Title: Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 320 pages
Book Rating: B+
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
From Rachel Hawkins, the New York Times bestselling author of The Wife Upstairs, comes Reckless Girls, a deliciously wicked gothic suspense, set on an isolated Pacific island with a dark history, for fans of Lucy Foley and Ruth Ware.
ONE ISLAND
Beautiful, wild, and strange—Meroe Island is a desolate spot in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with a mysterious history of shipwrecks, cannibalism, and even rumors of murder. It’s the perfect destination for the most adventurous traveler to escape everything… except the truth.
SIX VISITORS
Six stunning twentysomethings are about to embark on a blissful, free-spirited journey—one filled with sun-drenched days and intoxicating nights. But as it becomes clear that the group is even more cut off from civilization than they initially thought, it starts to feel like the island itself is closing in, sending them on a dangerous spiral of discovery.
COUNTLESS SECRETS
When one person goes missing and another turns up dead, the remaining friends wonder what dark currents lie beneath this impenetrable paradise—and who else will be swept under its secluded chaos. With its island gothic sensibility, sexy suspense, and spine-tingling reimagining of an Agatha Christie classic, Reckless Girls will wreck you.
Review:
In Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins, a trip to an idyllic island turns deadly.
When Lux McAllister moves to Maui with her new boyfriend, Nico Johannsen, their new life does not exactly go as planned. He sails on ahead of her and after flying over to join him, she learns his boat requires expensive repairs. Six months later, Lux loses her job at a luxury resort and two young twenty-somethings, Amma and Brittany approach him with a proposition. They want him to sail them to secluded Meroe Island, which has an enigmatic history. With Lux joining them, they soon set off on what promises to be a fun couple of weeks. Instead, the group is disappointed to find another couple, Jake and Eliza, have arrived ahead of them. Much to their delight, the six of them immediately become fast friends who enjoy spending lazy days swimming and exploring Meroe. But will the arrival of another stranger ruin their adventure?
Lux is a little more hesitant to accept Amma and Brittany at face value, but she welcomes the chance to leave Maui. But during their trip, she begins to realize that she does not know Nico very well. The deficiencies in their relationship soon rise to the forefront during their time on Meroe Island. With little privacy or opportunity to spend time alone, Lux tries to push these doubts to the side. But will she be able to continue to ignore her growing qualms?
Jake and Eliza are generous with their supplies and they do not hesitate to begin spending time with Lux, Nico, Amma and Brittany. The unexpected companions’ luxury catamaran provides a nice respite from Nico’s smaller boat. The Meroe Island beachfront is gorgeous but the jungle is dense and difficult to navigate. After an unnerving finding, Lux tries to push aside her misgivings about remaining on the island. When a confrontation with the stranger leaves them spending extra time on Meroe, simmering tensions between the group are increasingly becoming impossible to ignore.
Reckless Girls is a captivating mystery with a foreboding atmosphere. Lux’s first-person narration is compelling and the flashback chapters provide intriguing details about the characters. Meroe Island’s deadly past adds a sinister layer to the increasingly ominous overtones. Jaw-dropping plot twists and shocking revelations propel Rachel Hawkins’ suspense-laden mystery to an extremely unpredictable conclusion.
