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!
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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*