A Book A Week

Last year I finally got around to reading The Chain by Adrian McKinty. It was one of those books that were super hyped around the time of its release, so I bought it as quickly as I could. Then, as is far too often the case, it sat unread on my shelf. I kicked myself for waiting so long to read it! The Chain has one of the best and most original hooks of any thriller that I've ever read. I felt that the novel stumbled a bit near the end, but it made me excited to read whatever McKinty would come up with next. Lucky for me, I wouldn't have to wait long. McKinty's latest thriller The Island released earlier this month. Even luckier for me, his publisher sent me a copy of the book to review. 

Heather fast-tracked her life when she married the handsome widower Tom. Suddenly she had everything she could have ever dreamed of, the wealthy husband who adored her, a dream home, and even Tom's two children. Her life seemed set. As the newly formed family embarked on a globe-spanning vacation to Australia, nothing could have brought them down. It wasn't all sunshine and roses, though. Heather felt a sense of being unworthy of everything she had. She hadn't really earned this life. Heck, she wasn't even an actual mother, something her two stepchildren were always keen to remind her. But this trip, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit another continent, seemed like the perfect chance to cement her place in this new life. 

The trip isn't without its commitments. Tom has to speak at a conference later that day. Before work invades play, though, Heather is determined to show the kids some fun. On the top of the young pair's list is seeing real live koala bears. The family happens upon a man who promises views of wildlife on the private Dutch Island, a remote piece of land just off the coast. He says that his family has lived and sustained the island for years. As long as Heather promises to stay away from the family's compound, they can drive the perimeter of the island and view the wildlife there. Everything about the island feels wrong, but Heather sets her unease aside for the sake of the family vacation. They are only on the isle for a short period of time when a tragic accident occurs, setting into motion a series of events that will turn this family vacation into a horrible nightmare. 

I knew from reading his previous novel that Adrian McKinty wasn't afraid to concoct shocking and disturbing scenes, but nothing could have prepared me for the horror he imagines in The Island. This new novel lacks the killer hook of The Chain, but that doesn't detract from the wild thrill ride at all. Without a clear direction right out of the gate, McKinty slowly lures the reader into a seemingly normal story about a dysfunctional family getaway. Only once we are fully invested in the scenario does he reveal his cards, turning a typical family drama into a bizarro horror-thriller akin to a cross between Deliverance and The Most Dangerous Game. You'll need to suspend your disbelief with this one. Very little of the action would be plausible in a normal world. If you can let go of your inhibitions, The Island will play out as an unrelenting and shocking adventure that will have you turning the pages as quickly as you can read. McKinty grounds his wild story in characters who give readers just enough heart to latch onto them. With The Island, McKinty proves that The Chain was no fluke. His ability to write a crazy fun thriller is on full display. 

For more information visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads. 

(2022, 21)