Why am I passionate about this?
I’ve always been fascinated by the sea. I grew up near the gentle waters of England’s Kent coast, then went to St Andrews University, surrounded by the treacherous North Sea. Finally, I discovered the Devon shores, which inspired Agatha Christie. In island thrillers like hers, the power of the sea becomes overwhelming. It holds suspects at bay, becomes a murder weapon, and constrains both innocent and guilty until justice is done. For me, this is the ‘locked room’ mystery in its purest form: an isolated location and a limited number of suspects–causing unlimited amounts of tension. I hope you love these stories as much as I do.
Alice's book list on thrillers set on an island
Why did Alice love this book?
I love this book because it has such a strong, dystopian message. It is told by a group of children who find themselves marooned on an island.
This tale is not for the faint-hearted. It catalogs a rapid descent into cruelty and barbarism, while the growth of warring factions and the development of superstition add to the sense of menace.
I also love that the publishers heavily edited this book before it was put on sale, including removing the first section entirely. It’s a great lesson that sometimes less really is more.
12 authors picked Lord of the Flies as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.
A plane crashes on a desert island and the only survivors, a group of schoolboys, assemble on the beach and wait to be rescued. By day they inhabit a land of bright fantastic birds and dark blue seas, but at night their dreams are haunted by the image of a terrifying beast. As the boys' delicate sense of order fades, so their childish dreams are transformed into something more primitive, and their behaviour starts to take on a murderous, savage significance.
First published in 1954, Lord of the Flies is one of the most celebrated and widely read of modern…