The Island House

by Amanda Brittany

Once you’re on the island you’ll never want to leave… until you can’t

A DARK FAMILY SECRET

When Alice’s father dies after a tragic hit and run, his death stirs up unanswered questions about her childhood. Who was her mother, why did her father never speak of the past, and why can’t she remember anything before the age of seven?

AN ISLAND CUT OFF

But when she receives an anonymous letter containing a photograph of a refurbished gothic guesthouse surrounded by water, and an invitation to stay, old memories fight to resurface.

Alice has visited before. She is certain of it.

WHO WILL SURVIVE?

Convinced the clues to her past lie at the hotel, she checks in. But once on the island, a wild storm rages, waves crash violently into the rocks, and the house is cut off by the roaring sea.

Then two guests are found dead. And the hotel owner is missing. Will Alice ever uncover her secret past?

And will anyone leave the island alive?

An utterly gripping thriller that will leave you reading long into the night! Fans of The Guest List and The Sanatorium will love this nail-biting read.

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Fiction, Horror, Gothic, Audiobook

256 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 11, 2021

About the author

Amanda Brittany is the best selling author of psychological thrillers NOW YOU ARE MINE, HER LAST LIE, TELL THE TRUTH, TRACES OF HER, I LIE IN WAIT, I'M WATCHING YOU and THE ISLAND HOUSE

LET ME OUT is out on June 29th 2025 with Boldwood Books.

Her debut, HER LAST LIE has so far raised £9000 for Cancer Research UK in memory of her sister from eBook royalties.

Amanda lives in Hertfordshire in the UK with her husband and her crazy, cute dog. When she's not writing, she loves spending time with her family and friends, travelling, walking her dogs, reading & sunny days. She also has a soft spot for snow, which features in HER LAST LIE & I LIE IN WAIT.

Amanda has studied psychology and criminology, has a diploma in creative writing, and a BA(Hons) in English Literature.

She also writes psychological suspense novels with Karen Clarke. THE SECRET SISTER, THE PERFECT NANNY and THE NEW WIFE.


You can follow her on:
Twitter: @amandajbrittany
Facebook: www.facebook.com/amandabrittany2
Instagram: @amanda_brittany_author

Reviews

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this one! I mostly enjoyed the idea about trapped in isolated gothic hotel inspired by Tim Burton movies! And then there were none meets Clue theme with an unleashed killer is one of them to avenge storyline hooked me up! But… well I have some issues about writing style.

Let’s summarize my feelings about this one:

Pros:
Heroine is introvert, giving creepy vibes with her lack of memory about her childhood, depended to her father too much, creating creepiest sculptures. Is it a good thing? Well, short term amnesia and her motivation to find the ugly truth about her past and the reason of her nightmares picked my interest! So yes, I cannot say no to a little weird, peculiar heroine.

-ventriloquist dolls : the author used those disturbing creations adroitly! They always give me so much creeps. Especially the ones without legs as they’re described in this book!
Aaahhhhhh!!!! Even thinking about them makes me scream aloud!

-fast, gripping pacing, heart throbbing and action packed direction of the story keeps your attention intact

-the conclusion was creepy, bloody, a little gory but I have to admit some of the twists were so smart, satisfying.

-Flashbacks of Verity and Huge’s stories were better written than the present time. The brother and sister’s bounding story reminded me of Ryan Murphy’s Ratched a lot.

Cons:
The perpetrator was a little obvious from the beginning.

-Leon was keeping a big secret from our heroine Alice. But just because of the secret: we didn’t need to read POV of Leon. We already read way too much POVs including Tiger, Hugh, Verity with flashbacks.

-When we read the POVs, the person who tells his or her own perspective was also seen as third person at those parts which was weird.

-Some parts of the book are a little over exaggerating. The characters acted like unstable lunatics who were talking nonsense!

Overall: the creepy, gothic elements and bloody conclusion surpassed my negative thoughts about the story and I added extra half point which made me round up 3.5 stars to 4 I think ventriloquist dolls are scarier than clowns, dysfunctional family, haunted mansion stars !

Special thanks to NetGalley and HQ Digital for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think we can all agree that locked-room mysteries are all the rage right now. This, I believe, is my third attempt at one and I have to say they just aren't for me. I don't know if it's the short time period, the isolated setting, or the small cast of characters that make these books so damn tedious. All the chapters are rinse and repeat which begins to get boring, for me anyways.

Now this book isn't all that bad and locked-room mystery lovers will probably be raving about Amanda Brittany's latest. This had an engaging start and I never wanted to give up on it but I will admit to skimming the last 30% because as I mentioned before....rinse and repeat.

I enjoyed some of these characters. A few are actually likeable. There are some despicable ones too but someone has to be the villain, right?

Now this book had two things that did delight this reader: Creepy puppets and an even creepier attic room. I've never been a fan of puppets and this story did not change my mind! I do wish we got to spend more time in the attic because thrills and chills that make my blood run cold is what makes this readers heart happy. Alas, not to be.

The entire reason behind the murders was heartbreaking but also a little over the top. You kind of need to throw reality out of the window in order to buy into this.

I have a feeling this one is going to be a great success for Amanda Brittany even if I was the wrong reader for this. If you enjoy locked-room mysteries, a secluded island setting, a gothic hotel with a storm raging by the sea, and MURDERS - Pick this one up!!! 3 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ Digital for my copy.

[Ceecee · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

In January 2019 Gothic sculptor Alice Hadley’s father Adam is killed in a hit and run accident. A grieving Alice, having suffered a lifetime of bizarre recurring nightmares featuring a gothic island house receives a photograph of the house from her dream in the post. This is followed by an invitation to stay at the house which is now a boutique hotel. Alice has a myriad questions about the house itself, about why she dreams about it and about what secrets her father may have concealed. She decides to accept the invitation and her boyfriend Leon goes with her for moral support as she hopes to unlock her memories and ‘put them to bed’. The story is told in dual timelines from 2019 and from 1976 onwards.

At the start of the book and for a considerable chunk of it there is a good Gothic vibe to the storytelling. Alice lives in Whitby which I daresay is a bit of a cliche in ghostly novels but the place, her sculptures and Halloween are used well to reinforce the creepiness. There’s plenty of tension and prickles of unease and it’s easy to read and entertaining. There’s a good mix of characters from the obnoxious to the likeable. The 1970’s/80’s timelines adds to the growing sense of the macabre with shades of the ghoulish, several images really do make me shiver and give me the heebie-jeebies. There’s a good atmosphere conveyed with the Suffolk island, it’s a great setting with an air of foreboding and menace, it feels claustrophobic and unnerving. The tension ramps up as a number of odd events occur and there’s a growing sense of impending danger, so far, so good. It starts to change though as you swoop from the Gothic and step into the 1930’s world of Agatha Christie. Talk about shades of ‘And then there were none’. I don’t mind the switch, it feels appropriate and matches the scenario created.

However, let’s deal with the ending and the twists. They’re bonkers!! Seriously madly bonkers!! It requires the donning of hefty disbelief suspenders! It’s sort of enjoyable in its lunacy I’ll grant you but be prepared to accept a ton weight of the far fetched!!!

Overall, it is entertaining, it’s an easy take to the beach read, it’s fun, it’s a bit mad at the end. In some ways I wish the author had stuck to the Gothic as these sections work well and are the parts that I like the most.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to HQ for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Island House by Amanda Brittany is a thriller read that has a gothic touch to the setting. The story is another that is told from different timelines and differing points of view in those timelines.

Alice Hadley is a sculptor who has just lost her father in a hit and run accident and is not sure how to go about life without him. Alice has always had strange nightmares and doesn’t have many memories of her childhood so when she gets an invitation to stay at a secluded island hotel that seems her father might have once been she accepts hoping to get a glimpse of her own past.

The Island House by Amanda Brittany was another novel that I had some ups and downs with while reading. First, I’d say the setting of this one was excellent. The creepy gothic hotel on a remote island was definitely one thing that had me hooked into the tale. I almost seemed more entertained by the chapters of the past than I was of the current though. I felt while reading that the beginning with Alice was a little slow and then I kind of wanted more to happen in the current storyline too. There were parts I would warn are almost tipping this one into horror too which I actually didn’t mind but some readers may think is a bit much. Overall, I’d say this one ended at three and a half stars for me.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/

[Tonya · Rating 4 out of 5]

After Alice’s father is killed in a hit and run, her life is bleak and full of mystery. Never knowing her mother, Alice feels alone with unanswered questions about her childhood. Alice longs to find out who is responsible for her father’s death. An anonymous letter invites Alice to a mysterious Gothic island guesthouse. The letter includes a photograph she swears is her father. What does her father have to do with this creepy place and why does she feel strangely connected to a place she has never visited? The story quickly turns into a whodunnit with twists around every corner. A gothic, isolated guesthouse may hold the key that will unlock the mystery of Alice’s past. Will Alice live to find the answers she craves, or will she fall victim to the deadly dwelling? Thank you NetGalley and HQ Digital for my copy.

[Lori (on hiatus, life is crazy busy)) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one started off slow, and eventually picked up. The Island House is a locked room mystery. It is told in both the past and the present. We are introduced to the main character, Alice. Her father has recently passed away and she wants to seek out answers from her past that her father would never ell her. What she uncovers is beyond shocking!! I liked the Gothic atmosphere and enjoyed the many twists and turns. I did not like the creepy ventriloquist dolls 😳

[Javier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review published in: https://diagnosisbookaholic.blogspot....

4,5 ⭐️

Locked room mystery, isolated setting, gothic vibes…was The Island House written thinking of me? It has all the elements I love in a mystery!

After her father dies in a hit and run seems like Alice’s questions about her childhood and her father’s past will go forever unanswered until she receives an invitation to visit an old gothic house turned hotel which she’s sure played a part in her childhood. And you know what happens to guests who check into gothic houses in isolated islands… exactly! They start dying one (or two) at a time.

With such an engaging premise it’s no surprising I flew through it. The atmosphere was fantastic and the creepiness was present from the first page. All the hints about what was going on in the attic and the puppets added to the sense of unease. Those puppets! They were so ghoulish. Loved them!

The story is told through dual timelines, one in 2019 and one starting in the 70s and moving forward. I found both equally engaging and loved how the past timeline developed. That weird relationship was another thing that added to the frightening feel that permeated the whole story.

When I thought I had it all figured out there was a twist that made me re-read some lines because at first I thought it was a typo, but NO, it was real and it made me gasp. I did not see that coming at all! From there everything unraveled and, although absolutely bonkers, it made perfect sense in a crazy kind of way.

Great atmospheric mystery that will delight all locked room mystery lovers. I’ve now read three of Ms. Brittany’s books and loved all three so I will be reading all her old ones and will wait anxiously her next release.

Thanks to NetGalley and HQ for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Pauline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alice’s father is killed in a hit and run incident and the driver is never found.
She then receives an invitation to a Gothic Hotel on a remote Island and instantly recognises it as place she had been to when she was a little girl.
The story was slow to begin but became creepy and bizarre once she got to the hotel.
A thriller with twist and turns but I did guess what was going on about half way through.
Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Louise Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

When Alice's father dies after a tragic hit and run accident, his death stirs up some unanswered questions about her childhood. Who was her mother, why did her mother never speak of the past, and why can't she remember anything before the age of seven? But when she receives an anonymous letter containing a photograph of a refurbished guesthouse surrounded by water, an invitation to stay, old memories fight to resurface. Convinced clues of her past lie at the hotel, she checks in. A storm cuts the guesthouse off. Then two bodies are found. The hotel owner is missing.

This is a well written whodunit. I quite like reading them, trying to work out who and what has gone on. The story has a dual timeline, 2019: present day and 1980s: the past. Alice is quite a creepy character. There were some clever twists and scary ventriloquist dolls. I did guess where the story was going from the start. The ending was a bit weird.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #HQ and the author #AmandaBrittany for my ARC of #TheIslandHouse in exchange for an honest review.

[The Sassy Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I am giving this one 5 stars because it was a blast to read. I finished it all in one sitting and freaking loved every moment of it. I could read locked-room mysteries all day, every day and never get bored. This one was well written. Well paced. Creepy. Had a suitably atmospheric setting. Plenty of twists and turns. A good mix of likable and annoying characters. And the ending was a crazy ride! 🙌🏻 Not much more to say...LOVED IT!

**ARC Via NetGalley**

[Kaora · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was a decent enough read but nothing happens until almost 50% into the book, and the event comes off as almost cheesy. I was hoping for a good island ghost story instead I got a thriller type book with bland characters.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great locked-room mystery, this would be perfect for Halloween. It is so atmospheric and spooky, thanks to the gothic setting, that this will certainly have your spine a-tingling!

The story focuses on an old house that has been refurbished into a hotel. Alice has received an exclusive invitation to its opening weekend but it takes a lot of convincing for her to visit. Having recently lost her father, Alice is struggling to re-engage with life and it is only when she has such a successful time in her shop that she realises venturing beyond her very small existence will actually be beneficial.

However, arriving at this hotel is the start of her troubles. With ghastly weather and a tide cutting off the island, the gothic interior does not do much to ease Alice’s worries. Coupled with the absent hotel owner, Alice cannot help but think that something is just not right. Then, when two guests are found dead, the realisation of how isolated they are from society makes this hotel break seem deadly.

I liked how the story switches between present day and an intriguing story in the past. This was particularly chilling and I think this added atmosphere to Alice’s story. Furthermore, the writer switches perspectives between several characters, providing surprising and unexpected insights to their thoughts and feelings. As the novel progressed, I was excited to make connections between the two timeframes and relished in the revelations. There are plenty of twists and turns to the narrative and I enjoyed not being able to see how the story would unfold. I think this adds to the success of this murder-mystery.

This was such an engrossing and fast-paced read; I could not put it down. At the same time, I felt thrilled at being chilled – definitely intensified by the storm swirling around the island. Alice’s uncertainty and flashbacks made things even more disorientated, especially as her distrust increases towards all of the hotel guests. She has vague memories of her childhood and warnings from her late father about the past makes her fearful of this hotel at revealing secrets that have been desperately hidden from her. The chilling paintings and puppets were scenes you would expect from a horror film and I could vividly picture these within the hotel’s gothic interior.

If you are looking for a gothic, murder mystery, this should definitely be on your list! I loved the surprises within the narrative and the connections gradually established between the characters. A great read.

With thanks to HQ Digital and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book- it was atmospheric and creepy, not to mention action packed. It centers on Alice, whose father dies suddenly; as she is reeling from his death, she receives an invitation to a gothic hotel that looks exactly like a building she has been dreaming about for years. Despite misgivings, she determines that she has to go and check it out. Alice can't remember the first few years of her life and her father was not forthcoming with information; she feels that there is a tie between this hotel and the missing time. There are also alternating chapters told from the point of view of Verity, but the reader doesn't initially know the connection between these 2 primary characters.

Once you get the background and the story moves to the hotel, it becomes a "locked room" type mystery, where guests start getting picked off one by one and the guilty person may be one of the other guests. The author wasn't afraid to kill people off, so you never knew who might be next.

I thought I had determined who the villain was, though I had a couple back-up guesses, when the author shocked me with the unveiling of that person and proved me wrong. There were a few major revelations at the end of the story that not only answered any lingering questions, but truly surprised me. I liked the book anyway, but really liked being caught off guard when it all came together.

Overall, this was a fun mystery read with an ending that is surprising without being totally unbelievable. I have read other books by this author but this one was my favorite. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[andi · Rating 2 out of 5]

↦ 2.5 stars

↦cw: violence, murder, mentions of suicide, child abuse


unfortunately the island house was a bit of a miss for me. i'm sure other people will love it, but it had some problems that i simply couldn't get past, so i didn't really enjoy this novel.

i did like the setting. a gothic hotel situated on an island, while there's a storm so there's no way to reach out to anyone. makes for a perfect set up for murder. loved the creepy atmosphere and how paranoid the characters were when they got to said hotel.

i had problems with the pacing of the story. i did understand we needed a bit of context before we actually get to the fun parts, but it dragged a lot. the beginning could've easily been shorter, so it wouldn't get boring.

the worst part of this book is the different POVs mainly because i don't understand their purpose. the book is already written in 3rd perspective, so switching from alice to leon didn't do much for the story. i get that the switch was introduced at the beginning to let us know leon is keeping a secret, but was there no other way to handle this but a pov switch? their voices were similar and sometimes i forgot whose perspective i was reading from, which isn't a great thing. i also didn't understand why the author chose to add a character's perspective in 1st pov, while everyone else's is in 3rd person. the book didn't need this many perspectives.

verity's and hugh's story reminded me a bit of crimson peak, minus the incest (thank god). to be honest, verity was the only character that had a personality. i feel like both alice and leon were very one dimensional, while verity didn't lack in that aspect. although, sometimes it came across as if the author was trying too hard to let us know she's crazy by making her act weird, but it seemed so out of character.

i would have given the island house 3 stars, but the twists just put me off so much. i understand it tried to be shocking, but they were so far-fetched. it wasn't believable at all and it tried so hard to act like this is a perfectly normal ending. i really didn't like the ending.

↦ thank you to netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest opinion!

[BonnieM☂️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Island House was an interesting read. It was really scary and I had to stop and then come back as my curiosity wanted to know what was happening next. The book is divided into four parts. Flynn House is on 'Seafield Island. It has been vacant for many years and was once owned by Felix Flynn a famous magician and ventriloquist. It is now being made into a gothic hotel. Alice Hadley is the main character along with all the supporting characters. She is a sculpturer and owns Alice's Sculptures in Wonderland. Her father, Adam Hadley is a famous author of gothic books. He is killed in a hit and run. She moves into his house Butterfly Cottage. Faith is her best friend and works for her. Leon is her ex-boyfriend who she still cares for. Alice gets an email from Cameron Patterson inviting her to the hotel for the weekend as he bought one of her sculptures. She decides to go for the weekend and asks Leon to join her. They arrive at the hotel and strange things start to happen. Faith and her boyfriend Mitch are there too. The reader is taken from the past to the present throughout the book. The book takes the reader on a scary adventure to the unexpected ending.

This book would be a wonderful movie.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins Publishers for this ARC. .

[❀ Crystal ✿ - PEACE ☮ LOVE ♥ BOOKS · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC provided by NetGalley for an Honest Review
3.5 Stars
This was an odd read for me. The book took quite awhile to pick up and the start is laden with misery as the heroine mourns her father. I will say while some of the plot was predictable there were a few times I was taken by surprise particularly in the end. The storyline never really ramped up to thrilling levels but it was a decent read and I was pretty sucked into the story. I really felt invested in the heroine getting to the bottom of what was going on at this mysterious island home to find peace. There was also the many mysteries with her fathers past and his death that took a constant toll on her. It was odd from the start that she was able to describe the home perfectly and did so in her artwork but had no memories having ever been there. Then again there were quite a few childhood memories the heroine unfortunately had to face and this is where things got a bit crazy. Her past and present collided with a whole lot of people caught in the crossfire. I do wish the book was a bit more exciting especially after that depressing start but it certainly worked as a Sunday afternoon cozy mystery.

[Charlott · Rating 4 out of 5]

***ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review***

3.5*

This book took me on a journey that surprised me. It creeped me out and did a great job of creating a suspenseful atmosphere. There were some choices made about halfway through the book that I questioned, I felt like the book suddenly was too extreme and also that too much was being revealed at once. I worried that the story would just be predictable from there. But I was surprised to realise as I continued that the author managed to real everything back in. I was definitely creeped out and sometimes even shocked. The ending was nicely wrapped up and there were not really any loose threads left which I also appreciated.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absorbing, brilliant who-dunnit in a creepy setting, this had me hooked. The dual timeline worked well and added to the suspense, the puppets added even more macabre and the twists just kept coming. An addictive gripping read.

[Kamaryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well this was definitely a twisted tale I will say that! I was NOT expecting any of that when I first came into this novel, a mystery thriller set in a small English town where Alice tragically loses her father is then invited to stay at a gothic mansion on a secluded island with several strangers and two friends for a mysterious vacation, where their elusive host remains to be heard from or seen. Bodies start dropping and Alice is wondering what the real reason they were all chosen is. This book really reminds me of one of my favorite novels the family upstairs. It gives me Gothic/Horror mystery set in modern times where people really don’t know about their past or future. I love creepy Gothic mansion because they always hold tons of secrets and death, and this book was not short on any of those qualities! There were some parts that did seem drawn out and I did get lost for a bit but I found my way back, I feel like the final scene with the culprit deserved more “fight” but I was pleasantly satisfied when I finished this book and I will be returning to this author!

[Beth Roger aka Katiebella_Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

A trip down a rabbit hole

I loved this read. Starts out like a haunted house story, turns into a clue who dun it, and ends with a twist that will shock you.

[Kristy♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

So many mixed thoughts and feelings about this one. This is a pretty quick read, but there were times when the story seemed to drag a little bit for some reason. I also never really got a connection going with the characters, and I always love extra detail.

It was an okay read. A bit weird. Not really sure what my overall thoughts are with this one just yet.

[Kay Oliver · Rating 2 out of 5]

Until 30% in, this book was blah. I kept waiting for something, anything significant to happen, intriguing. Finally, they make it to the hotel and my interest was piqued. The mystery starts to unravel, except right away I guess what's going on. Thinking maybe I had it wrong and big twist is awaiting me, I continued reading. The story is fast-paced and ominous which was my favorite aspect. I loved the hotel and its dark theme. I the end, I had guessed the outcome and there were no big twists.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and HQ for allowing me to read an arc of this book. I was just approved for it yesterday and I read it right away. The writing drew me in right away and before I knew it, I was a third through the book. I loved the characters-they had distinct personalities and lives. I have read a lot of thrillers, and this one is a step above - intelligent, and the writing. the characters and the story were all excellent and I read it in two sittings. (It would have been one, but I felt the need to eat and do a few chores!)

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a good trapped murder mystery that is a quick read. This book is not drawn out and it kept me guessing the whole time. I had an inkling near the end, but was still surprised.

Thanks Netgalley and publisher for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

[Joanne Robertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this one! A gothic style psychological thriller with a touch of And Then There Were None, I was gripped from the first page as the creepy ingredients were added one by one (an untouched attic, noises that shouldn’t be there and the worst one of all…a ventriloquist dummy!! I mean, that’s never going to end well is it?!?) Full of unlikeable characters/suspects, The Island House is a gripping, uncomfortable and chilling read that had me glued to my sofa, constantly looking over my shoulder with LOTS of lights on! The unexpected twisty ending was a perfect conclusion to this disturbingly atmospheric book and means a five star review from me!

[Antonio · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rather bland remote house story with a "who dun nit", and every trick in the horror toolkit still can't give it the foreboding atmosphere that it craves.

[Michael Dawson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Found this book very boring after listening to a couple of chapters no character development nothing remotely interesting happens in the story

[Madeline · Rating 3 out of 5]

The setting was perfect the story was okay…

[Femke · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ rounded up

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the idea of a book about people trapped in a creepy place so I was looking forward to reading this. It kept my attention and I wasn’t expecting the twist at the end.