Trouble Island is a stop-off for gangsters as they travel between Canada and the United States on Lake Erie. It's also home to two women: Aurelia Escalante, maid to Rosita, who is the lady of the manor and wife of gangster Eddie McGee.
In the freezing winter of 1932, Eddie is scheduled to arrive on the island with his right-hand man, a doctor, a cousin, a famous actor, and a rival gangster whom Rosita believes murdered her son. Aurelia, who's been hiding on the island with her own secrets, has been planning her escape and is just about to put her plan into action when Rosita disappears. Deciding to go ahead anyway, Aurelia goes to retrieve her stash of supplies and finds Rosita's body instead.
Someone went to a great deal of trouble to ensure that Aurelia was the person who found the body. Now more than ever, Aurelia wants to escape, but an ice storm sweeps in, keeping her on the island with more than one murderer.
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Having loved this author's Kinship historical mysteries written under the name of Jess Montgomery, I really looked forward to Trouble Island, but the book fell flat for me. The setting and the historical detail were excellent, and the winter weather on that remote island kept me frozen to the bone-- especially since Aurelia would actually go swimming in the lake almost daily.
Where did the book fall flat? I think it was a personal reaction more than anything else. I never warmed to any of the characters. Aurelia seemed a bit too naive and unobservant, and Rosita the high-handed diva was the sort of person I'd walk ten miles out of my way to avoid. Also, I wasn't in the mood to guess the true identities of each person on the island. If I'd read Trouble Island while in a different mood, it's altogether possible I would have liked it more-- which means your mileage will probably vary from mine.
Trouble Island by Sharon Short
eISBN: 9781250292834
Minotaur Books © 2024
eBook, 336 pages
Historical Thriller
Rating: B
Source: Net Galley
Oh, drat. That book is on a bunch of recommended lists. But I guess I won't bother to read it. The other two books you review before this one look good. I'm reading Sara Donati's second book set in the1880s in New York with two women doctors. Very interesting. Men dominated everything in the medical world and women weren't allowed to attend classes or view procedures or autopsies in some New York City hospitals then!
ReplyDeleteMood definitely has a lot to do with how a book impacts you, doesn't it, Cathy? And if you don't warm to the characters, and start caring about them, I can see how the book fell flat for you. Still, those setting details sound excellent!
ReplyDeleteInteresting, sort of. Lesa reviewed this one a couple of days ago. I really liked her Kinship series, but when I originally read the description of this one a while back I was kind of on the fence about it. Not really sure why. Anyway, nice to hear what you thought about it. Maybe will read it at some point.
ReplyDeleteI am always drawn to mysteries with that remote island kind of setting. I'm sorry it fell flat for you.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read anything by this author but I do like that descriptive first line. I might give this one a try.
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