Juniper Isle

by Ava Roberts

What if you awoke on a girls getaway... and found a dead body in your garage? What if your best friend told you not to call the police?

A getaway to a lush vacation rental with her dearest friend, Camilla, is just what Abby needs after a tough break up.

Back on the island where Abby spent her childhood, she comes face-to-face with her first love, Micah, on the weekend before his wedding to another woman. Abby finds herself agreeing to attend the ceremony. But not everyone wants her there. Threatening notes appear. Personal items are stolen from her room. Soon, Micah's invasive, dysfunctional family is making her life miserable, and a long buried scandal resurfaces.

As Abby realizes it may have been a mistake to return to the island, a hurricane approaches, and half of the wedding party gets trapped at Abby’s house during the storm. As wind and rain hammer the house, tempers flare, secrets are revealed, and Abby learns that danger comes from the least expected place.

And by morning, one of them is dead.

Genres: Thriller, Ebooks, Amazon, Fiction, Thriller Suspense

251 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 26, 2022

About the author

Ava Roberts is a clinical psychologist turned author who knows that the most unsettling things often lurk just beneath the surface. She is the author of The Vanishing Neighbor, Juniper Isle, the Thistler Thrillers series, and The Summer House Murder (2026). Kirkus Reviews called The Summer House Murder “a whirlwind domestic thriller that’s also a pitiless anatomy of the costs of motherhood and sisterhood.” She lives in Massachusetts with her husband, two kids, and an overactive imagination.

Reviews

[Nina (ninjasbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A getaway to a lush vacation rental with her best friend is just what Abby needs after breaking off her engagement to her fiancé. She’s on her way out to enjoy a relaxing day at the beach when she notices a foul smell in the garage. She freezes when she sees the limb of a dead body. How did this person die and why are they in her garage? Her memories of last night are foggy at best. When she asks her best friend what happened, she says Abby must not call the police.

The debut certainly jumps right into the action. We are presented with a body and the incentive to read on is there from the start. Robert knows how to create an atmosphere, I could feel the warm breeze on my skin. The book have twists and turns, and you don’t want to miss anything. I sometimes felt dizzy from the changes in Abby, her confusion became my own. Who can she trust? What does she want to do? Robert did a good job with describing the dilemmas and how it unsettles the body and mind. I just wanted to reach out to Abby, tell her that everything would be okay.

The first twist was a shock. Didn’t see that coming and had to hold back some skepticism. But the motive of the characters made sense considering what we learn, although I still felt a bit dazed by all the revelations.

The writing style was to my liking. It was to the point and flowed nicely along.

All in all a solid debut novel and I look forward to reading more of her books in the future.

Thanks to Ava Roberts for a copy in exchange for an honest review

[Tonya · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fast paced thriller that had me on the edge of my seat!

This is the first book I have read from this author, but definitely will not be the last. Juniper Isle is fast paced, intense and unputdownable! Just when I thought I knew where the story was going, it took an unexpected turn that lead to a surprising twist I never saw coming. This thriller is a roller coaster ride from start to finish. I was hooked from the first page and extremely entertained until the satisfying conclusion. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Lydia Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first book I have read by Ava Roberts. What a thriller this book is. It is definitely a book you can't put down once you start reading it. The plot twists are so unexpected. Just when I thought I knew where the story was going, it took an unexpected turn. You won't be bored with this book. You will want more. Highly recommend.

[CarolG · Rating 2 out of 5]

Being back on Juniper Isle where she spent her childhood has brought Abby face-to-face with her first love, Micah, on the eve of his wedding. She's staying in a luxurious rental home with her friend Camilla who is studying for the bar exam and Abby is getting over a break-up with her fiance James.

So we have the narrator's ex-boyfriend and his fiancee, a jilted fiance who wants his fiancee (sorry, I don't know how to make an accent aigu!) back, a hurricane and a dead body. Plus Camilla who's having relationship problems with her wife. It was all too much and slightly improbable. It was a pretty good debut novel but unfortunately it wasn't for me. It didn't have much depth and I couldn't really relate to any of the characters or the whole situation. I'm an outlier though and there are many positive reviews you should check out if you're thinking of reading it. It was certainly a fast and easy read with nice short chapters in any event. Because I'm a bit of a perfectionist, I was a little put off by the number of editing errors in this book. Do authors not read their own work once it's done or have a friend who can give it the once-over? I came across "petal" instead of "pedal", "form" instead of "from", "they'll" instead of "there'll", etc., but maybe most people wouldn't even notice.

This was a Kindle Unlimited read. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Paula Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

They always say you can't go back home again and there are times that you shouldn't. This story is about one of those times. It was a good story but some questions were left unanswered and can never be answered.

[Kristin Culp · Rating 5 out of 5]

I literally couldn't wait to read this book every night! I haven't read a book that has kept me this enthralled in a long time - I was hooked from page 1 and thoroughly enjoyed it. The story was exciting and the plot twists were so unexpected. I can't wait to read her next book!

[Elizabeth of Silver's Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

FULL REVIEW WILL BE ON MARCH 4, but The book is out NOW!!

Check it out - a great debut!!

A category one hurricane, an invitation to an ex’s wedding, a body, and an ex-fiancé showing up definitely make the perfect storm. 

JUNIPER ISLE is a mystery, a murder, a coverup, and a love triangle all wrapped into one with a “who can you trust”” group of characters.

Mystery fans and women’s fiction fans will enjoy Ms Robert’s debut. 4/5

This book was given to me by the author for a honest review.

[judith james · Rating 3 out of 5]

Left Hanging

A great book--until the end. It was as though Ms. Roberts had a sudden bout of writer's block and decided to end the story. I was very invested in the book; I couldn't read it fast enough! All the hours spent reading! Only to be extremely let down and left hanging.

[patricia sendelbach · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of weird and unsatisfactory ending.

[Samantha · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have no idea how this book is getting so many 5 or 4 star reviews. It's ridiculous.

The first half was interesting but then to have Micah's mom be "Peggy" didn't even make sense. It went from good, to okay, to stupid, to wtf ? And the ending was just left so unfinished. As if the author just didn't know how to end it.

First, why would you think it's a good idea to go to your ex's wedding ?! Even before anything happened, that's a solid no. Also very unrealistic that they would be able to just Willy nilly invite two extra people. THEN when he says the wrong name at the rehearsal dinner, you DEFINITELY shouldn't be going to the wedding the next day. Holy fuckin yikes.

The sisters boating accident being blamed on Abby is stupid as fuck. She says to her friend "hey yeah you and your boyfriend can use the boat for sure" and somehow that made her responsible for their death ?! That doesn't make any sense.

The plot twists were comical. Having her ex fiancé turn out to be hired as a hit man when he's a guy who works in movies is ridiculous. And then to have him make a documentary series about it, BRO YOU HELPED COVER IT UP YOU COULD DO JAIL TIME ALSO.

Then suddenly a dancing with stars person wants her to come on the show ????? She's not a celebrity.. it hasn't even been 15 minutes of fame. If you didn't watch that ONE documentary about her, you would have no idea who she is.

Just holy fuckin yikes.

[Alison Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an amazing debut by Ava Roberts! I loved all of the twists and turns. I read so many thrillers, I can sometimes guess where they are going. This one kept the twists coming and I couldn’t put it down. I would definitely read whatever she writes, if this is her first book starting out!

Thank you to the author for the ARC!

This book is available on KU to all my friends reading this review! I highly recommend it.

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story, but it really needs editing. There are a lot of typos. Things like "though" instead of "thought", "isle" instead of "aisle", "parities" instead of "parties", "overdoes" instead of "overdose" and at one point a woman had "liquored" nails instead of "lacquered". Also, Abby was shivering from the air conditioning during a power outage from the hurricane. I thought the ending was a bit abrupt too, but I did enjoy the story overall. I would read another book by this author, but I hope it is better edited next time.

[Kelsey Messineo · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one wasn't written very well. The characters were stupid and didn't have much depth. The female main character was fooling around with 2 guys. It also drug on. I thought there would be more twists and turns based off of the blub.

[Sandi · Rating 2 out of 5]

In spite of the many great reviews I didn’t get this one. Didn’t care for the shallow characters. The premise of the story is bizarre because who gets involved with their exes wedding!?! And murder/cover up of people you’re supposed to love. Just crazy! Get off the island. Haha!

[Melissa barton · Rating 3 out of 5]

good read until last chapter

Every thing was going great, good plot, good characters, ending was not what I expected.. but I still would read more from author.

[Jamie Utz · Rating 2 out of 5]

SO many typos

[Ashley Boyles · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved this story, but there were too many grammatical errors to give it a 5 star rating.

[Gwen Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

DELICIOUSLY DANGEROUS … AND THEN SOMEONE DIES

Nothing puts a crimp in your style like calling off your engagement after you’ve splurged on a stiff white dress. Just ask Abby Taylor. There’s one with price tags hanging in her walk-in closet heralding her official split from fiancée James. The upshot? All she wants to do is drown her sorrow in the nearest bottle of alcohol and heal her troubled soul. But the seclusion she seeks is found on Juniper Isle … or so she believes. While things start out okay, everything quickly degenerates into wonky when she finds out that Micah, an ex of hers, is also on the island—and not alone. It seems that a devastatingly beautiful girl named Kelly has accompanied him, and that the couple plan to marry soon. But running into Micah kicks up old memories of when Abby once thought he was her soulmate. So when he confides that he’s never stopped loving her, and that he’ll call off the wedding if she just says the word, she contemplates pulling the trigger, but two things stop her. The first is James showing up out of nowhere and begging her to take him back. And the second? It’s the dead body she finds in the garage.

Had a great time reading JUNIPER ISLE by Ava Roberts. It’s one of those books you can’t put down—and I double-dog dare you to try! I read past my bedtime on multiple occasions and never regretted the decision. The truth is that the author has done a phenomenal job in creating this psychological thriller-diller that goes in every direction except straight down. The action non-stop, the twists and turns are designed to give you mental rope burn, but that’s the point! It’s bingo-bango swathed in moody from beginning to the spectacular ending that wraps up all those dangling who-did-it loose ends in a neat, tidy little bow.

The story is written in first-person present tense. It’s a good selection because it gives us a peek into Abby’s inner machinations … including her plans to do things that are outright illegal. But the question isn’t how many years she could get, it’s whether the collusion will keep our feisty heroine out of prison. It’s an important distinction and one any potential murderer needs to consider.

And did I mention the hurricane hurtling towards the tiny island? Well, I should have because it's gaining speed and about to hit. Let me tell you that that storm makes one magnificent backdrop for the shenanigans caused by passions to play out in a homicidal shade of red.

In summary, JUNIPER ISLE is a stylish mix of combustible mayhem. The story that advances because of the usage of areas of the character’s brains associated with the criminally insane, the frenzy birthed the adage that: “If you fill a room with enough liquored up nut jobs, there’ll eventually be a homicide.” However, the result is to the reader’s advantage in savoring a dark tale, so mum’s the word. FIVE BIG GLORIOUS STARS for this one!

[Aurélie Marie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got this book on a Stuff Your Kindle Day because the cover was gorgeous and the blurb sounded so promising. Unfortunately, that’s about where the excitement ended, because the execution was… rough.

Let’s start with the pacing. It somehow managed to be both too fast and too slow at the same time. Scenes flew by with little to no detail the kind of descriptive writing that would have made the story immersive was completely missing yet the middle dragged with endless internal monologues and repetitive filler. Instead of a polished thriller, it read like a rough outline rushed out the door.

Then there’s the plot. I’m sorry, but what? The premise quickly veers from “fast-paced thriller” into “this would literally never happen.” Getting wrapped up in your ex’s wedding as a central plotline? Really? This isn’t fantasy I’m supposed to buy into it as a realistic thriller, and it just wasn’t believable in the slightest. If you’re going to hinge the story on something that outlandish, then at least give me enough detail to suspend disbelief.

Take Abby and Micah’s relationship: it’s supposed to be central, but we’re given nothing meaningful to hold onto. Blair’s death? Barely skimmed over, yet it’s supposedly the entire reason Micah’s mom wants Abby dead. That’s not a small detail to breeze past. Oh, and the affair between Micah’s mom and Abby’s ex-fiancé? Dropped in like an afterthought and then left dangling. These aren’t side notes — these are the bones of the story, and they were treated like optional bullet points. Fast-paced doesn’t mean you get to skip the main plot.

And don’t even get me started on the grammar. The sheer number of mistakes pulled me out of the story over and over again. Honestly, it gave the impression that this book went to print without ever seeing an editor, which is a shame because the premise had real potential.

As for the ending… oof. Thrillers live and die by their conclusion, and this one just collapsed. I was holding out hope that the last act would redeem the slog, tie things together, and hit me with the kind of punchy twist that makes you say, “Well, that was worth it.” Instead, the twist felt forced, flat, and — worst of all — boring. I get that Roberts was probably aiming for something unexpected, but “unexpected” doesn’t automatically mean “good.” In this case, it was neither satisfying nor clever, just deeply disappointing.

To be fair, the skeleton of a good story is here. With stronger editing, consistent pacing, deeper character development, and a little more respect for the intelligence of the reader, this book could actually work. But as it stands, it reads more like a rough draft than a finished novel.

[Kayla Hicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Abby is just another woman who has her dreams dashed when she suspects her fiance is having an affair. Scooting back to a favorite vacation spot of her childhood with her best friend for a weekend to clear her head, she runs into her first love, Micah, who is about to get married. 


As a rush of feelings come back, Abby questions herself and how she let her life go the way it did. But it didn't help that Micah's sister drowned after borrowing Abby's family boat. That was the nail in the coffin for Micah and Abby's relationship.


But seeing Micah and feeling these old feelings, she finds herself attending his wedding, happening that weekend, and helping his Fiance with her photo shoot. 


But things get out of control quickly leading to a series of events that will change Abby's life forever.


Roberts does a phenomenal job of throwing twist after twist at the reader. Doing a fabulous job of painting a clear picture that we don't truly know anyone as well as we think we do. 


Just when I thought I'd figured out what was going to happen, something new happened making me second guess everything once again.


Each of the characters were mysterious enough to lead the reader to think anyone was in on the betrayal against Abby making for an interesting read.


A big 5 star rating from me.

[Melissa (honeybee.reads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐

Juniper Isle is an addictive and fast paced suspense ride. Right from the start you're thrown into the action, no fluff, no filler which is something I love in my thrillers. Roberts’s writing is immersive and descriptive without it being too much. Once I started reading I couldn't stop, I just needed to know what was happening.

Abby's mind kept going back and forth, her confusion was palpable. There are a few twists and turns throughout that definitely caught me off guard and threw me off. My only thing is I found the ending to be a little abrupt and missing something for me to be entirely satisfying. It doesn't take away from the fun I had reading this novel and from the talent Roberts has as a writer and storyteller. This is her debut and I've read her 2 most recent releases and the growth really shines through with her writing! If you wanna give her a shot I would highly recommend her new series it is so clever 🤩

Overall, I love the author's writing and the way she builds suspense in her stories. I read this in 2 sittings as it was really hard to put down, but I had to sleep 🤣

[kirsty · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fast paced read that I was gripped by right from the start. The writing was engaging and the storyline although a little farfetched at times - although I wasn't put off by that at all- was compelling. The characters were well developed but I felt like they could have given more so I felt like I really knew them.

I loved the short snappy chapters and felt like it really suited the tone and tensions of the book. It kept it running along smoothly.

I also loved the events at the end of the book without spoiling it for anyone, I am someone who watches and listens to a lot of true crime and the events at the end with the interview and social media and then the repercussions of that really rang true for me.

If you like quick, easy and fast paced thrillers this is a book for you. I look forward to reading more from this author

[Amanda Sexton · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m not sure how I came to have this book on my Kindle app, yet it was there, and it sounded interesting. The premise promised a fast-paced, suspenseful story, but I’m afraid the fast-paced part didn’t quite translate over. There was a lot of internal dialogue, excessive descriptions, and the pacing of the story got lost through the middle.

There were too many characters with convoluted storylines, and so many grammatical errors, it became hard to finish it. I kept reading to get to the end, which I assumed would have an exciting conclusion, but it felt like the author couldn’t come up with an interesting twist, so threw down a bland finish and published the book.

There actually is a lot of potential in the plot, it I would recommend hiring an editor. With some tweaking, this could be a 4-5* book.

[Siobhan D · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the narration of Carol Anne Shaw. She brings out the suspense, action, characters.

After Abby breaks up with her fiancé James . She decides to go away with her best friend Grace . Abby bumps into a old boyfriend Micah who is getting married and invites Abby and Grace to the dress rehearsal dinner. At the dinner Micah makes a speech and says Abby's name instead of his bride . Then it really goes wrong, Abby starts receiving threatening notes and her things have been moved around the house. A hurricane approaches, the wedding group, have to say in the same house with Abby and Grace.
Loved all of the twists and turns.

[Cherie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read

This book moves right along with no dull spots at all. The story flows well and the characters are easy to keep track of.
My only criticism is grammatical. I've seen this recently in many books and I don't understand how such a simple grammar rule keeps getting broken. If you're saying for example that you and Ben are going to the store, it's "Ben and I are going to the store" NOT "Me and Ben are going to the store". The rule is if it is just you going you would Not say " Me going to the store ". It would be " I am going to the store ". Is it the editing causing this or the authors?

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

The ending was a little underwhelming for me. I also found it hard to connect with Abby—she often acted on impulse and leaned heavily on her ex, ex-fiancé, and best friend, which made it tough to really root for her. What did stand out, though, was her sharp ability to control how others saw her.

For the most part, I struggled to understand the characters’ choices; their actions didn’t always feel convincing. The one exception was Zoey—her determination to find her missing mother came through clearly and was easy to sympathize with.

[Diane 🌻 Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75/5

This book was quite a ride and I absolutely loved it! What starts out as a girls weekend away turns into the most gloriously twisting and turning story of love, lust, jealousy, greed and revenge.

All I will say is that you cannot trust anybody… and it’s so fun 🤣😂

Highly recommend if you want to turn off your brain and just have a good time ❤️

[Ron D · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick Read

A lot of twists and turns. I was lured in by the synopsis and was slightly disappointed. It’s more of female read. I didn’t care for the majority of the characters and thought they were poorly developed. The scene settings were a little light for me. Overall the plot carried the story. I’m not sure I’ll read any more by this author.

[Caroline 'relaxing with my rescue dogs' · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed listening to this book, the narration really added to it. I did find some bits a bit long winded in the story telling but overall really enjoyable. The characters all worked and become unique in their own way and really added to the story. Loved the ending.

[Thomas Mihalchick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun to read

I like Abby. She's made some bad decisions, for sure, bit she seems pretty human. I really didn't know how this would end, but I liked it. Its a good commentary on modern American culture.