Today I am thrilled to share my review of Body on the Island by Victoria Dowd as part of the Blog Tour. This is a twisty turny murder mystery with a hint of humour that I really enjoyed reading.
Body on the Island
Author – Victoria Dowd
Format: Kindle
Publisher – JOFFE BOOKS crime thrillers and mysteries
Publication Date – 6th May 2020
Genre – Crime Fiction
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BODY ON THE ISLAND by Victoria Dowd: a gripping, darkly comic murder mystery packed with twists
An uninhabited island.
Ten stranded strangers.
No way to escape.
Ursula Smart (not her real name), realising therapy alone cannot teach her how to survive this life, is determined to make some changes. She signs herself up for a survival course — along with her mother, aunts Charlotte and Mirabelle and Bridget.
But the promised gentle weekend of foraging and camping in the Outer Hebrides swiftly turns into a desperate battle for survival.
Their boat capsizes. Washed up on an uninhabited island, the Smart women face starvation, freezing conditions and — worse — no Wi-Fi.
Then the murders begin.
Someone is killing off them one by one. Will the Smarts escape or will they be next?
A DARKLY COMIC GOLDEN AGE MURDER MYSTERY
Victoria Dowd’s brilliant whodunnit is perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, Anthony Horowitz, Faith Martin and Stuart Turton.
ABOUT VICTORIA DOWD
After graduating from Cambridge, Victoria was a criminal law barrister on the London circuit for many years, where many of her cases were much stranger than fiction. Victoria is now an award-winning writer. She lives with her husband and two children, splitting her time between London and Devon , where she indulges her passion for all things Agatha Christie.
PRAISE FOR VICTORIA DOWD
‘A witty, clever and darkly delicious take on the country house murder genre. I relished the twists and turns that came at me faster than an Alpine switchback and the characters who are at times all too horribly familiar. Hugely enjoyable.’ Amanda Lees, author of Selling Out
‘This book was exactly what I needed! A breath of fresh air. A modern day cozy mystery where a group of despicable characters with deadly humor and sarcasm!’ Helga H.
‘A fun and quirky take on the classic whodunit mystery!’ Lyndie D.
‘I didn’t know what to expect from this novel but I adored it, and devoured it in a few hours . . . It bounces along and is thoroughly enjoyable, lots of wickedly astute moments from the most unsuspecting of characters. Please can I have more?’ Aine T.
‘What a fabulous whodunnit, that kept me gripped from the start. Uncaring characters hide a vast array of emotions that seep out as the book progresses. Spooky setting, creepy cast and twisty turny storylines make this book the perfect read.’ Emma M.
‘I was worried at first that it might be a bit too slow but after the first chapter, you are instantly thrown into the drama and this book is definitely full of it. I have different thoughts of who the killer was the whole way through, but I did not come close to working it out. I love the way the story was written.’ Rebecca H.
‘This book is SHARP . . . There is so much thought and careful plotting in this book, which will keep you hooked until the very end. This book is great for fans of Agatha Christie.’ Cait G.
‘Cute, witty, suspenseful, quirky!’ Tina B.
ALSO BY VICTORIA DOWD
SMART WOMAN’S MYSTERY SERIES
Book 1: THE SMART WOMAN’S GUIDE TO MURDER
Book 2: BODY ON THE ISLAND
My Review
The ‘Smart’ Women are back.
Ursula books them all on a survival course. The rest of the family are not impressed. It is not their idea of a vacation and as the story progresses it isn’t Ursula’s either.
Then they get shipwrecked and end up on an Island with a murderer.
It was lovely to meet up with these unique characters once more. The humour and originality each bring to the story makes for a gripping read.
The suspense builds from the very first page and as the story progresses we learn that people are not what they seem. All appear to have secrets and that makes for a large helping of intrigue.
A very gripping read culminating in an ending that is totally unexpected.
I am looking forward to more books from Victoria.
Victoria Dowd author bio
After graduating from Cambridge, Victoria was a criminal law barrister on the London circuit for many years, where many of her cases were much stranger than fiction.
Victoria is now an award winning writer, having won the Go Gothic Short Story Award for 2019. She has had short fiction published in places such as Aesthetica: A Review of Contemporary Artists and was chosen as the runner up in The New Writer’s writer of the year award. Her work was Highly Commended by The Writers’ Forum and long-listed for The Willesden Herald International Short Story Competition. She has had short stories published in the BTS Literary and Arts Annual, Dream Catcher arts journal and Gold Dust Literary Magazine.
Victoria lives with her husband and two children. She writes full time, splitting her time between London and Devon, where she can indulge her passion for all things Agatha Christie.
BOOKS BY VICTORIA DOWD
ONE TO WATCH: NEW 2020 AUTHOR – BOOK RELEASE COMING SOON!
FIND VICTORIA ON
Author Website: https://victoriadowd.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VictoriaDowdAuthor/
Twitter: @victoria_dowd https://twitter.com/victoria_dowd?lang=en
Instagram: @dowdvictoria https://www.instagram.com/dowdvictoria/
