The Institute

by Katherine Bradley

The Sanctuary meets Shutter Island in this high-concept psychological thriller from the critically acclaimed author of The Sisterhood .

BIRDS OF A FEATHER FLOCK TOGETHER
BUT NEVER UNDERESTIMATE
THE INSTINCT TO SURVIVE

A group of students jump off a train platform into the path of an arriving train. The lone survivor, Billie, cannot recall the incident, but is adamant that she and her friends weren’t suicidal. Desperate for answers, Billie agrees to sign herself into the care of the Arbor Institute, a mysterious, corporate-backed research body investigating a disturbing rise in similar incidents around the globe.

At the Institute, Billie learns more about ‘flock phenomena’, where people band together to self-destruct. She is told that she’s at risk of ‘re-flocking’, and if she does, she will likely die.

But not everything is as it seems. When Billie discovers that she and her fellow survivors have been completely cut off from the outside world, she realizes they may not be safe.

And as she sets her sights on survival, the Institute may regret taking her under their wing. Because this wounded fledgling might turn out to be a bird of prey…

Genres: Thriller, Science Fiction, Horror

384 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 26, 2026

Reviews

[Oliver Clarke · Rating 4 out of 5]

An unputdownable banger. Great opening, intriguing plot, engaging characters, spot on pacing and a really satisfying ending. I flew through it and relished every page.

[Jindi (readingwithcaffeine) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super, super creepy. I just read this entire book in one sitting and wow it’s going to take a while for the chills to stop! The opening chapters reminded me so much of Shutter Island (one of my fav books/movies of all time) and parts of this also reminded me of AHS season 2. Although it’s packed with medical lingo, I found it pretty easy to follow the storyline. It’s intense and honestly I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.

I thought the ending was so satisfying!!!! I still have a few questions but I’m not mad about it. I definitely recommend picking this one up on a cold, stormy night because it’s such an atmospheric read!

[Priya · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had an interesting combination of science and creepy mystery although the latter was not as suspenseful as I thought it would be.

Starting with a group of twenty year olds suddenly jumping onto the path of a speeding train with no warning, it certainly sets the tone. Billie is part of the group and the only survivor who is rescued by a fellow passenger. Frustrated with her mandated stay in the psychiatric ward despite her insistence that neither she nor her friends had any intention of jumping, she quickly agrees to transfer to a facility run by a scientific research group. There she learns about the phenomenon of flocking behaviour in humans that has been observed around the world. She becomes increasingly suspicious of the facility staff and those who run it and starts having disturbing dreams as well.

I found the ready acceptance of many obvious red flag ridden situations by various characters too convenient. From the treating doctor to Billie's mother to a journalist investigating the incidents, everyone seems to be taking things too lightly!
The mystery of what was happening at the facility was easy to guess Especially as we get to see from the perspective of some of the staff as well.

The ending was good even if highly aspirational!

[Gayle (OutsmartYourShelf) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Witnesses are shocked to see a group of students, laughing & joking one minute, suddenly without warning jump off the platform into the path of an arriving train. The only survivor, who was held back by other passengers, is taken to a mental health unit. Billie cannot remember the incident but is adamant it wasn't planned. Desperate to know what happened, she agrees to go to the Arbor Institute which is investigating a number of other similar incidents around the world.

Once there, Billie meets four other subjects who underwent the same type of phenomenon which Arbor terms ‘flocking’, where people band together to self-destruct. The Institute itself is luxurious but it is on an island only reachable by boat & the five subjects are not allowed internet or telephone access. When she is refused permission to contact her mother to stop her from worrying, Billie begins to realise that things are not as they seem. Is Arbor really trying to help cure her or are their motives more nefarious?

Wow, this one hooked me right from the start! I love anything set in isolated locations & the 'flocking' aspect was really interesting. After a startling beginning, the pace slowed down a little in the middle but the final third was excellent - although the ending lost me a little in that I thought it was too pat. I also thought that Billie seemed younger than her actual age (I was shocked to learn she was 24, I was thinking she was still a teenager of about 19). The author managed to work in a twist that went right by me until the reveal which was well done. I was suspicious of Stan from the start but I didn't guess the half of it Overall I really enjoyed this one & was invested right from the start. 4.5 stars (rounded down)

SUMMARY:
Plot: Intriguing beginning, lost pace a little in the middle, but the last third was excellent. I found the ending a bit OTT.
Writing Style: Excellent - I was invested in what was happening from the start.
Enjoyment Level: High - Even the ending didn’t spoil what was for me a gripping read with an intriguing set-up.

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Simon & Schuster UK, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

TWs: (major) suicide, strong language, death of a parent (minor) animal death

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great read. I enjoyed it very much. Billie is the sole survivor of a horrific and inexplicable event. Her 5 close friends have jumped off a railway platform in front of an oncoming train. Billie had attempted to do the same but was saved by a passer by and a mysterious man who had vanished after the event.

Billie is sent to a psychiatric hospital where, despite the kindness and concern of the staff, Billie does not settle. She insists that despite the incident being called a mass suicide, not one of them was suicidal. And why are there similar incidents in other parts of the world? Deeply unhappy Billie, out of the blue, receives an invitation to be treated at an exclusive luxury establishment in the North of Scotland and she sees no reason not to swap the underfunded understaffed NHS hospital for an all expenses paid treatment at a place that looks like a luxury spa. We know as a reader it’s all too good to be true and from then on we see the tension and danger to Billie rising page by page.

Billie is a brilliant protagonist and I was really fearful for her safety and for the safety of those around her, including her mum - suspicious and protective, and Dan, an award winning investigative journalist who senses that Billie is in danger but cannot fathom the reasons. Neither person is willing to give up trying to contact Billie, who is completely cut off from the outside world once at “the Institute” and unable to contact anyone, not even her mother. The reasons can probably be half guessed by any reader but the story still holds surprises and one very cruel twist!

I recommend this book to any reader who enjoys a well written psychological thriller or anyone who likes an exciting story around an original plot.
There is perhaps an element of having to suspend disbelief along the way but I had no trouble with that at all.

There are a few typos which I imagine will be sorted by proofreading before publication.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC for my kindle. This is my honest review after a full read of the novel.

[Matthew · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to enjoy this book as the blurb had me interested and thought it was going to be great.

The beginning is good but then it just gets a bit boring, the book is set over a few months but the tension just doesn’t build apart from a few incidents that happen here and there.

The characters, I just didn’t care for as they felt underwritten especially Billie the main character (I am writing this review the morning after reading and had to look up her name). Billie was just pretty dull as a main character and had no depth.

I may well have given a bit higher to a newer author, however the ending made me laugh which wasn’t the intention. The last 30 pages were too rushed, which I find an issue with most new thrillers.

One thing that will stay with me is the last chapter as it was just bad creative writing you do in school, the end was just terrible.

[J.A. Ironside · Rating 5 out of 5]

This wasn't quite what I was expecting - there's a low key sci-fi/ paranormal element - but it was a refreshing thriller read all the same. The characters were engaging and believable, the opening grabs you by the throat and the pace of the book is spot on. If you're a whale reader and devour books across genres, or if you have a nasty suspicious mind (like me), this is probably going go offer you few surprises. However, I found this didn't matter at all as the book was just so entertaining. It may even increase suspence because a lot of the time I could see where it was going while characters were blissfully unaware. A touch of King's Firestarter and the Institute, with a hint of John Wyndham's the Chrysalids and maybe an unlikely pinch of L J Smith's Firbidden Powers all cast in a British mystery thriller with deceptively high stakes. Great fun - highly recommend.

[Bookworm From Finland · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fascinating idea, a bit confusing with so many characters and a too short execution for my taste 3.5⭐️. The audiobook reader was wonderfully versatile.

[Cat Plummer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not stop turning the pages to see where this was going to go. Creepy with fantastic writing!

[Naomi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Yvette Salmon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow a super book that grips you on page one and doesn’t let you go till the last page. I loved it, a really fast paced book that I read in just a weekend.
Great characters and storyline . A group of people jump in front of a train and there’s one survivor . They weren’t suicidal but looking for answers she books herself in to the institute . I won’t spoil what happens but I will say it’s good.

[Natasha Warren · Rating 1 out of 5]

It was not for me! The premise sounded good and mysterious, but I think the execution just didn’t cut it. This felt more like YA mystery than a thriller, which maybe I just missed that in bio? Everything was a bit two dimensional and I wasn’t very gripped by it.
Just a very surface-level book that didn’t hold my attention.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC

[LKM · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oof. I really wanted to love this, but...
It started as a 4, went down to a 3, ended up in a 2.

First off, I thought ut was an interesting premise and liked the story overall. However, there were too many flaws for me with the execution.

The fmc behaved like she were 16 or 18. In fact, I was so sure she eas under 18 I was actually weirded out at the introduction when thenguy who saved her mentioned liking her and her waist and stuff. And then much later we're told she is 24. Huh.
It wasn't just her though-all the characters (well, her and her supposed friends) acted like they were teenagers.

The doctor eas fine and Dan was a bit borderline.
But then, all the villains? They were like cartoon villains. 0 motivation beyond money -and hey I get that can be a strong motivator but... some character complexity please. They kept patting eachother on the back and having stupid "inside jokes" and calling themselves on their psychotic behavior.
"Oh, Phillip, you're so psychotic! How naughty! lol" was the equivalent of it. And look, again, sure, self centered asses celebrating their smartness, but this was TOO much, too on the nose, too cartoony, and I've never met someone psychotic and unfeeling and vile as Phillip and others were supposed to be, but I dare say they would not like to be called out on being psychotic unfleeing and bastards. Or laugh at it like a silly joke.

So, teenage behaving good guys, cartooney behaving bad guys- and the laughing. Everyone eas laughing like maniacs at everything.

And then the drug. I get it, super cool to have a drug that gives you mind control powers. But... there was all this talk about how far they could flock, how many people, etc, etc... but 0 talk about how to protect from it. Oh they out the plate on the other people but that was so they couldnt flock because they were just test subjects. There was ZERO talk about how to protect themselves from being flocked other than hoping Billie wouldn't think to do it and hoping they were quick enough to zap her.

Which leads to the cartooney money only interest- are you telling me scientists smart enough to make this drug would believe they could sell the mind control drug to shady ass rich people and not expect that rich people to trun around and flock THEM to work for thwm for free for eternity? How stupid are they?

So they had no way to prevent getting flocked themselves and were still rushing to sell the thing. It made ZERO sense. It would have made more sense if it had been a device that could be stolen, destroyed, turned on and off or directed. But the drug? There was no way to stop the flocking powers once it was activated. It eas the stupidest plan in history. I'm sorry but whattttttt.

It really did read like a nonsensical YA. It wasn't horrible... but it made zero sense. So disappointed.

[Pam Baddeley · Rating 3 out of 5]

A science fictional/medical thriller based on an interesting idea. It opens with a group of students who jump off a platform at a railway station in front of a speeding train. Moments beforehand they were laughing and joking, then suddenly fell silent and became like zombies. The only survivor of the group is Billie, who is held back by a passenger, helped by a mystery man who then disappears.

Sent to a NHS psychiatric hospital, Billie is sectioned and treated as a suicide risk although she remains adamant that she is not and was not suicidal. She can't remember what happened after just before her friends jumped and finds it hard to believe they are dead. Then a strange incident occurs one night when the nurse in charge witnesses other patients mirroring Billie's actions. Dan, a journalist, manages to get in to see her and shows her videos online of groups in other countries who committed suicide as abruptly as her friends.

An offer comes to attend a clinic in Scotland, all expenses paid. Although it sounds too good to be true, Billie and her mum are persuaded to transfer and don't find out until they arrive that it is on an island, not serviced by the local ferry and only accessible via a private boat or, in the case of the woman in charge, a helicopter. Billie's mum has to return home and Billie goes on alone, taken to the island by Stan who she finds out later is a fellow patient.

Back at the NHS hospital, the doctor and his chief nurse are perturbed by strange behaviour by some of the patients, similar to what was seen when Billie was still there. Dan helps by investigating the institute where Billie has gone, as both the doctor and Billie's mum are concerned at not hearing from her. As time goes by, more red flags are raised on the island itself, although Billie spends a lot of time making excuses for this and only gradually realises she is in trouble.

The story was a little slow to get going, although it was nicely creepy. Eventually the situation escalates, with disturbing things coming to light and some unexpected twists. It doesn't do to get too fond of some of the characters. I did, however, find the ending a bit too 'easy' for them despite the trauma they had undergone. Overall, I would rate this at 3 stars.

[beckys_book_blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first five-star thriller of the year, I absolutely loved it! I was intrigued from the outset by the premise, but it completely surpassed my expectations. As someone who reads a lot of thrillers, it’s rare to come across something that feels genuinely original, and this novel delivers exactly that, with chilling dystopian undertones that I loved!

From the very first page, I was hooked. The opening is both shocking and compelling, setting the tone for a story where the tension never lets up. The novel begins with a group of students mysteriously jumping off a train at the same time. Billie is the sole survivor, but she has no memory of what happened. As more disturbing mass suicide attempts are uncovered around the world, what is driving people to band together to self-destruct?

The characters felt authentic and engaging, and I found myself truly rooting for Billie. There’s a constant sense of unease and impending doom, especially as she becomes enrolled with the ominous institution that is supposedly there to aid her recovery after being sectioned. I was completely absorbed, eagerly turning the pages to uncover the truth behind their motives.

The story is packed with shocking twists and revelations, and the ending was incredibly satisfying. I would highly recommend this book to any thriller fan, and I’m already looking forward to reading Katherine Bradley's back list which I purchased after reading this!

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Five people jump to their deaths.

No warning. No reason. And it’s happening all over the world.

This story pulled me in straight away with a mystery that just keeps getting bigger.

It begins with five people suddenly jumping to their deaths. One woman survives, and it quickly becomes clear this isn’t an isolated incident. Similar events have been happening around the world.

That survivor is Billie.

When Billie’s mum is contacted by the Arbour Institute — a private medical facility researching the brain and working to find a cure for dementia — it sounds like hope. They believe they might be able to help Billie too. But the institute sits on an island, cut off from the mainland… and things start to feel wrong very quickly.

No phone. No wallet. No easy way to leave.

Billie’s nightmares get worse, strange things begin happening, and there’s even a voice she can hear that nobody else seems to notice.

Is Billie becoming paranoid… or is something far more sinister going on?

This was a really easy read that kept pulling me forward. I loved following the complex relationships between the characters while trying to piece together what was really happening.

The whole time I kept asking myself the same questions:Will Billie survive?Where is that voice coming from?And what is really going on inside the Arbour Institute?

Definitely one that kept me turning the pages.

Have you read this one yet, or is it on your TBR? 📚

[Leanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Institute is a darkly compelling thriller that grips you from its chilling opening scene and refuses to let go. Katherine Bradley masterfully blends psychological suspense with speculative intrigue, crafting a story that feels both disturbingly plausible and eerily surreal.

When Billie survives a mass suicide on a train platform—an act she insists wasn’t voluntary—she’s thrust into the Arbor Institute, a research facility investigating the mysterious “flock phenomena.” The concept is fascinating: why do groups of people self-destruct together, and what makes someone vulnerable to “re-flocking”? As Billie navigates the sterile halls and unsettling protocols of the Institute, the tension builds with quiet dread. The more she learns, the less safe she feels.

Bradley’s prose is sharp and atmospheric, her characters layered and unpredictable. Billie is a protagonist you root for—not just because she’s a survivor, but because she refuses to be a victim. The Institute itself is a character in its own right: clinical, secretive, and increasingly sinister.

Fans of Shutter Island and Black Mirror will find themselves right at home here. It’s a story about control, connection, and the terrifying power of suggestion. And just when you think you’ve figured it out, Bradley twists the knife.

With thanks to Katherine Bradley, the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

[Karen Cuddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Think New World Order… The Institute by Katherine Bradley is a gripping, unsettling read that really got under my skin.

The story follows Billie, the lone survivor of a shocking event at Gatwick station, where her friends suddenly begin acting in a disturbing, almost zombie-like way before stepping in front of a train. Billie is left trying to understand why she survived — and whether she was ever meant to.

After a difficult experience in an NHS psychiatric unit, she’s given the chance to move to a private facility called Arbor, which promises healing and answers. But it quickly becomes clear that things aren’t what they seem.

At the heart of the story is OmnieX — a product that raises serious questions about control, influence, and just how far those in power might go to shape behaviour. The novel explores themes of manipulation, loss of autonomy, and the unsettling idea of who is really in charge. It definitely has a “this feels a bit too close to reality” edge at times.

Billie is a brilliant protagonist — compelling, strong, and easy to root for — and the supporting characters add depth and tension throughout. The pacing is fast, the twists keep coming, and I found it very hard to put down.

A thought-provoking, addictive read that will leave you questioning more than just the story.

[Diane Elizabeth Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

​The Only Thing More Terrifying Than Tragedy is The Truth! ​
Katherine Bradley doesn’t just write thrillers, she engineers nightmares. I devoured this in a single, edge of my seat sitting, unable to break away from a plot that is as addictive as it is deeply sinister. ​
The story opens with a sequence that will stay with me for a long time - Billie's entire circle of friends stepping in front of a train in a synchronized "flock phenomenon," leaving her as the haunted sole survivor.
When she’s lured to the Arbor Institute under the guise of "protection," the suspense shifts from tragic to truly malevolent. It quickly becomes clear that Billie isn't a patient—she’s a piece of a much larger, corrupt puzzle. ​
Billie is a phenomenal lead. She’s relatable and likable, but it’s her iron will that defines her. Even as she uncovers corruption at the highest levels, she refuses to play the victim. Watching her attempt to weaponize the very horror inflicted upon her to save others is nothing short of exhilarating. ​Fraught with danger and bone-chillingly unsettling, if you want a book that grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go until the final page, this is it.
My thanks to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster UK for the ARC. This is my own opinion.
Expected release date 26 February.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A group of students jump off a train platform . The lone survivor, Billie, can not remember this incident but is adamant that this is not as it seems. Desperate to get answers, she agrees to be treated in the Arbor Institute, a private research facility. While there she learns some shocking truths and realises that she has been cut off from the outside world. Fearing she may not be safe, she sets her sights on survival.

This sounded like an intriguing, high concept thriller so I wanted to read. The story started strongly, straight into the mystery, and had an eeriness from the get go. I was interested to see where the author would take the story. I enjoyed the setting of the Institute and could feel the dark, isolated atmosphere created. I also found the scientific and psychological elements intriguing, especially that around flock phenomena.

Although this was a highly original, chilling story, I did find that the pacing slowed down quite early on and I struggled to fully engage, as something felt slightly off. Even so, this was still a well written, compelling thriller and worth a read for those looking for something compelling and different. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

[GemsLiteraryGems · Rating 5 out of 5]

Billie is the sole survivor of an unexplainable mass suicide on a train platform and with no memory of the event, wakes up on a mental health ward having been sectioned. When a mysterious charity called The Arbor Institute comes forward to offer Billie a place at a beautiful and spa-like research centre on a Scottish island, she jumps at the chance to travel there and escape the confines of the underfunded psychiatric ward. But before long we realise that things are not what they seem, only Billie cannot see the dangers. Will Billie realise that Arbor wants more than just to fix her mental health before it is too late?

The Institute starts off as a mystery and quickly develops into a pacy paranormal thriller that keeps you guessing until the very end. The paranormal elements are handled in a way that makes them scientifically possible, and that alone makes it even more chilling as a concept! I particularly enjoyed the way that this is written so that we can see the dangers as readers, as we get the glimpses behind the curtain but Billie only really gets hints of this in her dreams until the very end, which keeps the creeping dread going without feeling like it is drawn out. It's an original story, well plotted, with believable characters and a well handled sense of impending doom. I loved it!

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was all in from the start. I was intrigued by the premise and the book delivered. I am always hunting for speculative fiction. It’s an underrepresented genre.

I couldn’t figure out what was up. With the group of friends jumping off the train platform. I was totally sold on the mystery and trying hard to decide what was up. This is usually where speculative fiction goes awry for me. The ending never lives up to my wacky guesses, but I think this is more me than the book since it’s most I read in this genre. But up until the end when I had suspend a little more disbelief than I like, this had all my attention.

With the twisty plot I was unable to guess what was behind everything. Even though I tried hard to outwit the story.

I felt very sympathetic towards Billie as I also kinda wondered if somehow she was unreliable. Maybe on purpose but more likely unintentional.

The read was unique in a time when a lot of plots seem to overlap. Kudos for originality and keep me guessing.

[janine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Usually, I absolutely adore a book set within an institute, I love the unease they always seem to deliver, but for some unfathomable reason, I just couldn't fully engage with this one.

I liked the pace and the creepiness it instilled in me, but I found myself not always sure of what was going on, which left me backtracking and losing momentum with the story.

I loved how complex and layered the characters were, and the institute was a whole character in itself!

I may not have connected fully. The plot was executed really well, and the topic of 'flock phenomena' was an original and interesting subject to learn about.

Whilst I know I'll definitely be in the minority with my rating, I'd still happily recommend to others and maybe go back and read another time as we all know our headspace can change our views!

2.5 rounded to 3⭐️

Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster UK for the ARC.

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Billie is with her friends when they have to change trains, in the crush on the platform something strange happens and the group seem to loose focus and then one by one 5hey step off the platform into the path of a through train. Billie is last and just as she is about to step off a fellow passenger grabs her and with the help of another man is able to stop her going over.
With no memory of why she finds herself on The Warwick ward, a closed psychiatric ward, she is happy to sign to be removed to an all expenses paid private clinic.
Arbor seems idyllic but Billie soon finds she can’t leave, nor can she contact her mother.
A strong start, then the book fades a bit, the ending was not as strong as I expected, but on the whole it had the feel of a YA sci-fi book.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc

[Claire-Louise Armstrong-Brealey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just like Hotel California, you xan check out any time, but you can never leave.

A group of twenty-somethings on a train, an excellent investigative journalist, a hard-working and dedicated psychiatrist... what do these have in common?

To understand that, you also need to take into account, the greed of big pharma, the hubris of man and a small island off the Scottish Isles.

An excellent read that doesn't stand still. I had no trouble at all following the characters, the storyline and suspending my beliefs that this could never happen.

Absolutely loved it! If you like thrillers, this is for you. If you like institutional tales, this is for you. If you like good versus bad, this is for you.

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

A dark novel that will get the conspiracy theorist in you going but I am not sure that having the same title as a book by another extremely well known author is a good idea.

The story starts with a tragic event, that turns out to be not the only one of its kind. Why is Billie being offered a lovely life at The Institute, which on the surface seems like a five star spa with a bit of observation thrown in, together with having her education paid for, a very attractive proposition, but not allowed to see he mother? Although the main character is mid 20s this does read a little like a YA novel - not a criticism - but potential readers should be aware.

The book is very well written and the story is engaging and intriguing - what's not to like!

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for granting me an ARC of The Institute.

I love any sort of variant on the locked room idea. This was about as locked room as you could get; a remote island, no way off, and locked inside a medical institute.

An array of interesting characters moved the story along, though I did think it dragged in the middle for a while. I enjoyed the twist towards the end that I hadn’t predicted, and mourned the loss of people we lost along the way.

Overall, a book I would recommend to those who enjoy medical controversy and professionals who are clearly not ethical! 4 stars.

[Charlie Morris (Read, Watch & Drink Coffee) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The opening chapter of this book is definitely one that you'll remember! It starts with a horrific event, of which Billie is the sole survivor. After that, she is sent to The Institute, cut off from the rest of the world.

It's a great premise, and one that keeps your mind racing with questions. There are some sci-fi twists some it's a perfect book if that's your kind of thriller, although it's still very easy to follow even if it's not.

Because although the ideas are quite speculative, the threat feels very real which is why the suspense works so well.

Overall, a very enjoyable read with great ideas!

[PJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dark yet fully captivating book, by an author who really knew how to use prose to such great effect that I felt almost haunted by the disturbing storyline.

I will admit that part of the story was a little off being plausible and left me feeling unconvinced with the storyline but in hindsight I think it is because the initial few chapters left me with an expectation that the plot was going a different way to what was actually revealed. It, therefore, took a while for me to be convinced that this was much more than an investigation into why a group of friends would commit group suicide.

Would definitely recommend if you look an alternative read to a regular mystery.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very unsettling, high-tension thriller that kept me hooked from the very first page. The moment that the main character Billie arrives at this creepy secluded island in Scotland, I just knew something was going to go wrong. I really appreciated Billie's character especially for believing that her friends didn't commit suicide, which made her feel like a grounded and rational character. Fans of "Shutter Island" would love this book.

"We are the lion tamers. We are the submariners living with nuke missiles. We are the dictators' wives. We are careful. Delicate. And because we understand the danger we are in, we are always, always fucking awake."