Reckless Girls

A Novel

By: Rachel Hawkins

Narrated by: Barrie Kreinik

Length: 7 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

"Kreinik effortlessly switches among various accents and emotions, keeping listeners riveted as she reveals the novel’s twists and turns." (Booklist)

"Kreinik's range is highlighted as she seamlessly shifts among characters' various accents: a Brit's clipped consonants, a charming Australian's broad vowels, and an American's Southern drawl. As relaxation changes to fear, Kreinik deftly reflects the changing mood." (AudioFile)

From Rachel Hawkins, the New York Times best-selling author of The Wife Upstairs, comes Reckless Girls, a deliciously wicked gothic suspense, set on an isolated Pacific island with a dark history, for fans of Lucy Foley and Ruth Ware.

When Lux McAllister and her boyfriend, Nico, are hired to sail two women to a remote island in the South Pacific, it seems like the opportunity of a lifetime. Stuck in a dead-end job in Hawaii, and longing to travel the world after a family tragedy, Lux is eager to climb on board The Susannah and set out on an adventure. She’s also quick to bond with their passengers, college best friends Brittany and Amma. The two women say they want to travel off the beaten path. But like Lux, they may have other reasons to be seeking an escape.

Shimmering on the horizon after days at sea, Meroe Island is every bit the paradise the foursome expects, despite a mysterious history of shipwrecks, cannibalism, and even rumors of murder. But what they don’t expect is to discover another boat already anchored off Meroe’s sandy beaches. The owners of the Azure Sky, Jake and Eliza, are a true golden couple: gorgeous, laidback, and if their sleek catamaran and well-stocked bar are any indication, rich. Now a party of six, the new friends settle in to experience life on an exotic island, and the serenity of being completely off the grid. Lux hasn’t felt like she truly belonged anywhere in years, yet here on Meroe, with these fellow free spirits, she finally has a sense of peace.

But with the arrival of a skeevy stranger sailing alone in pursuit of a darker kind of good time, the balance of the group is disrupted. Soon, cracks begin to emerge: it seems that Brittany and Amma haven’t been completely honest with Lux about their pasts- and perhaps not even with each other. And though Jake and Eliza seem like the perfect pair, the rocky history of their relationship begins to resurface, and their reasons for sailing to Meroe might not be as innocent as they first appeared.

When it becomes clear that the group is even more cut off from civilization than they initially thought, it starts to feel like the island itself is closing in on them. And when one person goes missing, and another turns up dead, Lux begins to wonder if any of them are going to make it off the island alive.

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin's Press

©2022 Rachel Hawkins (P)2022 Macmillan Audio

Meh

Entertaining in the sense it describes a tropical scene but besides that just kinda boring and the 2 story lines between character groups didn’t really vibe well.

Loved it !

The reviews were hit or miss but I loved it. It’s an easy listen but keeps you on the edge of what is going to happen. The narrator is fabulous

Enjoyed very much

I really enjoyed this story, found myself listening every chance I got. An adventurous get away tale with lots of twists.

Not interesting after all

I didn’t like this one. While it may be good and a little twisty, it wasn’t up to par in my book. But that’s okay. We all have different preferences. It was weird to me from beginning to end.

Tropical escape with a dark undercurrent

I really enjoyed this story! A good slow and steady build to the climax that kept me intrigued the whole time. Loved the tropical island setting. I didn’t really feel a great connection or attachment to any of the characters, but the cool storyline made up for it. Definitely recommend!

Ending

Narrator was underwhelming - story could have moved faster - just hard to get thru until the end.

Anyone got a boat?

I had literal dreams about being in this story. I have a tendency to try to figure out the ending of a book before it happens, and I realized that ruins so much for the FUN! Fight the urge to try to prematurely figure this book out. It’ll be worth it. Happy listening.

Women's

I enjoyed this, but it's usually not my gendre of choice. some of it seemed far fetched, yet the climax was exciting.

Unpredictable

I love it when stories are unpredictable. This author kept things interesting and for a moment I kept thinking….. how does this apply to the story.. then she wrapped it all together very nicely. It was good with an exciting ending.

Loved it!

I waited patiently for this... loved it! narration, story, huge fan of this author.... nearly as good as the wife upstairs...