The Castaways: The Sunday Times bestseller and the most gripping, twisty crime thriller book for 2021

Suspenseful story.

There are some books that you just have to throw caution to the wind with and enjoy the ride. I call these books Die Hard books - is the plot plausible? Maybe not, but who cares! As long as they are well written, sometimes it doesn't matter so much if the edges of realism are bent a bit. This was that style of book for me - open it up, forget your worries and allow yourself to be entertained.Castaway is written in alternating chapters. Two sisters tell their points of view - one from present day trying to find her sister who disappeared in a plane crash and the other sister from the past describing her story of surviving the plane crash and becoming a castaway. There are plenty of twists and turns along the way - one of which i guessed at but the majority I didn't see coming.I thoroughly enjoyed this book and read it over the course of two sunny days. It was a page turned which kept me fully engaged from beginning to end. Highly recommended by me and I look forward to reading more from this author.

I flew through this one! It is a clever and intense survival thriller. The initial chapters raise multiple questions and I was eager to read on for the answers. It did not disappoint and I was holding my breath at the end! The author cleverly ensures that the reader knows more than Erin as she searches for answers, and I almost wanted to shout at the book to tell Erin what I knew. Erin is incredible, she is determined, although plagued by guilt. I also loved Lori and the insight into IVF and fertility issues – it is a very difficult issue, but one that the author dealt with sensitively. Overall, it is an adrenaline-filled ride, with a rollercoaster of emotions. The cliff-hanger chapters meant that I could not put it down. I loved it!

This was the most exquisitely written thriller/ mystery. I was reading at all times during the day. I don’t intend to give away the plot - it had a surprising but emotionally gratifying ending - totally unexpected but very satisfactory. My first read by Lucy Clarke - from now on I will read every book she has written! Most importantly for me to read well crafted English language - marvellous.

I really enjoyed this book - flying through it in a day and a half- which is unusual for me. At first it reminded me of the (excellent) TV series Lost, but the only similarities were a plane crash and a Pacific island. The plot was intriguing and from the point of view of 2 sisters, mostly 2 years apart. The 2 timelines caught up to the present at the end. I eagerly turned the pages to see how a huge problem between them would be resolved. It proved to be surprising and satisfying. Highly recommended.

A mixture of flashbacks and present day chapters helps us piece together a disappearance four years ago in Fiji. The mix of first person and third person is odd but bearable.The modern day part in London is an extremely familiar character (twenty something woman in cramped flat who drinks too much). The desert island setting makes for a pleasant break from London, and easy holiday reading.All in all; good enough to finish, but nothing that quite makes you think ‘whoa, that’s clever’.