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The Island Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Adrian McKinty (Author), Mela Lee (Narrator), Little, Brown & Company (Publisher)
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 6,886 ratings
Editors' pick Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
See all formats and editions

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Chain comes a pulse-pounding thriller about a family that must face their darkest fears—and deepest secrets—when they go on the run for their lives.

“Extraordinary.”—T. J. Newman, New York Times bestselling author of Falling

"You'll never go on vacation the same way again."—Don Winslow, New York Times bestselling author of City On Fire

IT WAS JUST SUPPOSED TO BE A FAMILY VACATION.

A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT CHANGED EVERYTHING.

YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE CAPABLE OF UNTIL THEY COME FOR YOUR FAMILY.

After moving from a small country town to Seattle, Heather Baxter marries Tom, a widowed doctor with a young son and teenage daughter. A working vacation overseas seems like the perfect way to bring the new family together, but once they’re deep in the Australian outback, the jet-lagged and exhausted kids are so over their new mom.

When they discover remote Dutch Island, off-limits to outside visitors, the family talks their way onto the ferry, taking a chance on an adventure far from the reach of iPhones and Instagram.

But as soon as they set foot on the island, which is run by a tightly knit clan of locals, everything feels wrong. Then a shocking accident propels the Baxters from an unsettling situation into an absolute nightmare.

When Heather and the kids are separated from Tom, they are forced to escape alone, seconds ahead of their pursuers.

Now it’s up to Heather to save herself and the kids, even though they don’t trust her, the harsh bushland is filled with danger, and the locals want her dead.

Heather has been underestimated her entire life, but she knows that only she can bring her family home again and become the mother the children desperately need, even if it means doing the unthinkable to keep them all alive.

SOON TO BE A HULU ORIGINAL SERIES

“Gripping and unpredictable. No one does high-stakes tension like McKinty . . . Prepare to be hooked.”—Sarah Pearse

“A haunting masterpiece.”—Steve Cavanagh

“McKinty has written another irresistible and pulse-pounding thriller about the surprising places evil hides and just how far we’ll go for those we love.”—Karin Slaughter

Previous slide of product details
  1. Listening Length
    8 hours and 56 minutes
  2. Author
    Adrian McKinty
  3. Narrator
    Mela Lee
  4. Audible release date
    May 17, 2022
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    Little, Brown & Company
  7. ASIN
    B09NF3YGZ7
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
  10. See all details
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Product details

Listening Length 8 hours and 56 minutes
Author Adrian McKinty
Narrator Mela Lee
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date May 17, 2022
Publisher Little, Brown & Company
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B09NF3YGZ7
Best Sellers Rank #34,266 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#1,039 in Crime Thrillers (Audible Books & Originals)
#2,609 in Suspense (Audible Books & Originals)
#8,443 in Suspense Thrillers

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
6,886 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book engaging and suspenseful. They praise the writing quality as well-written with accurate grammar and spelling. The characters are described as strong, intelligent, and intrepid. The pacing is described as fast and nonstop, keeping readers hooked until the end. Overall, customers describe the book as an easy, entertaining read that keeps them guessing.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more
Suspenseful storyReadabilityWriting qualityCharacter developmentPacingIntelligenceEase of readingPlot
100 customers mention "Suspenseful story"81 positive19 negative

Customers enjoy the suspenseful and thrilling story. They find it engaging, action-packed, and keep their interest until the end. The premise is unique and the descriptions of the island bring them there. The humor enhances moments within the book.

"...Veteran crime writer Adrian McKinty gives readers an exciting, scary adventure turned nightmare for an American family on vacation in Australia...." Read more

"...From the get, I was enthralled by the characters and the intensity of the situation...." Read more

"I wanted to like this more than I did. The premise seemed unique. And the descriptions of the island brought me there...." Read more

"...The island itself was a formidable presence. The tension and suspense are palpable and this all made for a winner of a book, one that I highly..." Read more

93 customers mention "Readability"80 positive13 negative

Customers find the book engaging and enjoyable. They describe it as a great summer read with an interesting storyline. The book starts well and is fast-paced, making it suitable for a quick read.

"...later, I think that you will find the experience stressful, but worthwhile. However, you may rethink your next "adventure travel" vacation." Read more

"...A true fun and thrilling book that I highly recommend." Read more

"...Even in that it was a great book and I highly enjoyed it. A few open ended spots where a sequel could fit nicely in and answer those questions...." Read more

"I loved this book! I seriously could not put it down. I loved The Chain as well. Get this book! Get both books!" Read more

37 customers mention "Writing quality"30 positive7 negative

Customers enjoy the book's writing quality. They find it easy to read, with a great plot and an engaging female lead character. The grammar and spelling are spot-on. Readers appreciate the author's skill at creating suspense and maintaining a high level of tension. The language is beautiful and the story is compelling.

"...The author excels at creating and maintaining a high level of suspense, and writes with a cinematic style that I found compelling...." Read more

"...off is completely based off personal preference, but it was so well written I didn’t want to stop reading! Very engaging writing!" Read more

"...Kudos to a tense well written nail bitter. I only wish that there was some other conclusion than the abrupt ending...." Read more

"Started slow and picked up. I enjoyed this book and read it in a few days. I would recommend it." Read more

23 customers mention "Character development"18 positive5 negative

Customers appreciate the strong female character who overcomes hardships. They praise the heroine's unconventional approach and her ability to use her willpower.

"...That's always a good sign for me. From the get, I was enthralled by the characters and the intensity of the situation...." Read more

"The heroine discovers a strong will and skills to back it up. This is quite a thrilling survival story...." Read more

"Deciding read...couldn't put it down. Wonderful cast and location. You could vision it in your mind, got chills at times." Read more

"...But even that bar is set too high for this one. The main character is a cartoon of a woman, the step kids are infantilized to the point of being..." Read more

18 customers mention "Pacing"18 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's fast-paced action. They find it gripping and a page-turner that keeps them hooked until the end.

"...This fun vacation turns into a 'locked room' thriller that grabs you early and doesn't let go until the satisfying end...." Read more

"Started slow and picked up. I enjoyed this book and read it in a few days. I would recommend it." Read more

"...It is a fast read, because I was hooked for a while, but it goes on too long and becomes boring...." Read more

"Smart, terrifying, fast moving, brilliant!..." Read more

6 customers mention "Intelligence"6 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's intelligence. They praise the strong, brave female lead, her intrepidity, and the author's insight and humor. The book keeps readers guessing and is suspenseful, with surprises.

"Smart, terrifying, fast moving, brilliant!..." Read more

"...Heather proves herself to be consistently brave and remarkably intrepid but it's the family's resilience that keeps them alive, until it doesn't...." Read more

"...He has a keen insight and humor that elevates moments within books, as well as an interesting way of playing with time and what characters know...." Read more

"Keeps you guessing and even teaches you a little about survival. I think i'll read more from this author. Good book" Read more

4 customers mention "Ease of reading"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy to read and engaging.

"...It was hard to put down, and action packed! I really appreciated the grammar and spelling to be spot-on. I detest a book when it isn't...." Read more

"Such a great read and hard to put down!" Read more

"Easy to read, hard to put down. The story quickly grabs you and won't let go. No doubt it will make an enjoyable movie or series" Read more

"So exciting and loving the way it is written! Fast, easy, entertaining read!!!..." Read more

9 customers mention "Plot"0 positive9 negative

Customers find the plot predictable and implausible. They also mention that the writing is juvenile and the plot is filled with holes.

"But unbelievably lucky and unexpected happenings make it hard To believe. More disruption would Have happened...." Read more

"...and Zen haiku. Aside from the implausible twists, turns and falls, McKinty wants us to believe he knows what he's talking about when it comes to..." Read more

"...The plot was overly exaggerated and highly predictable, and the characters were stereotypes from a Made-for-TV movie...." Read more

"...The premise is unbelievable, the writing juvenile, and plot just filled with holes. Don’t waste your money as I did buying it...." Read more

Wow.
5 out of 5 stars
Wow.
I didn’t expect to enjoy the book this much, but it got its hooks into me and I finished it in 2 days. I loved it and couldn’t put it down, there was a part or two that slightly droned on. Even in that it was a great book and I highly enjoyed it. A few open ended spots where a sequel could fit nicely in and answer those questions. I really felt when the book started to feel hopeless, just the over coming of everything the MFC did. It was like rediscovering oneself. You imagine this cookie cutter girl that was only trying to land a rich husband, but boom she not that wine drinking future sahm and it’s so awesome. Is she perfect and does everything the right way. No, but so many thrilling moments.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • RTM
    5.0 out of 5 stars Superb Thriller Makes a Great Summer Read
    Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    As someone who enjoys travel, and likes to "get off the beaten path," I shouldn't read books like this. Veteran crime writer Adrian McKinty gives readers an exciting, scary adventure turned nightmare for an American family on vacation in Australia. The first few chapters introduce the family: a fortyish surgeon (Tom), his younger, second wife (Heather), and Tom's two children from his first marriage. It becomes clear early on that Heather works hard to hold this fragile family together, although she at first seems to be the weak link. On a spur of the moment decision, they take a ferry ride to a private island run by a mysterious family to see wildlife. From there, things go very, very wrong. Most of the book describes the family's fight for survival. McKinty puts readers in the shoes of Heather, as she desperately tries to find innovative ways to seek escape from the dangerous locals. The author excels at creating and maintaining a high level of suspense, and writes with a cinematic style that I found compelling. Readers will be kept guessing what happens to the family. My only criticism is that reading the book sometimes seemed like watching an extended episode of the "Walking Dead" (without the zombies, unless sharks count). But it is undeniable that this book is difficult to put down, once started. 370 pages later, I think that you will find the experience stressful, but worthwhile. However, you may rethink your next "adventure travel" vacation.
    33 people found this helpful
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  • Cozmickid80
    4.0 out of 5 stars Found myself looking forward...
    Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    ...each day to reading this story. That's always a good sign for me. From the get, I was enthralled by the characters and the intensity of the situation. The author wasted no time getting you in over your head and keeping you there. There were lots of jaw-dropping moments.

    The horror and suspense sometimes felt like a movie but moved like a book, which was the perfect sweet spot.

    The only negative here was the reliance in what has become a tiresome trope these days: the heroic woman/mother fighting against insurmountable odds and the men are bad and dad is a jerk.

    But as it sometimes does, McKinty manages to make The make his hero woman likeable and does a great job at showing how her past informed her resolve and grit.

    A true fun and thrilling book that I highly recommend.
    One person found this helpful
    Helpful
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  • Shannon D. Wozniak
    5.0 out of 5 stars Wow.
    Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    I didn’t expect to enjoy the book this much, but it got its hooks into me and I finished it in 2 days. I loved it and couldn’t put it down, there was a part or two that slightly droned on. Even in that it was a great book and I highly enjoyed it. A few open ended spots where a sequel could fit nicely in and answer those questions. I really felt when the book started to feel hopeless, just the over coming of everything the MFC did. It was like rediscovering oneself. You imagine this cookie cutter girl that was only trying to land a rich husband, but boom she not that wine drinking future sahm and it’s so awesome. Is she perfect and does everything the right way. No, but so many thrilling moments.
    Customer image
    Shannon D. Wozniak
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    Wow.

    Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2024
    I didn’t expect to enjoy the book this much, but it got its hooks into me and I finished it in 2 days. I loved it and couldn’t put it down, there was a part or two that slightly droned on. Even in that it was a great book and I highly enjoyed it. A few open ended spots where a sequel could fit nicely in and answer those questions. I really felt when the book started to feel hopeless, just the over coming of everything the MFC did. It was like rediscovering oneself. You imagine this cookie cutter girl that was only trying to land a rich husband, but boom she not that wine drinking future sahm and it’s so awesome. Is she perfect and does everything the right way. No, but so many thrilling moments.
    Images in this review
    Customer image
    2 people found this helpful
    Helpful
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  • Jamie Sue
    3.0 out of 5 stars Corny
    Reviewed in the United States on December 17, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    I wanted to like this more than I did. The premise seemed unique. And the descriptions of the island brought me there. But I could not get past some of the corny, campy, ridiculous dialogue. An example of this dialogue is at a point when a 14 year old girl is being held at gunpoint, and the protagonist is trying to negotiate for her life. A question is asked, and the answer is like a definition from Wikipedia. Who talks like this during high stress moments? I rolled my eyes so much I thought they would stay that way. Here it is:
    “I keep hearing that word. What does it mean?”
    “A monster from Aboriginal mythology. Hundreds of years ago, the bunyips were represented as a kind of emu, but gradually, as Europeans and their totems entered the Dreaming, the devil, the bunyip, came to be seen as white men on horses.”
    “Yes. I understand. The monster is us.”
    16 people found this helpful
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  • David Morgan
    4.0 out of 5 stars Thrilling and Suspenseful
    Reviewed in the United States on July 14, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Buckle-up Buttercup!
    Tom and new bride Heather decide to take his two children along to Australia where he's attending a conference. The children resent their new mom and treat her accordingly. While seeing the sights the children whine that they want to see Koalas and are offered a chance to go to a private island to see them. The only way on or off the island is by ferry though and the island's single family runs it. Another couple overhears the offer and asks if they could go as well. They'll only have a short time to spend on the island before the ferry leaves again so they'll have to make it quick. While racing back to the docks something tragic happens that causes the story to go into overdrive. This fun vacation turns into a 'locked room' thriller that grabs you early and doesn't let go until the satisfying end. Think Deliverance meets Die Hard. (Dating myself?)
    I really enjoyed this wild ride of a novel. My feelings for Tom and Heather was a kind of love/hate relationship and they changed as the story progressed. The O'Neill klan, led by 'Ma' were straight out of hell. The island itself was a formidable presence. The tension and suspense are palpable and this all made for a winner of a book, one that I highly recommend to thriller lovers everywhere.
    13 people found this helpful
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  • Earth Angel PC
    5.0 out of 5 stars Couldn’t put it down!
    Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    I loved this book! I seriously could not put it down. I loved The Chain as well. Get this book! Get both books!
    Helpful
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  • S. Olsen
    5.0 out of 5 stars Where there 's a will.....
    Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    The heroine discovers a strong will and skills to back it up. This is quite a thrilling survival story. The only drawback, I discovered it was too exciting to read before a night's rest.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Adrienne Ferguson
    4.0 out of 5 stars Solid book
    Reviewed in the United States on July 23, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Interesting plot. Not the best book ever but worth the easy read.
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars What a ride!
    Reviewed in Canada on December 24, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    I bought this book as it was listed in our local newspaper as one of the best books from 2022. I wasn’t disappointed! I read it into the early hours of the morning. Fast moving and entertaining.
    Report
  • Annie
    5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 11, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Really enjoyed it. A very good story. I honestly could not put it down. Just loved it. It certainly had me hooked and was on the edge of my seat. A very easy 5 stars
    Report
  • A.S.
    4.0 out of 5 stars Not his best book, but still very good.
    Reviewed in Germany on March 9, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    I liked the Australien setting, the complex characters of the couple and the teenagers.

    Definitely not the final car chase. But this would work in a film, and maybe the little bugger had this in mind from the beginning? Because there will be a movie, this is just the perfect material.
    Report
  • Christopher H.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant
    Reviewed in Spain on May 17, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    So good that I couldn't put it down until I reached the end. It was different from my normal reading material and my heart was in my mouth the whole time.
    Report
  • Voracious Reader
    3.0 out of 5 stars Good idea, not well executed
    Reviewed in India on August 4, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    I thought from the blurbs that some innocent Americans visiting Australia, stumble onto an island where some feral inhabitants threaten their lives, and the young American second wife and stepmother of two kids, demonstrates mad skills, as she takes on the entire rogue clan. But not 50 pages in, it turns out very differently. The Americans are the perpetrators of a cruel crime and it’s hard to feel anything but revulsion. The rest of the book is a bit boring, I read every other chapter (my version of “fast-forwarding”), so I kind of skipped how Heather acquired her skills, yes her father was a sniper, yes her mother was of native American blood, yes they lived in a cultish group in her childhood but the narrative was disjointed and didn’t add up. The Ma Barker look-alike ruling the island was unconvincing, and she cheats native Australians out of their land, so you hate her more since you are “woke”. Could have been a hundred pages shorter.
    Report