Left Behind

by Martine Kropkowski

Two couples – Annabelle and Luke, Des and Julianni – embark on a camping trip to K’gari, a picturesque island off Queensland’s coast. Things have been tough lately, but this holiday is just what they need – white sands, clear waters, a chance to decompress and reconnect.

But there is an unnerving electricity in the air and Annabelle starts noticing strange occurrences. First, the man digging off a dark beach track in the middle of the night. The moaning in the amenities block: a couple getting their kicks or something more sinister? Then two campers mysteriously disappear, their belongings found abandoned near the beach.

When an old friend of Luke’s arrives, Annabelle’s suspicions reach fever pitch. And with a deadly storm approaching, danger lurks at every turn.

The island, an endlessly shifting landmass of sand, changing and changing again, will survive as it always has. But will they?

Genres: Australia

304 pages, Paperback

Published September 30, 2025

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Annabelle throws open the gate in the dingo fence and it rebounds against the post, comes back to hit her with force. She catches the gate and pushes it again, more gently this time. Starts down the track.”

There’s something deeply unsettling and totally addictive about a story that starts as a simple beach holiday and slowly unravels into something much darker. Left Behind captures that feeling perfectly. Martine Kropkowski sets her novel on K’gari, a place that’s meant to be paradise, but quickly turns into the kind of landscape that gets under your skin.

The story follows two couples, Annabelle and Luke, Des and Julianni, who head to the island hoping for a peaceful getaway. But right from the start, something feels off. Annabelle notices strange noises, a man digging in the dark, and then two campers vanish. From there, the tension quietly builds until you’re completely caught in this sense of dread you can’t quite name.

What I loved most is how atmospheric it is. Kropkowski’s writing is so vivid that the island almost feels alive, shifting sands, dense bush, and the constant hum of nature all carrying this uneasy energy. It’s not a fast paced thriller with jump scares, it’s slower, more psychological, and honestly, that makes it all the more haunting.

The relationships between the two couples also felt incredibly real, slightly strained, layered with unspoken things. The book isn’t just about what happens on the island, it’s about what people bring with them, the guilt, the distance, the things they’d rather ignore.

I loved the ambiguous ending, it leaves you thinking and imagining what might happen next, though I can see how that might not work for everyone.

A quiet, unsettling gem of Australian fiction, perfect if you like your mysteries slow burn and beautifully written.

I Highly Recommend.

Thank you ‪Ultimo Press‬ for my early readers copy.

Available Now!⁩

[Suz · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐

As I am more suited to a finite ending, this novel was a lesson in you can't always get what you want. Heavily invested in themes of extreme psychological tension in a physical environment which has a life force all of its own, two couples intending on an outdoors trip on the real life K’gari, stumble across an abandoned camp site still fully stocked of personal belongings. Parallel to this mystery is the unreliable nature of both couples relationships. Internal tension is always fraught as one couple is established, and one is new, impacting both relationships as we see the females questioning their intimate relationships and the communication of this reflection and uncertainty is done very well. An unexpected arrival by one of the male partners friends instantly raised suspicion, his behaviours and arrogance instantly raising shackles of the women and the reader. As much as my reaction to the ending was frustration, other readers I know will love this in the way it will sit with them to ponder strange happenings and a well written story full of existential dread within both human relationships and a fraught unpredictable nature and the elements of this eerie part of northern Australia. The author has previously written and captured atmospherically feeling remarkably well in her previous novel Everywhere We Go. This is absolutely a thriller with no resolution which for me left too many unanswered questions, though I absolutely see readers out there who will love this part of it as this aspect of it, and the whole unwavering dread, foreboding and all these things if written well and as they are here, are amazing.

Thank you so much Ultimo Press for my early readers copy.

[Mandy White (mandylovestoread) · Rating 4 out of 5]

review to come

[Janna (Bibliophile Mom) · Rating 4 out of 5]

“They say that the end of the world will come slowly, unhurried, sedately enough that the body won't be the only thing to succumb; the mind will yield first."


My Personal Thoughts
It was an amazing two days when I was diving into Annabelle and Luke's bumpy marital situation. Thinking that a week long holiday with friends would mend their frustration and ill feelings towards each other. I enjoyed how I was on and off with feeling hateful towards Matt - who was groomed to be this alpha psycho that the author was intending for him to be. It was a fantastic way of mixing the story with a "whodunit" trope. It was a bit slow initially but I find myself flipping the pages one after the other after page 120 onwards.

Liked:
❥ Ending
❥ Story of survival despite how the mind wanted to give up
❥ Moving and heartbreaking

Disliked:
❥ Realisations when it was already too late
❥ Stereotyping due to nature of work and a person's gender (main character's POV)
❥ slow paced

Setting: 5⭐️
Character Building: 3⭐️
Writing Style: 3⭐️
Message: 5⭐️
Overall: 4⭐️

Overall, I was pretty pleased with how my 1st book review (in years!) turned out. It's been a while as I was in a very long hiatus with reviewing ARCs but it was definitely a good start in trying to get back to the game. Thank you, Ultimo Press, for my advance copy. However, this does not affect my thoughts or rating of the book.

~JaNnA~

[Deborah (debbishdotcom) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was particularly keen to read Left Behind by Martine Kropkowski as it's set on my doorstep... on K'gari (prev. Fraser Island)*. I've only visited the resort on the eastern side of the island in recent years but my step-grandmother owned a couple of huts at a place called Yidney Rocks on the western side of the island. We went over often when I was young, visiting the island's many landmarks... now instagrammers' fodder. So there was much I enjoyed about this, wondering about missing tourists and trying to guess at the source of underlying tensions.

There's a prologue in the start of the book—an island ranger finding the belongings of a couple of campers who have disappeared. Given their phones and wallets are there, it seems unlikely they purposely took off.

We then meet our main narrator Annabelle who's heading to K'gari with her husband Luke, his fried Des and Des's still-quite-new girlfriend Julianni for a week to go camping. We learn Annabelle and Luke had a fight the night before they left and the drive from the city to the barge departure point has been strained. Kropkowski then dangles that tension over the trip, not sharing the reason for the fight for some time. I liked being inside Annabelle's head as she mulls over their relationship and how she and Luke have translated the issue [inspiring the argument], which I think is one of the strengths of this novel, later becoming a revelation for Annabelle.

Kropkowski's writing is lovely and she offers up a real sense of place... from the blue skies and endless beaches to the dark rainforest covering much of the island. I think it's part of that juxtaposition that makes K'gari appealing to so many and Kropkowski's prose are evocative, making the setting an integral part of the novel.

Kropkowski certainly creates tension and suspense as a cyclone looms off the island's coast and everyone's told to evacuate the island but I confess I found myself confused as to what happened and the fate that befell several of our characters. Things became a little fantastical for me... hence my confusion I suspect, and lack of closure.

3.5 stars


Read my review here: https://www.debbish.com/books-literat...

[Cindy Spear · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Left Behind by Martine Kropkowski is set on the wondrous World Heritage sand island of K’gari (Fraser Island) off the coast of south-eastern QLD. Our four main characters, two couples, Luke and Annabelle, Des and Julianni venture to the island for a week long camping trip with hopes to unwind and reconnect. There is tension between the married pair who have some unresolved issues. All the while there is an external storm brewing, that, in many ways, reflects their inner emotional turmoil.

The calm and lush descriptions of the island’s beauty is contrasted with the impending and resulting havoc a cyclone can create. I don’t think I have ever read such incredible descriptions that made me feel I was in the thick of such a bone shattering storm! The suspicious strangers, missing campers, worrisome wildlife also pulled me into the plot and put my head on spin cycle! I was intrigued by the twists, changing directions and speculations. We don’t quite know where things are going to go but the author provides hints that leave us with various possibilities.

There are some intriguing discussions and questions posed between the characters in Left Behind. One of which is about the meaning of life. Julianni asks Des his thoughts on the matter. ‘From what I gather, the meaning of life is what you make it.’ She feels it is a poor answer, but he continues with ‘the meaning of life to you might be different from the meaning of life to me but that doesn’t make either of us wrong.’

Julianni responds with, ‘Well, I, for one, think we’re here for a short time…We only get one go. Life is meant to be lived, chances to be taken. We look after all of this, and it looks after us.’

Then Annabelle joins the conversation when asked her opinion: ‘I think… we’re just here to help each other.’ ‘Maybe we’re just here to feel; to…experience; to observe. When we help each other, we feel good. There’s beauty in it…’

Julianni: ‘Beauty how?’

Annabelle: ‘I’m talking about joy, about…anticipation, sadness, grief. The urgency of a symphony. The awe of a shooting star. I think all of it is just…beauty.’

Julianni retorts: ‘I think it is dumb luck that we’re even here. A genuine freak of nature. I think there is no meaning. It’s all random…’

Luke joins the conversation goaded by Julianni: and his response is different again (proving Des’s point that each person can have a different opinion). ‘I think it’s to reproduce….We’re born, we mate, we ensure the survival of our species, we die. That’s it. The rest is incidental.’

These various viewpoints very much represent the characters and their actions. As the story unfolds, it is easy to line up their words/beliefs above with how they will react to each circumstance presented.

Julianni and Annabelle are quite different personalities. Julianni is someone who pushes the limits, lives in the moment (her stated beliefs show this, too). But Annabelle is cautious and fearful. Her experiences keep feeding the dread she feels as various incidents happen on the island. At some point, we wonder if her imagination has gone into overdrive or is she actually seeing the things she believes she sees. Does her fear of something create the illusion-- like sharks when she goes spearfishing in the water with her friend Julianni?

This novel has plenty of suspense and tension and forces us to question various perceptions. While Annabelle is left alone for a day to recover after not feeling well, her husband and two friends take off for a quick trip to a special location before they have to leave the island. When the cyclone threatens the island and everyone is asked to evacuate, Annabelle’s fears max out. Her husband and friends have not returned and Annabelle is left alone to wonder their fate. She becomes anxious and frantic imagining all sorts of possibilities. Have they become victims of a crime? (Possibly at the hands of a suspicious character she does not trust?) When she contacts the ranger station, they ask if the three may have left the island during an evacuation? But she cannot believe they would leave her behind. And before long we are on that wild ride with her of panic, desperation and fear. We can sympathise with her fierce determination to remain and find her friends and husband before leaving the island. But will she run out of time before the cyclone strikes? And if she does, how will she survive? We get to see how the mind copes with disaster and how our survival instincts kick in to gear.

There are some surprises and twists at the end that may leave readers scratching their heads or saying, ‘I understand!’ We never know if a crime has been committed, but we are provided with a detailed and atmospheric setting, complex characters with psychological and moral issues and lots of exquisite prose and symbolic language. The journey is fascinating and many will find the wild encounters on the island intriguing. The man vs nature battle of the wills is revealing. Along with discussions on how the world might end. The answers are focused more on the psychological effects of the mind rather than on the physical. That our existence is based more on our consciousness. Yes, there is a lot to ponder and imagine! How you feel at the end of the novel will be as varied as the characters’ views on the purpose of life. But it is without question—stunning, mesmerising, world shaking prose. Complex and open-ended. 4.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thanks to Ultimo Press for a review copy.

[Craig and Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Big thanks to Ultimo Press for sending us a copy to read and review.
Two couples, an idyllic island and a raging storm culminate in a tumultuous and tense roll out of events.
A time to relax and heal relationships.
Annabelle becomes suspicious and paranoid when a series of strange events start happening.
The disappearance of a couple enhances the eerie feeling she has.
Her partner Luke convinces her all is good.
The arrival of his mate makes the situation worst.
The cyclone, the evacuation and ultimately the scary loneliness create havoc and darkness for Annabelle as she tries to find the truth.
Imagery of K’gari was rich in detail and provided a sensory smorgasbord for the reader.
As a past visitor to the island I was drawn in and smitten with nostalgia as I tried to piece together memories with the atmospheric descriptions.
The storm and the disappearance of people create a fast pace heart beat as you know danger lurks.
The ending was not clear cut but did lend itself to mystical realism where the readers mind gravitated to its own conclusion.

[Magda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Of course, a lot of people like me will have bought it because its set on K'gari, the perfect place for a mystery story, but for me it doesn't fit that description at all.

This is a suspenseful read, if you don't mind head-hopping, which took me a while and a few rereads to get to flow of but what was it all actually about? I kept waiting and reading and on the last page was left with none of my questions answered.

I admit I don’t enjoy having such a great set up, such suspense but for most, no character progress and no real ending.

What happened to the missing campers? How can they be such an important part of the story and yet no answer to the question?
Why was Julianni such a bitch to Annabelle?
Why was Des interested in her when he was such an intellectual?
Why was Jack so suspicious when they first saw him?
Why build Matt up to be a villain for the entire book and give us no insight into his character, no villainy?
Why have nothing really happen except a storm?


I appreciate the writing and applaud the author for this but ultimately, I was disappointed because the story didn't deliver its back cover promise.

[Un · Rating 2 out of 5]

A real page-turner, but the narrative remains unfulfilled. This is less a mystery and more a character study with suspense elements. Two stars.

[Cass Moriarty · Rating 5 out of 5]

In her second (standalone) psychological crime thriller, LEFT BEHIND (Ultimo Press 2025), Martine Kropkowski continues the unique style of form that set apart her first novel – the ability to create, develop and sustain the simmering, menacing and haunting possibility of violence throughout the entire story without much of it tainting the pages. The frightening and sinister edge to LEFT BEHIND is ever present, but always just out of reach. While there are certainly creepy incidents and suspect individuals in the narrative, Kropkowski manages to exaggerate a complex and terrifying ‘what if’ in the minds of her readers entirely through hint and suggestion. This absence of gore or naked violence in the text leaves our imaginations to shuffle through various horrific scenarios, each one worse than the one before – she invites the reader to create our own thrilling narrative, filled with existential dread. And because of the realistic and plausible scaffolding she puts in place throughout, anything we visualise is more nightmarish than if she had specified the details.
LEFT BEHIND is a deceptively simple story on the surface. Four friends embark on a camping trip to K’gari, a beautiful island off the coast of Queensland, with white sands and clear beaches, a popular spot for tourists and locals. Slightly weird and vaguely troubling events begin to coalesce – wild animals exhibit strange behaviours, a major storm front threatens the serenity, and various characters seem just a little off. The book opens with the discovery that two campers have gone missing, their campsite and belongings left discarded near the beach, and while this could initially be interpreted as hapless misadventure, the scenario becomes more strange and concerning as the narrative develops.
One of the author’s major strengths is her atmospheric and evocative depiction of place. K’gari is pleasantly present in the readers’ minds – the geography, the weather, the roads and infrastructures, the camping sites, the mountains, the sea and the shifting sands. Most prominent is the native flora and fauna – birds, sea creatures and the local native dingoes (mystical but dangerous). The island belongs to these creatures. Humans are the intruders. This message is delivered with quiet intensity throughout.
Another strength of her writing is her depiction of close personal relationships, in this case two couples – one committed and long-term, but with an intriguing secret dangling over their heads, and one newly minted and cautious, still navigating the boundaries of intimacy and togetherness. The very real conundrums and issues faced by these couples lends an air of uncertainty to their bonds; we know ‘something’ is going on but are not sure what until near the end of the book.
The story is fast paced despite being a rather quiet narrative. Days spent swimming and sightseeing, the monotony and simple drudgery of camp life with its adherence to the bare necessities of cooking, washing, cleaning and attending to all without the benefit of modern amenities. Yet in the midst of this apparently banal and serene routine, Kropkowski introduces odd happenings, frightening and inexplicable incidents, strange behaviour, possible misunderstandings or misinterpretations, all of which gradually begin to add up to the undeniable fact that something is not quite right with the island, its inhabitants, and this group of four.
I would absolutely love to discuss this book in a bookclub, because the ending is so strange, so ambiguous, so open to interpretation, that I know it will prompt numerous rigorous discussions about what actually happened and why. As with her first book, there could be slight tinge of magical realism about the resolution, or it could be entirely factual and authentic. It is up to the reader to decide.
Beautiful and well-crafted writing, lush descriptions, authentic dialogue, complex characters and a tantalising ‘just out of reach’ feeling of mystery will leave this story lingering in readers’ minds long after the last page.

[Marles Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a unique style to Left Behind, and like the cyclone that threatens and lands upon K’gari, it is a transformative and intense experience. This brook brings with it a heightened emotional intensity with a constant battle between the calm and the chaos. This is a story that will leave you with more questions and drive to analyse your own interpretation in moments where uncertainty conquers all.

The premise of this story is based on two couples camping on K’gari, or Fraser Island as it was one known. Annabelle and Luke, and Des and Julianni set off in their four wheel drives on a barge for a well-deserved recharging holiday wanting to reconnect and relax. There are unresolved tensions simmering like the cyclone off the coast. And potentially a missing couple. There are building moments that seem suspicious and grow an uneasy sense of paranoia, tethered to a very strong sense of place. In every beautiful scene of picturesque sand and water there seems to be a juxtaposition up danger, uncertainty and fear, and mixed with the monotony of camp life, like the detail in washing dishes and setting up camp, apprehension and confusion abounds.

Annabelle’s confusion is hard to read: is she in the grips of misbelief or the impact of a relationship downfall, or is her reaction based on a traumatic experience? She is with friends yet is so isolated from everyone. Something isn’t right. Something feels wrong. Everything feels ambiguous. Nothing seems relaxing, and Annabelle seems to live on the edge, at every twig snap. Nature is calling out to her, to pay attention, reminding her of her own vulnerabilities and they things that are beyond her control. We see the camp and the island through her eyes. We hear her thoughts as she ponders over her relationship with Luke, time and time again, reliving conversations and moments in time. The ending seems unclear and uncertain, which is as powerful as the cyclone that reveals what has come to pass.

K’garis is an island of shifting sand. Nothing remains the same on this island. And that is the perfect way to describe the actions and emotions: complex and ever evolving.

[Pru · Rating 4 out of 5]

Luke and Des have just completed their paramedic studies and to celebrate, they have organised a camping trip to K'Gari. Luke's wife Annabel is coming and so is Des' new partner Julianni. When Luke's weird friend turns up and Annabel begins to notice some sinister occurrences, the tension soars. With a dangerous cyclone coming their way, the tension boils over but they need to come together to get out alive.

Thank you to Ultimo Press for gifting me this copy in lieu of my honest review. This book had me turning pages so quickly and my heart racing so fast. I honestly did not know who to trust or what was going to happen. However, that ending made me furious. And a bit sad. But mostly furious. Furious at Annabel for putting herself in that situation. If there is anyone who has read this book please reach out so I can debrief. If you haven't read it, you really should.

[Kelly Johnstone · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author brings the physical world to life with such gorgeous detail — you can almost feel the air and the water, smell the surroundings, and see the light shift on every page. The story doesn’t just happen in a location, it happens in a very precise and special place. What is really clever is how just enough is left unsaid, that the character’s inner worlds are left open with just enough room for your own interpretation. It isn’t handed to you; it’s something you sense and discover for yourself. It is a perfect balance of clarity and mystery. You end up completely lost in a story about relatable characters, a very specific setting and a pivotal moment in time. It is the kind of writing that keeps you thinking long after you’ve finished - about people, places and our planet.

[Jay Dwight · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this one.

A simple story in many ways. A group of four holidaying on K'gari (what we sometimes refer to as Fraser Island). A storm is coming, some other campers have vanished.

Our author creates excellently a sense of foreboding uneasiness, making the reader on edge, wondering what will happen and when.

An unusual ending which reminds me a lot of Dennis Lehane's "Shutter Island", which I read many years ago and also loved.

[Anna Wheaton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set on K’Gari Island, Queensland. The descriptions give you a real sense of the impact of tourists on the island and on the dingoes.
The tension builds effectively and there is underlying tension in the relationships of the four main characters.
Great build up to the arrival of a cyclone. The plot becomes a bit far fetched towards the end but still a good read.

[E · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ When two couples go on a camping trip to K’gari, the picturesque island doesn’t provide them with the relief and respite they are seeking. Tension builds as strange happenings occur, relationships are tested and all the while a deadly storm approaches island… It’s a race against time to be safe and stay safe.

[Maddi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the atmosphere of the story. I loved how the author was descriptive of K'gari (Frasier Island), I enjoyed the characters & how they progress through the story but I felt the start & the ending was very disjointed compared to the rest of the story & left me feeling very confused

[Barondestructo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Annoyingly ambiguous ending thanks to yet another unreliable narrator who wasn’t set up.

[Colleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was a great suspense story until the approaching cyclone then the story collapsed into gibberish. What a waste of 8 hours of reading. Maybe someone can explain to me what happened

[The Book Squirrel · Rating 1 out of 5]

Rating on behalf of my mum.
“Meh. Ok but ending is disappointing and some parts not resolved. Don’t recommended”.

[Michelle Long · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good enough read with mystery and tension but I felt it fell at the end.

[JB book reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a slow burn, a little to slow for me. I was turning the pages waiting for the plot twist. There’s this eerie feeling throughout the writing, like something is about to go wrong! So I was waiting for it.

There is a really interesting theme in this book - doomsday prepping. A unique take on an emergency weather scenario. I won’t say anymore than that!

The characters, some a little 2D. I thought maybe 2 of them didn’t even need to be there. Otherwise the 3 main characters were interesting, with a backstory that unfolds.

The ending - What the! Unreliable narrating make it pretty moving.

If you enjoyed reads like Z for Zachariah, the survivor element of this book is right up your alley!

Thank you @ultimopress for the advance read! Out 30 September 2025.

JB