Rachel Rhys has clearly been to Cuba and fallen in love with Havana. Ok so she hasn’t been there in 1957 when the book is set and that’s the genius of this writer. Old and new mixed with style. Sounds a bit like Cuba itself.
An English socialite is invited to Havana to draw portraits of wedding guests in Cuba. Young and naive, she finds herself in another world in every sense of the word.

Cuba as a background to this girl’s journey is fascinating. She’s young, innocent and naive and brought into a country with a light and dark side. It’s 1957 and the country is undergoing political turmoil. One one side of its colourful streets, there’s decadence and hedonism; on the other, there’s political danger and deadly secrets. Like a lamb to the slaughter, it’s into this web of contrasts that Iris walks.

Add to this more than one or two actual historical events and it’s a complex novel that Rachel Rhys has constructed. It’s one that works on many levels.

Cuba draws, pulls the readers and entangles the characters in its grip. This book does that to the reader. Fuller review nearer the time when I have digested it all!

I enjoyed this insightful historical novel very much. The storyline flows at a great pace, and the characters are well fleshed out. Highly recommended!

I would like to thank Netgalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for an advance copy of Island of Secrets, set in Cuba in 1957.

When socialite Nell Hardman invites wedding artist Iris Bailey to Havana to draw portraits at her father’s wedding Iris jumps at the chance. All is not, however, as it seems and there are seething emotions hiding within the outward picture of wealth and privilege.

I thoroughly enjoyed Island of Secrets. Normally I’m a straightforward crime fiction kind of gal but the mystery, atmosphere and secrets had me hooked and it held my attention throughout.

The novel is told entirely from Iris’s point of view and this is a good move. She is a young, naive Englishwoman, entirely unequipped to deal the situation she finds herself in, an extremely louche Havana with its decadence and political undercurrents and a dysfunctional family riven with internecine strife and secrets. She rises to the task with an outsider’s eye that gives her objectivity and a clear eye. That’s not to say that she doesn’t feel fear and uncertainty at times. The novel is as much about her finding her inner strength and personality as it is about solving a mystery. And no, I’m not going to say what the mystery is.

If it doesn’t scream out I’m not very good at spotting themes in novels but I found a few interesting things in the novel. I recognised a few events that are based on real life incidents. There are probably more than I recognised but they do give a sheen of authenticity to events that otherwise I might have dismissed as improbable. Iris has a #MeToo moment that empowers her to be less acquiescent to men and more concerned with what she wants. Obviously this is immensely satisfying for the reader but I think it strikes a false note for the era. I could feel the heat and its uncomfortableness in the novel and it somehow gives the spilling of secrets and emotions more validity, as if the oppressiveness of the atmosphere makes them burst out. Of course, no novel set in Havana in 1957 would be complete without mention of gangsters, corruption and rebels. This background is only covered lightly, enough to give readers a feel without any deep exploration. I think this is the right move for a novel more concerned with character.

Island of Secrets is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

A glamorous murder mystery set in exotic Havana. The characters and settings are richly described and endearing. The story features love, mystery and glamour. Perfect holiday or book club read.