


One of the women thought she had a glimpse of an unknown person outside the window. He hasn't mentioned it as he feels the others will ridicule him and he is uncertain it really happened. One of the men thinks he encountered a strange woman while wandering in a drunken stupor. Is some unknown person trying to frighten them? Are there ghosts present? Is their imagination running wild? They have become aware of premature deaths and tragedies on the island's history that unsettles them. They imagine another presence on the island. They lack the means to communicate with the mainland. They begin to blame other group members, suspecting one of them is playing a trick to add to their growing fear. Objects begin to mysteriously disappear, a mirror is shattered and a warning is written on a nearby wall, and a previously tightly locked door has been opened. They try to distract themselves from their unease by playing games but begin to argue and insult one another. One of the men becomes increasingly unstable, and a woman is constantly voicing her dislike for everything in the holiday setting and is worried about being absent from home. An eerie feeling disturbs them as they begin to feel they are not alone as promised. Once the group arrives on the island they begin to sense a malevolent vibe in their surroundings. When I felt I had come to know them, I failed to like most of them and was barely invested in their fate. I found the beginning slow-paced, mainly because it took me a long time to sort out the characters and get to distinguish their personalities. They carry with them resentments, betrayals, jealousy, and worries that they aim to resolve while enjoying their time together. In attendance were four women and two men. Most attended the same university ten years earlier. Six people are having a weekend getaway while leaving their responsibilities in the city far behind.

The unpredictable weather, the mist, the cold, and the lighthouse perched on a cliff overlooking the churning sea are vividly described. Its chilling location is on a lonely, windswept island off the coast of Scotland. My sincere thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for this gripping, atmospheric mystery and adventure story.
