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  • The Island

  • Written by: Adrian McKinty
  • Narrated by: Mela Lee
  • Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins
  • 4.2 out of 5 stars (57 ratings)

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The Island cover art

The Island

Written by: Adrian McKinty
Narrated by: Mela Lee
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Publisher's Summary

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

©2022 Adrian McKinty (P)2022 Little, Brown & Company

What the critics say

"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

What listeners say about The Island

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Great thriller

I couldn’t stop listening to this audiobook. Great story and narration. I particularly liked the sound effects.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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An exciting story

Loved this book. Narrator was excellent. Story was exciting and terrifying. It had so many interesting twists.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Exceptional

I was more than impressed with this story and the performance of it. If you like Adventure, Crime/Thriller and Wilderness - as well as some very human moments.. this is the one for you. Yes it does get a bit dark at times but with the twists and turns involved it’s hard to stay stuck in any feeling for too long (except thirst maybe!). The vocal performance was TOP TIER as well. Looking forward to the supposed tv series at some point !

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Exciting, fast-moving thriller!

It's not quite summer where I live, but this was the perfect way to begin the season! An exotic setting, vivid characters and lots of suspense and survival adventure; I loved it. I did not love the sporadic and random sound effects, but they did not detract too much from the story. If you're tired of stories about a bunch of people in a house having drama, pick this one up and you won't be disappointed.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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Will the real Adrian McKinty please stand up?

Did Adrian McKinty decide to write the most stereotypical mass market paperback to see if anyone would notice it was a joke? (…let’s see…l need an American protagonist because that’s where the money is…and don’t forget the GUNS, we know the audience…is Bruce Willis available for the film version? No?…let’s make the protagonist female….). I found the whole thing implausible. In this genre, I prefer The Chain.

But most of all I prefer the genuine Adrian McKinty, not this stuff written only to make money. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with making money, and apparently the Belfast noir books did not earn him a living wage. Which is a shame, because I far prefer the Sean Duffy series to this prefab blockbuster movie stuff.

Even so, I will read his next novel, of whatever genre.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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thrilling



loved it and couldn't stop listening. highly recommend
Adrian Mckinty is a fantastic writer

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    4 out of 5 stars
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The Island

This was a much darker story than I usually enjoy, but it was easy to follow and kept my interest until the end. The narrator was great. If you enjoy dark stories, this may be for you.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Fun, popcorn thriller with laughable accent work

Well this was a breezy listen. Kind of compares to an old 80’s/ early 90’s action/ thriller movie. Couple of glaring plot holes but overall a good time killer. The narration was only thrown off by the terrible accents and the random sound effects that have been haphazardly thrown in.

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  • J
  • 2022-12-10

Excellent

Great thriller storyline that keeps the action moving while also building substance and feeling for the characters.

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Best audible thriller I have heard

This is the best and most unique thriller I have listened to on Audible! Loved it! Thank you

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