Trouble Island by Sharon Short Book Review

 

Goodreads

 

3/5 ⭐⭐⭐

Trouble Island is an atmospheric historical mystery set in the winter of 1932 on a remote island in the middle of Lake Erie. Prohibition-era gangsters, long buried secrets, and a chilling locked room mystery collide in this suspenseful story inspired by the author’s family history.

✨ Prohibition-Era
✨ First-Person POV
✨ Twists & Turns
✨ Locked Room (Island)
✨ Slow Burn

The story begins with Aurelia, who works as a maid to Rosita, the wife of a gangster. Trouble starts when a group of guests arrive on the island, and Rosita suddenly disappears. An ice storm traps everyone together, secrets unravel, and the murder mystery begins.

The premise immediately drew me in, especially with the Lake Erie setting, but I struggled to stay focused about a third of the way through. The book started strong with a moody, isolated atmosphere, but the middle dragged, and by the time the action picked up again near the end, I found myself less invested.

While I appreciated Aurelia, I found most of the other characters unlikable, which made it harder to connect with them. The historical elements also didn’t feel as developed as I’d hoped. At times, the modern sounding language made it easy to forget the story was set in the 1930s.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Jennifer Jill Araya, who did a great job bringing the story to life. She was able to create distinct voices for each character which made the listening experience more engaging.

Overall, Trouble Island offers a unique setting and an intriguing locked room mystery, but the slow pacing and lack of connection to the era and characters left me wanting more. While it wasn’t a perfect fit for me, it’s a well written book that fans of historical mysteries and slow burn suspense might enjoy.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the ALC of Trouble Island in exchange for an honest review.