Trouble Island is a suspense novel by Sharon Short that’s based on real events. I received a free ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
This novel takes place on Trouble Island, a lonely private island owned by a woman named Rosita. Aurelia, a once-friend and now servant of Rosita resides on the island, escaping from her past and the deeds that brought her there. But one day, right before winter, Rosita’s husband shows up. And Eddie is a mobster, a bootlegger in the height of the Prohibition-era. Most importantly however, is the fact that Rosita doesn’t want to see Eddie. When tensions rise and a body is found, those left on the island can only wonder who did it…and which one of them may be next.
Stars: 4.5/5
What I like about this novel is that Short ramps up the suspense from the very first page. You get the eerie sense that something is wrong, not just with the island but for all of its inhabitants. Even the flora and fauna that the author describe are somehow tethered to this ghastly place. You are on edge from the very first page, there’s no slow build (which I don’t mind either). Moreover who doesn’t love secrets and disappearances?
Another tidbit about this novel is how the narrator and protagonist are so comfortable with being ignorant at first. Yet, that same comfort in not knowing anyone’s story, in keeping her own secrets close to her chest, in not getting close to anyone on the island…they are what cause her the most fear and trepidation. She doesn’t know who to trust or where to go. She’s out on her own, even with the few people around her. And what is worse is that she’s stuck on an island near Lake Erie. (As an Ohioan, I can tell you that’s definitely not somewhere you’d want to be.)
One of my favorite scenes is something that the author called “a round robin” and all the blaring accusations are so interesting to see! This is definitely a book that I would recommend to a lover of suspense and mystery! But most of all, I love how Aurelia really comes into her own toward the end of the novel.
Does you like suspense novels?
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