Whisper Island by Carissa Ann Lynch

Hi book friends! My one year old son and I have been sick for the last few weeks (thankfully not covid), so I got a lot of reading done and I’m now back to the world of the living to share with you my reviews! Stay safe out there my friends.

Thank you Harper 360 for my gifted ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Synopsis: For friends Riley, Sam, Mia and Scarlett, their trip to Whisper Island, Alaska, was meant to be a once in a lifetime adventure – just four young women, with everything to live for…But as soon as they arrive things start to go wrong.  First there is the unexpected arrival of Sammy’s drug addict brother and his girlfriend Opal – why are they here? And then the deaths begin. As the dream trip quickly turns into a nightmare, suspicion is high.  Are they really alone on the island?  Or is there a killer hiding in the shadows? And as each of the girls reveals a dark secret of their own, perhaps the truth is the killer is closer than they think…just a whisper away…

This was a super fun read – I got those locked-mystery vibes from this one! It reads a lot like other similar island books (think The Guest List), but it was unique enough that I didn’t feel like I was reading the same exact story. Perfect for a late winter-night read!

4/5 Stars

The Weekend Escape by Rakie Bennett

I don’t know about you, but locked room type mysteries are my favorite for this time of year! While this isn’t necessarily a locked room, it certainly gives me all the vibes of one!

Thank you One More Chapter for my gifted ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Synopsis: It was meant to be a fun reunion, a chance for six friends to reconnect and relive the adventures that brought them together in the first place. But from the moment they arrive on their island home for the weekend, Lyndsey, Sonia, Bobbie, Amanda, Juliet, and Val realize that their paradise is filled with peril, and there are consequences when you try to outrun the ghosts of your past. As everything starts to fall apart, and the friends begin to turn against one another, deep, dark secrets are revealed, and an unimaginable horror is unleashed. They came seeking adventure, but now they’ll be lucky to leave with their lives…

I think this book at a lot of potential, but it got a little muddied for me. With six characters to keep track of and a bit of a slow pace, I struggled to maintain full attention. There are some flashbacks which I also had to mindfully keep track of, so my attention was lost in more than one way. The shift between the possible suspects is what truly kept me reading through to the end. While it was a great wrap-up, it was a bit rough for me to get there. I think the pacing and shift in timelines and characters was just a bit much for me, but others may enjoy it well.

2.5/3 Stars

The Last Guest by Tess Little

Are you someone who pays attention to the Stars of Hollywood? While I’m not caught up in Hollywood drama, I sure love reading mysteries about it!

Thank you Ballantine Books for my gifted ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Synopsis: When actress Elspeth Bell attends the fiftieth birthday party of her ex-husband Richard Bryant, the Hollywood director who launched her career, all she wants is to pass unnoticed through the glamorous crowd in his sprawling Los Angeles mansion. Instead, there are just seven other guests–and Richard’s pet octopus, Persephone, watching over them from her tank as the intimate party grows more surreal (and rowdy) by the hour. Come morning, Richard is dead–and all of the guests are suspects. In the weeks that follow, each of the guests come under suspicion: the school friend, the studio producer, the actress, the actor, the new partner, the manager, the cinematographer, and even Elspeth herself. What starts out as a locked-room mystery soon reveals itself to be much more complicated, as dark stories from Richard’s past surface, colliding with Elspeth’s memories of their marriage that she vowed never to revisit. Elspeth begins to wonder not just who killed Richard, but why these eight guests were invited, and what sort of man would desire to possess a creature as mysterious and unsettling as Persephone.

If you are looking for a good locked room mystery, this is it. This was written so nicely that it played out like a movie in my head. The Hollywood theme lent itself well to that. It’s definitely a slow burn and took me a bit to really dive into the plot, but glad I stuck through with it. I wasn’t able to guess the twist and that always wins me over in a book.

4/5 Stars

Whisper Island by Carissa Ann Lynch

I’ve been really into “locked room” mysteries lately. A “locked room” mystery is one where a bunch of people are stuck in one location where a murder occurs and, most of the time, murders continue to occur. One of the most classic examples of this is “And Then There Were None” by Agatha Christie. This book falls into this category too!

Thank you Harper Collins UK One More Chapter for my gifted ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Synopsis: For friends Riley, Sam, Mia and Scarlett, their trip to Whisper Island was meant to be a once in a lifetime adventure – just four young women, with everything to live for…But as soon as they arrive things start to go wrong. First there is the unexpected arrival of Sammy’s drug addict brother and his girlfriend Opal – why are they here? And then the deaths begin. As the dream trip quickly turns into a nightmare, suspicion is high. Are they really alone on the island? Or is there a killer hiding in the shadows? And as each of the girls reveals a dark secret of their own, perhaps the truth is the killer is closer than they think…just a whisper away…

I think the hard thing about reading a bunch of “locked room” mysteries is that they start to blend together. I’ve read a lot most recently, which left me feeling that this book isn’t as original as I thought it could have been. If you are new to these type of mysteries, then I think you will absolutely love this!

3.5/5 Stars

Love the idea of this type of story and want to read more? Check out:

An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena

The Last by Hanna Jameson

Guess Who by Chris McGeorge

The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager

The Escape Room by Megan Goldin

Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware

No Exit by Taylor Adams

The Guest List by Lucy Foley

The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley

One by One by Ruth Ware

And many, many more…