There is something about a murder on a remote island that is absolute catnip for me. Add in some horrible storm? Chef's kiss!

I really enjoyed how the setting of this story a lot! A small cast of characters is gathered for a diplomatic dinner on a small, volcanic island in Iceland. Each of the guests has their own motives for being present at the dinner. The author also reveals some details carefully later in the story that change everything you have read up to that point! I really liked how the author included some local folklore about area as well. I like how the author highlighted the differences between the locals and the visitors to things like bad weather.

It is a slow burn mystery with great twists and turns. I'm really looking forward to the next installment in the series. I think this is one that could get better with each book.

I loved this atmospheric debut novel about a murder on a remote island off the mainland of Iceland. The author was born in Canada and is the former first lady of Iceland. She does a wonderful job bringing to life the characters and unique locale. It was easy to imagine being stranded by bad weather in this isolated area, in effect becoming a "locked island" mystery. There are also many political and diplomatic issues which add complexity to the novel. The main character, Jane, is the under-appreciated wife of the Canadian ambassador to Iceland, and the author is certainly well-qualified to write about diplomatic life. Her investigation is hampered by not being able to read Icelandic. A third of the way through the book, we know that someone else will be murdered, and it is very suspenseful trying to solve the first murder and knowing there is another to come. The author's note implies that there will likely be a sequel to this book, and I look forward to reading it. I think Reid is a very talented and creative writer, and I highly recommend this book.

This was a slow-paced Agatha Christie-style mystery in an isolated location. I loved the Iceland-specific details that really brought this tiny island off the coast of Iceland to life. However, the pace moved a little too slow for me, and I did not feel connected to any of the characters. Readers who love this type of slow-burn mystery will really enjoy it, but readers who enjoy more suspense-driven narratives will find this one falls short.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this advance review copy.

A group of people get together on an Icelandic island for a VIP event but all is not well. Graeme, the Canadian Ambassador to Iceland, is hoping to make a big deal with the local fisheries magnate to boost his stalled career & control his ambitious deputy Kavita. Graeme's long-suffering wife Jane is accompanying him on another trip despite growing fractures in their marriage. Mayor Kristján is still reeling from the recent death of his journalist husband Ari. Canadian-Icelandic author Ben is working on his follow-up novel & local artist Hanna is preparing for her show's debut at the local museum.

But the dinner ends with one of the guests dying a suspicious death. With a major storm trapping them on the island, Jane is determined to find out the truth.
The story is told in two sets of tick-tock countdowns.

This is a satisfying debut mystery from the former First Lady of Iceland.

I received a digital ARC from Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press. All opinions are my own.

This is a debut?! It's an incredible read and I felt like I was right there on the island with the characters. Yes the mystery part was a little predictable by the end but the author nailed a lot of things in this book. I will definitely be on the lookout for her future work.

I really enjoyed Death on the Island. I thought it was well written and I felt like I was on the island with them. Debut mystery author…looking forward to more Iceland!

Nine people from Iceland are trapped on a remote island in the middle of a storm. One of them is going to die. Each has a reason for being there including the Ambassador. The Ambassador’s wife Jane is determined to find out the reasons behind this gathering. No one is safe. Secrets and mysteries make this a wonderful, well written novel. I loved it!

Honest but respectful review below:

Alright bookstagram- I had a tough time with this ARC. It took me way longer to finish than it should have and I spent most of it just waiting to find out the truth and be done.

The book follows “a group of international players” although most are from Iceland or Canada who gather together for a dinner at a traditional and modern Icelandic restaurant. One person doesn’t make it out alive. I usually LOVE a “locked room” whodunit but this felt lackluster. The setting was atmospheric and unique but that was about all I loved about it.

To put it plainly, I didn’t really like the writing style. I found it extremely formal and at points I found myself wondering if this book was translated into English. It wasn’t. But that would have explained the rigid writing and sometimes awkward sentence structure. I would have been much more accepting had it been a translated work obviously! This hurdle made some of the conversations between characters seem stunted and cold. It’s hard to describe and I actually haven’t seen another review that pinpoints this either 🤷🏼‍♀️

Lastly, the story has good potential but the pacing is slow. It’s not a bad book but I wouldn’t say it’s very good either. Some other reviewers on Goodreads seem to share my thoughts and a few have rated it 4-5 stars!

My suggestion would be to read some reviews first and then decide if you want to try it! I never want to waste bookstagrammer’s time. Lord knows we have enough to read 😂. But maybe you’ll be one of the readers that really enjoys this work!

I will try another book by this author! I always give second chances! Sometimes it really just comes down to a readers taste so I’m curious if that’ll be the case!

Wow! Such a good book. Grips you from the first chapter and I didnt want it to end. Wont spoil it however I was so grasped by this book and definitely didnt expect what happened 5*s for this.

I'm not sure how I feel about this book. I think saying it is like Agatha Christie threw me off. The setting maybe, but not the mystery. I liked it well enough but I like a mystery you can try to figure out on your own. The scenery, landscape and all around vibe is the best part.

This is a debut novel of Eliza Reid, which is a murder mystery set on an Icelandic island. The book begins starts with a diplomatic dinner party set in a remote island where a murder occurs. The Canadian ambassador’s wife, Jane, takes it on herself to unravel the mystery to clear her husband’s name and save their marriage. The novel is not your typical “super smart but slightly eccentric detective” solves the mystery. Neither is it written in Christie-style in which readers get to test their skills. The police force takes a backseat here, while our protagonist Jane tries to unravel the tangled web of relationships and motives.

It was a welcome change to read a novel set in Iceland. The author introduces us to the names and terms used in the book, which was much needed. Reid creates memorable characters, at least some of them. I related to Jane and the myriad emotions she goes through as she is torn between saving her marriage and calling it quits, even if it means her husband could be accused of murder. The other characters lack depth but one doesn’t expect that in a murder mystery book.

Reid’s writing is engaging and the story moves fast. The mystery itself is well-constructed, with enough plot twists to keep readers guessing. The final reveal is a let-down, as this character lacked the depth necessary to make their actions and motive credible.

In the crowded space of murder mystery books, Reid comes across as a breath of fresh air. The setting, the characters and the structure make this book stand apart from the other books in this space. Reid was the First Lady of Iceland for 8 years. That explains the Icelandic backdrop and the diplomat characters of the book.

This is the author’s first novel. She has written a book on Icelandic women and how they are changing the world as well, but this is her first novel.

I think if you read Icelandic, and Scandi Noir, you have to understand the people and how they speak and act. My family is from Norway and Denmark and Iceland, and I am familiar with that.

It’s not exactly a locked room mystery, more of a locked island mystery.

I thought it was a unique setting and the descriptions of the land were lovely and the characters were all interesting. I was hoping none of them was the killer, but of course someone was. And boy was I wrong!

With a diverse group of people invited, the mayor is overseeing a Meet and Greet with the Canadian Ambassador and his wife and Deputy. The mayor is grieving his own husband who has recently died mysteriously, so he isn’t up to party.

There is so much tension between all of them, that the suspense build and builds until the very satisfying end.

Loved this one and look forward to the next one from Ms. Reid!


NetGalley/Poisoned Pen Press May 13, 2025

I love an Icelandic thriller and this book was no exception. A group of visiting dignitaries visits an island off of mainland Iceland. There is an array of interesting characters, an ambassador and his wife, an artist, a chef, etc, who form the cast of a stunning murder at a private dinner while a huge storm rages outside the restaurant. The deputy ambassador was brash and hungry for power but who could have wanted her dead and why? As we explore the relationships among the characters and their own motivations a picture of murder and intrigue emerges that keep a reader on the edge of their seat. The powerful ending to the story caught me totally be surprise right until the last page.

There’s one thing that’s for certain and it’s that any book that references Agatha Christie’s style, or has an eery setting in the vivid landscapes of Iceland, I’m going to pick up and read it, and in this case this book had both so there’s a win win situation to begin with.

The author definitely nailed the setting and I liked how the characters where written in an interesting style of being profiled to fit their part, everybody had a place and a reason for being and I found that to be an interesting component to the writing style.

For a debut novel the author did a great job of providing the reader with a closed door, high states mystery thriller which was atmospheric and entertaining. There was parts to the plot which did come across as a little too convenient however it didn’t take away from reading enjoyment as a whole and I’m sure this is something the author will flesh out as she continues her writing career.

Thank you to poisoned pen press and Eliza Reid for the EARC!

Publish date / May 13th 2025

A book written by a smart author.
Sometimes, especially in thrillers/mystery, authors bite more than they can chew. It can be writing such an elaborate plot that they couldn't handle tying it neatly at the end, or writing contradictory characters, or many different other scenarios. What I mean is, they get overly ambitious.
Fortunately, this wasn't the case here.
Instead of an original plot, it was a simple whodunnit, Agatha Christie style mystery. What made it enjoyably readable was the author's style and the chosen setting.
The eeriness of the island and the trapped feeling that all characters were drowning in, these two factors were what stood out.
Also, the distinction between the reactions of the locals and foreigners to the weather was definitely a nice touch. It wasn't blatantly talked about, but you could feel it in how the characters handled themselves.
However, one thing that I absolutely loved was the way the author wrote the characters.
For one thing, she didn't really build characters, she wrote profiles.
Jane, for example. She fit the profile of the neglected wife; always in the shadow of her husband's work, forgave him for past mistakes but can't trust him, etc.
Jane, as a character, wasn't well-fleshed, and if she were in another book, or if there were less characters in this one, the way she were written would've been boring and irritating. But it worked here.
And the same goes for all characters. They were there to play a role. And I loved it!
As they say, nothing is completely perfect. The only reason the book isn't a 5-star read is the simplicity in which some matters were handled. Characters being privy to personal, incriminating documents for the sake of helping for example. Wasn't the brightest moment of the character.
Also, considering that most of the character were either politicians or authority figures, some parts didn't make sense. But, surprisingly, it wasn't a complete turn off, so there's that.
Definitely recommend it.
*I received an ARC of this book through netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

I really enjoyed Death on the Island, a closed room debut mystery set on a remote island off the coast of Iceland. The author, Eliza Reid, has created an atmospheric story that kept me guessing throughout and ultimately surprised me! I recommend this book for Nordic noir and Christie fans alike. Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.

When I saw that this book was blurbed by Louise Penny herself I knew I had to pick it up. This was my first book I've read set in Iceland and it was so atmospheric. The setting was almost a character in itself. I absolutely loves this book and will be on the lookout for more of this authors work!

I received this as an ARC.
I picked it up and put it down over and over. The description of the setting was beautiful.

I really wanted to like it, but sadly, it was not my cup of tea.

Not to bad of a book but not the greatest either, it’s worth a shot. I didn’t like it but you might!

This debut mystery book, the author's first foray into fiction, follows a delegation to the Westman Islands: the Canadian ambassador, his wife, his deputy and her husband, an artist with an upcoming show, and a famous author, friend of the ambassador's wife, intending to discuss with a local fishing company possible expansion into Canada. In the Westman Islands are the mayor, recently widowed, and Thor, the fishing company CEO & his wife, and Piotr, chef at the restaurant they're eating at, who previously had an affair with the artist.

At the climax of the evening a showy, flaming cocktail is made, with fatal consequences. The book then goes back in time to describe the hours before the fatality, giving an assortment of reasons for several people to wish the victim harm, before coming back to the present for part 2, which starts a countdown for another, as yet unknown, death...

Part 3 takes place 6 months after the second death, when the art exhibition finally takes place, and Part 4 follows a week after that.

The action moves around between the characters, who are well fleshed out and credible, and you are certainly invested in the situation. The plot is carried forward at a good pace with nicely timed chapter lengths, until perhaps at the end when several were shorter, tying up some loose ends, and if anything felt a little rushed. The book ends with book club questions, and an interview with the author, all of which provide fascinating insight into the background and process of writing her first mystery.

This is a very enjoyable debut, with likeable characters and an imaginative plot, and having got to know the cast I will be glad to renew their acquaintance in book two - to say nothing of the TV series!