The Island

By: Adrian McKinty

Narrated by: Mela Lee

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Chain comes a pulse-pounding thriller about a family that must face their darkest fears--and deepest secrets--when they go on the run for their lives.

“Extraordinary.” —T. J. Newman, New York Times bestselling author of Falling

"You'll never go on vacation the same way again." —Don Winslow, New York Times bestselling author of City On Fire

IT WAS JUST SUPPOSED TO BE A FAMILY VACATION.

A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT CHANGED EVERYTHING.

YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE CAPABLE OF UNTIL THEY COME FOR YOUR FAMILY.

After moving from a small country town to Seattle, Heather Baxter marries Tom, a widowed doctor with a young son and teenage daughter. A working vacation overseas seems like the perfect way to bring the new family together, but once they’re deep in the Australian outback, the jet-lagged and exhausted kids are so over their new mom.

When they discover remote Dutch Island, off-limits to outside visitors, the family talks their way onto the ferry, taking a chance on an adventure far from the reach of iPhones and Instagram.

But as soon as they set foot on the island, which is run by a tightly knit clan of locals, everything feels wrong. Then a shocking accident propels the Baxters from an unsettling situation into an absolute nightmare.

When Heather and the kids are separated from Tom, they are forced to escape alone, seconds ahead of their pursuers.

Now it’s up to Heather to save herself and the kids, even though they don’t trust her, the harsh bushland is filled with danger, and the locals want her dead.

Heather has been underestimated her entire life, but she knows that only she can bring her family home again and become the mother the children desperately need, even if it means doing the unthinkable to keep them all alive.

SOON TO BE A HULU ORIGINAL SERIES

“Gripping and unpredictable. No one does high-stakes tension like McKinty . . . Prepare to be hooked.” —Sarah Pearse

“A haunting masterpiece.” —Steve Cavanagh

“McKinty has written another irresistible and pulse-pounding thriller about the surprising places evil hides and just how far we’ll go for those we love.” —Karin Slaughter

Critic reviews

"Deliverance meets The Road Warrior in this harrowing survival thriller . . . McKinty is a master of suspense."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Expertly choreographed and breathlessly exciting . . . both the peril and the family are like no other. The Chain was McKinty’s breakthrough novel and this one could be every bit as big.”—Booklist (starred review)

“Wow, this book left me breathless and on the edge of my seat from the very first page—this is thriller writing of a high order. Gripping and unpredictable, prepare to be hooked and pumped full of adrenaline as McKinty deftly weaves a compulsively readable plot with characters that you are rooting for. No one does high- stakes tension like McKinty. Put The Island at the top of your TBR—you won’t regret it.”
—Sarah Pearse, New York Times bestselling author of The Sanatorium

“Heart-stoppingly tense and unpredictable, The Island twists a family vacation to a nightmarish breaking point. Adrian McKinty has written another irresistible and pulse-pounding thriller about the surprising places evil hides and just how far we’ll go for those we love.”
—Karin Slaughter, New York Times bestselling author of Pieces of Her

"An exciting thriller that... pulls readers compulsively onward."—Kirkus Reviews

"McKinty delivers another skillful, blade-sharp page-turner."
—James Swallow, bestselling author of Nomad

"A pulsating, nerve-shredding thriller. I loved it!"
—M. J. Arlidge, bestselling author of Eeny Meeny

Praise for the instant New York Times bestseller The Chain

"McKinty hangs on to his wit and literacy even under duress...Beneath its surface of high-speed thrills, The Chain is clearly the work of the philosophical thinker McKinty has always been."—Janet Maslin, New York Times

"The pace quickens and the tension builds whenever the mother and daughter appear in a scene. In the end, what makes The Chain so frightening - and why it works so well as a thriller - is that all of Rachel's actions remain completely relatable, even as she whipsaws between terror and determination, morphing from victim to perpetrator."—Tina Jordan, The New York Times

"This is more than nail-biting; think cuticle-shredding."—Bethanne Patrick, The Washington Post

"A chilling, diabolical page-turner you'll want to savor."—People Magazine, Book of the Week

"Thrillers... don't get much more psychologically rich than The Chain." —David Canfield, Entertainment Weekly

"This nightmarish story is incredibly propulsive and original. You won't shake it for a long time."—Stephen King

Boring

The last hour was good but I almost didn’t get there. The storyline had so much potential but just fell flat. They just move from place to place on the island doing the same things from chapter to chapter. And I know many reviewers have already mentioned this, but what was up with the sound effects? They seemed so random and juvenile. I’m glad I got through it but also glad it’s over.

McKinty, Australia, excellent!!!

A family at the mercy of an isolated Ivan Milat-like murderous family in Australia must get down and dirty to survive. Waited so long for this latest by the thinking person’s thriller author and my hands-down favorite, Adrian McKinty. Finished in a day, couldn’t put it down. Worth the wait. Gripping and beautifully written throughout. So the wait begins for the next one. . .

Excellent story, but…

I enjoyed this book. It won’t make you smarter, but think of it as an action movie in book form. I’m only leaving a review to warn Audible listeners that this performance has sound effects and if you listen with earbuds, beware! I about wet my pants each time one of the loud effects was played.

loved it!

can't wait for the television adaptation. some may find it far fetched but so entertaining

The Island

I loved this book! This is my first novel by this author. I wasn’t sure what I was in store for, but early in the story, McKinty makes a reference to “Wolf Creek.” That reference pretty much points you in the right direction for the vibe of the book. :)

Nutshell: An American family travels to Australia where the husband, Tom, is slated to give a talk on orthopedic surgery. Ah, but the kids are bored and want to go see a few Koala bears. So they pack into their rental car and end up taking a ferry to a private island. While driving around on the back streets of said island, Tom hits a woman on a bike and kills her. The woman’s family gets mad and seeks revenge, and the adventure spirals out from there.

But there’s other stuff about this book to love beyond the cat and mouse stuff between victim and prey. The peripheral material really sucked me in and made this a this book a delight. First and foremost, I loved the value placed on the intelligence of children, and I like how the book carved out a space in which one receptive adult and 2 kids work collaboratively to free themselves.

I also enjoyed the little glimmers of hope and sustenance provided by Heather’s brief contact with indigenous cultures and got a very strong sense of the environment/landscape - what this former home to native inhabitants looked and felt like.

Also cool was the comparison between the families …with “blood,” tradition and biology represented by the island people on the one hand, vs a modern, urban patchwork family on the other.

Also -i have to say this because I loved it! —> Heather was a total badass!