The Island of Lost Girls

I've read and enjoyed all of Alex Marwood's books. I picked up her latest book - The Island of Lost Girls - by her name on the cover.

The prologue introduces us to twelve year old Mercedes, who lives on a small Mediterranean island, in 1985. Mercedes is our protagonist and her timeline flips from 1985 to present day 2016. Robyn is also on in 2016, looking for her daughter - a teenaged runaway.

And behind the seemingly idyllic façade, there is a wealthy man who believes he can buy anything and everything - and this extends to people as well.

I enjoyed the then and now timeline flips. As readers we are now witnesses to the 'how things got to be like this'. And the tension grows with every new chapter.

The level of debauchery and cruelty is show more quite ugly to read, and I had to put the book down more than once. But it was Mercedes who had me picking the book back up. She's an excellent lead that you'll be urging on. I quite liked the depiction of her marriage to Felix. Robyn is just as tenacious in her desire to find her daughter. But she too encounters nothing but the circle of protection around the wealthy. I'll leave things there for you to discover if there is retribution for our protagonists....

Here's the thing - sadly, this tale isn't that far from the truth at all. show less

The Island of Lost Girls by Alex Marwood is a recommended novel that tackles current headlines involving wealthy, corrupt, evil individuals and lost innocence.

Set on the fictional Mediterranean island of La Kastellana the narrative follows two timelines set in 1985 and 2016. London-based multimillionaire Matthew Meade arrives in La Kastellana in 1985 with the new Duke and plans to develop the island into a destination for the rich and powerful. This is when twelve-year old Mercedes Delia meets thirteen-year-old Tatiana Meade. The Meades secure Mercedes as a companion for Tatiana, which is the beginning of a life of serving the Meades.

In 2016 Robin arrives on the island looking for her seventeen-year-old daughter Gemma who has been show more missing for over a year. She had clues that Gemma was heading to the island, but once Robin arrives there she realizes that finding people willing to help her is going to be hard on this island controlled by the wealthy. At the same time an undercover Europol investigation of human trafficking is secretly working with Mercedes to gather evidence about the disturbing activities on the island.

This is a slow-moving and slow-to-build suspense novel that requires time and attention to details in order for readers to become immersed in the plot. However, once you stick with the story about half way through the book you will know the dark hidden truth and exactly the direction the narrative is taking. The plot clearly took inspiration from news stories about the wealthy and powerful using their positions to do exactly what they please and the cost their nefarious desires extracts from others. The details are dark and gruesome.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of HarperCollins via NetGalley.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2023/06/the-island-of-lost-girls.html show less

This is a slow read, focusing on the POVs of three characters: Mercedes, a resident of the Mediterranean island of La Kastellana and housekeeper to the wealthy Meade family: Gemma, a young runaway who gets caught up in Tatania Meade's net, and Gemma's mother, Robin. The times also skip back and forth for all three women, which can be a bit confusing at times.
Honestly, I mostly focused on the island setting and its customs and inhabitants, which was the book's most interesting part. The main plot is loosely based on Jeffrey Epstein's life, so there aren't any surprises as far as the story goes. The ending seemed very rushed and a bit far-fetched, without many explanations of how Interpol was involved and any penalties for the wicked rich show more people involved. I grabbed it as an Amazon first read, and I give it 2 1/2 stars. show less