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!

A exciting thriller with a political bent, Tony Wirt had me saying “one more chapter” well after it was time to go to sleep! The multiple viewpoints kept me guessing on who was telling the truth. And the ending! Great read for fans of fast-paced thrillers!

There are so many fiction books out there that are gritty or and mysteries and this book just fell flat for me. Nothing to elevate my interest in continuing to read this book.

Writing style felt very stiff.

I have to confess that I don't usually dive into political thrillers, but after seeing this one all over bookstagram, I couldn't resist. I got my hands on an advanced copy, and let me tell you, it did not disappoint. The multiple points of view and unexpected plot twists had me hooked from start to finish. And that ending - I was absolutely floored because I didn’t see it coming. This fast-paced thriller has left me hungry for more from this author.

Pike Island by Tony Wirt was a Mystery/Thriller that takes you back and forth from the present to the past as we try and figure out what happened on Pike Island all those years ago. Andrew Harrison Leonard is on his way to being president with the help of his chief of staff, Krista Walsh. But when a post card arrives with "Greetings from Cedar Lake", Harry looks scared and isn't telling Krista what it is all about. Therefore, she starts do so some digging, because you can only be prepared for it if you know what is coming, and she wants to be prepared for anything.

The story takes us back to the summer "Andy" and his 3 friends graduated high school and spent a week at Jake's grandparents cottage. What happens there will shape the lives of these men forever,

This was a great story with so many unexpected twists and turns I didn't know where to go. I will definitely be looking for more by this author in the future!

Thank you to Net Galley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC in exchange for my unbiased review. All opinions are my own.