A great historical thriller with a twist that will stun you. I want to thank St. Martin's press for letting me review this title! You can tell Sharon did her research because I truly felt like I was living in that 1930's prohibition era. I will be recommending this to my readers!

Trouble Island is a closed circle mystery set on a remote island in the middle of Lake Erie during the era of Prohibition. Narrator Aurelia and the rest of the cast of characters (gangsters and their lackeys, washed-up Hollywood stars, the reclusive owner of the island and its mansion named Rosita, a questionable doctor, and the help) are all on the aptly-named island facing their own individual troubles. Thrown together in close quarters with conflicting priorities and the looming threat of the lake freezing, tension quickly rises among the group which all comes to a head when Rosita mysteriously disappears. Can they find her before it’s too late?

Overall, I enjoyed this story. I loved the setting of the remote island in Lake Erie, especially with winter quickly approaching and adding an extra layer of gravity to the situation. I also appreciated the cast of rather unlikable characters who made the red herrings all the more convincing. The ending of the story was also satisfying. I did find Aurelia’s narration to be a bit tedious in parts (constantly reiterating the clues and evidence, sharing suspicions of major twists before the major twist is actually revealed, etc.), but as I am usually more of a thriller reader, it may just be because of my unfamiliarity with historical suspense as a genre.

Oh boy, what a good book. Don’t skip over this one on publication day. You’ll regret not reading this one.

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

Trouble Island was an engaging read that kept my interest. I enjoyed the simplicity of a single timeline told from a single perspective. It's soon apparent that Trouble Island, as both a title for the book and the name of the fictional island on Lake Erie, is more apt for the description of the group of characters who make up the cast. All are deeply troubled, all fighting their own personal fight, and some do so against each other. If you enjoy a locked room mystery you'll probably rate this a 5. I'm not a massive fan of that premise, as I have mentioned in reviews for other titles, but Trouble Island avoids some of the typical clichés those stories get sucked into.

4 out of 5.

I almost gave up on this book. It snagged me about 1/3 of the way through with a big event, but it was still a slower story. This was set in an older time, like during prohibition and the mob boss era. I didn’t find this book super suspenseful or a thriller. This one felt more like a well written, lengthy, historical story that involved murder, crime, and love.

I found Trouble Island by reading the Minotaur Sampler, was very intrigued, and delighted the full book was available to preview. I couldn’t put the book down and at the same time I didn’t want it to end. It’s the height of prohibition and Aurelia is forced to live on an island in the middle of Lake Erie with a gangsters wife and assorted staff. After she killed her husband, Eddie and his wife Rosita hid her away on the island, and she’s not allowed to leave. But Aurelia has grown to love the island and its natural habitat even as she spends each day catering to Rosita’s whims. But when Rosita’s estranged husband, Eddie, visits the island he informs everyone he’s selling Rosita’s island to another gangster. As storms rage and people are killed the suspense is a roller coaster as no one can trust anyone. A thrilling ride.

I appreciate having an ARC to review and loved this book. After the author’s Kinship series, I wondered if a new story could be as good - and it was! Full of twists and surprises, the intrigue of a cold Lake Erie island with murders and surprises kept me engaged and binge reading until the last page. Aurelia (Susan) and Rosita now rate with Lily as memorable characters Short has brought to life.

It's 1932 and in the middle of Prohibition. Aurelia is stuck in the middle of Lake Erie on a private island as she cares for her friend Rosita. While the mansion they live in is large and luxurious, Auerlia feels like a prisoner and is plotting to leave. It's not long before Rosita's estranged mobster husband arrives and fireworks begin to fly. Short does a great job of including historical detail and keeping the plot moving. The fact that this story is based on real events in her family make it gold!
#stmartinspress #troubleisland #sharonshort #prohibition

A haunting tale of secrets, betrayal, and unexpected twists.
Aurelia arrives on Trouble Island to serve in the mansion owned by Rosita and her mobster husband, Eddie. Rosita, grieving quietly over the death of their son, Oliver, is unaware of Eddie's plan to sell the island to Marco to settle his debts. Eddie brings Marco, Cormac (a cop), Claire (Rosita’s cousin), and Dr. Aldridge to the island in a bid to either convince Rosita to sell or have her declared insane. Amidst this turmoil, Aurelia discovers a lockbox filled with treasures that promise a new beginning. Her hopes are shattered when Rosita goes missing and the lockbox disappears. The novel reaches its climax in a frantic search for Rosita, with everyone turning against each other in a desperate attempt to save themselves.

Head out of Ohio on Lake Erie and you will spot it - Trouble Island, a secret stopover for gangsters running between Canada and the US. Visit the island and you will meet Rosita and her friend/maid Aurelia who are not what they seem. Rosita is married to a big boss - or an infamous gangster in the 1930s, but is no wallflower. Aurelia seems like the perfect friend and maid, but we learn there is much more to her than meets the eye. When rival gang leaders show up on Trouble Island to do some heavy dealings, we the readers get to watch a gripping mystery unfold - with murder, schemes, moles, and deceit keeping you turning pages. There's even a terrific twist to shock you.
This book is definitely book club worthy, and we will be looking forward to hosting it. There's a lot to talk about - from the well developed characters to the setting and suspense. I would recommend this to patrons. Congratulations, Sharon!
Thanks to NetGalley and St Martins for this advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review - which will appear on Goodreads.
5*