Bootleggers, mobsters and snow, oh my! Trouble Island is an atmospheric historical mystery based on a true story set on an isolated island in Lake Erie.
Aurelia is a maid to a gangster’s wife, Rosita. Rosita is mourning the death of her son. Aurelia has secrets of her own. She actually is not what she seems. When Rosita’s husband appears on the island one stormy night, he insists that the island must be sold to a rival gangster. The island is soon isolated from both the US and Canadian mainlands by a vicious ice storm and murder is afoot. Everyone has secrets and reasons to kill. Will anyone survive?
This book has a twisty plot but somehow I never connected to its characters. All of them, including the two female leads, were just terrible people who deserved what they got. The book starts off great and finishes well but the pacing sagged a bit in the middle of the story. My favorite part was the snowy claustrophobic setting. Being locked on an island with two rival gangsters and a boatload of hidden motives is a riveting idea.
If you are okay with unsympathetic characters, Trouble Island is a compelling historical “locked room” mystery based on a real life story. 3 stars.
Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for providing me with an advanced review copy.