There are a few other staff members who stay there all year as well. Eddie suddenly appears with an odd lot of assorted gangsters & their groupies. Rosita is unhappy with pretty much everyone. Her only child was murdered, and she blames many of the people on the island. Aurelia (not her real name) is trying to figure out how to escape the inhospitable island when suddenly Rosita goes missing. The novel had great elements that somehow just didn’t hold together. It was too long & I was happy when it was over. Just eh. #bookstagram #whatiread #sharonshort #netgalley #books #bookgram #reading #goodreads #bookworm #lakeerie

I have found a new mystery author! I really enjoyed this book. Sort of a mobster mystery. I liked the way she started the book---not sure where it was going-- sort of a guessing game from the start. With lots of winding and twisting jumps in a location that was also intriguing. Perfect characters, just one of the best that I have read all the way round.

I wanted this to be a lot more compelling and suspenseful. I did not feel connected to any of the characters. The premise was great, but I thought it needed additional editing to create more suspense.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for providing me with an e-ARC of this book to review!

Trouble Island is a locked room murder mystery where not everyone is who they appear to be on the surface. When the owner of Trouble Island is found murdered after declaring that she won't sell her island to the mobster responsible for her son's death, suspicion falls on everyone trapped there on the island, each of whom have a motive for taking the woman out. But as more and more people are found dead, the truth of what happened on Trouble Island becomes even more convoluted until only the narrator remains on the Island.

I really wanted to like this book better than I did. It's set during a fascinating time of American history (the Prohibition!), locked room mysteries are fun to read and try to figure out whodunit before the characters do, and it's set on Lake Erie (which is NOT the most dangerous or deadly Great Lake, Sharon! That honour belongs to Lake Michigan.). However, much like a poorly constructed souffle, the parts never came together to make a delicious whole. The plot was just too convoluted, and I really doubt that the protagonist could survive what she did in the freezing lake, especially when hypothermia sets in so quickly. But at least the bird makes it?

I was lucky enough to win an e-ARC of TROUBLE ISLAND by Sharon Short from a Shelf Awareness giveaway. Thank you for the early look, and enjoy the rest of your summer!

This book was gripping and hard to put down. It didn't feel like everything else you see out there, it felt very fresh. I really enjoyed this book!