The debut novel by Zak Yianni

Carambola.

An island retreat with a dark history.

Off the coast of Vanuatu, Lucas Ricci is about to discover that paradise is not quite as it seems.

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Carambola book cover by Zak Yianni, showing a sun over a sea and sandy shore FICTION · 2026

Welcome to the island

Paradise has
a past.

Debut novel296 pagesPublished 2026

‘Based on what you’ve told me tonight, Lucas, I honestly believe it could turn you into a new person.’

‘What’s the name of this place?’

Carambola Island offers an escape.

For Lucas Ricci, trapped in the memories of a past relationship and drinking the day away, his invitation to Carambola arrives at the perfect time.

Kicking back in the South Pacific, the island appears to be everything he imagined: a well needed distraction from life back home.

However, the longer Lucas stays, the stranger the island becomes, as its dark history begins floating to the surface.

A charismatic host conceals a strange business venture, staff receive unexplained sums of money, and an old friend of the host interrogates a suspicious death from six years earlier.

Back in London, a devastating event leads Lucas’ ex-girlfriend Calista and her friend Raquelle to begin searching for him. As their investigation ensues, they begin to realise Lucas’ disappearance may be connected to something far more dangerous than they originally anticipated.

At its heart, Carambola is a story about what it means to live authentically in a world where so much is often fabricated.

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Portrait of author Zak Yianni

Meet the author

Zak Yianni.

Zak Yianni lives in Hertfordshire and holds a first-class BA in Film and Literature from the University of Warwick.

He enjoys stories of all mediums, especially those where plot twists recontextualise the narrative upon a second visit.

Carambola is his debut novel.

For enquiries: zakyianni23@outlook.com

The story starts here

Escape to
Carambola.

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