The Island by Mary Grand is a psychological thriller that I have been dying to read. I have read Mary’s work before and loved it, so was looking forward to this book.
Juliet has returned from China to the island, in time to visit her dad who has had a car accident and is dying. He gives her a warning that there is a killer on the loose and not to trust anyone. Juliets family comprises of three sisters and her mother and as the story moves along Juliet realises there is much more that her father did not have time to tell her. Someone who knows more than they should ends up dead, so Juliet decides to attempt to discover the full truth. As she investigates she realises absolutely anyone could be the culprit so no one is spared, including family, in her quest for the truth. The further she digs the more danger she is in, will she manage to find the answers or will she end up just another victim?
Mary has again created the most marvellous characters and gone about the relationships within the family perfectly. The sisters all have their own complex personalities and we see these play out as Juliet doubts every one of them and we find out more about the secrets they are keeping.
The island plays a large part in this book. In one sense an overly busy place with tourists unrelenting while in another it is a small community and one that makes you feel like you can’t move without someone knowing about it. I felt like I was with Juliet as she began to discover the full truth with the shocks as she learns the secrets which have roots in the past. I was as eager as Juliet and was impatient to get to the bottom of it all. As something was peeled away another layer appeared.
This is an intricate mystery wrapped up in a complex family. A great slow burner of a book and one I would recommend.
Thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources and Boldwood Books for the copy of the book.
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