'The Island' by Adrian McKinty

The Island by Adrian McKinty
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Adrian McKinty knows how to write a twisty and twisted thriller, and The Island doesn't disappoint; I could not put it down.

Heather is the 24-year-old second wife to orthopedic surgeon Tom and stepmother to his 14-year-old daughter and 12-year-old son, who have not accepted her. Heather and the kids accompany Tom to a conference in Australia, where he is the keynote speaker. They go out for a drive so the kids can see koalas but fail to find any wildlife in the suburbs. A sketchy guy convinces them to pay top dollar to ferry them across the bay to an island. Home to a defunct prison and one extended family, the island has no cell service or amenities. Accompanied by a Dutch couple who joins the group, they are given a short time to look for animals.

The family outing turns into a nightmare when they run afoul of the locals. Cut off from the mainland, the islander clan, presided over by an elderly woman called Ma, mete out their own justice. At first they seem willing to make a deal but things go downhill fast, and Heather finds herself thrust into the role of leader and protector as she uses every ounce of courage and ingenuity to protect her family.

The reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is that the characterizations seem a bit shallow early on, although Heather's family gains depth. I also found the set-up somewhat contrived--Deliverance on a desert island in Australia--but in the acknowledgements, McKinty says that it is based on a real place and the inciting incident almost happened to him. (He is very clear that the people who live on the island are nothing like his fictional clan.)

Overall, I loved this engaging, sometimes disturbing, read. It would make a good movie, too.