Not a bad thriller, not great either

I bought this largely on the basis of its subject; apart from Dan Brown, there are suspiciously few Illuminati thrillers, almost as if…

Anyway, the plot is loosely based on Jeffrey Epstein’s sex and blackmail operation, with one-dimensional superwoman, the bondesque bondess Passion Valdez, battling sex trafficking, slavery and the patriarchy. The plot’s not bad, albeit a little cliched, the sort of thing you’ve read or watched in many other thrillers. I do applaud the author, ‘SLMN’ however for even attempting to dramatize the story, which he does with some success.

There are a manageable number of flat, cut-out characters, including Passion, a few generic trafficked victim girls complete with kidnap back stories, and various heavy henchmen. There are also several somewhat interesting although stereotypical characters: Huey Rawlston, the corrupt and depraved politician, Laney, his superficial teenage daughter, and wicked witch Rosa, narrated with gumption by the excellent Mishi Chappelle.

Alibi Island successfully manages to convey evil without descending into gratuitous porn, although there is plenty of violence. The plot mostly concentrates on the island itself, with only hints of the larger blackmail operation. Although ultimately predictable, there are plenty of exciting twists to keep you listening.

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