This book was on my wishlist and so I was delighted to have the opportunity to obtain it from Vine.  

The book starts with a prologue, when you learn that something is terribly wrong when the narrator describes the ordeal of being stranded on a desert island.  The story then begins.

I was pulled into the story from the start.  The main character, Esther, was a 39 year old divorced mother of one, 10 year old Daisy.   Esther was an extremely well written character, and one that I could easily identify with.  She had decided to take herself off to Malaysia on a backpacking holiday, mainly to prove a point to her ex-husband who thinks she is incapable of organising such an undertaking.    Her excitement, fears and insecurities about travelling on her own  in a strange country and her encounters with the locals (some of whom are distinctly unfriendly) are so well described you could almost feel as if you were there with her as she makes her way to the meeting point for her island holiday.   In fact all the main characters were well written and believable and despite their flaws, you couldn’t help but see the best in them.

The holiday is idyllic at first but then events takes a sinister turn and the true characters of the people with Esther start to emerge and the tension builds as the group begin their struggle for survival.   

Interspersed with the main story are chapters by a character called Cathy who,  going back in time, appears to be part of a religious cult.  Later in the book, Cathy’s part in the story becomes clear  and the two strands come together.

I really enjoyed the story, right up until about the last 70 pages and the book would have got 5 stars if it hadn’t been for the ending.    I thought the explanation towards the end was quite bizarre with plot holes and unanswered questions.    I think the book definitely deserved a better ending.

This was my first read of this author  and I would certainly be happy to read more.  In fact, I do have other books by Ms Barr to read and I’m looking forward to them.

4/5