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Let’s go island hopping with 3 island mystery books!
In these 3 island mystery books we embark to remote locations where mist-covered beaches and isolated islands become the backdrop for secrets, danger, and a touch of magic.
In this post we review 3 novels that capture the allure and thrill of island life in very different ways. Whether you’re craving the suspense of a whodunit or the allure of high-seas fantasy, these books have it all.
The Fog by Brooke Hardwick weaves mystery with a haunting atmosphere, Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson brings you a richly imagined fantasy world filled with seafaring adventure, and The Decagon House Murders by Yukito Ayatsuji delivers a chilling, classic-style murder mystery set on an isolated island.
Each of these island-set stories will transport you to unforgettable places that aren’t just locations but central characters in their own right. Perfect reads for those who love the intrigue and beauty of distant shores!
We encourage you to always source books from your local independent bookshop. However, we understand this is sometimes not practical based on location or budget.
Therefore, this post contains Amazon affiliate links. This means, if you click on the link and purchase the book from that link, I may get a few dollars at no extra cost to you! This way we can both island hop to some new reads! 😀
Happy Reading, friends!
Series or Standalone? :
This is a standalone novel.
"The Fog" Book Blurb:
Kate arrives on the wild, remote island of Rathlin in the freezing Irish Channel for a ten-day writers’ retreat. Plagued by memories she can’t unravel and desperate to understand the breakdown of her marriage, Kate is determined to leave the retreat with answers. As the retreat’s director uses techniques that tap into the eerie mythology of the island, Kate becomes increasingly fascinated by him and her surrounds. But when the temperature plummets and the strange therapy intensifies, her memories unspool. Triggered into a series of disturbing flashbacks, Kate realises her past hides a frightening truth, but can she trust her own mind? Faced with dark secrets and duplicity, Kate must unlock the answers she’s so desperate to find – and survive the danger she has unwittingly walked into.
What did we think?: 2 Stars
When I picked up this novel, I was hoping for a moody island thriller – so may not have been in the right headspace for this. The story reads more like a domestic thriller that happens to be set on an island – and I didn’t really care to rehash the ins-and-outs of Kate’s abusive & isolating relationship and loss of child. The ‘therapy’ side of things annoyed me too – as the 5 day itinerary set out by the creepy facilitator Cormac Boyd is so bare bones its laughable. Kate as a character was too wishy-washy for me to connect with, and the plot or supporting cast couldn’t make up for that lack of engagement. I’m sure this book has an audience, as it has a decent rating on Goodreads – just not for me.
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Series or Standalone? :
This is a standalone ‘Cosmere’ novel – though Book One in Sanderson’s ‘Secret Projects‘ series.
"Tress of the Emerald Sea" Book Blurb:
The only life Tress has known on her island home in an emerald-green ocean has been a simple one, with the simple pleasures of collecting cups brought by sailors from faraway lands and listening to stories told by her friend Charlie. But when his father takes him on a voyage to find a bride and disaster strikes, Tress must stow away on a ship and seek the Sorceress of the deadly Midnight Sea. Amid the spore oceans where pirates abound, can Tress leave her simple life behind and make her own place sailing a sea where a single drop of water can mean instant death?
What did we think?: 5 Stars
This was my first real foray into Sanderson’s work, and I loved it! Strong female lead with a fixation on mugs (happens to the best of us), well plotted and paced – and left me feeling sad to say goodbye to the characters, which hasn’t happened to me in a long time! There are talking animals, pirates, a true-love’s quest, evil sorceresses and spore monsters – what’s not to love?! The story is narrated by a cursed cabin boy called Hoid – who I’d be keen to read more about – and highlights the importance of friendship, kindness and common sense while adventuring. I’m now fully onboard to read some more of the Cosmere universe tales.
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Series or Standalone? :
This is a standalone novel. Part of the Pushkin Vertigo set.
"The Decagon House Murders" Book Blurb:
The lonely, rockbound island of Tsunojima is notorious as the site of a series of bloody unsolved murders. Some even say it’s haunted. One thing’s for sure: it’s the perfect destination for the K-University Mystery Club’s annual trip. But when the first club member turns up dead, the remaining amateur sleuths realise they will need all of their murder-mystery expertise to get off the island alive. As the party are picked off one by one, the survivors grow desperate and paranoid, turning on each other. Will anyone be able to untangle the murderer’s fiendish plan before it’s too late?
What did we think?: 3 Stars
With strong ties to Agatha Christie’s ‘And Then There Were None‘, this is a solid locked-room remote island murder mystery. I can’t say that I see what all the ‘cult hype’ would be about, but this was originally written in 1987 and to a different audience. The Decagon House is ‘a trap consisting of ten equal sides and interior angles’ (p13) and trouble ensues for the members of the University Mystery Club when they’re isolated on the island and discover clues that someone is trying to hurt them. There are a lot of ‘pouted’ and ‘pursed’ lips as the story unfolds both on and off the island. I’d recommend this one to readers looking to diversify their mystery reading with some translated fiction.
‘What mystery novels need are – some might call me old-fashioned – a great detective, a mansion, a shady cast of residents, bloody murders, impossible crimes and never-before-seen tricks played by the murderer.’ (p15)
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