I love getting the opportunity to read a book about a place I am visiting and I was lucky enough to read Devils Island before visiting Tasmania earlier this year.
I really enjoyed the mystery and storyline, but was not a fan of any of the characters - which I think only added to the story for me. I found the extensive descriptions of the flora and fauna and the environment great as it made me feel like I was right there in the story with the characters. The plot was definitely not predictable and I couldn't wait to find out the ending!
Will definitely be recommending this book to friends, especially anyone travelling to Tasmania.

⭐️⭐️⭐️
Three stars.
So where do I begin with this book. It definitely has an interesting premise. The idea of what it is about hooked me into it straight away. Unfortunately the actual execution wasn't quite as good as I was expecting. The first problem I has was that I didn't enjoy all the multiple POV's from each character. Some were definitely more interesting than others and I found myself skimming certain character's POV's after awhile. I enjoyed reading about the good old Tasmanian Devil, something that I know a little about, but not a lot. Perhaps skimming (when I skim it is more like speed reading, I take less in but still most of the words) made me less interested in what was happening to the characters in the story? I don't know for sure. This book didn't hold my attention very well, but I still read it to the end to give it a fair shot. I think that there are people out there that will really enjoy this, it just wasn't me this time unfortunately.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advance review copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The cover of this drew me in & I thought it had an interesting concept, but it just didn't deliver for me, unfortunately.

I found the main characters so bland and boring and didn't particularly like either of them, to be honest. The theatre theme to the story I didn't like, and the whole plot just got so far-fetched that I couldn't take it seriously by the end.

I did manage to finish it, and I enjoyed learning more about the devils. Kerry, the tour guides POVs I probably enjoyed the most and was the only character I could tolerate. For that reason, it gets 2 stars instead of 1.

A remote, uninhabited island off the coast of Tasmania is full of native wildlife. It is also home to relocated heathy Tasmanian Devils, carnivorous marsupials whose population has been decimated by disease. And it is a site for ecotourism. A group led by nature loving Kerry with Bryan as assistant has brought six people to the island: birdwatcher Ian and wife Margaret, film director Malcom and wife and author Charlotte, and Jane and her once best friend Brooke. Brooke is newly separated and has accepted Jane’s offer of this trip as a way to repair their friendship. All does not go as planned. On the first night, there is a fierce storm and Jane goes missing. Only Brooke knows there are people on the island who would be relieved if Jane were never found. The group plans to continue their trip until, hours later, there is another trip. Alliances are made and survival becomes the goal.

Narrated by both Brooke and Kerry, Devils Island will quickly pull you in. I loved the descriptions of the Tasmanian Devils and their behavior, the rare birds, the wallabies and more.
A complex plot unrolls slowly until a conclusion you won’t see coming. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Oceanview Publishing, John Yunker and Midge Raymond for this ARC.

Leider kann ich hierzu kein Feedback geben, da die Zeit zum herunterladen des Titels und lesen nicht gereicht hat.

Devils Island is home to abundant wildlife, making it the ideal place to reintroduce endangered Tasmanian devils. Working to rescue, rehabilitate, and release devils has been Kerry' s job and passion for years, but a new opportunity to work as a naturalist guide for a tour company offers her a respite from the emotionally grueling task of trying to save an endangered species.

A little boring and predictable, but otherwise fine.

Devil's Island by John Yunker is a riveting exploration of human resilience and the enduring power of hope in the face of adversity. Set against the haunting backdrop of the infamous penal colony, Yunker masterfully crafts a tale that delves deep into the complexities of human nature and the quest for redemption. Through richly drawn characters and vivid descriptions, the author brings to life the harsh realities of life on Devil's Island, where survival is a daily struggle and every decision carries weighty consequences. As the story unfolds, readers are drawn into a gripping narrative filled with suspense, intrigue, and unexpected twists. Yunker's prose is both lyrical and poignant, capturing the essence of a bygone era with exquisite detail. Devil's Island is a captivating read that will stay with readers long after the final page is turned, reminding us of the enduring power of the human spirit in the face of unimaginable hardship.

I haven’t read many books set in Tasmania, although to be honest, those that I have read are all mystery/thrillers. This is no different. I enjoyed the wildlife and preservation aspects of the story, and thought it was balanced well between the story and the factual.

I think the pace of the build up might have been a bit slow for me and we were told a lot about the situations and/or characters, but I remained engage and wanted to know the answer to the mystery.

Set on a fictional version of Maria Island, off the coast of Tasmania, this book is a creative “locked room” type of thriller/murder mystery. A group of six tourists along with their two guides become trapped by a storm in an isolated part of uninhabited Marbury Island. When secrets and drama emerge on the first night, the stage is set (literally) for the campers to discover a grisly murder scene the following morning. As the weather continues to keep the authorities away from the scene, each tourist begins to act on their own motivations while Kerrie, the head guide attempts to corral them. When another guest is found dead within the camp, the group chooses to split up to find help, all the while wondering who they can trust and whether the murderer is within their chosen group.
I especially enjoyed the setting of this book because of the information about Tasmania, Maria Island and the wildlife. I found the book to be well written and the thriller aspect had just the right amount of twists for my tastes and wasn’t too over the top. This is one of those books that make the killer and the motives obscure until this person is revealed and then I realize that hints were dropped throughout but the revelation is a nice surprise. Of course, some aspects were unrealistic but that’s to be expected in this type of FICTION. One aspect of the story that bogged me down and distracted me was the protagonists’ untimely musings into their pasts. Some background information is good but sometimes the transitions from the current story to past occurrences was difficult to decipher and interrupted the story.

The set up of this book was well done. Setting the scene, the educational info about the Tasmanian devils. The brief explanations of the live' of Kerry and Brooke. There was a lot of potential for this book to be great. Especially, once you get passed the slow build up. It fell flat in a lot of areas.

This book was fairly decent. There were parts that were really well written and descriptive. I wish we got more of a POV instead of it being an explanation of what's happening. Kerry's POV still included much of Brooke's and vice versa. I would have loved to get more into the drama and the mess. The true emotions of everyone on the island.



I volunteered to read an ARC of this through NetGalley.

This was such a good book. Omg I did not see any of it coming. Definitely an amazing read!!! It was so interested. Omg I would think one way and boom I was completely wrong!!! Never ever seen any of it coming. Great writing love!!!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

I had to DNF this one. I really wanted to like it as the description drew me in. I feel like I just learned about the characters with no development to the story. There was so much info about the characters being thrown at me that I feel wasn’t necessary to the plot.

And what’s with all the American bashing? The constant comments were overkill.

This book is a twisty thriller set in the wilderness of Tasmania, with the Tasmanian Devils playing a prominent role in the story.

First, the positives. I enjoyed the twists in the story, as far fetched as they are. It keeps you guessing right up until the final page. Brooke and Kerry were likeable and relatable characters, and the description of Tasmania was fantastic. The landscape plays as much as role as some of the humans in the story.

I understand that the Devils are an important part of the story but Kerry’s obsession with them became a little tiring as the book went on. The Australian couples on the trip were fairly indistinguishable from each other, which meant I didn’t really care what happened to them. The ending was a little disappointing, with one character in particular who deserved an unhappier ending than what they got.

All in all, an enjoyable book with lots of twists.

I received this DRC from NetGalley.

This kept me engaged to figure out the mystery. I liked some of the resolution, but part of it felt over the top. I also would've liked for reasons why more of the people could have been suspects. Overall, an easy and entertaining read.

good book, such drama, some sadness , some fun, lots of partner swapping and a few deaths. the ending was good , some suspense there, would jane really kill to get the leading roll??who knows!

This book was very different. It was interesting. But I feel like it was missing something for me. I just couldn’t love it as much as I wanted to. I’ll definitely still be recommending this to others!

A well crafted piece of writing where information - Tasmanian Devils - met suspense and mystery
It was a good thriller with a great setting

Loved this thriller, suspense, mystery story. So many twists and turns. The story really keeps you guessing!! I really enjoyed this book!

Devils Island was a fast paced read with mystery in mind. The author weaves her story to take on many twists and turns making you question who really done it.

This one is a slow starter, but does settle in to be a fine thriller. It takes a careful approach to character establishment.