The Private Island
The champagne is poured. The countdown has started. At an exclusive Fijian island resort, New Year's Eve is set to be a night to remember—until a body washes up on the beach. Now, paradise is a crime scene, and the killer is hiding in plain sight. Between a greedy heiress, a broke entrepreneur, a struggling dive instructor, a lustful husband, and a secret lover, everyone has a reason to want the victim dead. One guest's dream vacation is about to become their final nightmare.
- Una - Maid at Loloma Island Resort
- Sailasa - Una’s nephew, staff member at Loloma Island Resort
- Jose Roko - General Manager at Loloma Island Resort
- Filipe - Divemaster at Loloma Island Resort, Christina's brother
- Benedict (Benny) - Luella’s husband
- Luella - Heiress, Benedict’s wife
- Ferguson (Fergus) - Kitty’s husband
- Kitty - Ferguson’s wife
- Sofie - Physician
- Thomasina - Luella’s estranged half-sister
- Dr. Marama - Physician at Loloma Island Resort
- Christina - Filipe's sister
- Part One
- Ferguson and Kitty aren’t rich. When they saw in an article that Benedict and Luella would be on Loloma for the New Year, they booked the vacation so they could ‘happen’ to run into them and Ferguson could ask Benedict to invest in his new business idea.
- Benedict, Luella and Fergus go scuba diving. Luella’s regulator malfunctions and she almost drowns.
- Fergus asks Benedict to invest in his startup, and Benedict is very interested, but Luella says he cannot spend her money on it as it is too risky.
- Fergus cuts his hands on a piece of broken glass, faints and dies from a presumed heart attack.
- Benedict invited and paid for Thomasina to come on their vacation.
- Thomasina tells Luella all she wants is the diamond necklace her stepfather proposed to her mother with, but Luella refuses to give it to her.
- Sailasa tells Una he is in trouble, he owes money to a loan shark. He borrowed it to pay for his mother’s cancer treatment.
- On New Year’s Eve, the resort has a masquerade ball.
- Luella gets a note to meet at Snake Rock at 12:15am.
- On New Year’s Day, Luella and Sailasa are missing.
- The necklace is missing from Luella’s bure.
- The next morning, Luella’s body is found floating in the water near Snake Rock.
- Kitty goes on a bush walk and someone tries to strangle her.
- Forensics show Luella died from being injected with ketamine and suffocated in the sand.
- Luella is the person who got Christina fired from a neighboring resort several years ago when she accidentally knocked one of Luella’s diamonds down a drain while cleaning. Christina was pregnant at the time and lost her baby from the stress of being fired.
- Part Two: What really happened
- Filipe is the one who set Luella’s scuba oxygen tank to almost closed to try and kill Luella for causing Christina to lose her baby.
- Sofie killed Luella at Snake Rock on New Year’s Eve, then put on her dress and mask. She is the one who went back to Bure One and found Sailasa there.
- Sofie did it because Luella’s father pushed her father out of their business years ago, the family went broke, and Sofie’s father ended up killing himself.
- In Bure One on New Year’s Eve, ‘Luella’ berated Sailasa, so he raised his hand to her, causing her to turn away and smash her head on a door frame. He blames himself for her injury, which is why he ran.
- Sailasa stole the diamond necklace.
- Sofie and Benedict have been a couple for several years; it was Sofie’s idea for Benedict to woo Luella so they could get her money and revenge for her father.
- Part Three: Back to present
- Una figures out Benedict and Sofie are behind Luella's murder, and she and Kitty write a note to lure Benedict to the bush track.
- Benedict tries to strangle Kitty, but Filipe saves her.
- Filipe and Benedict scuffle, and Benedict is pushed off the cliff and dies.
- Benedict invited Thomasina to the island so she would be a suspect when he and Sofie killed Luella.
- Sofie is arrested for murdering Luella.
- With Luella and Benedict both dead, Thomasina inherits Luella’s fortune.
- Filipe gives Thomasina her diamond necklace and explains that Sailasa stole it and why.
- Thomasina sells the necklace and gives Sailasa the money he needs to pay off his debt to the loan sharks.
- Kitty poisoned Fergus with toxic cane toad eggs by putting them into his food and kava because he was always putting her down.
- Fergus had enough life insurance to cover the debt from their trip to Loloma, with enough left over for Kitty to live comfortably for life.
Ali Lowe really delivers with The Private Island. The story does a fantastic job setting up the background, introducing all the different characters, and slowly revealing their hidden motives. The character development is spot on, especially with Luella. She is the ultimate character you just love to hate, and her presence adds so much tension to the group dynamic.
The pacing is exactly what you want in a thriller. It moves fast, and the short chapters make it very easy to keep turning the pages. The twists are well-executed and keep you guessing as the drama unfolds. This book is very binge-worthy and i recommend it for anyone who loves a suspenseful island thriller with lots of drama.
- Fergus - Dead - Poisoned with cane toad eggs by Kitty
- Luella - Dead - Injected with ketamine and suffocated in the sand by Sofie
- Kitty - Alive - Happy in her new single life
- Benedict - Dead - Fell off a cliff while scuffling with Filipe
- Sofie - Alive - Arrested for Luella’s murder
- Thomasina - Alive - Using her new fortune to travel the world
- Alcoholism
- Murder
- Poisoning
- Infidelity
Publisher: Hodder
ISBN: 9781399717878
Publication Date: November 4, 2025
Note: Details are for the original edition. Other formats, editions, and audiobook versions may be available.
