The newest haunting mystery from the beloved author of The Gates of Evangeline, featuring Charlie Cates, a headstrong heroine who must confront her unwanted supernatural gift and bring dark secrets to light if she ever wants to leave the Big Island . . .Journalist Charlie Cates has always believed in facts, in what can be proved–her career depends on it. Which is why she has never truly accepted … has never truly accepted the supernatural visions that guide her to children in danger. After her work on a high-profile missing-child case brings unwanted fame, she reluctantly flees to the lush Big Island of Hawaii with her best friend, Rae. Determined to avoid her disturbing visions, Charlie begins writing what seems to be a harmless interview of a prominent volcanologist, Victor Nakagawa. But her hopes for a peaceful vacation are soon dashed by haunting dreams of a local girl who went missing six weeks earlier.
In the small and sleepy town of Kalo Valley, Charlie and Rae come to realize that even paradise has its ugly secrets, and the Nakagawa family is no exception. In order to find the missing teenager and stop a dangerous predator from striking again, Charlie is forced to embrace the gift she has always tried to conceal. Meanwhile, someone is watching her every move, and the closer Charlie gets to the truth, the more distant her chances of ever leaving the island alive.
With a deliciously eerie and fast-paced story told in vivid prose, all with an overlay of supernatural suspense, The Burning Island is a pulse-pounding mystery perfect for fans of Jennifer McMahon and Kate Atkinson.
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I liked this book a lot. Imagine having the ability to find missing children, but knowing that if your secret gets out, you will be chastised as a charlatan, or even worse accused of complicity in the child’s gone missing in the first place. The worst read of all is that you will find the child too late. When Charlie Cates gets an irresistible urge to look for a missing boy, her secret is revealed when she locates him in a part of the park that has been closed for some time because of mountain lion attacks. Stressed by the police and reporters, her best friend takes her for a vacation in Hawaii. Let’s just say, On a vacation scale of one to ten, it was about a two. Get the book. You will like it!
As much as I tried I was not able to like this book.
It’s well written, the characters are lively and it’s quite fast paced.
Unfortunately it fell flat.
Many thanks to G.P. Putnam’s Sons and Edelweiss for this ARC
I loved this novel! I instantly became Gloriously lost in it from the first sentence to the last.The characters breathe life and its very much as though you know them on a personal level. I have read all of Hester Young’s novels, and have been invested in the life of Charlie Cates from book 1. With the thrills, mystery, and suspense of a thriller, and a slight air of paranormal, just for good measure…it is impossible not to have your nose buried in this title until the end! Hester Young added a fresh slant to this one by having the mystery take place in Hawaii, and her research and knowledge of the island are definately hefty, admirable, and on point. I loved learning about Hawaii’s terrain, geography, tourist hotspots, local life, island lure, and its super interesting, tragic, creepy, beautiful- legends & mythology! I am praying Charlie Cates has more dreams of more people to save and that she keeps on encountering mysteries! Wink wink Hester Young! 😉 Although these gems: The Gates of Evangeline, The Shimmering Road, and now the shiney new- The Burning Island, are savvy enough to stand alone…do yourself a favor and read them all, because they are amazing! Filled with imagery, real-life very human characters, and the stuff dreams are made of (quite literally, when it comes to the main character), you will find yourself addicted and wanting more at the turn of every page and at the end of each book! I’m not even typically a series type of person, but after stumbling onto Young’s lovely writing style…well…I couldnt help wanting to devour everything and anything she wrote, and The Burning Island certainly follows suit!So Hester…whats the next one and when is the release date?!keep em’ comin …please! I will definately be purchasing this one for my personal library, and reading it again when it hits shelves! Yes it’s that good!
I had amazingly good fortune, as I received an advanced galley of this title from Penguin First to Read! I have written my review in return, however, it contains my unbiased personal thoughts and feelings!