Publisher: Little, Brown & Company / Hachette Audio
Published: May 17, 2022
Source: Print – Hardcover via Novel Suspects / Audio – ALC via Hachette Audio
Summary:
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.
My thoughts:
I loved Adrian McKinty’s last novel, The Chain, so when I saw this one, it was a no-brainer that I would be picking it up. He is most definitely now a must-read author for me…two fantastic thrillers that kept me on edge the entire way through? I cannot wait to read more from this author!
This latest book an intense thrill ride from start to finish. Add in the perfectly timed, yet incredible twists this book takes and you literally feel like you are getting whiplash as you make your way through this book. I had no idea what direction this book was going and yet I could not put it down until I finished it…and I listened to the audio, so I felt the intensity is just slightly more enhanced if you can believe it!
I love books set in the wilds of Australia and this one sure is that. The stress that the characters are under as they are put in such unthinkable situations time and time is so palpable…my heart was beating so fast as I made my way through this one and I couldn’t help thinking that I would not be able to be nearly as strong as Heather was throughout this ordeal.
I loved this book – it kept me engaged throughout and even though there is a fair bit of gore sprinkled throughout, it fits and isn’t used gratuitously. I’ve heard this is being made into a Hulu series and I cannot wait to watch it!
Audio thoughts:
This book translated so well to audio and the narrator, Mela Lee, did a fantastic job bringing the story to life. Her pacing and intonation were spot on and she infused just the right amount of tension into the voice as necessary. I also loved the special effects used throughout the audio – it added a nice touch. I was so captivated by this story and so engaged in the audiobook that I ended up listening to this one in just one day…I couldn’t put it down!
