Alex Marwood

I've had this book on my shelves for over a year, but have never been able to get past the first couple of chapters. This time I pushed my way through, but wasn't impressed by this latest novel of Alex Marwood, whose books I generally very much enjoy.

A Doomsday cult in Snowdonia drinks the koolaid - literally. By time the police have been called to their compound by concerned neighbours, all but a few cult member are long dead, lying on the streets of the commune, swarming with flies. Only Romy, aged 18 and pregnant, and her two young half-siblings, Ilo and Eden, have survived the horror. Ilo and Eden are sent to live with their aunt near Bristol; Romy is sent to hospital and then to a mental institution. None of the three are normal after years of brainwashing - their belief that the world is going to end and their predilection for violence are still intact, making their integration into the "real world" or school and shops and interpersonal relationships an absolute disaster.

My reservations about the book are that I don't understand what happened in the last few chapters. Without spoiling anything, events occurred whose significance I failed to comprehend, and the ending made no sense to me whatsoever. I went back, read carefully, tried to piece the endgame together, and failed to do so. I was disappointed, and felt very much as if I'd wasted my time with this book.… (más)

This is a slow read, focusing on the POVs of three characters: Mercedes, a resident of the Mediterranean island of La Kastellana and housekeeper to the wealthy Meade family: Gemma, a young runaway who gets caught up in Tatania Meade's net, and Gemma's mother, Robin. The times also skip back and forth for all three women, which can be a bit confusing at times.
Honestly, I mostly focused on the island setting and its customs and inhabitants, which was the book's most interesting part. The main plot is loosely based on Jeffrey Epstein's life, so there aren't any surprises as far as the story goes. The ending seemed very rushed and a bit far-fetched, without many explanations of how Interpol was involved and any penalties for the wicked rich people involved. I grabbed it as an Amazon first read, and I give it 2 1/2 stars.… (más)

I've read and enjoyed all of Alex Marwood's books. I picked up her latest book - The Island of Lost Girls - by her name on the cover.

The prologue introduces us to twelve year old Mercedes, who lives on a small Mediterranean island, in 1985. Mercedes is our protagonist and her timeline flips from 1985 to present day 2016. Robyn is also on in 2016, looking for her daughter - a teenaged runaway.

And behind the seemingly idyllic façade, there is a wealthy man who believes he can buy anything and everything - and this extends to people as well.

I enjoyed the then and now timeline flips. As readers we are now witnesses to the 'how things got to be like this'. And the tension grows with every new chapter.

The level of debauchery and cruelty is quite ugly to read, and I had to put the book down more than once. But it was Mercedes who had me picking the book back up. She's an excellent lead that you'll be urging on. I quite liked the depiction of her marriage to Felix. Robyn is just as tenacious in her desire to find her daughter. But she too encounters nothing but the circle of protection around the wealthy. I'll leave things there for you to discover if there is retribution for our protagonists....

Here's the thing - sadly, this tale isn't that far from the truth at all.… (más)