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Two Islands
A race against time for justice at the edge of the world.
When a desperate young man arrives on an isolated Scottish isle, the locals view him with suspicion. But Niko is there for a reason – he’s running for his life, pursued by those who want him silenced for what he has seen in the Balkan War. His neighbour is a recluse known to the villagers as ‘Slow Fergus’. As the two men circle each other, Australian war crimes investigator Anita Costello races against sinister forces to locate her key witness.
Against this rugged landscape, where the tight-knit island community holds painful memories close, Niko must weigh his loyalties to his family, his country and himself.
Written with compassion and insight, Two Islands explores how the ripples of distant conflicts can wash up on the most remote shores.
When a desperate young man arrives on an isolated Scottish isle, the locals view him with suspicion. But Niko is there for a reason – he’s running for his life, pursued by those who want him silenced for what he has seen in the Balkan War. His neighbour is a recluse known to the villagers as ‘Slow Fergus’. As the two men circle each other, Australian war crimes investigator Anita Costello races against sinister forces to locate her key witness.
Against this rugged landscape, where the tight-knit island community holds painful memories close, Niko must weigh his loyalties to his family, his country and himself.
Written with compassion and insight, Two Islands explores how the ripples of distant conflicts can wash up on the most remote shores.
272 pages, Paperback
Published February 3, 2026
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61 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 10, 2026
An interesting insight into what it might feel like to be chased around Europe by war criminals whose sole aim is to silence you permanently
Thoughtfully written, the story is quite moving at times. The cast of characters is quite small, and the plot meanders through the tale like a lost cow that can’t decide if it’s hungry enough or not yet to panic.
But the book certainly gives the reader a resolution. A happy ending too. Books about war are essential reads. They’re essential writes too. Two Islands doesn’t reveal its true nature until you are completely invested in it, or you have thrown it against the wall out of frustration. But life isn’t always meant to be fun. War certainly wasn’t.
Thoughtfully written, the story is quite moving at times. The cast of characters is quite small, and the plot meanders through the tale like a lost cow that can’t decide if it’s hungry enough or not yet to panic.
But the book certainly gives the reader a resolution. A happy ending too. Books about war are essential reads. They’re essential writes too. Two Islands doesn’t reveal its true nature until you are completely invested in it, or you have thrown it against the wall out of frustration. But life isn’t always meant to be fun. War certainly wasn’t.
February 13, 2026
Often thrillers are high on action but low on character development. Ian Kemish has combined a page turning thriller with fully fleshed protagonists whose trajectories you’re deeply involved in.
His background as a diplomat, Ambassador, High Commissioner, and international advisor to the Prime Minister equip him well to navigate the complexities of international war crimes.
In Australia I’m familiar with his cogent commentary on political matters on various media and have appreciated his calm and informed viewpoint. There’s a sense in which that measured tone informs the narrative of this book.
The story belongs to Niko, witness to unthinkable war crimes in the 1990’s Balkan War, and to Anita, war crimes investigator, charged with keeping him safe until he can testify at the War Crimes Tribunal. As the book opens, Niko has disappeared.
Whilst that key storyline drives the action of the story, there is, along the way, a coterie of characters who are intriguing and engaging. There’s Fergus, a loner damaged by war, amongst them:
“We’re all marked by something. But marked isn’t the same as lost”.
Niko, convinced he is being pursued in order to silence his testimony, seeks safe haven on a small Scottish island. Its local inhabitants initially view him with suspicion, but their gradual acceptance and embrace of his presence is a surprisingly moving facet of the story.
It’s unusual, I think, to become so warmly engaged with character in a book which is at its heart a compelling thriller. I found I loved that combination. And this book.
Thank you UQP books for kindly sending me a copy.
#thrillerbooks #australianwriters #bookstagram #booksandflowers #uqpbooks
His background as a diplomat, Ambassador, High Commissioner, and international advisor to the Prime Minister equip him well to navigate the complexities of international war crimes.
In Australia I’m familiar with his cogent commentary on political matters on various media and have appreciated his calm and informed viewpoint. There’s a sense in which that measured tone informs the narrative of this book.
The story belongs to Niko, witness to unthinkable war crimes in the 1990’s Balkan War, and to Anita, war crimes investigator, charged with keeping him safe until he can testify at the War Crimes Tribunal. As the book opens, Niko has disappeared.
Whilst that key storyline drives the action of the story, there is, along the way, a coterie of characters who are intriguing and engaging. There’s Fergus, a loner damaged by war, amongst them:
“We’re all marked by something. But marked isn’t the same as lost”.
Niko, convinced he is being pursued in order to silence his testimony, seeks safe haven on a small Scottish island. Its local inhabitants initially view him with suspicion, but their gradual acceptance and embrace of his presence is a surprisingly moving facet of the story.
It’s unusual, I think, to become so warmly engaged with character in a book which is at its heart a compelling thriller. I found I loved that combination. And this book.
Thank you UQP books for kindly sending me a copy.
#thrillerbooks #australianwriters #bookstagram #booksandflowers #uqpbooks
February 10, 2026
Ian Kemish’s debut fiction TWO ISLANDS (UQP 2026) is a fast-paced, emotionally charged thriller informed by his experience as a former Australian diplomat, particularly his work in the Balkans in the 1990’s. He combines this with an engrossing, evocative portrait of the isolated Western Isles of Scotland, from where he has strong family history.
I recently reviewed Gretchen Shirm’s OUT OF THE WOODS, and TWO ISLANDS deals with similar themes around the work of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, established in The Hague in the Netherlands. Both books explore the horrific war crimes and genocide of that period through the hindsight of investigators, pathologists and prosecutors from around the world who have taken a secondment role in the proceedings over many years. This enforcement team is tasked with locating, charging and punishing the guilty, and offering some sense of closure or justice for the survivors and their families.
In TWO ISLANDS, Kemish creates a sophisticated and resonate story, with fully formed characters, and he captures the emotional intensity of the situation. He also manages to write a page-turning suspense thriller – a terrifying game of cat and mouse that threatens not only the main protagonist but those who choose to help him. (Much as in times of war, brave civilians put their lives on the line to protect the innocent and oppressed.)
Niko is literally running for his life and wants to be as far away as possible from his (new) home in London when he realises his witness protection guarantee has been compromised, and ruthless people are willing to chase him around the world to avoid him giving testimony at The Hague. He fears too for his family and friends. Niko was only a teenager when he saw terrible crimes committed. He understands what is at stake. On a whim, he chooses the loneliest part of Scotland, a tiny, isolated island off the coast. At first, he is desperate to escape the busyness of larger cities but then he wonders if he has made himself a target by settling as a strange newcomer in a small community. People have long memories, however, and some characters are connected to Niko in ways he could not have predicted.
The other protagonist is Australian Anita, who is on leave in her home country to visit her sick father when she receives the news that her star witness – Niko – has disappeared. This is out of character for him, and she fears the worst, either that he has been killed or is being pursued. The other option is that he has simply decided not to testify after all, which would be devastating for her case against the notorious war criminal Arkan.
Through the perspectives of Anita and Niko, plus a couple of local Scottish characters, the narrative is thrilling and unputdownable, as Niko evades detection from both Anita (whom he trusts, but has been unable to reach) and the goons that have been ordered to silence him.
TWO ISLANDS is set in the shadow of the Bosnia-Herzegovina tragedy, but it mirrors the genocides and horrors of post-World War Two atrocities including Rwanda, Ukraine, Gaza, The Northern Ireland Troubles and Afghanistan. Kemish makes the specific universal through his enormous compassion and understanding of these conflicts, and he introduces easily relatable characters that remind readers of our shared humanity. TWO ISLANDS is informative, insightful and page-turning.
I recently reviewed Gretchen Shirm’s OUT OF THE WOODS, and TWO ISLANDS deals with similar themes around the work of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, established in The Hague in the Netherlands. Both books explore the horrific war crimes and genocide of that period through the hindsight of investigators, pathologists and prosecutors from around the world who have taken a secondment role in the proceedings over many years. This enforcement team is tasked with locating, charging and punishing the guilty, and offering some sense of closure or justice for the survivors and their families.
In TWO ISLANDS, Kemish creates a sophisticated and resonate story, with fully formed characters, and he captures the emotional intensity of the situation. He also manages to write a page-turning suspense thriller – a terrifying game of cat and mouse that threatens not only the main protagonist but those who choose to help him. (Much as in times of war, brave civilians put their lives on the line to protect the innocent and oppressed.)
Niko is literally running for his life and wants to be as far away as possible from his (new) home in London when he realises his witness protection guarantee has been compromised, and ruthless people are willing to chase him around the world to avoid him giving testimony at The Hague. He fears too for his family and friends. Niko was only a teenager when he saw terrible crimes committed. He understands what is at stake. On a whim, he chooses the loneliest part of Scotland, a tiny, isolated island off the coast. At first, he is desperate to escape the busyness of larger cities but then he wonders if he has made himself a target by settling as a strange newcomer in a small community. People have long memories, however, and some characters are connected to Niko in ways he could not have predicted.
The other protagonist is Australian Anita, who is on leave in her home country to visit her sick father when she receives the news that her star witness – Niko – has disappeared. This is out of character for him, and she fears the worst, either that he has been killed or is being pursued. The other option is that he has simply decided not to testify after all, which would be devastating for her case against the notorious war criminal Arkan.
Through the perspectives of Anita and Niko, plus a couple of local Scottish characters, the narrative is thrilling and unputdownable, as Niko evades detection from both Anita (whom he trusts, but has been unable to reach) and the goons that have been ordered to silence him.
TWO ISLANDS is set in the shadow of the Bosnia-Herzegovina tragedy, but it mirrors the genocides and horrors of post-World War Two atrocities including Rwanda, Ukraine, Gaza, The Northern Ireland Troubles and Afghanistan. Kemish makes the specific universal through his enormous compassion and understanding of these conflicts, and he introduces easily relatable characters that remind readers of our shared humanity. TWO ISLANDS is informative, insightful and page-turning.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews