Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This story reminded me of the Agatha Christie mystery And Then There Were None…
Who was behind all the strange and sudden deaths on idyllic Meroe Island?
What had gotten into everyone?
In the end, no one was who they seemed to be: this island had a way of stripping you to your bare bones and forcing your real personality to come to the fore. Meroe’s captivating beauty was quickly revealing itself to be a mirage!
Brittany and Amma hire Lux McAllister and Nico to visit the remote, infamous island. They meet up with a wealthy young couple, Jake and Eliza, who have also decided to moor off the shores of this mystical island. Everything seems to be going along well, but soon passions flare, and just about everyone does a bit of “musical partners.”
As I listened to this well narrated audiobook, (or read the e-book, interchangeably) I caught the thread of several potential plot lines that, in the end, led nowhere. We never find out why Nico puts the title of the boat in Lux’s name, apart from an odd explanation that it was for “tax reasons.”
Then an odd young man, Robbie, crashes the scene and Lux catches him snooping around their boats. There are some text messages from a school chum that suggest that Robbie has become unpopular for some reason (but no explanation is given as to WHY he now only has one friend left in the world) and then you suspect that he may have been living on the island, but no…. Then you start to wonder why he cared how Jake and Eliza had so much money. Was Robbie an undercover cop, I wondered? (I should have saved my brain cells.)
I also had absolutely no idea what to make of Amma. Her character changed like a chameleon to match the needs of the changing plot. In the end, I had no idea why she did what she did – no spoilers here. Perhaps the Island had bewitched Amma? No idea! You read it, decide, then tell me please!
The ending was incredibly action-packed and seemed to happen all at once. The Epilogue left me scratching my head. What was Lux up to – was she on a mission to reclaim every wronged girl, one stolen money clip at a time?
Despite all the questions I was left with, I did enjoy this mysterious – but ultimately deadly – romp on a deserted island (or was it really a deserted island?!!!) in the south Pacific. Rachel Hawkins always manages to keep my interest right to the very end. Did I suspect the culprit(s) and the various shenanigans: you bet, and I bet you will too. It was pretty transparent, but the suspense and the action do keep you listening or turning the page. You are so invested in finding out WHAT ON EARTH IS HAPPENING HERE!
Four out of five glistening, salty stars. (Big sigh: winters are COLD and SNOWY up here in Canada!) I enjoyed, vicariously, all the beach scenes and partying… while it lasted.
My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Expected Publication Date: January 4, 2022.
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