Trouble Island

Sharon Short

Minotaur Books

Dec 3^rd, 2024

Trouble Island by Sharon Short is a historical suspense book. It is inspired by a real place and events that include bootleggers, mobsters, and a lot of snow.

The plot takes place in the middle of Lake Erie. Trouble Island serves as a stop-off for gangsters as they run between America and Canada. The remote isle is also the permanent home to two women: Aurelia Escalante, who serves as a maid to Rosita, lady of the mansion and wife to the notorious prohibition gangster, Eddie McGee. In the freezing winter of 1932, the women anticipate the arrival of Eddie and his strange coterie: his right-hand man, a doctor, a cousin, a famous actor, and a rival gangster who Rosita believes murdered their only son.

Five years ago, Aurelia murdered a gangster. She was rescued by Rosita who brought her to the island, befriending her.  But she also has entrapped Aurelia, not wanting her to escape. Aurelia has other ideas and plans her escape at the same time a group of criminals, celebrities, and villains arrive.  As she goes to the shore to retrieve her hidden box of treasure, she finds Rosita’s murdered body. Because of an ice storm, Trouble Island becomes cut off from the mainland, trapping all those there. She informs Rosita’s husband Eddie, about the death. A search begins for the killer, with suspects including the collection of guests, Rosita’s identical cousin, a corrupt cop, a doctor, a famous actor, and a rival gangster who Rosita believes murdered their only son.

Rosita was devastated by the death of her young and innocent son.  She was never the same and became a recluse. Plus, she tells her husband, Eddie, she will not sell the Island to the man who she believes murdered her son.  Now Aurelia must prove her innocence and find the true killer.

This story is a locked room mystery with the main character, a woman in crisis. The first-person narration adds to the tension of the story.

Elise Cooper: How did you get the idea for the story?

Sharon Short: There were two nuggets of inspiration. My husband’s great aunt Ruth was married to a very abusive man in the 1950s.  He wanted to be a part of the mob but failed. He did live a life of crime and took his frustrations out on her. They did adopt a pet monkey. After he threw the monkey across the room, she shot him dead. The judge set her free and reunited with the pet monkey. Then a handful years later I was a chaperon on a field trip for my daughter’s class.  Someone pointed at an Island on Lake Erie and said how it was owned by a gangster.  About three years ago the two ideas ran into each other.

EC: Was Aurelia based on anyone?

SS: My Great Aunt Ruth was the inspiration for Aurelia. She starts out naïve, too trusting, and wants to escape from this island.  Over the course of the book, she grows in her own maturity and realizes she must set herself free physically and emotionally. She becomes spunky and observant. She has survival techniques, realizing when something will get dangerous.

EC:  How would you describe Rosita?

SS: She was lost in her own world and head, where her imagination overlaps reality. She is not a very sympathetic character.  After losing her young son in a crossfire with another gangster she began to grieve and still grieves. It is a wound so deep she became closed off and hateful. She can read people and is manipulative. Rosita wants to control people. 

EC: Do you think Trouble Island was a character?

SS: Yes. I wanted to write it as a character with its weather, location, and the happenings. People who live on the Island are very much at the mercy of the weather and nature. It is inspired by a real Island, that is now part of Canada, a nature sanctuary. I was not able to visit it but was able to visit one of the islands nearby. It was cold and windy. Set in winter adds to the atmosphere of the book.

EC: What is the relationship between Rosita and Aurelia?

SS: They start out as friends. Rosita, before the tragedies happen, saw that Aurelia was a listening bloc who would never challenge her. While Aurelia saw Rosita as sophisticated and talented.  She was in awe of her. As time goes on Rosita becomes her boss, with the confidant role disappearing. 

EC: What was the role of the gangsters?

SS: Rosita’s husband, Eddie, is a gangster. He runs operations.  I wrote him based on a real gangster, Billy Roscoe. They used prohibition to line their pockets and get rich.

EC:  Next book?

SS:  It will be historical suspense set in the mid-century of the US. Probably coming out in 2026.

THANK YOU!!

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