The Island Expats by Deb McEwan is a fantastic cosy mystery novella series you can read in a breeze. At present, five books are available, all of which are easy to finish in roughly 2-3 hours (quicker if you are a fast reader).
At the heart of the Island Expats series is the budding romance between ex-detective Matt Elliott and Elena Lacey, who meet by chance one day and embark on a whirlwind affair, surrounded by much intrigue and adventure.
While the initial romance forms the basis of the books, the crux of the stories revolves around murder, mystery, and danger, along with themes of family, friendship, honesty, and love.
That the stories take place on the idyllic fictional Greek island of Souvia gives the plots a distinct setting with a dose of dreaminess and Mediterranean charm.
Island Expats Book 1 – New Beginnings
New Beginning is a fun, light-hearted read with many loveable characters. I enjoyed that Deb McEwan doesn’t spend too much time on any one aspect of the book. Take the romance between Matt and Elena, for instance. It starts quickly and has a mature arc that tells us more about the characters and their past without having to spoon-feed everything.
Once on the island of Souvia, unlike some of the other murder mysteries I have been reading lately, I appreciate how we are introduced to the possible culprits one after another before the actual murder. It made guessing who did it all the more intriguing.
The one disadvantage of this being a novella is that, although the characters are well-defined, we don’t always get an in-depth insight into everyone. With New Beginnings, it would have been nice to at least get a little more detailed understanding of the main villain towards the end.
Nevertheless, New Beginnings has me hooked on The Island Expats series.
Island Expats Book 2 – Bondu & Beyond
Bondu & Beyond is an absolutely fantastic follow-up to New Beginnings. I loved the continuity of the story and the developing relationship between Matt and Elena.
Although the series consists of fast-moving quick reads, this one increases the pace even more, transforming into and proper thriller by the last act.
Jenny, the rescue dog, is simply adoring and already a favourite. I also enjoyed how Deb kept the story’s overall tone lighter, even though it tackles some serious issues.
Moreover, the addition of new characters, as well as the return of a few old ones, was done perfectly.
The one thing I would like in future books is for “discoveries” to be made by different people. I feel it’s a little too convenient when our main protagonists always stumble over the significant clues.
Still, I admire that the author included more characters and didn’t revolve the entire plot around Matt and Elena.
Island Expats Book 3 – Family Matters
I’m at a stage with the Island Expats series where I regret starting the books. You see, I like them so much that having finished three books, I am already wondering what I will do once I finish the five that are out.
I’m a bit too invested in the characters and characterization now, which seems to get better and better with each story. So far, Family Matters is my favourite in the entire Island Expats series.
For starters, I like that Deb introduces a new protagonist of sorts with Matt’s daughter Kayleigh. Moreover, the story has a perfect balance of mystery and thrill.
Not to forget, Deb is pretty awesome when it comes to keeping certain aspects of the story close to her heart till the very end. For example, I love how she creates suspense around a particular character, only disclosing their identity in the epilogue.
The more I read The Island Expats, the more I believe it will do rather well as a TV series someday.
Island Expats Book 4 – In Deep Water
The adventures and miss-happenings on the fictional island of Souvia continue with In Deep Water.
This time around, the “budget” of the story is at par with that of a movie rather than a cosy mystery TV series as it had been till now.
There are many new exciting characters, murder, blackmail, and suspense. Interestingly, our main protagonists, Elena and Matt, take a backseat until the end.
Deb continues to amaze me with managing to pack in multiple themes within a limited number of pages. With In Deep Water, you can expect various happenings, from earthquakes and hidden treasures to ancestral findings and sex lines, creating a melange of intriguing sub-plots.
In Deep Water is as good as Deb McEwan’s previous Island Expacts books and showcases that she can easily write stories that are larger than life.
Island Expats Book 5 – Andy’s Bar
One of the highlights of reading The Island Expats by Deb McEwan has been how smoothly the author changes the pace of the books from one to another.
Unlike the uber-explosive In Deep Water, Andy’s Bar is more grounded and relatable. However, as always, the new and old characters are brilliant and well sketched out.
Even though Andy’s Bar is less of a thriller, it still reads fast. I particularly appreciate how Deb doesn’t beat around the bush and keeps the story moving.
Additionally, there is a slight change from the usual in how Deb ends the story, which is both refreshing and appreciative.
Individually, I gave the books mentioned above, received as ARCs from BookSirens, either four or five stars. However, collectively as a series, The Island Expats is undoubtedly a five-star read.
The Sunday Book Club 