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Harkening to Agatha Christie's classic And Then There Were None, this high-tension thriller follows five couples trapped on a storm-swept island as a killer stalks among them—from Ruth Ware, the New York Times bestselling author who "is turning out to be as ingenious and indefatigable as the Queen of Crime" (The Washington Post). Lyla is in a bit of a rut. Her post-doctoral research has fizzled out, she's pretty sure they won't extend her contract, and things with her boyfriend, Nico, an aspiring actor, aren't going great. When the opportunity arises for Nico to join the cast of a new reality TV show, One Perfect Couple, she agrees to try out with him.
A whirlwind audition process later, Lyla finds herself whisked off to a tropical paradise with Nico, boating through the Indian Ocean towards Ever After Island, where the two of them will compete against four other couples—Bayer and Angel, Dan and Santana, Joel and Romi, and Conor and Zana—in order to win a cash prize.
But not long after they arrive on the deserted island, things start to go wrong. After the first challenge leaves everyone rattled and angry, an overnight storm takes matters from bad to worse. Cut off from the mainland by miles of ocean, deprived of their phones, and unable to contact the crew that brought them there, the group must band together for survival. As tensions run high and fresh water runs low, Lyla finds that this game show is all too real—and the stakes are life or death.
Harkening to Agatha Christie's classic And Then There Were None, this high-tension thriller follows five couples trapped on a storm-swept island as a killer stalks among them—from Ruth Ware, the New York Times bestselling author who "is turning out to be as ingenious and indefatigable as the Queen of Crime" (The Washington Post). Lyla is in a bit of a rut. Her post-doctoral research has fizzled out, she's pretty sure they won't extend her contract, and things with her boyfriend, Nico, an aspiring actor, aren't going great. When the opportunity arises for Nico to join the cast of a new reality TV show, One Perfect Couple, she agrees to try out with him.
A whirlwind audition process later, Lyla finds herself whisked off to a tropical paradise with Nico, boating through the Indian Ocean towards Ever After Island, where the two of them will compete against four other couples—Bayer and Angel, Dan and Santana, Joel and Romi, and Conor and Zana—in order to win a cash prize.
But not long after they arrive on the deserted island, things start to go wrong. After the first challenge leaves everyone rattled and angry, an overnight storm takes matters from bad to worse. Cut off from the mainland by miles of ocean, deprived of their phones, and unable to contact the crew that brought them there, the group must band together for survival. As tensions run high and fresh water runs low, Lyla finds that this game show is all too real—and the stakes are life or death.
Due to publisher restrictions the library cannot purchase additional copies of this title, and we apologize if there is a long waiting list. Be sure to check for other copies, because there may be other editions available.
Due to publisher restrictions the library cannot purchase additional copies of this title, and we apologize if there is a long waiting list. Be sure to check for other copies, because there may be other editions available.
About the Author-
Ruth Ware worked as a waitress, a bookseller, a teacher of English as a foreign language, and a press officer before settling down as a full-time writer. She now lives with her family in Sussex, on the south coast of England. She is the #1 New York Times and Globe and Mail (Toronto) bestselling author of In a Dark, Dark Wood; The Woman in Cabin 10; The Lying Game; The Death of Mrs. Westaway; The Turn of the Key; One by One; The It Girl; Zero Days; and One Perfect Couple. Visit her at RuthWare.com or follow her on socials @RuthWareWriter.
Reviews-
March 18, 2024 Bestseller Ware (Zero Days) fumbles a promising premise in this clever but slack closed-circle mystery. Biologist Lyla Santiago’s postdoc research on mosquito-borne illnesses hits a wall when inconsistencies in her colleague’s work threaten their grant funding. Rudderless, Lyla agrees to join her boyfriend, out-of-work actor Nico Reese, to film a reality TV competition called Ever After Island. On the Survivor-esque show, five couples complete in challenges on a remote island in the Indian Ocean and then vote to send one contestant home each week. Lyla plans to get eliminated quickly so she can return to London and sort out her future, leaving Nico behind to improve his career prospects. Her plan gets complicated, however, when a powerful storm sweeps across the island, isolating the contestants from the show’s production crew. When people start turning up dead, Lyla has to decide whom to trust, taking the traditional stakes of reality TV alliances to nerve-shredding new heights. Ware has plenty of fun with her Agatha Christie–esque setup, but she fails too whip up sufficient suspense—the plot’s resolution is simply too easy to crack. Readers will hope Ware returns to form next time out. Agent: Eve White, Eve White Literary.
After her postdoctoral research hits a snag, Lyla is feeling unmoored. Making matters worse, things with her boyfriend, aspiring actor Nico, aren't great either. When Nico is offered the chance to apply for the reality show One Perfect Couple, he talks Lyla into signing on. On a remote island in the Indian Ocean, the two will compete against four other couples: Bayer and Angel, Dan and Santana, Joel and Romi, and Conor and Zana. Almost as soon as they arrive, things begin to go wrong, and soon, an overnight storm leaves them stranded. Ware's (Zero Days) take on Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None finds the contestants in a fight to the death--not only against the elements but against one another. Though the book maintains Ware's signature thriller style, it also delves into the thoughts and feelings of the characters, exploring their increasingly fraught relationships before, during, and after the storm. Imogen Church's narration ramps up the intensity, allowing listeners to hear the characters' transformation from innocent and hopeful to desperate to survive. VERDICT A tense fight for survival featuring multilayered characters and satisfyingly complex relationships. Ware's fans will be all in.--Elyssa Everling
Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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Bahrain, Egypt, Hong Kong, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the Sudan, the Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen
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Imogen Church's portrayal of soft-spoken Lyla heightens the tension in this nod to one of Agatha Christie's most beloved mysteries, AND THEN THERE WERE NONE, set on a stormy desert island. Lyla and her boyfriend have been cast in a TV game show in which five couples compete for the title of "The Perfect Couple." As the couples are cut off from the mainland and someone begins murdering them one by one, Church efficiently reveals Lyla's swings from sheer panic to steely determination to outwit the killer. Despite one character's French accent slipping at times, Church's adept portrayals create authenticity and add intrigue to the characters' relationships. Fans of Ruth Ware and Christie, as well as enthusiasts of survival-themed TV shows, may especially enjoy Church's rendition of this thriller. M.F. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine
