BOOK REVIEW ~ THE DARK ISLE BY CLARE CARSON | BLOG TOUR

Published: 1st June, 2017

Publisher: Head of Zeus

Links: Amazon/Goodreads

~BLURB~

"A very well-written first novel... an original and absorbing read"LITERARY REVIEW (on Orkney Twilight).

"A meaty, beautifully written and original thriller" IRISH INDEPENDENT (on Orkney Twilight)                            

                                   

A haunting thriller set in the windswept marshes of Kentand Norfolk,

from the author of Orkney Twilight

Sam grew up in the shadow of the secret state. Her father was an undercover agent, full of tall stories about tradecraft and traitors. Then he died, killed in the line of duty. Now Sam has travelled to Hoy, in Orkney, to piece together the puzzle of his past.

What she finds is a tiny island of dramatic skies, swooping birds, rugged sea stacks and just four hundred people. An island remote enough to shelter someone who doesn’t want to be found. An island small enough to keep a secret...

Review:

Rating - 4/5

Let me begin this review by saying, I absolutely loved the writing, the concept of this book and the main character. This book takes place in the 70s and the 80s so it was really a fresh start for me as I haven't read books from that timeline. It just gave me these amazing nostalgic feels especially since it's a mystery and has spies in it!

This is the first book I read in this trilogy and in spite of it being the third installment I find that I quite enjoyed it. I certainly will be thinking about going back to book 1 and start from the beginning but the past story did help and it was like reading a standalone so there's no problem in relating to the story. There are two timelines, 1976(the past) in London and 1989(the present) in Orkney.

Sam Coyle is on a hunt to find out the truth and her emotional journey is quite mesmerizing to read. The grief is just heartbreaking but she is determined and moves ahead on her quest. I really liked this character and found myself cheering for her at times. 

Sam and Anna grew up together and are best friends and if I had one problem with the book, then it would be Anna, I didn't quite like her but it was alright. The other thing that I really liked was the information that was given in this book. Orkney is certainly a very interesting place and combine it with history! You can see the author has done her research. 

I really liked the ending because Sam seems content and starts to accept things, it's not the end as it kind of ends on a cliffhanger so looking forward to the next adventure!

*An ebook copy was provided via the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

~ABOUT THE AUTHOR~

Clare Carson is an anthropologist and works in international development, specialising in human rights. Her father was an undercover policeman in the 1970s.  She drew on her own experiences to create the character of Sam, a rebellious eighteen year old who is nevertheless determined to make her father proud.