I hate reality TV shows, yet seem to have read so many thrillers based around them lately. This was a dark, sinister, tense twisted tale which kept me guessing.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

I raced through this book as I couldn’t put it down. 

10 celebrities have been selected for a new reality tv show, taking place on a remote island off the Scottish Highlands in an abandoned monastery. From the moment they arrive things start to go wrong; has the health and safety team made some potentially fatal errors or is someone out to get them? 

When there is a massive storm and the communications with the mainland knocked out, everyone’s true colours are revealed, what secrets are they hiding? Lauren, an investigative journalist, is determined to find out before it’s too late. 

The characters were all well written and believable. I was rooting for my favourites, and hoping the bad guys were found out. Louise Minchin was a contestant on I’m a Celebrity, in the UK Welsh Castle years, which makes the reality tv aspect particularly well informed and interesting. 
Thank you to NetGalley and Headline for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

I love a locked room thriller and throw in a reality TV element and I'll definitely want to read it.  Thank you to Netgalley and Headline for providing me with a digital copy for review.

Ten celebrities are brought together for a reality TV show where they must spend two weeks on a remote Scottish Island, live like monks and try to survive.  After several near misses the contestants soon realise that the production team's Health and Safety protocols are severely lacking or is there a killer in their midst?

I thought this was a solid debut novel from Louise Minchin.  I found the TV element combined with the desolate setting made this a pressure cooker of a thriller.  It had me gripped from beginning to end and I did not guess the outcome.  I also enjoyed the cast of characters. An interesting mix of personalities to make a few sparks fly.

Overall I found this a fast paced and twisty read, full of suspense and atmosphere. I'm looking forward to reading more from Louise Minchin. 

What a whirlwind of a book! I am a sucker for any book with a remote setting, where the characters appear to be picked off one by one. That is what appealed to me about this book,
I really enjoyed the atmosphere of the isolated island, the crumbling monastery, the harsh elements. Yes please! 
The first half was a little slow but once the book hit the halfway mark, it very quickly picked up the pace. 
I really enjoyed the twist even though I saw it coming from pretty early on. I still enjoyed the ride in spite of knowing the destination 
I've never read anything by this author before but I'd definitely read from them again
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Ten celebrities have agreed to take part in a gruelling reality survival show, spending two weeks completely alone on a remote Scottish island, in the depths of winter. With some careers on the rise, and others whose fame is fading, almost everyone has something to play for. Investigative journalist Lauren has her place but is intrigued into what Hollywood megastar Nate Stirling has to gain by taking part? With a production team that seems incapable of keeping them safe, a gathering storm and the unrelenting gaze of hidden cameras, the contestants are stretched to the limit as they try to outshine their fellow competitors and hide their darkest secrets. When a body is found, it's clear that the game has become a matter of life and death...

There have been a lot of locked-room, celebrity-type reality TV show scenario thrillers lately and I must admit it’s a synopsis that instantly hooks me in! Although it’s safe to say that it’s probably a good idea that our TV friendly shows in real life are a lot less dramatic!

This is a fast-paced read that I devoured in two days, each chapter making you want to know what happened next. There are a lot of characters but I found you soon got your head round who was who, being only told from Lauren’s POV also helped to ground this as you discover the facts as she does. The first half does an excellent job of setting the scene, with the second part ramping up the tension and intrigue as the ‘game’ takes a deadly turn.

Some elements are a little more drawn out than perhaps necessary but overall it’s a twisty, suspenseful thriller that I really enjoyed. The dramatic conclusion has less of a punch than I thought it would, but succeeds in being something completely out of the blue, nicely bringing everything together, with an added element of wonder about what happened afterwards. I wasn’t sure what to expect from Minchin for her debut title but am pleasantly surprised and this was a great read which I would recommend!

I for one would not want to be a contestant on one of these reality tv shows, no matter that it takes place on a cool isolated island with an abandoned monastery. It did make for a fun and thrilling story though.  It is always interesting when you take a group of several wildly different people, with dreams and goals of their own for if they win the prize and then set them up for unfair challenges which further divide them (like the saints and sinners sleeping quarters) and also raise one person higher than the rest and you are sure to get drama, even if everything is being recorded. Though the bodies don't start showing up until the storms hits and knocks out all power. People sure behave differently when they think they aren't being watched so they can get away with much more!

Since the point of view is from Lauren's perspective and her being a journalist albeit one with a mission of her own for one of the other contestants, it is easy to root for her and hope she can find justice for her friend. There are lots of suspects for the murders and it was fun to try and figure out the who and why and how. I will say I did not feel bad for the ones who ended up dead, except for the last one. And I do like how Lauren chooses not to go the easy way but is willing to put everything on the line to discover the truth.

A thrilling read though I wouldn't mind going to see the island, as long as there was power and no big storm on the way!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review this book!