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.

This book was so fast paced and juicy - it’s one of those books that can easily turn into a one-sitting read. It follows Krista, who works for D.C. political darling Harry. The characters were so interesting and I quickly liked them both. It’s easy to imagine a young politician like Harry charming voters with his viral speeches and passion, and a workaholic chief of staff like Krista being the brains driving the whole operation. When Krista learns that a mysterious postcard has been sent to Harry that alludes to his past, she decides to do her due diligence and travels to his hometown. All politicians have skeletons in their closet… and Harry is no exception.

The pacing of the book was great, and the dual timelines worked well. I love a book that stays juicy right up until the last page, and this ending was so delicious! I do wish we got a little more of Krista’s back story and more perspective from Harry to help us understand him better. Overall, a fun, well-written thriller that leaves you thinking: what defines us? Our best actions… or our worst deeds?

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing an advance copy for review.

Rating: 3.5 stars!

The book features a dual timeline between Andrew Harrison at present day trying to advance his career and "Andy" in his past and the crimes that unfold. The "dual POV" was super engaging and the short chapters had me eating this book up.

The ending fell a little short for me.. And it felt like the book could have been a couple more chapters to really make the thriller aspect pop.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked this one… at first. I was gripped right from the start. But like so many books these days, the author felt the need to grand stand on a particular political issue that in no way actually furthered the plot or the story line. I understand the main character is a politician, but one flimsy paragraph to check the box of “ally” is essential an insult. It added absolutely no context or meaning to the rest of the story. After that, it was really hard for me to stay engrossed in the story. I did finish it and felt overall the ending was very weak and predictable. Don’t recommend this one.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy of this book. I randomly saw the description for this when browsing NetGalley and was excited to read it. Unfortunately, this was a big miss for me. I found the mystery at the core of the story unsatisfying and not substantial enough to carry the plot. The cynical tropes about politics felt overplayed and the ending really strained belief.

Andrew Harrison Leonard, a rising political star on the verge of a major career opportunity, receives a mysterious postcard addressed to his long-forgotten nickname, Andy. As his chief of staff, Krista Walsh, digs into his past, she uncovers a dark secret from his teenage years and must decide how much she is willing to sacrifice to protect his future. This fast-paced thriller explores the consequences of ambition and the lengths people will go to in order to keep their secrets hidden.
This was a DNF for me, couldn't really get into the story.

DNF this book, just was not for me. I will not be sharing this book as I did not like it and want others to share that loved it

Pike Island is a political thriller that follows Krista, a young congressman's chief of staff, as she uncovers some alarming details about his past. The pacing of this book is exactly what I was looking for when I sat down to read a thriller. The chapters alternate between present day where Harry, the congressman, and Krista are navigating D.C. and an eventful weekend that teenage Harry and his friends had on the lake, a weekend that is coming back to haunt him and potentially hurt his bright political future. I picked this book up hoping for a fun weekend read and it delivered. This was my first of Wirt's work and I'll definitely be checking out more from him.

Thank you NetGalley, Tony Wirt, and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book held my attention throughout but towards the end I would have liked to get to know some of that characters a little more and missing some mystery. I would not consider this a political thriller, just two main characters who happen to work in politics.

Pike Island is an amazing thriller about an up and coming politician whose shady past has threatened to end his career… Andrew Harrison “Harry” Leonard has taken his high school debate team self & has made it to the big leads! He is offered a bid at the vice presidency ticket when his team starts receiving sketchy post cards from Pike Island.. a place him and a group of friends visited their senior year of high school. He claims it’s nothing to worry about and nothing major happened just teenagers being nosy teenagers when they visited an old abandoned house on Pike Island.. Is it something serious or is someone just trying to screw with him.. his chief of staff Krista decides to look into it herself and uncovers all kinds drama.. I really enjoyed this book! I loved the flashbacks from the present to past. I loved the twists and turns. The ending was amazing! I honestly could NOT put it down! I’m so excited to read more from this author!!

Thank you to the publisher for an advanced readers copy. I really enjoyed this book, more than I expected to. At first I didn't care for the plot device of the alternating chapters (present, past), and thought some sort of a header to indicate "now" or "then" would make sense, but the book was easy to follow. The story was interesting, and the mystery revealed itself nicely. I did not expect the twist at the end, but that is what makes the book even better. I think I read the book in about 4 days, it was compelling. A good read. The writing is clear. The story is compelling.

This beautiful book cover pulled me in and the plot got me hooked! This story is told through two points of view with dual timelines. I enjoyed the back and forth of Harry’s childhood coming of age “guys weekend” turned horror story combined with present day Harry’s political climb up the ladder. What happened on that island, who is involved, what secrets will be left on the island and what depths will they go to keep a secret hidden? This book has politics, mystery, suspense and the perfect plot twist at the end to top it off! If you’re from the land of 10,000 lakes you will be in for a treat and will enjoy the Minnesota tie ins throughout this book!!!

This book releases 9/10/24!

Thank you Tony Wirt, Net Galley and Thomas & Mercer for providing an ARC of Pike Island by Tony Wirt for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Pike Island starts as a slow-burn novel that keeps you interested until the storyline turns into a guessing game with an unexpected conclusion.
An independent review for NetGalley / Thomas & Mercer

Ahhh not my kind of thriller. Its a political thriller with a twist of past and present events. At the beginning i think its not my type so i should stop reading it. But then i choose to read and honestly speaking i didn't regret. Its a nice story with good characters and a gripping twist of dirty politics. Thanx netgalley for this lovely experience.

4/5⭐️

A stunning thriller!

This book follows a young, hotshot politician Andrew and his chief-of-staff Krista as she battles his past that's throwing hurdles on his way to Presidency.

There was suspense, dual timelines and a bit of political intrigue. It cannot be called a political thriller per se, as it does not have a lot of political espionage or strategizing involved but does have an ambitious politicians caught in the eye of the storm.

It was intense and engaging. Although the beginning and build-up was slow, the rest of the book was fast paced and kept my attention throughout. The characters and plot were both well developed. The twist in the end was satisfying and had me completely surprised.

Overall, very well rounded thriller. I would love to read more by the Author in the future.

I received an ARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Thank you to Netgalley, the Author and the Publisher for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

very fast paced political thriller!! the plot twist was unexpected and the characters were likeable.

thank you netgalley for the arc

This book gripped me from the first couple of chapters, with it being a Minnesota-based thriller!

....And then I got bored. The MN colloquialisms were a bit over the top for me, and while the plot was great, the execution felt poor.

I do look forward to more of Wirt's writing though!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.