What happens at the cabin stays at the cabin, right? Politician Andrew “Harry” Leonard has worked his way up through the ranks and is finally on the verge of something big. Then a postcard arrives, with nothing but the name “Andy Leonard” written on it. Harry hasn’t used that name since high school, and his chief of staff Krista can sense he’s hiding something when she asks him about it. But the more Krista digs, the more she finds out about Harry’s high school buddies and a cabin on the lake. Just how far will she go to protect Harry’s career?

I loved Tony Wirt’s last book, Just Stay Away…that one actually kept me up at night, it was so creepy! I am happy to report that “Pike Island” didn’t mess with me the same way - but it did have me on the edge of my seat! First off, it's a thriller with a political edge to it - think House of Cards - and I always enjoy stories like that. Told in dual timelines, I was trying to figure out how the heck the post card related to Harry and just what he was trying to leave in the past. The setting of the cabin on the lake was just so atmospheric, I felt like I was holding my breath and waiting to see what was going to happen next!

Though initially a bit of a slow burn, once Harry’s past started unraveling the action really picked up. I was shocked at several of the twists this story took - both in the past and in the present! I can’t wait to see what Wirt writes next!

“Pike Island” is out November 1, 2024! Thank you to the author for my advanced review copy. This review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)

Pike Island was not what I expected in the best way! It was a quick and addicting read I couldn’t put down until I knew what happened.

This was an exciting popcorn thriller that gave me Scandal vibes, which was definitely enjoyable. The dual POV/timeline made it hard to put down as the switches kept me on the edge of my seat.
There were tons of dark twists that I didn’t see coming. The political aspect was interesting and combined with the awful secrets being kept made for a story I blew through.

I devoured this political intrigue thriller and would absolutely be interested in reading the author’s other work.

Thank you to the author and Thomas & Mercer for the gifted ARC via NetGalley.
Publication date 11/1/24

Harry Leonard has all the makings of a flourishing political with a fast track to greatness until one day when a mysterious postcard arriving at his office begins to derail his life. A postcard addressed by to Andy Leonard,his childhood given name that no one knows of. As Harry’s secretary begins asking questions and digging into her employers past she unearths long held secrets of one teenage summer that had a fateful end. What will the truth ultimately cost Krista as she unravels each disturbing detail.

Pike Island is a political thriller told through past and present timelines as well as first and third person POV. While the premise of long hidden secrets of one tragic summer at a secluded cabin was intriguing I found myself feeling overall lukewarm about this thriller. Early on in the book I struggled to stay engaged as the beginning was on the slower side. I especially found the past timelines harder to get through and read or find interesting as at that point we already knew the overall outcome, which ended up making later scenes feel drawn out. I also found the character development to be lacking, almost as if the characters were being used as vessels in which to drive the plot forward and serve no other greater purpose than that. Personally for me feeling any kind of connection, small or great to the characters I read about in my books is a crucial part of my overall enjoyment to the story and unfortunately it was hard to do with such a little development. The mystery/thriller aspects come into play the farther that you read and I will say that the book does serve many twists. However, the twists had a way of feeling out of character, which again could be due to needing more development in this area. Overall, this book was just okay to me. Personally, I just had hoped for a bit more from this read.

Pike Island comes out November 1st, 2024.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I’m not really a thriller reader. However, when I read the summary of this book, I knew I needed to read it immediately. It didn’t disappoint.

There were times in the present timeline that didn’t hit as well the past timeline. But the book overall was great. It was filled with political intrigue and suprising twists.

In this politically intriguing thriller, the author's talent for character development shines through, doing a great job at descriptions and setting without making the writing feel too purple. You find yourself really drawn into the world and into the mystery of Harry's past. It is especially delicious when a politician has a few squeletons in their closet.

To get to the bottom of Harry/Andy's story, the narration is divided between past. and present. However, these flashback portions are where the story falters. While the initial glimpses into the past pique your interest, the road to the twists lacked the same level of excitement as the present storyline.
The pacing is a bit off, with the beginning of the book feeling slow and then, at around the 30% picking up a bit, then going a bit off the rails at the end. The climax was explosive, yes, but the feeling was too shortlived since the book ended pretty abruptly right after things started getting interesting. 

While the book's initial storyline is enticing, the book ultimately leaves you with a bit of a sense of unfulfillment.

This intriguing political thriller starts off a little slow, but the ending completely took me by surprise. The story is mainly told from Krista's perspective as she uncovers political intrigue and personal secrets. I liked the occasional shift in point of view, which added depth and complexity to the narrative. The book's ending had a very satisfying twist, and I recommend it if you enjoy political thrillers.

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for the eARC.

Incredible twists, really well-rounded characters and some stellar evocative writing made this fly by. Such a page turner! I burned through it.

I like to start by thanking the author and the publisher for the chance to read this book. I read and let my husband read also. He liked it more than I did.

3.5 rounded up to 4

Thank you Net Galley and Thomas & Mercer for this ARC In exchange for my honest review.

When Harry a politician with a bright future starts to receive cryptic mail hinting to a hidden past, his chief of staff starts to look into things to find answers. As Krista goes on the path to find answers we start to see the event play out in a dual timelines.

This was a fun and easy read with twist and turns that kept me turning the page. The pacing was good. The reason I gave it 3.5 stars is cause it the beginning it was hard to tell when the timelines changed but I as I got further in the story that became easier to tell!

From the bestselling author of Just Stay Away comes a haunting thriller about a rising politician whose shadowy past threatens to end his career—and his future shot at the presidency.

This was a tough read for me. It is well-written and well-plotted. By all accounts, I should have loved it. But I think the state of politics today colors my view on any story that centers politicians. Objectively, this was a good book. I just don't think it was for me at this time.

Yeah, right, I'll never go on another island holiday. No problem. In fact I'll just stay inside and hide while I read books. Quit scaring me, Tony Wirt!

Thank you Netgalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with an e-ARC of Pike Island in exchange for an honest review.

I will say I never really read a political thriller before so I was curious how this would go. Overall I thought it was a fun read, but I just wanted a bit more from the characters themselves. The main twist was easy to guess, but there’s a bit of a final twist at the end that I didn’t see coming.

Be sure to check out Pike Island when it releases this November!

Interesting political thriller. The flash backs to a past time were interesting. Overall entertaining book with good characters

Taking place right after high school graduation graduation, 4 life-long best friends find themselves in over their heads after seeking some harmless summer fun.
This was a fast paced, quick book. It was a bit predictable, and there were a few loose ends that would have been nice to see tied up but overall a great read.

Fun little thriller with political intrigue and flashbacks. The characters were very interesting and the author did a great job describing them. You can feel connected to the characters and like what is happening to them is real. The past events throughout the book were fun and helped add to the plot. While I felt like the plot twist was predictable, I still enjoyed reading it and can recommend it to those who enjoy thrillers.

I really enjoyed reading this. Overall it was very intriguing, but could have used a little more mystery in my mind. I loved how it was written, split between two time periods and was very easy to know which time period I was reading. Would absolutely recommend!

Just when you think you’ve got it figured out, the rug gets yanked. Prepare to have your jaw on the floor by the time the final twist explodes in the last chapter.

Das Buch fängt etwas langsam an, aber als ich erst einmal drin war, konnte ich es nicht mehr aus der Hand legen. Ich mochte das Hin und Her zwischen den Zeitebenen. Ich hätte mir ein wenig mehr Charakterentwicklung und Einblicke gewünscht, aber das musste ich nicht haben, um die Geschichte zu genießen. Ich mochte die Wendungen auf dem Weg dorthin.

Pike Island by Tony Wirt

Pub Date: November 1st 2024
Rating:4⭐️

Thank you to @wirter, Thomas& Mercer, and Netgalley for my gifted copy for honest review

While this has politics in it it’s not the vast majority and I loved that! You have of course a congressman who has secrets and you know those never stay secret! The story alternates between the assistant Krista and the boys in the past! You never really know those around you and what they are capable of! I loved the old abandoned house left on island that holds more secrets as time goes on! The twist at the end, I didn’t see that coming!

This book was slow for me to get into but I really enjoyed the pacing, the depth of the characters and how the author wove the story together!