“Even the most beautiful things, she thinks, can be deadly”

Even though this was a murder mystery, it made me want to go back to Fiji. I've been to an island close to where this was set (although definitely wasn't a 6 star resort). It's a lovely place.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I finished it pretty fast, however i wish there was a bit more characterisation. Some of the personalities weren't strong enough, that they did fade into the background a bit and made them not memorable.

Overall i do recommend though! it's a fun read.

Thank you NetGalley and to Hachette Australia & New Zealand for the ARC.

The Private Island by Ali Lowe.

"Even the most beautiful things, she thinks, can be deadly".

Welcome to paradise - Loloma Island, Fiji. A tranquil place but when a body is found washed up on the shore everyone is a suspect and no-one is safe. Everyone has a secret to hide.

The Private Island is the perfect summer holiday read. The location was a chef's kiss. I really enjoyed the different points of view between the characters. Ali definitely gave us some unlikeable characters (one standing out more than others) and of course some likeable characters too (Una).

I loved the cocktail of the day recipes throughout the book and saved them for a later date. They sound delicious. Just when you think you have all the answers you get taken for another wild ride.

Thank you Hachette Books Australia and Netgalley for gifting me a copy of this book for my honest book review.

This book took me back to a wonderful family holiday we spent on a small Fijian island about 18 years ago. It described life on the island perfectly - I felt like I was back there, with the fragrance of the frangipanis, the waves crashing on the sand and the warm and friendly Fijian people. This island may have been a tad more extravagant than ours, but along with that came an abundance of mystery and mayhem!

From the minute the guests arrive, tensions are high, culminating in a catastrophic New Years Eve. The drama doesn’t just involve the visitors though, the staff have plenty going on too! There are wonderful characters to both love and despise, many suspects to keep you guessing, lots of twists and turns and a very clever ending!

I loved this latest book of Ali’s! It’s an extremely addictive page turner and would make a great holiday read!

Ali Lowe is back with another fantastic, mysterious, twisty thriller set in the gorgeous Fijian islands

It’s the lead up to New Year’s Eve and the guests are arriving at the luxury Loloma Resort & Spa. The hotel staff are prepared for the busy few days to come. Una has been a loyal and model employee, always striving for perfection in her job. And also looking after her grown nephew Sailasa who too works at Loloma. He is a hard worker but hiding something from his Aunt

As the guests arrive, we meet two couples who are ready for a relaxing getaway. Before Benedict and his billionaire wife Luella step foot off the boat, they already have the staff intimidated and on edge, knowing this couple will expect a perfect stay. Meanwhile, Fergus and his wife Kitty are far more relaxed and friendly, but soon Fergus recognises his old colleague Benedict, is it a coincidence they are here at the same date?

In between cocktails, sun and exciting water adventures the island is in full party swing! But when a body washes up on the shore the celebrations are halted, is there a murderer on the island?

This fabulous twisty thriller, is filled with lies, revenge and many suspicious characters
The tropical backdrop is the ideal location, plus the storytelling through multiple POVs had me guessing right up until the very end

Thank you so much @netgalley @hachetteaus for my early review copy

A fantastic gripping story of whodunnit!

It was an absolute pleasure to dive into this book with lots of suspense and twists.

A really great read that I couldn’t put it down and I highly recommend this book.

Thank you NetGalley and to the publisher Hachette Australia & New Zealand for the ARC.

Ali Lowe delivers another highly entertaining, addictive read with The Private Island, the perfect beach thriller.

Set in a luxurious six-star resort on a remote Fijian island, the story unfolds against the backdrop of a glamorous New Year’s Eve celebration. The cast—both privileged guests and hotel staff—includes some truly awful characters you’ll love to hate, others you’ll root for, and plenty hiding secrets. When a body washes ashore, everyone becomes a suspect.

I was hooked from the start and couldn’t wait to dive back in each time I had to put it down. Just when I thought I had things figured out, Ali masterfully threw in twists that made me second-guess everything.

This will be a hit with readers who love an engaging drama mixed with a juicy whodunnit. The tropical setting gave me all the White Lotus vibes, and honestly, this would make a fantastic screen adaptation.

Thank you to @netgalley and @hatchette for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

4.5 stars! Ali has done it again with a story you just can't put down! There were so many OMG, wait WHAT?!, wow moments in this story. In the prologue a body is discovered and as soon as we were introduced to one of the main characters I hoped they were going to end up being the body (is that bad? I don't care, they were an awful character, if someone was dying in this book it deserved to be them 😂) I thought I could see how the story was playing out but I was wrong and that makes for some great reading as you realise more secrets and revelations. Plus as always in Ali's books the epilogue was fabulous when that last little tidbit is exposed

4.5 stars!
Ali Lowe takes us on a journey to a remote island in Fiji where a few couples and a few singles are staying at a luxury resort. They are counting down to New Year’s Eve and hoping for a night they won’t forget. When a body washes up on the shore…things take a turn.

Tensions are high throughout and each character has a secret or two they are hiding. I loved this ride and the excellent character development of our island guests and hotel employees. I loved how absolutely ridiculous Luella was. There were a lot of characters but I felt like the book was written really clearly so it was easy to keep track of everyone. This was very enjoyable and I was questioning who could be trusted and who may have motive to kill. I thought it was quite unique that our main character is Una, one of the housekeepers at the resort. Her perspective and character is great and she dives in head first to investigate even though it’s not her job.

I loved this! Very entertaining and so intricately executed! Thank you so much to @hachetteaustralia and @netglley for the E-arc. It’s time for me to get to more of her backlist…I’ve only read The Running Club.

Review: The Private Island by Ali Lowe. Bula!! The first thing I loved about this book is the setting, a 6 star private island, an hour boat ride from Port Denerau, Fiji. This book made me crave an island holiday so badly, everything from the heat, the hustle and bustle of the port, and the welcome song from the staff on the island.
This island is a very exclusive and expensive resort, and the guests seem to all be very different. Unfortunately one of the guests ends up on the beach, dead…. But who is the culprit? And why?
I loved the short chapters that often ended with a bit of a cliffhanger, so honestly, there was no good point to put it down, I just really wanted to keep reading.
A couple of the characters gave me second hand embarrassment over how they treated the staff, who were so patient and kind with everyone (as anyone who has visited Fiji would know, there’s always a friendly smile and a jovial “Bula” when you cross paths!).
Several undercurrents of tension between the guests honestly kept me guessing til the end.
Loved it!
Thankyou Ali, NetGalley and the publishers for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
5⭐️

I love holidaying in Fiji, so when I heard Ali’s new book was set there I couldn’t wait to read it!

The start of the book is quite mysterious and I wasn’t quite sure where this was heading. There were lots of visitors on the island, there was also a lot of spite, hatred, secrets and nasty personalities.

Half way through the book, things started to heat up and I was not expecting this story to unfold! Whoa!! Excellent diversions and twists, that ending was pretty remarkable too! Didn’t expect that one!!

This book didn’t really have many likeable characters, only one, the lovely Una, our hardworking, lovely, Fijian house keeper on the island. She was definitely my favourite!

If you’re looking for a mystery filled with twists, this one is for you!

Thank you @hachette and @netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Set at the illustrious, exclusive Loloma resort in Fiji, The Private Island follows a muddled together group of couples, families, secret lovers and estranged siblings on the count down to New Years Eve when something terrible happens and someone washes up dead.

Ali does such a great job at painting the most serene picture of Fiji and carving out each individual character. Every voice was so unique and had such a different and interesting perspective.

I love Ali's writing. I love the way she tells a story. Overall it was just a really good time.

4.25 ⭐

Fiji is one of my favourite places to go on holiday. The island is beautiful with its beaches and resorts and the and the Fijian people are some of the nicest that I have ever met. They are so friendly and helpful and love a chat. My husband and I were there last January and this book took me right back to our resort. The toad racing, the bars, the snorkelling, what is not to love about an island paradise.

Ali Lowe has captured Fiji time perfectly. I was so engrossed in this story and I could picture it all vividly from my visits. I loved the character of Una so much, she is what I think of when I think of Fiji. This is one island I would not want to visit though! I didn’t want to spoil the story at all, but this island is dangerous! Or the people there are I should say, Luella was truly awful, absolutely horrible. You will have strong feelings about her.

This will be the perfect beach read, slop on that sunscreen and get comfortable because you won’t want to put it down. Just fabulous! And that cover is gorgeous ❤️

Thank you so much to Hachette Books Australia for my advanced copy on NetGalley to read. Out February 25th.

White Lotus lovers eat your heart out!
I was unable to put this book down, I was instantly transported to this Fijian island and loved living amongst the native Fijians and the filthy rich tourists.
This mystery was intricately weaved and so well put together. I've loved all of Ali Lowe's books, and here is another that I will be recommending to everyone!

I love a holiday resort setting and also island settings. I enjoyed this mystery set on a holiday island and felt compelled to keep reading to find out who was behind each of the crimes. The book was easy to read and I imagine it would be a great book to take on a holiday and read on the beach. The characters each had secrets and it was interesting to find out more about each of them as the story moved on. I found this to be somewhere between a cozy mystery and a gritty crime novel. It was just the right level of intrigue and mystery and I think it would appeal to a wide audience. I can imagine a series involving the main character Una solving more crimes. She was very likeable.