Book Review: The Island of Lost Girls, by Alex Marwood

A gritty novel about terrible rich people turning a Mediterranean island into their personal kink dungeon.

Sphere, 2022, 400 pages

Sun-drenched glamour and obscene wealth hide the darkest of secrets and lost girls in this ripped-from-the-headlines thriller.

1985

For 12-year-old Mercedes, La Kastellana is the place she calls home. It is an island untouched by the modern world, with deep-rooted traditions—though that is all about to change with the arrival of multimillionaire Matthew Meade and his spoiled young daughter, Tatiana. The Meades bring with them unimaginable wealth, but the price they will all pay is far darker than Mercedes and the islanders could ever have imagined.

2016

Robin is desperately searching for her 17-year-old daughter Gemma, who has been missing for over a year. Finding herself on La Kastellana, the island playground of the international jet set, Robin is out of her depth. Nobody wants to help and Robin fears she is running out of time to find her child.

But someone has been watching, silently waiting for their moment to expose the dark truth and reveal to the world what really happens on the island of lost girls.

( Rich people suck. Alex Marwood is for people who think Cormoran Strike isn't grimdark enough. )

Also by Alex Marwood: My reviews of The Wicked Girls, The Killer Next Door, The Darkest Secret, and The Poison Garden.

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