In horror fiction, there is always something creepy about small, isolated communities and if that small community is on an island off the main coast, we can safely double the creep factor. I received a copy for this book for an honest and unbiased opnion Kidney island with its looming wind turbines, mad cows, disappearing children and suspicious locals lives up to this expectation. Oscar Basaran is the outsider ( and not just geographically) tasked with documenting the effects of the wind turbines on the island folk. Oscar is a sympathetic character and his unease is realistically described by the author and yet you can understand why he chooses to stay when his back story is revealed. The secondary characters are an eclectic mix of normal trying to cope in an awful environment to the outright strange and unwelcoming but the wind turbines themselves are just as much as a character as the islanders- looming and humming in the background and ever-present. The tension slowly builds up through the book’s explosive climax which I won’t go into as this would completely spoil the story. But I have to say I was not expecting that explanation on why the shadow flicker was causing so much harm. I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend this to anyone who loves their mystery with a touch of science-fiction. Content warning Depictions of grief over a lost child, references to homophobia and sexual abuse Perfect for fans Horror and fiction set on creepy islands

Thanks to Random Things Tours and Flame Tree Press for my advance copy in exchange for my honest review. I started reading this with a conspiracy theory thriller vibe, but then it shifted into the surreal and eerie. It became a clever mystery. One which threatened to expose many secrets on the island. Now, I wouldn’t call this book fast-paced, but it didn’t need to be. It gently creates tension and before I knew it, the tension was palpable. I was hooked and couldn’t put it down. The effect of the moving shadows from the wind turbines’ huge blades, and the constant humming sound that came with it, was different for each person and even the livestock on the small island. From headaches and sleeplessness, to effectively losing one’s mind. With complaints from the residents, the owners of the wind farm want an investigators from their insurers to visit the island and find out what’s happening, all while denying any responsibility. I liked many of the characters. Those from Aerosource were immediately pigeon holed as suspicious, evasive, bad guys. Oscar and Melody were my main favourites; both strong , inquisitive, flawed, and very likeable. Other characters played their parts well and were credible. Overall, this book kept me up way too late, and I’ve overdosed on Brazilian coffee. This was an enjoyable read which held my attention, and which I am happy to recommend to readers of mystery novels. I gave Shadow Flicker, by Gregory Bastianelli, four stars.