Trouble Island is a suspense novel inspired by real events in the author's family. Set on a remote island in Lake Erie in 1932, the story follows Aurelia, a woman hiding from her past as a gangster's wife. When her friend Rosita disappears and Aurelia finds her body, she must navigate a web of secrets and lies as she tries to escape the island during an ice storm. The novel is a gripping locked room mystery and a powerful portrait of a woman in crisis.

It's hard to believe that this is a debut novel. The book is incredibly well-written, clever and captivating. I wasn't sure what to expect, as historical fiction can sometimes be hit or miss.

The main character is complex, with secrets and flaws, yet you can't help but root for her. The other characters are slowly introduced, but it's easy to keep track of them.

The environment described in the book is chilling and dark, drawing us closer to the events on the island. This book truly lives up to the term "unputdownable."

I was fortunate enough to receive both a digital and audiobook copy of the book. The narrator did an excellent job of keeping me engaged and truly bringing the story to life. The experience was unexpected, and I believe the choice of narrator was top-notch.

The story feels realistic and not far-fetched, offering a refreshing change for the upcoming season. If you enjoy books that delve into real events, gangsters, secrets, and secluded places, then this book is must-read. Don't miss out on this truly unique story!

Excuse me now, as I need to warm up after feeling like I was on the island with Aurelia and swimming in the cold lake with her...

Thank you, St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio for the digital ARC copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Such an unexpected book :) Takes place around 1930’s. Lots of backstory, but overall reads like a Christie book. Murders in confined environment, limited number of suspects etc. Took me a minute to get into, but enjoyed it overall.

This novel is a mystery/thriller set on a small island in Lake Erie. What I enjoyed most was the backdrop and the flavor of historical fiction that readers get in addition to the mystery. Knowing that the story was based on a family member of the author made it especially appealing.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a historical novel based in Ohio during the 1932 Prohibition. Lots of gangsters are running bootlegging business on both sides of the border. Aurelia is Rosita's maid in the mansion on the island. At least that's her cover story. Years before, Aurelia had committed a crime which left her sad, depressed and full of feeling undeserving of good things. Rosita is beside herself with grief over the loss of her tiny son. Now, the past unexpectedly comes knocking in the form of a gangster and his motley crew. The two women have different reasons to feel uneasy. The entire household is on edge.

I really enjoyed this tale and found the premise to work really well. This is a well written mystery based upon true events. While its not a nail biter, its a great read!!

This was a locked room mystery, set on a small island in the middle of Lake Erie, in the 1930s. Trouble Island is used as a stopping off point for gangsters running drugs and alcohol between Canada and the US, but is also home to Rosita, the wife of a gangster, and her maid Aurelia.

In the winter, Rosita's husband arrives with a group of others - a doctor, another gangster, and actor a cousin and others - as a fierce storm flares up, and everyone becomes trapped on the island. We soon find out that no one is really who they claim to be, and everyone has troubles of their own. When Rosita is found dead, the finger pointing begins.

Most of the characters were unlikable, and that included Aurelia for me. I felt the story was a little two long and twisty in the middle, and I lost concentration for a while.

I think I have read quite a few really good locked room mysteries, and so this one just didn't quite stand out for me.

Thank you Netgalley and Minotaur Books for the chance to read an advance copy of Trouble Island by Sharon Short. A new author for me, this historical mystery/thriller was inspired by events in the author's family. I enjoyed this suspenseful tale that takes place on a remote island in the middle of Lake Erie at the beginning of winter and is narrated by Aurelia, who is the maid to a gangster's wife. Even though I found most of the characters unlikeable, Aurelia's strong character made this an enjoyable read.

Trouble Island is a slow burn, locked room mystery set in the amid the gangster era in America. Characters are not what they seem and everyone has at least one secret. The tale is told by a woman who is both friends with and works for the woman of the house who has become a recluse in a mansion on an island between Ohio and Canada. When she agrees to sell the island, the trouble begins. You will never know who to believe in this taught story as it builds to an explosive conclusion. A very satisfying read.

This book has an incredibly slow start. Yet once secrets start to spill, they come out very quickly. Everyone on this island has something to hide and no one is safe. This is a chilling tale filled with multiple twists and turns. The fact that you’re dealing with gangsters adds to the drama. Can Aurelia figure out what happened before her own secrets are reviled?
Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

I was very excited about this one but it fell a bit short for me.
The writing was quite good, but I could not get into the characters or time of the novel (1930s).

Perhaps it was the wrong time to read this one, my mood perhaps. I'm not sure.

If you enjoy a mystery with gangsters, secrets and the 1930s, you should pick this one up and give it a try.

I found Trouble Island to be a wonderful read to start off the winter season. Set on a remote island in Lake Eerie, the story provides an amazing sense of place and foreboding.

The main character, Aurelia, is a young woman from Ohio with something in her past she is running away from. Deeper into the story, readers will discover that Aurelia is not the only one on the island hiding secrets.

When a yacht full of Ohio gangsters docks at the Island things begin to get sinister. A winter storm moves in and the power fails causing the residents and guests to move to the house and gather around a fireplace.

Amidst all this a few people turn up missing. Then a couple more die. They aren’t able to get off the island and no one can trust anyone. This held my interest from almost the very beginning and the ending was such a great payoff!

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for allowing me to read an advance copy. I am happy to give my honest review and recommend this to other readers.

The prologue is very exciting and interesting, and sets the scene for the rest of the story. I also really like the setting and entire idea of the plot, it's new and interesting. I love the scenery and descriptions, they're immaculate! To me, it's a uniquely beautiful mixture of "The Housemaid" by Sarah A. Denzil, and "Where the Crawdads Sing". The characters are diverse, and that's a really cool thing to read about. I feel like the story and plot are perfectly-paced: not slow or fast, just perfect. As I'm reading more, I'm not entirely feeling the plot or even characters and in my opinion I find that there are too many characters and I'm struggling to distinguish who's who, but that might just be me because I've always had trouble focusing especially when there are too many characters. The twists though!!!! Especially chapter 33! chillssss. The twisttttt I never would've saw it coming, whattttt. Lowkey speechless!

This book was an excellent read. For some reason I kept putting it off but I am so bummed I didn't read it sooner! It was a typical whodunnit book but was told from the mind of Aurelia in the form of a biography. I'm pretty good at guessing what's happening in a book but I didn't guess any of this one. I would most definitely read this one again!

Trouble Island by Sharon Short is a captivating mystery thriller that transports readers to a secluded island teeming with guns, gangsters, secrets, and unexpected twists. Set in the 1930s, the novel exudes an atmospheric charm that will keep readers enthralled from start to finish. Short skillfully crafts a narrative full of intrigue, keeping readers guessing until the final pages as she peels back the layers of deception surrounding the complex characters of Aurelia and Rosita. From the very first page, this gripping tale had me completely engrossed, making it a must-read for any mystery enthusiast.

Well-drawn, complex characters and a little-known setting made this novel a page-turner for me. It isn't fast-paced, but moved steadily toward the reveal. The best part is the Ohio setting.

Trouble Island by Sharon Short is a debut Historical view Suspense set in 1932. Prohibition is in full swing and gangsters are rife in Ohio. Bootlegging is a lucrative business on both sides of the border.

Aurelia is Rosita's maid in the mansion on the island. At least that's her cover story. The two women share a connection as deep as the lake and when secrets are no longer safe, murder happens. Years before, Aurelia had committed a crime which left her bereft and feeling undeserving of good things. Rosita is beside herself with grief for her tiny son. The past unexpectedly comes knocking in the form of a gangster and his motley crew. The two women have different reasons to feel uneasy. The entire household is on edge.

The premise is fantastic. Though there is mystery, I didn't feel suspense or tension. Nevertheless, I enjoyed my time on Trouble Island.

My favourite aspects of this novel are the beguiling atmosphere and bird watching, a beloved pastime of mine. The story is based on true events and place of the author's ancestors. Hopefully in future books she reveals further snippets of her fascinating history. Personal details add a lovely touch. Talk about potential issues with Largo as well!

My sincere thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with an early digital copy of this novel.

My thanks to Net Galley and St. Martins /Minotaur for allowing me this arc to review.

Who killed Rosita? That is the question. When Susan Walker kills her husband, Rosita has her come to Trouble Island to work as her maid, Aurelia. But when mobster guests arrive(St in Prohibition) someone sets Susan/Aurelia to find the body.

Nice locked room mystery with an Christie feel.

I'm normally a fan of closed door mysteries, but this one didn't quite hit the mark for me. I think it was because I was a lot more interested in the characters and their history, much of which was left blank, than the mystery itself. The mysterious histories at times made it hard to connect with the characters, not understanding the motivations of their decisions. It made it so I didn't really care about the characters' fates, and didn't really believe the twist.

This novel did have a moody atmospheric setting, where the place becomes a character itself, which is another thing I love in stories. But again, this element felt half-finished at times. The best part was the bird.

This book was certainly gripping, but it also had a much slower pace than I was anticipating
It was well executed, but there are a few too many characters to keep track of.

Trouble Island by Sharon Short was a historical mystery that had some great ingredients: a remote island, an impeding storm, gangsters, lots of secrets and a setting near Lake Erie in 1932.

Aurelia, our protagonist, is working as a maid in the mansion but is hiding a huge secret. She thinks no one knows, but nothing is as it seems around Trouble Island. There were a lot of characters to keep track of in this book, and since all of them had something to hide, I had a little trouble keeping track of who was who and who was loyal to whom. The pacing was quick and the bodies began to fall before long. I did not guess the biggest twist, which makes it even more fun.

I will recommend this to readers who like historical mysteries, locked room mysteries and/or gangster stories from the 1930's.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I looked forward to reading this debut novel with its gothic elements but I was disappointed in the execution. I thought it was rather slow paced and had a lot of characters to keep track of. It was an okay read for me, but not great.