Private Island

by M.J. Hardy

Only the invited get to stay.
Only the lucky ones get to leave.

When Katrina Darlington lost everything, she turned to a stranger for help.
Desperate and grieving, she trusted the hand of friendship and travelled halfway across the world to a very private island.

Blue skies, blistering sunshine, and luxury on a scale way beyond the average person’s means.
The perfect place to start again, surrounded by warm and friendly people who have your best interests at heart.

Or not!

Catalina Island is paradise hiding a sinister secret.
Will Katrina become just another one of its victims, and after having lost everything, discover she still has even more to lose?

Desire creates lies and deception, but is having it all worth losing your humanity?
Were the people you trust most in the world the ones you should have feared all along?

It’s time to find out.

When you lose everything, the only thing left to find is yourself.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Ebooks, Mystery, Thriller Suspense

252 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 20, 2022

About the author

Librarian's note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quick read. It held my interest, but was quite far-fetched. Katrina loses her parents in an accident and is quickly offered a job at a beautiful island resort. However, there is something sinister going on at the island that she is determined to figure out. The ending felt rushed. And I struggled with the writing style; it lacked imagery and there were minor mistakes that I had to re-read thinking I had missed something. I also may be alone here, but I was bothered by the number of times Nate winked. So much winking; it didn’t seem natural.

[Lucy Dunphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. I did enjoy this book, the plotline was quite interesting but I found it a bit predictable so I wasn't shocked when the big reveal came. The plot flowed really well and wasn't drawn out at all. It was quick and easy to read. I'll look forward to seeing what MJ Hardy has in store for us next.

I received a free copy of this book and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Caron Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really didn't like the writing style of this at all, the premis was good but written in quite a childlike way I felt, I doubt I'd read this author again.

[Don · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t understand how authors can come up with this convoluted story, but it was amazing. There was plenty of action, and a respectable number of characters that interacted to make this a very interesting read. Then when Katrina got off the island I thought it was all going to be tied up neater than a bow, wow was I wrong. What an ending, nice job Hardly. 5

[Lise · Rating 2 out of 5]

The sudden loss of her parents leaves Katrina Darlington adrift. Impoverished and homeless, when her inheritance is bequeathed to a mysterious charity, Katrina turns to a stranger for help. A new life in Florida, far from her UK home, makes her uneasy. Is this paradise as wonderful as it seems, or is there something darker below the surface?

In reviewing my feelings after reading Private Island, I came to several conclusions:
- The gentle pace of this book needed a more dynamic flow.
- The writing was simplistic.
- There were typos and grammatical issues which required editing.
- The plot twists were predictable.
- The main character lacked appeal, making it difficult to stay sympathetic to her plight.
- There were main concepts that could be potentially triggering (teenage drinking, infidelity, coercion).

While I did finish the book, it was not my cup of tea. The cover is gorgeous, however.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

You wake up one morning and you have loving parents and a brilliant future ahead of you till you get told your parents have died in a car accident and then thinking you will be set up for the rest of your life to then find out all the inheritance will be going to a foundation.
Welcome to Katrina Darlington’s life, she’s 18, lost her parents and has no money or no where to live.
Then all of a sudden a lifeline is handed to her and can this be real, is this true. A job on an island which is a paradise island!
Things seem to good to be true for Kat, she meets a good looking guy that is way too good for her as she thinks.
But is the island all she thinks it is.
The story keeps you going as you are sure something underlying doesn’t seem right, but there are twists and turns and a good read that keeps you wanting to read more.

[Mae Clair · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun, glossy, popcorn experiment in excess. When Katrina Darlington's parents die in an accident, she finds herself a step away from homelessness when their will leaves everything (including the roof over her head) to an unknown foundation. Given their close relationship, the disposition of the will makes no sense, but Katrina soon discovers it to be iron clad.

A stranger claiming to be an old friend of her parents arranges for her to work the summer at a private island. Everything is provided from lodging to meals. Even better the resort is equivalent to the Hamptons on steroids. It all seems too good to be true, but it doesn't take long for the sun-washed beaches, gilded nightlife and tropical surroundings to add up to something sinister.

There are only a handful of guests at a time, each couple having special "meetings" with the director of the island, while the staff is often left with little work to do. They are encouraged to "pair up," with another staff member, although a few previous employees have left under mysterious circumstances. There is no wifi on the island, and it is only reachable by boat, a sun-drenched paradise for the super wealthy.

Although the plot is highly convoluted, it's also one that sucks you in immediately. It didn't go in the direction I anticipated and for that I give kudos to the author. A few plot threads kept me guessing, and I found the wrap at the end wholly satisfying. This would make a great Lifetime movie. Don't take it too seriously--just sit back and enjoy the ride!

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Paradise Unveiled

Kat Darlington, still in shock after her parents were killed in a road traffic accident, discovers their will left everything to the ‘Green Valley Foundation’, making her homeless and penniless. A ‘friend’ of her parents, who attended their funeral is Kat’s only hope. Madeleine arranges a summer job that will give Kat somewhere to stay and an income before she continues her education.

Bewildered Kat is stunned to find that the lifeline thrown her by Madeleine is to work as a receptionist at a sumptuously luxurious resort on a private island. She is flown to Florida and ferried to Catalina Island where everyone seems to be in Paradise, living the dream. Kat quickly succumbs, falling in love with a co-worker, Nate, wondering if she will ever want to leave to pursue her goal of studying medicine.

But there is an undercurrent of suspicion - what really happens on Catalina Island? Are Madeleine, and her boyfriend Chester, all they seem? Will Kat ever be allowed to leave?

This potboiler is not without flaws and readers will pick up quickly on the clues to what is really going on. All the same, it’s a good beach read that combines mystery and romance.

[Jill Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short book is packed with fast-moving drama. Eighteen-year old Katrina loses her parents in a freak car accident. When the will is read, they gave everything to The Green Foundation and left Kat nothing. A family friend, Madeline, comes to her rescue and offers her a job and a place to stay on a beautiful, privately-owned island off the coast of Florida. As idyllic as it seems, there is something off about this place, especially the part where it is encouraged for staffers to couple up. Adam, the assistant chef, warns her of his suspicious thoughts of what is really going on and engages her help to expose the owners. They steal evidence, escape on a jet ski, and eventually bring the operation down. The story would be seen as far-fetched, but not really when you think of Jeffrey Epstein and his downfall. The only part I felt was not believable was how mature this 18-year old conducted her thoughts and actions. I felt her character was more like a 25-year old. But, the story was clean, fast, and easy to follow. Go!

[Dana Granville · Rating 2 out of 5]

Got this ebook for free so not entirely disappointed with it, but definitely not the best book I've ever read. Katrina's parents die in a tragic car accident when she's 18 years old. To make matters even worse, she was completely left out of the will and the money is going to some organization she's never heard of before. With only 30 days left before she's evicted from her childhood home, she meets an unknown-to-her friend of her parents who says she may be able to help her out. She is then given the opportunity to travel to a remote, private island to work at a luxury resort over the summer and get her life back on track. However, this seemingly idyllic island is hiding some dark secrets. I felt the writing was very juvenile. The premise of the book was decent, but the execution of it was pretty lacking. Just a pretty 'meh' book overall, but at least it was short and didn't take me long to read; only 2 sittings.

[Kelly_reads_books22 · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

Kat Darlington is reeling after her parents are killed in a tragic car accident only to find they left her nothing. Their home and assets gifted to a non-profit. With no answers and no place to turn, Kat finds herself on Catalina Island. A mysterious friend of her parents offers to get her a job on Catalina while she works through what to do next. The island seems too good to be true and it is. The more Kat digs, more the secrets she finds and the more danger she's in.

This book just didn't really do much for me. It felt repetitive and overhyped.

[Jenny Coyne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I suppose the first half had some promise of this going somewhere, but at that point it was obvious what they were doing. I just didn't know who all was involved. Then at 75% I thought I was in for a twist. That was short lived. After that the book wrapped up very quickly and left me very unsatisfied. If Adam and Katerina's actions alone brought down the organization, I might have been happier, but to find out that there were already operatives on the island and a sting was in place? Totally anticlimactic.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. I feel like this book was either self published or a quick write up to get it out. It had a good start, cool story line and build up was going well and then all of a sudden it just ended. Felt like It had that"just need to finish writing this book so here it is" feel to it, which is sad as it did have a interesting storyline. Don't get me wrong it did work just not a smooth transition from point A to z. 😁 Almost like this was a first book. Overall I finished it, not upset for wasting my time reading it and ir wasnt horrible. Fun read I guess.

[Melissa Borsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

You have just lost your parents in an accident and the house you thought was your forever home has been left to an organization you’ve never heard of and then out of the blue you are offered a job with free housing on a beautiful private island. Too good to be true? Yup! This author has once again given me a creative, engrossing, suspenseful five star read! Highly recommend this book and all of her books.

[Michael Dennos · Rating 1 out of 5]

Woooooooooooooow...

To call this book amateurish would be an understatement. This is really, really not good. Joke's on me, though, I guess, cause the cover gave me summer-y vibes that I wanted to try to take advantage of. But everything about this -- the dialogue, characterization, plot development, pacing, editing -- feels like the rough draft of a rough draft that somehow got published.

The worst book I've read in a while, hands down.

[Carey Mundy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not all is at at seeMs at this mystery island off the west coast of Florida. When Kay’s parents die suddenly and she is left penniless, a woman seeks her out and offers her a job on this island. When Kat arrives, things seems off and as the true story about what goes on her is revealed it has startling consequences. Read it in a day!

[Zodiac Mindwarp · Rating 2 out of 5]

I usually give independent authors a break, especially if I haven’t paid for the novel, but this book was particularly bad. It was almost a ‘did not finish’ and that almost never happens. The characters are one-dimensional and the plot is quite predictable. Overall high rating tells me I am in the minority so I hope you enjoy it if you decide to give it a chance.

[Karen Cino · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first two-thirds of the book was fantastic. When it came to pulling everything together, I found the ending was rushed. The overall story was interesting. I loved the private island setting and the characters kept evolving and kept the story moving. I'm looking forward to reading another book by this author. Overall this is a good beach read.

[Christine Halloran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didn’t Expect the Ending

Crazy, sad beginning, but exciting twists and turns as the book moves to the island. Who wouldn’t want to live and work in this paradise? But then comes comes the weirdness and questions…. and the story really takes off with all questions being answered!

[Cherri Sissel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent story!

This is the first book I've read by my Hardy and I can't recommend it highly enough. Excellent mystery and great story telling. I was not sure who the bad guys were. Moved along very fast and was never dull.

[Kathleen Downey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow

This is a fantastic read. Don't let the title fool you. This story is nothing what I expected. I couldn't put it down. The author did a wonderful job writing this book. Congratulations. Job well done.

[Sandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing is repetitive and simplistic. I stopped halfway in and just couldn't force myself to continue. I cant figure out why it has so many high ratings. Is the second half written by someone else?

It was a free kindle book.

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story

Some good plot twists. A bit predictable at times, but not entirety. A quick easy read while staying in our RV, practically the only time I take to read for pleasure.

[sharon check · Rating 4 out of 5]

A page turner paradise.

What I liked about this tale was the sometimes unexpected twists in the story . There were a few mistakes that puzzled me but not enough to stop reading and the end was almost too happy ever after for me but over all it was an entertaining read

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Started out rather slow, and I was not impressed with the level of writing, seemed very elementary. That said, it was a very easy read and was entertaining enough to keep me going. Felt like a teenager lesson, though, which I suppose isn’t a bad thing.

[Elkie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mindless entertainment in a luxurious island setting with gullible, beautiful people.

Ho hum.

But hey,I admit to reading it all the way to the end, so it got my attention. (Sips coco loco cocktail, munches bar nuts).

[penny robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riveting !!

I could not put this book down! Twists and turns on every page keeps you guessing til the last chapter. Thank you MJHardy aka
S J Crabb for another wonderful novel !!

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick and easy read. Entertaining, great ending, not violent and gory. Kind of thriller lite so to speak. which was a plus for me. Just a good read.

[Kate Davies · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable easy read

A good story, decent enough writing. A good beach read. Not deep and not hugely descriptive writing but nothing bad about it.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic. Enjoyed reading