Thrillers & Suspense
![Adrian McKinty - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B001IXU26K.jpg)
The Island
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Chain comes a pulse-pounding thriller about a family that must face their darkest fears--and deepest secrets--when they go on the run for their lives.
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER · A NEW YORK TIMES "BEST THRILLER OF 2022"
"Unrelenting suspense." -Stephen King
"Extraordinary." -T. J. Newman, New York Times bestselling author of Falling
"You'll never go on vacation the same way again." -Don Winslow, New York Times bestselling author of City On Fire
IT WAS JUST SUPPOSED TO BE A FAMILY VACATION.
A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT CHANGED EVERYTHING.
YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE CAPABLE OF UNTIL THEY COME FOR YOUR FAMILY.
After moving from a small country town to Seattle, Heather Baxter marries Tom, a widowed doctor with a young son and teenage daughter. A working vacation overseas seems like the perfect way to bring the new family together, but once they're deep in the Australian outback, the jet-lagged and exhausted kids are so over their new mom.
When they discover remote Dutch Island, off-limits to outside visitors, the family talks their way onto the ferry, taking a chance on an adventure far from the reach of iPhones and Instagram.
But as soon as they set foot on the island, which is run by a tightly knit clan of locals, everything feels wrong. Then a shocking accident propels the Baxters from an unsettling situation into an absolute nightmare.
When Heather and the kids are separated from Tom, they are forced to escape alone, seconds ahead of their pursuers.
Now it's up to Heather to save herself and the kids, even though they don't trust her, the harsh bushland is filled with danger, and the locals want her dead.
Heather has been underestimated her entire life, but she knows that only she can bring her family home again and become the mother the children desperately need, even if it means doing the unthinkable to keep them all alive.
SOON TO BE A HULU ORIGINAL SERIES
"Gripping and unpredictable. No one does high-stakes tension like McKinty . . . Prepare to be hooked." -Sarah Pearse
"A haunting masterpiece." -Steve Cavanagh
"McKinty has written another irresistible and pulse-pounding thriller about the surprising places evil hides and just how far we'll go for those we love." -Karin Slaughter
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER · A NEW YORK TIMES "BEST THRILLER OF 2022"
"Unrelenting suspense." -Stephen King
"Extraordinary." -T. J. Newman, New York Times bestselling author of Falling
"You'll never go on vacation the same way again." -Don Winslow, New York Times bestselling author of City On Fire
IT WAS JUST SUPPOSED TO BE A FAMILY VACATION.
A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT CHANGED EVERYTHING.
YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE CAPABLE OF UNTIL THEY COME FOR YOUR FAMILY.
After moving from a small country town to Seattle, Heather Baxter marries Tom, a widowed doctor with a young son and teenage daughter. A working vacation overseas seems like the perfect way to bring the new family together, but once they're deep in the Australian outback, the jet-lagged and exhausted kids are so over their new mom.
When they discover remote Dutch Island, off-limits to outside visitors, the family talks their way onto the ferry, taking a chance on an adventure far from the reach of iPhones and Instagram.
But as soon as they set foot on the island, which is run by a tightly knit clan of locals, everything feels wrong. Then a shocking accident propels the Baxters from an unsettling situation into an absolute nightmare.
When Heather and the kids are separated from Tom, they are forced to escape alone, seconds ahead of their pursuers.
Now it's up to Heather to save herself and the kids, even though they don't trust her, the harsh bushland is filled with danger, and the locals want her dead.
Heather has been underestimated her entire life, but she knows that only she can bring her family home again and become the mother the children desperately need, even if it means doing the unthinkable to keep them all alive.
SOON TO BE A HULU ORIGINAL SERIES
"Gripping and unpredictable. No one does high-stakes tension like McKinty . . . Prepare to be hooked." -Sarah Pearse
"A haunting masterpiece." -Steve Cavanagh
"McKinty has written another irresistible and pulse-pounding thriller about the surprising places evil hides and just how far we'll go for those we love." -Karin Slaughter
Editorial Reviews
"Unrelenting suspense. It reminded me a little of Jaws."―Stephen King
"This summer's major literary thrill ride…. Adrian McKinty is a master."―USA Today
"One of this summer's best standalone thrillers."
―The Boston Globe
"Thriller fans, think nothing can shock you anymore? Check out The Island. It's an adrenaline rush from beginning to end."―Reader's Digest
"A tense, adrenaline-fueled thriller."―Time Magazine
"The locals aren't always friendly in vacation hot spots, but on the closed-to-the-public island Tom sneaks his family in to for fun, they're out to kill. Maybe Disney World next time?"
―People
"What a shock it was to discover how deeply invested I became in the fate of the characters of The Island, a propulsive, insane story, about an all-out struggle for survival between an Australian family and a group of American interlopers. . . . Heather, who starts as a clueless young bride who expects her older husband to take care of her and has no love for his children, becomes not just a Charlize Theron-worthy badass but also a great stepmother who helps two damaged kids come into their own."
―The New York Times Book Review
"Deliverance meets The Road Warrior in this harrowing survival thriller . . . McKinty is a master of suspense."―Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Expertly choreographed and breathlessly exciting . . . both the peril and the family are like no other. The Chain was McKinty's breakthrough novel and this one could be every bit as big."―Booklist (starred review)
"Wow, this book left me breathless and on the edge of my seat from the very first page-this is thriller writing of a high order. Gripping and unpredictable, prepare to be hooked and pumped full of adrenaline as McKinty deftly weaves a compulsively readable plot with characters that you are rooting for. No one does high- stakes tension like McKinty. Put The Islan...
"This summer's major literary thrill ride…. Adrian McKinty is a master."―USA Today
"One of this summer's best standalone thrillers."
―The Boston Globe
"Thriller fans, think nothing can shock you anymore? Check out The Island. It's an adrenaline rush from beginning to end."―Reader's Digest
"A tense, adrenaline-fueled thriller."―Time Magazine
"The locals aren't always friendly in vacation hot spots, but on the closed-to-the-public island Tom sneaks his family in to for fun, they're out to kill. Maybe Disney World next time?"
―People
"What a shock it was to discover how deeply invested I became in the fate of the characters of The Island, a propulsive, insane story, about an all-out struggle for survival between an Australian family and a group of American interlopers. . . . Heather, who starts as a clueless young bride who expects her older husband to take care of her and has no love for his children, becomes not just a Charlize Theron-worthy badass but also a great stepmother who helps two damaged kids come into their own."
―The New York Times Book Review
"Deliverance meets The Road Warrior in this harrowing survival thriller . . . McKinty is a master of suspense."―Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Expertly choreographed and breathlessly exciting . . . both the peril and the family are like no other. The Chain was McKinty's breakthrough novel and this one could be every bit as big."―Booklist (starred review)
"Wow, this book left me breathless and on the edge of my seat from the very first page-this is thriller writing of a high order. Gripping and unpredictable, prepare to be hooked and pumped full of adrenaline as McKinty deftly weaves a compulsively readable plot with characters that you are rooting for. No one does high- stakes tension like McKinty. Put The Islan...
Readers Top Reviews
David MorganLaNov
Buckle-up Buttercup! Tom and new bride Heather decide to take his two children along to Australia where he's attending a conference. The children resent their new mom and treat her accordingly. While seeing the sights the children whine that they want to see Koalas and are offered a chance to go to a private island to see them. The only way on or off the island is by ferry though and the island's single family runs it. Another couple overhears the offer and asks if they could go as well. They'll only have a short time to spend on the island before the ferry leaves again so they'll have to make it quick. While racing back to the docks something tragic happens that causes the story to go into overdrive. This fun vacation turns into a 'locked room' thriller that grabs you early and doesn't let go until the satisfying end. Think Deliverance meets Die Hard. (Dating myself?) I really enjoyed this wild ride of a novel. My feelings for Tom and Heather was a kind of love/hate relationship and they changed as the story progressed. The O'Neill klan, led by 'Ma' were straight out of hell. The island itself was a formidable presence. The tension and suspense are palpable and this all made for a winner of a book, one that I highly recommend to thriller lovers everywhere.
lorraine tommasin
Great book and I bought while it was discounted, latest book by the author, hard cover for under $15
Waterside Lucylor
I love everything he writes. This one, about a family marooned on an island of hillbillies who murder for fun is very suspenseful. Stepmom must rise to the occasion. Lots of nerve-wracking moments. I recommend.
Yusuf DeLorenzoTi
This is one of those books, the kind that you can’t put down until you know, finally, how everything will turn out. This is the stuff of adrenaline-inducing adventure and you’ll love every word of it.
