Godiva Lee is dead. Five years later, why does Boris Uthank want to bring everyone back to the island where she died? He wasn’t even there when it happened, and how has he managed to persuade those who were there at the time to come back? He’s even managed to persuade sleuth Rachel Savernake to join them and give her view of events. What is he up to? A good read and lots of clues if you can work them out. I like that the author outlines all the clues at the end of the book and if you so choose, you can check if you were right or what you missed. I know this book is one of a series and I hadn’t read others, but this didn’t spoil my enjoyment; I found it easy to read and understand the background to the central character. My thanks to NetGalley and the author for an ARC

A very good book, which I thoroughly enjoyed and would definitely recommend. I look forward to reading more from this author. A++

I did not realise that this is a part of a series! Netgalley has led me to amazing and continuing series and this is another such gem. I love closed room, lone island l plot lines, the closed setting and suspects making the reading more interesting.

A famous actress passed away five years ago, and all the people related to her are isolated in a stormy night in a lone island. There is a detective who is expected to solve the puzzle, to solve the mystery behind her death.

The atmosphere, the setting, the eerie isolation all give the vibe of a great setting for a quick who-dunnit.
This book was another nail biting thriller and I’m definitely going to check on all the previous titles.

I've read all the other books in the Rachel Savernake series and this one didn't disappoint, with a nod to Agatha Christie having all the suspects marooned on an island, and lots of other excellent Golden Age touches. A very entertaining read and will definitely be enjoyed by anyone who loves a classic murder mystery.

A gripping mystery with an intriguing atmosphere that keeps you guessing as the story unfolds. Martin Edwards does a great job of building suspense and drawing the reader into the mystery. If you enjoy crime fiction with plenty to think about and an unsettling edge, this is definitely worth a read!

Set during the Golden Age of British Crime Writing, FEVER ISLAND is another tightly plotted homage by Edwards to the traditional murder mystery.

FEVER ISLAND opens in 1926 with the apparent murder of film star Godiva Lee at her isolated house in England’s Lake District. It then shifts forward to 1931, and Rachel Savernake is blackmailed into attending a strange gathering at Godiva’s old home on Fever Island.

The gathering has been arranged by the notorious occultist and womaniser Bob Unthank, who wants to bring together all those connected to Godiva’s death. He is convinced that one of them is the murderer and he wants to unmask them. Rachel has been invited for her powers of deduction, but she is also there to determine the extent of Unthank’s knowledge of a dark secret from her past. Tensions are running high at the party from the beginning, but when the island is cut off from the outside world by a wild storm, and a body is found, they erupt into a maelstrom of suspicion and hostility.

Edwards does a superb job in capturing the mood and style of the classic British crime novel, and FEVER ISLAND is a tricky, fair play mystery that will keep you guessing to the end. The pacing is a little slow, especially at the beginning, but once the framework is set in place, it moves along quite nicely.

The first death at Unthank’s party is unexpected, and from that point Edwards carefully rolls out a succession of twists, particularly as other deaths occur. Unthank and his guests are largely an unpleasant group, with the obnoxious critic Aubery Blinks standing out in this regard. In keeping with the style of classic murder mysteries, the characterisations tend to be perfunctory, apart from Rachel and her entourage who are an interesting bunch. FEVER ISLAND is the sixth book in the series and can be read as a stand-alone mystery, but some understanding of Rachel’s and her friends’ prior history would add to the enjoyment.

The actual murder mystery is interesting and is well worked out by Rachel in the traditional manner. There are plenty of clues hidden within the story, and Edwards provides an useful Clue Finder at the end of the book so you can tick off the ones that you found and those that you missed. There is also a handy map of the atmospheric island at the front of the book.

In all, FEVER ISLAND is a pleasantly engaging tale and fans of classic murder mysteries will thoroughly enjoy this one.