The Island [Mass Market Paperback]

Jill Jones (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1999

Even the deepest secrets are exposed on...The Island. Keely Cochrane has grown up on an unspoiled island off the coast of Cornwall, and has never questioned the islanders' odd customs. But when her best friend, Genny, runs away to London, Keely's world is shattered. And when Jack Knight, a private investigator, comes to the island to tell her that Genny has been murdered, Keely must question every belief she has previously held. She must face an agonizing course of action: to leave the island with this man and solve her best friend's murder. But how can she face this decision when everything seems to spell danger? Including her own growing feelings for Jack?

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

For 25 years, Keely Cochrane has lived by the ancient laws of a mythical Dragon, the protector of Keinadraig, a Cornish island that time forgot. As tradition required, best friends Keely and Genevieve Sloan had pledged never to betray the Dragon by leaving the island, but Genevieve does just that, and within 24 hours, she is found dead in London. American PI Jack Knight's only clue leads him to KeinadraigAand to Keely. Faced with the reality of the outside world and realizing she can make her own decisions, Keely leaves with Jack. While she tries to dispel her fear that she will also be punished by the Dragon, Jack's concern is proving that his friend Brad Holstedt didn't murder Genevieve. Jack spends most of his time, however, playing hero to Keely's damsel in distress and soon is teaching the inexperienced yet eager young woman more than how to order a pizza. Keely is strong willed and intelligent, yet she is such an anachronism that she lacks credibility. Mystery takes a backseat to romance here, but the pace eventually picks up, and the secrets of Keinadraig, revealed only at the last moment, are worth waiting for. (July)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

A no-nonsense ex-cop in search of the killer who murdered a strange woman in his best friend's hotel room, an isolated, cultlike island community governed by centuries-old laws that predict death for anyone who leaves the island, and a determined, though conflicted, heroine who risks death by heading to the mainland come together in this chilling tale of superstition, greed, and murder. Something of a departure from Jones's earlier historical romances, this fast-paced story deftly combines modern suspense with ancient ritual and lore, throwing two cultures into sharp relief while dealing sensitively with the devastating results when they collide. Well-drawn characters and a few unexpected plot twists add depth to a story that should appeal not only to fans of "culture conflict" stories (e.g., Penelope Williamson's The Outsider and the film Witness) and romantic suspense but (given its timewarp quality) to those who enjoy time travel as well. Jones (Circle of the Lily) has written a number of novels.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press (July 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312970730
• ISBN-13: 978-0312970734
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,749,026 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ms. Jones shows her versatility with this romantic suspense, April 30, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Island (Mass Market Paperback)

Most customs that define life on the remote island of Keinadraig go back several centuries. So when Ninian the healer expects her daughter Genevieve to one take over her practice, she becomes frightened and distraught. She confides in her best friend Keely Cochrane, who helps her escape to London.

Jack Knight left LAPD to become a private investigator. However, he never expected his first case would occur in England trying to prove his friend Brad Holstedt did not commit murder. In a London hotel, he finds Brad lying on the floor, in a coma, holding a pistol while Genny lies dead nearby. The police believe they have a murder-failed suicide case. Jack refuses to accept that theory and begins to investigate by traveling to Genny's home off the coast of Cornwall where he informs a shocked Keely that her friend has been murdered. Working as a team, Keely and Jack and Keely fall in love during the time they team up to investigate the homicide. However, they must contend with a murderer who wants to remain anonymous and the incontrovertible fact that they come from different worlds making a lasting relationship seem impossible.

In a relatively short period of time, Jill Jones has garnered a large following amongst romance readers. Her latest tale, THE ISLAND, demonstrates the flexibility of this talented author as she writes a fast-paced contemporary romantic suspense. The story line never eases on the throttle as a fabulous who-done-it is combined with a romantic clash of cultures. The lead protagonists are an interesting duo who cannot stop the love they feel for each other even as they wade past superstition and long time beliefs. Ms. Jones will be taking the romance genre by storm with this wonderful intrigue.

Harriet Klausner

4.0 out of 5 stars I really liked this book!, August 23, 2000

By 

A Customer - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Island (Mass Market Paperback)

This is the second book I have read by Jill Jones. My first one was Bloodline. I gave Bloodline 5 stars because it was a little bit better, but this one is still very good! I haven't finished reading it yet, but it's adventurous, romantic, chilling, thrilling, and mysterious all at the same time! I really recommend this book.

3.0 out of 5 stars Slow start with unimaginative ending, August 16, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Island (Mass Market Paperback)

Jones writing style makes this book both an interesting and easy read. Unfortuantely, the same cannot be said for the rest of the book. The story was slow to develop, then quick to end with an imaginative ending. I did read it all the way through and there are moments that hold your attention. However, then the book goes nowhere. Not a bad read, but not an exciting mystery either. All and all a fair book.