3 /5 stars

Trouble Island is an atmospheric historical mystery set in the winter of 1932 on a remote island in the middle of Lake Erie. Prohibition-era gangsters, long buried secrets, and a chilling locked room mystery collide in this suspenseful story inspired by the author’s family history.

*Prohibition-Era
*First-Person POV
*Twists & Turns
*Locked Room (Island)
*Slow Burn

The story begins with Aurelia, who works as a maid to Rosita, the wife of a gangster. Trouble starts when a group of guests arrive on the island, and Rosita suddenly disappears. An ice storm traps everyone together, secrets unravel, and the murder mystery begins.

The premise immediately drew me in, especially with the Lake Erie setting, but I struggled to stay focused about a third of the way through. The book started strong with a moody, isolated atmosphere, but the middle dragged, and by the time the action picked up again near the end, I found myself less invested.

While I appreciated Aurelia, I found most of the other characters unlikable, which made it harder to connect with them. The historical elements also didn’t feel as developed as I’d hoped. At times, the modern sounding language made it easy to forget the story was set in the 1930s.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Jennifer Jill Araya, who did a great job bringing the story to life. She was able to create distinct voices for each character which made the listening experience more engaging.

Overall, Trouble Island offers a unique setting and an intriguing locked room mystery, but the slow pacing and lack of connection to the era and characters left me wanting more. While it wasn’t a perfect fit for me, it’s a well written book that fans of historical mysteries and slow burn suspense might enjoy.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the ALC of Trouble Island in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a slow-burner for me. Not fast-paced but definitely engaging.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

🎧 Book Review 🎧 Can you ever truly escape your past? When you land on a place called Trouble Island, the probability seems low. A colorful cast of characters assembles on this deserted island in the middle of a brutally cold Midwest winter; and in the time of Prohibition and gangsters, you cannot truly trust anyone with your secrets. Sharon Short has drawn from real life experiences from her family (I am fascinated), and has written an absolutely gripping novel that never slows down! This historical mystery has so many thrills and was narrated so perfectly, I almost had a case of whiplash but paced myself well enough to enjoy this wonderful book!

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.

This story is about an island in the middle of Lake Erie set in the early 1930;s of prohibition and gangsters. Two main characters, Rosita and Aurelia live there with a few others who are servants to Rosita. Aurelia serves as a maid to Rosita, who she believes is her friend. Aurelia is to serve time there for killing her husband. But does she have other secrets that Rosita doesn't know about? Rosita is a grieving mother, whose child was killed not long before this story takes place. Rosita hides away from others and rarely shows herself to them nor does she interact like she did as a young girl before when she grew up with Aurelia. Eddie McGee comes to the island with a colorful group on his yacht. But he is not there to console his wife back to his arms! He has a devious plan to get rich and leave his gangster life behind. This is a wonderful book full of rich characters and twists of secrets that will keep you guessing until the end. I can also see a sequel continuing the story of one of the characters. #netgalley #troubleisland #sharonshort

I enjoyed this audiobook, good narration, good pacing. I would have rated higher if I liked the "prohibition gangster" theme more, learned that is not so much for me, but the writing was good. I would recommend it for sure!

Trouble Island sits isolated in the middle Lake Erie, ten miles off the north shore of Ohio. It is a a stop-off for gangsters between America and Canada during prohibition. It is also the permanent home of Rosita and her maid Aurelia Escalante. In the winter of 1932, their guests arrive and Rosita disappears. Aurelia wants nothing more than to escape from the island, but she has secrets of her own.

This locked room mystery drew me in with the time period and premise. I enjoyed the Ohio and Lake Erie setting being from Ohio and enjoying some of Ohio’s history. While I felt connected to Aurelia, I had trouble connecting to the other characters, who, being gangsters, were not all that likable, but had interesting stories that we didn’t learn a lot about. This was also placed during a very interesting time period, but felt that the history was somewhat glossed over. This was based on the authors family and would have loved an authors note. Overall a successful “locked room” mystery, but I was looking for a little more.

This was a locked room mystery, set on a small island in the middle of Lake Erie, in the 1930s. Trouble Island is used as a stopping off point for gangsters running drugs and alcohol between Canada and the US, but is also home to Rosita, the wife of a gangster, and her maid Aurelia.

In the winter, Rosita's husband arrives with a group of others - a doctor, another gangster, and actor a cousin and others - as a fierce storm flares up, and everyone becomes trapped on the island. We soon find out that no one is really who they claim to be, and everyone has troubles of their own. When Rosita is found dead, the finger pointing begins.

I listened to the book, and I thought the narrator did a good job, especially of portraying the atmosphere of the place during prohibition.

Most of the characters were unlikable, and that included Aurelia for me. I felt the story was a little two long and twisty in the middle, and I lost concentration for a while.

I think I have read quite a few really good locked room mysteries, and so this one just didn't quite stand out for me.

TROUBLE ISLAND takes place on a private island in 1932, during Prohibition. Setting and atmosphere provide an isolated, moody vibe

Normally, this is the kind of story I’d get lost in. But some things kept me from being fully invested.

The language, both in exposition and dialogue, doesn’t have a strong historical connection. I’d often have to remind myself that the story is historical because it was easy to place it in modern times. I know some readers like this for an easier read, but I prefer a more authentic feel.

The plot is complex, bordering on convoluted, requiring full attention. Sometimes I felt like I should take notes. We have a large cast of characters, all with tangled relationships to one another. Add in the secrets each character is keeping from one another and us, and the omnipresent deceit, and it’s a lot to keep track of.

I listened to the audiobook. Jennifer Jill Araya does an excellent job with the narration. She was easy to listen to, making each character’s voice distinct without it sounding cartoonish or overdone.

*Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the free audiobook download.*

I was drawn to this new to me author after reading the synopsis of this new novel, set on a fictional island in Lake Erie. Growing up along the shores of this lake, I was excited to read this historical suspense book, based on an actual island and set during the early 1930s.

Readers will meet a cast of characters, mobsters and their wives, actors, an archeologist, a doctor, a care taker and staff members. The setting of a remote island, its spooky mansion and a body of water prone to violent storms was intriguing.
Given the unique setting, the book left me wanting more backstory of the Canada/US bootlegging history, the crime syndicates of the time and the sense of place of the island and its shores. Main character Aurelia Escalante was formidable and engaging, but the lengthy set up of the multiple side characters could have been edited. I kept reading to find out “who dunnit” but struggled to finish.

Many thanks for Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio for the early copy in exchange for my honest review

This review is of the audio version narrated by Jennifer Jill Araya. I listened to the book at 1.25 speed.
The narrator had a clear voice and was able to convey the differences in character through tone, pitch, and dialect.
The book was based in the early 1900s from events that transpired in the author's family. That is what drew me into reading the novel.
I loved the descriptions the author used to allow the listener to visualize the events, people, and places. Learning about the main character's, Aurelia Escalante's, backstory was enthralling.
I don't feel that this book romantised that era but gave a glimpse into the fact that the people living it did.
Grief can make people do the strangest things. Guilt can make other people do even stranger things.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an early audiobook edition of “Trouble Island” by Sharon Short, narrated by Jennifer Jill Araya for an honest review. This is the first book I listened to with Jennifer Jill Araya as a narrator. She did a good job with the narration.

In the early 1900s, gangsters used a remote island in Lake Erie between Canada and the U.S. called Trouble Island to move contraband. This island had a working lighthouse taken care of by Rosita’s grandfather. Rosita is the lady of the mansion on Trouble Island, with her on the island are husband and wife caretakers, two bodyguards, and Rosita’s maid Aurelia Escalante. All have their reasons for being on the island, all wish they could get away, but none can.

Everyone is on high alert when Rosita’s estranged husband arrives with an entourage. Eddie (Rosita’s husband) wants to sell Rosita’s Island to a rival gang boss. Rosita will not let her beloved island go. When Rosita ends up dead, all evidence points to Aurelia, but did she do it? Everyone had a motive. The story gives you the back story of the residents on the island and each had a motive to kill Rosita.

The storyline is good, and the characters are well-developed, but Aurelia’s character goes on and on about her secrets, constantly berating herself about what she did. There was too much of it and it took a long time to reveal what she did in her childhood, although there were hints along the way. It just felt like it prolonged the book. The twist was good and the ending moved quickly and was well written.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Loved this audiobook. It was slow moving but suspenseful and worth the listen. And the surprises towards the end. Wow. Definitely not at all what I had been expecting. Hardly anyone in this book is who they seem to be.
Great narration. Great book.

On a remote Lake Erie island in 1932, a maid hiding a murderous past finds her employer dead, trapping her with a group of gangsters, celebrities, and a killer during a blizzard. This suspenseful debut novel combines a locked-room mystery with a compelling portrait of a woman in crisis.

This is a moody and atmospheric mystery. If you enjoy Prohibition-era gangster stories, this book is for you. I liked the audiobook narration.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

How do I praise this lovely book! First I loved the narration. She was perfection! I loved the protagonist too. She isn't innocent but she is a bird lady with a big giant heart. I can't go into the moment I really fell for her without giving a spoiler but I can say I back up her decision.
It was just an amazing story and I loved listening to it.