Published 29th January 2026 by Vinci Books.
From the cover of the book:
Two lives bound by love and sacrifice, across decades, across an island, across time itself.
Carissa thought she had escaped her past when she fled Edinburgh for the sunlit island of Skiathos. But her peace is shattered when her former partner finds her, determined to drag her back into his control.
Her only strength lies in the friendships she forges with Thomas, a WWII veteran who carries the burden of betrayal and loss, and with Demitris, who offers the love she desperately needs. As Thomas recounts his wartime mission, where danger, loyalty, and love collided, Carissa finds the courage to stand against the shadows threatening her own life.
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Edinburgh, 2007. Leaving a relationship that had become dangerously toxic, Carissa takes a job as a hiking guide, on the beautiful Greek island of Skiathos. The change of pace, and beautiful surroundings, start to work their magic. Soon Carissa feels like her old self.
One day, while on a tour, she discovers an elderly man who has collapsed in his garden. She stops to get him some much needed assistance. Wondering how he is recovering from his ordeal, Carissa decides to pay him a visit, and is astonished to discover that Thomas is British.
Thomas begins to tell Carissa of his World War Two experiences working alongside the Greek resistance, and the two become firm friends. As Thomas delves into the memories that haunt him, Carissa is forced to confront her own demons - especially when her past finds its way into the haven she has found.
The novel unfurls in two compelling timelines that weave beautifully together: following Carissa from the break-up of her relationship to a controlling partner called Stuart, in the present; and the story of Thomas' war-time adventures between 1942-43. As their friendship grows, Thomas introduces Carissa to fascinating, and poignant history about the events that happened after he was dropped behind enemy lines in Nazi-occupied Greece, as part of Operation Harling. Meanwhile, Carissa's new start in Skiathos is called into question by the arrival of creepy Stuart, who proceeds to stalk her from the shadows.
I was completely drawn into this novel, utterly consumed with both storylines. McHale does a cracking job investing your emotions in Carissa's story, as her new life, with its enchanting romance with colleague Demitris, is threatened by the menacing Stuart - and he paints an authentically disturbing picture of what it is like to be stalked by a former partner. In parallel, McHale explores some really intriguing history about the work of the SOE in mainland Greece, by inserting fictional Thomas into real events amongst the divided loyalties of the Greek resistance, and he even incorporates a heart-rending forbidden romance for him to give an extra tug on the heart-strings.
I could not put this book down until all the wonderful threads of Carissa and Thomas' stories flowed to their tear-jerking conclusions. And I am seriously impressed by the magical way McHale reflects his themes of love, loss, danger, betrayal, and much needed healing through both timelines.
I have not come across Dougie McHale's novels before, but this is every bit as good as any epic story by Victoria Hislop, hitting the same 'heart-wrenching fiction meets engrossing history under the Greek sun' spot. I cannot wait to lose myself in the other Hellenic Collection novels!
The Island Between Us is available to buy now in paperback and ebook.
Thank you to Ed PR for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.
About the author:
In a past life, Dougie has been a dockyard worker, student, and musician. Writing has always been in his blood and bone.
He draws inspiration from his love of Edinburgh and Greece. Their people and histories have all found their way into the books he writes.
Dougie is the author of several novels of both Contemporary Women's Fiction and Second World War Fiction.
His novels are rich with characters that face impossible choices, extraordinary circumstances and the power of secrets told through ordinary people reacting to the ups and downs of the human condition and the complexity of the heart.
Dougie lives with his wife, daughter and forever hungry golden retriever in an intermittent empty nest as his son comes and goes.
Discover the books that readers are describing as an emotional roller-coaster of intrigue and drama, love and hope.
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