Who is: The Island Swimmer (by Lorraine Kelly)

#TheIslandSwimmer #NetGalley

Two things made me want to read this book. One was the cover; it just drew me in. The second thing was the author. I don’t live in the U.K. but I am well aware of Lorraine Kelly from magazine articles about her career. I think that this might be her first work of fiction.

So, how did she do? There were many things that I liked about this book. The settings brought Orkney to life. There was enough plot with a bit of suspense to keep a reader’s interest. Why did Evie feel that she could be exiled and blackmailed by her sister? Readers will also want to know what water and swimming mean to Evie. 

There were some very good characters. I think that readers will be drawn to Freya. She has not had an easy life but has made it to an existence that absolutely works for her.

What I liked less was that some of the difficult characters felt a bit one dimensional. There was much attention given to Cara’s misery and to Livy’s anger and acting out. These characters are Evie’s mother and sister. Do things get any better for them? Readers will have to find out for themselves by reading the book.

I look forward to seeing if Kelly writes more.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 15 February 2024