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Anthrax Island
One of Ian Rankin's top ten books of 2021.
'One of the thrillers of the year' Scottish Sun
When you have a problem that can't be solved, you call John Tyler.
Nine people are trapped on an anthrax-infested, government-controlled island off the west coast of Scotland when the door to their decontamination chamber suddenly stops opening.
The only man who can fix the door – the onsite technician – is dead. Was it an accident? Or was he murdered?
On an island populated by an international team of scientists with a military-grade bioweapon readily available, the motive to kill is strong, and death is laced into the very soil…
Strap in tight for this outstanding debut, perfect for fans of Terry Hayes and James Swallow. Praise for Anthrax Island
'Uncomfortably well researched and brimming with pace, Anthrax Island is that rare a thoughtful and intelligent thriller. Absolutely brilliant' M. W. Craven, 2019 CWA Gold Dagger award winning author of The Puppet Show
'A nerve-shredding thriller packed full of atmosphere and tension from a writer to watch' Doug Johnstone, author of The Big Chill
'Anthrax Island makes brilliant use of a unique setting, and at times reads like Agatha Christie by way of John Carpenter's The Thing. Enthralling' Mason Cross, author of Presumed Dead
'Anthrax Island is an exhilarating thrill ride with so many twists and turns that it's impossible to predict what's going to happen next. A classic mystery with a contemporary twist, Anthrax Island is a joy' Chris McGeorge, author of Inside Out
'Smart, rocket-paced and super twisty this phenomenal debut thriller is like a cross between Jack Reacher, Bond, and And Then There Were None. A real must read!' Steph Broadribb, author of Deep Down Dead
'Absolute belter! Seriously, if Hercule Poirot and James Bond had a baby and sent him to the Jason Bourne School for Badasses he would grow up to be John Tyler. Cars, cash, poison, guns, thrills, chills and murder – this book has the lot' S E Moorhead, author of Witness X
'A genre-busting debut. It's like the bastard son of Agatha Christie and Ian Fleming watched The Thing on repeat before bashing out a pacy, locked-room, action-adventure thriller' Trevor Wood, 2020 CWA John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger award-winning author of One Way Street
'This is a classic British thriller in the best tradition. I thought I had it sussed halfway through, but I really, really didn't! A real page-turner' S. G. MacLean, author of the Seeker series
'One of the thrillers of the year' Scottish Sun
When you have a problem that can't be solved, you call John Tyler.
Nine people are trapped on an anthrax-infested, government-controlled island off the west coast of Scotland when the door to their decontamination chamber suddenly stops opening.
The only man who can fix the door – the onsite technician – is dead. Was it an accident? Or was he murdered?
On an island populated by an international team of scientists with a military-grade bioweapon readily available, the motive to kill is strong, and death is laced into the very soil…
Strap in tight for this outstanding debut, perfect for fans of Terry Hayes and James Swallow. Praise for Anthrax Island
'Uncomfortably well researched and brimming with pace, Anthrax Island is that rare a thoughtful and intelligent thriller. Absolutely brilliant' M. W. Craven, 2019 CWA Gold Dagger award winning author of The Puppet Show
'A nerve-shredding thriller packed full of atmosphere and tension from a writer to watch' Doug Johnstone, author of The Big Chill
'Anthrax Island makes brilliant use of a unique setting, and at times reads like Agatha Christie by way of John Carpenter's The Thing. Enthralling' Mason Cross, author of Presumed Dead
'Anthrax Island is an exhilarating thrill ride with so many twists and turns that it's impossible to predict what's going to happen next. A classic mystery with a contemporary twist, Anthrax Island is a joy' Chris McGeorge, author of Inside Out
'Smart, rocket-paced and super twisty this phenomenal debut thriller is like a cross between Jack Reacher, Bond, and And Then There Were None. A real must read!' Steph Broadribb, author of Deep Down Dead
'Absolute belter! Seriously, if Hercule Poirot and James Bond had a baby and sent him to the Jason Bourne School for Badasses he would grow up to be John Tyler. Cars, cash, poison, guns, thrills, chills and murder – this book has the lot' S E Moorhead, author of Witness X
'A genre-busting debut. It's like the bastard son of Agatha Christie and Ian Fleming watched The Thing on repeat before bashing out a pacy, locked-room, action-adventure thriller' Trevor Wood, 2020 CWA John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger award-winning author of One Way Street
'This is a classic British thriller in the best tradition. I thought I had it sussed halfway through, but I really, really didn't! A real page-turner' S. G. MacLean, author of the Seeker series
320 pages, Paperback
Published September 7, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 30, 2024
The comic book style cover and M W Craven review pulled me in to read this but it was far from "absolutely brilliant" for me. I skim read the last third as it was dragging on so much and I really didn't care who lived or died! Too many characters, story got lost - from a deadly anthrax virus to undercover Russian spy. I swear all the scientists took off their suits in the end anyway (what was the point). 1 star credited to the real historical details from the name of the original scientists involved, location details and virus facts but couldn't wait for this to be over.
August 7, 2025
The very groovy cover design on the edition of Anthrax Island that I read made me think this was going to be a James Bond-esque spy thriller, and though it used the espionage as set dressing, what we really have here is a British whodunit. It's an actual locked room murder mystery for gosh sakes!
The gist of the plot is that John Tyler, technician with a company that makes decontamination units, is called to a Scottish island used for cultivating anthrax back in the 1940s. Seems there are concerns about his company's devices as a team of scientists work to clear the island. Oh, right, and his predecessor got anthrax and died in a tragic "accident". Soon, as one would expect, there are more accidents and then accidents stop being accidents when someone starts just shooting scientists.
No one is who they seem, including our hero Tyler, who smuggled a gun onto the island and maybe isn't just a lowly technician after all.
Good characters and a fantastic setting make the early going fun, but the And Then There Were None antics start to wear thin as the book goes on and on.
D.L. Marshall kept the chapters nice and short, ending each one with a mini-cliffhanger (no matter how improbable), but the book is still just a touch longer than it needs to be. And there are only so many ways you can describe mud and fog. Bless him for finding all of them.
I enjoyed the characters and Tyler's cynical narration. This was an instance where the first-person narrative worked well. And I admired the history and research on display. Gruinard Island is very real and so were the terrifying experiments held there. The blend of fact and fiction was a delight.
If you go into Anthrax Island expecting spy thrills, I think you'll leave disappointed. But if you expect a mystery dressed up in espionage gear, I think you'll enjoy yourself.
The gist of the plot is that John Tyler, technician with a company that makes decontamination units, is called to a Scottish island used for cultivating anthrax back in the 1940s. Seems there are concerns about his company's devices as a team of scientists work to clear the island. Oh, right, and his predecessor got anthrax and died in a tragic "accident". Soon, as one would expect, there are more accidents and then accidents stop being accidents when someone starts just shooting scientists.
No one is who they seem, including our hero Tyler, who smuggled a gun onto the island and maybe isn't just a lowly technician after all.
Good characters and a fantastic setting make the early going fun, but the And Then There Were None antics start to wear thin as the book goes on and on.
D.L. Marshall kept the chapters nice and short, ending each one with a mini-cliffhanger (no matter how improbable), but the book is still just a touch longer than it needs to be. And there are only so many ways you can describe mud and fog. Bless him for finding all of them.
I enjoyed the characters and Tyler's cynical narration. This was an instance where the first-person narrative worked well. And I admired the history and research on display. Gruinard Island is very real and so were the terrifying experiments held there. The blend of fact and fiction was a delight.
If you go into Anthrax Island expecting spy thrills, I think you'll leave disappointed. But if you expect a mystery dressed up in espionage gear, I think you'll enjoy yourself.
December 16, 2023
A fast moving well plotted novel .
Plenty of red herrings ,kept me guessing until the end .
A lot of research has obviously been done and is interesting .
A bit long winded at times .
Plenty of red herrings ,kept me guessing until the end .
A lot of research has obviously been done and is interesting .
A bit long winded at times .
January 15, 2024
A good premise, but gets more and more nonsensical towards the end. Characters become unlikeable if they don't die when logically they should.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews