While I thought the setting of a small island off Iceland was fantastic and I'm a huge fan of locked room mysteries, this one missed the mark in so many ways.

The plot is extremely slow and really boring. This isn't a long novel but it took me days to slog through it because I had no desire to keep reading. Also, all of the characters are unlikeable and the revelations about them were so uninteresting. I also guessed the ending probably a third of the way into the book which reduced my enjoyment of it as well.

The writing was also stilted and didn't have much of a flow to it. Overall, this book is not a mystery I could recommend.

I wanted to enjoy this one more than I did. It wasn’t a bad read, it just wasn’t overly exciting or twisty. Just simply okay! 🙂

Still would recommend it because not every book is for every person! Pick it up if you enjoy simple mysteries without the twists! 👏

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read the eARC in exchange for my honest review! ❤️

Thank you, NetGalley and Simon & Schuster, for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book. I have always wanted to visit Iceland.
Having Icelandic roots in my family made me curious to read this book by the Former First Lady of Iceland and co-founder of the Iceland Writers' Retreat.
The front of the book opens to a map to reference, and a summary of the Icelandic language the writer used helped set the story in a thrilling, visually twisty direction. Loved the mention of Gimili, Manitoba, but gave me horsefly flashbacks,iykyk.
As the introduction of the cast of characters began to unravel, this reader got Agatha Christie mixed with Knives Out vibes. The scenes were set very easily to picture the whodunit search throughout the story.
This (jaded/cynical) reader thought she had figured out who did it, but was very very wrong. That ending.. I will leave it at that.
It is no surprise that this book will be made into a TV series. The whisper of Book 2 and an upcoming memoir will be on my auto-buy list in the future.
Thank you, Eliza Reid, for bringing Iceland to life in this novel.

A locked room mystery in storm on an isolated island off Iceland, what a perfect setting for a murder mystery. This was a great debut with an eclectic cast of characters. We have a celebrity chef, a prize winning author and an abundance of authors at a dinner in a top restaurant. After a Flaming Viking cocktail, one of them drops dead. It is the second death on the island in 2 months, which is suspicious.

There is so much going on behind the scenes with all of these characters. They all seem to have grudges with each other, reason to want each other dead. It was also nice to learn a it about Iceland along the way. I had a little inkling of the killer, but as always I was wrong!!

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for my copy of this book to read. Out on May 13th.

This debut novel unfolds during a diplomatic dinner party on a remote Icelandic island, where a sudden storm traps nine guests. Among them are Kristján, the grieving mayor; Graeme Shearer, the Canadian ambassador with a hidden agenda; and his wife, Jane, who becomes the unlikely detective when Deputy Ambassador Kavita Banerjee dies unexpectedly. As Jane delves into the mystery, she uncovers a web of secrets, rivalries, and political tensions, all intensified by the island's isolation and the relentless storm. Not your typical locked room mystery, I was drawn into the descriptions of the beautiful Icelandic setting and remote nature of the island. The landscape is stark, barren, and no one is coming to help us anytime soon, I thought.

The author delves into themes of secrecy, political intrigue, and personal redemption. The protagonist, Jane Shearer, navigates the complexities of her marriage and the diplomatic world, embodying a blend of vulnerability and determination. The novel's structure, marked by countdowns and shifting perspectives, maintains a gripping pace, and there is so much going on it was hard to keep up at times.

The writing is beautiful and the setting is dark and atmospheric. As the characters get closer and closer to finding the killer, you are wrapped up in the action and racing towards the end. An amazing debut novel!

Eliza Reid, former First Lady of Iceland and author of the bestselling “Secrets of the Sprakkar” already proved she knows how to explore Icelandic culture and womanhood with depth and insight. In "Death on the Island", she mixes that same sharp focus with something darker — murder, infidelity, diplomatic shade, and one VERY tense dinner party. It’s her fiction debut, and instead of easing in, she locks a bunch of high-ranking VIPs on a wind-blasted island and kills one of them mid-signature-cocktail. No notes.

This book has the bones of a classic mystery — remote island, storm, body count — but it's layered with the kind of smart, subtle dysfunction only someone who's sat through real diplomatic small talk could write. Jane Shearer, the Canadian ambassador’s wife, finds herself playing accidental detective, and I’m grateful for it. She’s observant, exhausted, and clearly seconds away from either solving the crime or throat-punching someone with a canapé tray.

The guest list? Peak chaos. We’ve got politicians, a hot local chef, a moody writer, a smug entrepreneur and his suspiciously flawless wife, an artist who may or may not be sleeping with someone she shouldn’t, and a mayor who’s barely holding it together after a recent loss. To be fair, there are no solid relationships in this book. Everyone’s hanging on by a thread and a politely chilled glass of wine. It's like a diplomatic summit crossed with a therapy session with murder.

The mystery itself simmers more than it explodes — and that works. Reid’s pacing is deliberate, like she’s daring you to underestimate her while quietly piling on secrets and emotional wreckage. Some characters blur into the background (there are, admittedly, too many of them), but the ones that matter hit hard, and the reveal? I didn’t see it coming. Not even close. I closed the book and said “WHAT” out loud in my kitchen. That’s the kind of twist I want.

Also, the setting goes feral. The Westman Islands bring fog, cliffs, and that weirdly elegant menace only Iceland can pull off. Reid uses the landscape like a co-conspirator — cold, quiet, and totally unforgiving.

Final verdict is a strong, thoughtful four stars. Not because it plays it safe — but because it doesn’t. This isn’t a loud, splashy thriller. It’s sharp. Controlled. It cuts with a smile. I don’t need a series — I just want more fiction from her. More standalone disasters like this one. More elegant chaos. More emotionally repressed murder suspects and diplomatic nightmares. Honestly? I’m in.

Whodunity Award: Best Use of a Signature Cocktail No One Wanted to Drink as a Vehicle for Murder and Misdirection

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC.

I liked this locked room mystery with a bonus twist at the end, as well as learning more about a different country. Definitely impressive for a debut work of fiction!

Death on the Island attempted to blend the classic locked-room mystery of Agatha Christie with the atmospheric tension of Nordic noir, set against the dramatic backdrop of a remote Icelandic island which was what attracted me to applying for the ARC. The premise certainly had potential: a group of international figures trapped by a storm gathered for a dinner party and inevitably one of them dies.

On the plus side the author painted a vivid picture of the island's stark beauty and the isolating power of its landscape. The initial setup effectively established the claustrophobic atmosphere and characters, each with their own secrets and agendas which hinted at a complex web of potential motives. The book also touched on the dynamics of small communities and the hidden tensions that could simmer beneath the surface which added a layer of intrigue.

However, Death on the Island struggled to fully deliver on its promising premise. The pacing was uneven with long stretches of character backstory that detracted from the central mystery. While the characters had potential, they often remained somewhat thinly drawn, making it difficult to become fully invested in their fates or to truly suspect them.

The mystery itself while present lacked the intricate plotting and satisfying twists that are hallmarks of the genre. The clues are sometimes sparse and the investigation feels somewhat meandering leading to a resolution that may leave some readers feeling underwhelmed.

Ultimately, Death on the Island is a moderately engaging read that didn't quite live up to its full potential. While it offered a compelling setting and a hint of intrigue, it fell short in terms of pacing, character development and the complexity of its central mystery. It might appeal to readers seeking a light, atmospheric read with a touch of suspense but those looking for a truly gripping thriller should skip this.

(Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for a review. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own)

Okay so this book wasn't bad but for me it also wasn't too "good", like in a sense that it didn't make me want to get home faster to read it but i'm in a reading slump so maybe that's why. The plot twist was soo fricking huge and good i literally had to stop what i was doing (reading) and just walk (to the kitchen and back) and then i kind of re-thought my entire existence, it was that good of a plot twist, at first i knew who was it, like i was 100% sure that it was that one person, but then i knew nothing, actually made me feel a bit dumb because it was literally in front of my face all this time yet i still didn't see it, like, huh? So over all this was a good book, really, but my reading slump ruined it for me, this mightve been a 4 or even 5 star read if not for the slump :(. But yeah. READ IT.

This was a face-paced murder mystery. I really liked the setting (bleak Icelandic island during a fall storm? A perfect setting for a muder mystery). I quite liked the setup - we met all the key players, a murder happens a few chapters in, and then we get a couple of countdowns. The first countdown happens after the first death has occured (going back in time and counting until the death occurs), and then another countdown begins until a myseterious second death (We are not told who it will be). I found that this kept me invested, kept the tension up, and kept me guessing as to who could be next.

I did find the pacing to be a bit jarring - the short chapters kept me reading, but besides that I did find it a bit hard to stay invested in the story. This might have also been because I didn't quite care overmuch for the characters - they felt a little flat and one-dimensional, and I couldn't really connect with their motivations. Things that were framed as bombshell reveals fell a touch flat for me.

The ending got me though! the last 2 chapters had a nice reveal/switcheroo.

As a Canadian, I enjoyed the Canadian tie-in and appreciated Jane Shearer as a main character. She’s smart, calm under pressure, and her outsider perspective added depth to the story. She made a strong, believable amateur sleuth.

A small group of diplomats and guests gather on a remote Nordic island for a retreat. When one of them is found dead in a locked room, suspicions quickly grow. With a storm cutting them off from the outside world, the remaining guests must uncover the killer among them before another person is targeted.

Read this if you like:
• Twisty locked-room mysteries with Agatha Christie vibes
• Nordic noir atmospheres full of isolation and tension
• Slow burn suspense that builds gradually
• Stories packed with secrets, red herrings, and surprises
• Political or diplomatic drama mixed with murder
• An intelligent female protagonist working as an amateur sleuth

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the e-ARC. Death on the Island will be published on May 13, 2025.

Thank Netgalley for a copy of this ARC. All views and opinions in this review are my own.

“Death on the Island” seems like your usual “locked room mystery” similar to Agatha Christie’s works, and even the film “The Glass Onion” where all the major players and suspects are trapped in one place where the murder occurs.

The thrill in reading these kinds of works is getting to know each character and learning about their personalities and possible motivations, such that anyone can be a suspect, even a seemingly minor character. However, in this book, i didn’t feel particularly invested in any character’s story, perhaps because there was something lacking in their personalities. Towards the end, it was also pretty easy for me to guess who committed the murder, such that the conclusion felt rushed and anti-climactic.

On the other hand, I still enjoyed how the author evoked the spirit of Icelandic culture and small island life. I wish there were more of these cultural references, and I hope future books have more depth and characterization.

A diplomatic dinner on a remote Icelandic island turns deadly in this locked-room mystery where no one is safe. When one guest is found murdered, the ambassador’s wife must unravel a web of secrets and lies before another life is lost.

Fans of Sara Winokur will enjoy this crime fiction debut. It’s eerie and darkly atmospheric with an eclectic cast of characters.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

A decent suspenseful read. With twist you don't see coming. I would definitely give this new author another read.

Death on the Island takes place off the coast of Ireland. A delegation is visiting from Canada and at the dinner one person dies. It looks like poison. Why this person? Everyone is a suspect. This book will have you guessing as to what happened and is anyone else at risk. Also there is a storm and no one can leave the island. It is an exciting read that has a surprise ending. Can you guess who is the murderer? This is a new mystery writer that you should give a try.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #ElizaReid and #PoisonedPenPress for a copy of this book.
#DeathOnTheIsland

This was a great read and would recommend. I liked the pace of the book and found it hard to put down!

This was a fun, twisty read with changing points of view by chapter. I enjoyed watching it all unfold and the description of the island created an excellent atmosphere and setting for a mystery

A fun twist on a locked room mystery—a locked island mystery! Overall, I really enjoyed reading Eliza Reid's debut novel. I loved learning about Icelandic culture. The cast of suspects...I mean, characters, were diverse and intriguing. I was kept guessing who the culprit was until about the 70% mark and then I guessed it! I'm looking forward to Eliza's next!

I did really enjoy this book, i would give it a 3.5⭐️ but it may bump up to a 4 in time as I process🫶🏻

Generally likeable characters. Plot was interesting and kept me guessing as to who done it. And the ending turned out to be not quite tied up but still satisfying. 3.5 stars.