“The Resort” by Sara Ochs is a fun debut thriller.

“The Resort” is filled with several characters who kept their pasts hidden leading to quite the whodunit story.

I enjoyed diving into this book and look forward to what is next from Sara Ochs.

Thank you NetGalley, Sara Ochs, and Sourcebooks Landmark for gifting me this advanced copy.

What an ending! Is it too soon to say I hope there is a sequel?

It’s hard to believe this is a debut novel. The pace, plotting, tension, and brazen twists pushed the story to places that were thrilling and unexpected, even in a hot market for psychological thrillers!

One of my favorite aspects of this book was that Ochs was unafraid to write flawed characters. I don’t think there was a character in the book that wasn’t flawed, and that added a layer of reality to the story that made it even more gripping. I’d argue that most of the characters have done something bad, but who is the worst? You’ll have to read to find out…

Narrated in alternating chapters by the two female protagonists, Brooke and Cass—there was an eerie feel to the story at all times because it was clear there were a lot of secrets being kept from the people on the island and from the reader. The hints at some of those secrets are peppered throughout the story, and the reveals are carefully timed for maximum effect.

Brooke is a travel influencer who has arrived at the small, remote island of Koh Sang, Thailand. After talking her way into a better room in exchange for social media coverage (with perhaps a bit of creative manipulation of the resort owner), Brooke is settled in for the next few weeks. On her first day she befriends a dive instructor for the resort named Cass. Not only is Cass a fellow American, she’s also an easy friend for Brooke who is used to the lonely influencer life. Over the past few weeks they have formed a good friendship. Only Cass doesn’t know that Brooke isn’t from the west coast, she’s from Kentucky. And that’s not the only secret Brooke is hiding…

Cass has been working at the resort for a few years now, and she couldn’t be happier with the life she has created. She’s engaged to a man named Logan originally from Scotland who owns a local dive bar on the island. She’s now become the newest member of a small group of people who live and work on the island that refer to themselves as “the Permanents”. They are a close-knit group who have chosen to leave their pasts behind for island life. They don’t talk about their backgrounds, and that suits them just find. Isn’t island life about living in the moment?

But things are not as idyllic as they seem on the surface. Several days before Brooke arrived, a guest at the resort fell off a cliff and died. It seems like it must be an accident, but a newcomer at the resort approaches Brooke and suggests that it wasn’t. Not long after that exchange, the newcomer is found dead at the bottom of the ocean. Cass is the one who finds her while on a dive, and she’s shaken. Cass has been uneasy since she first received an anonymous note suggesting that someone knows who she really is. How is that possible? Cass has worked hard to fully separate from her old identity. When another death occurs not long after, it’s clear that something dark is going on. But on an island where everyone is hiding their past and their secrets, who is responsible?

This is one of those books that it’s best if you go into without more information than provided here (or in the synopsis). I hate saying that, but it will give you the best reading experience. I was instantly sucked into the book—the setting leapt right off the page, and the plot moved almost without me realizing it from serene to so tense it could snap. I was suspicious of basically everyone throughout the entire book. No one (including the two protagonists) should be marked as safe.

Part of the fun in reading The Resort are the slow reveals of the secrets. And when I say everyone on this island has a secret, I mean everyone. Even the ones who seem the most innocent! What the reader needs to figure out is who is just enjoying island life and living in the moment, leaving behind worries or pain from their past, and who is hiding something much darker? We learn early on that both Brooke and Cass are hiding something. They also form a sweet friendship that made it hard to know how their secrets might fit in to everything. Brooke is able to get the reserved, shy Cass to open up, and Cass is able to bring Brooke in to the fold. Brooke even has a crush on another dive instructor! But as with any good psychological thriller, there is a lot more to unfold…

The ending is twist-y and delightful to read. By the epilogue, my jaw was on the floor! Ochs has proven herself to be unafraid of making bold decisions about the fates of her characters, and I applaud that. It made for a great book with a stellar ending. I left it wondering if perhaps there could even be a sequel? There is plenty more to explore after this book ends, that is for sure!

Thank you to Sourcebooks for my copy. Opinions are my own.

I thought this was a great mystery and I really liked it. I loved the setting and all of the characters. It kept my interest and I recommend it to multiple people.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for letting me read THE RESORT early. This one is out now.

This book started out really great but then took a strange turn and really bored me. I finished it with the help of the audiobook but I can't recommend this one. I almost gave up on reading it, and kind of wished I did.

I was excited to start this one as Sara Ochs is a new author for me. The beginning of this book did a great job of making me feel like I was on the island and enjoying all it had to offer. I liked that we were able to see both sides of the resort - guest and workers. There are a lot of characters, which was confusing as Brooke and Cass had similar ways of talking and thinking - I would forget whose POV I was in. Even though the setting was great, the story itself was a little more slow burn, until about the halfway point/when the murders starts happening - then it is action packed and suspenseful until the end. The characters all seemed to have secrets and none were overly likeable, but none unlikable. The author did a great job of leaving little clues, but not enough to give away anything. I never saw the twists at the end coming.

Overall, if you are looking for a summer pool thriller to read, I would recommend grabbing this one.

This book started out slow for me but it quickly picked up and I was intrigued. There are a lot of characters and it seems that everyone has secrets. I thought I had it figured out a couple of times but the twist at the end was something I didn't see coming. I liked the tropical setting and the found family vibes, along with the starting over feeling that several of the characters had. I definitely enjoyed this book and will look for more by this author!

Oh boy. This book was very good. I rated it a 4.5 out of 5. It had some good twists and the big twist was huge and I didn’t see it coming. The entire time I was trying to figure out WHO DID IT but I never would’ve expected it to be who it was. The writing was really good. I definitely would recommend this to others.

The Resort by Sara Ochs was a fast paced, mysterious must read. I had no idea who did what, it certainly kept you guessing. Set in beautiful Thailand, this is a great one for those who like vacation gone wrong books! Recommend.

This book was such a disappointing read. I was immediately drawn in by the beachy gorgeous cover and the premise that it's compared to Rachel Hawkins. The amount of things I would rather have done with my time than read this is startling.

None of the thrills were thrilling or crazy, a majority of the book was useless dialogue and overall just things I couldn't care less about. I didn't care for any of the characters or the plot, really the only thing I enjoyed was the setting. And it ended the way I absolutely hate thrillers to end unless there's going to be a sequel.

Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark for the gifted copy for my honest review.

I checked out the audiobook for The Resort from my local library and really enjoyed it. I will admit to having no idea how the suspense would wrap up- every detail revealed at the end took me by surprise. And that epilogue! That was a shock too.

The Resort by Sara Ochs was in some ways quite predictable. A thriller in an exotic location - beach, scuba diving, the works. However, the twist was not quite so predicable, and I actually found it a bit far-fetched. This is a slow burn kind of thriller, which isn't a problem for me but I know many want something to pull them in a bit quicker. There are also a lot of characters to keep track of initially, but once they're sorted out the plot is not difficult to follow. Readers should pay careful attention to content warnings on this one, as issues of mental illness, trauma, rape, and pedophilia all come to light.

Thank you @ScaredStraightReads/Sourcebooks Landmark #partner, for the finished copy of The Resort in exchange for my honest review.

I was thrilled to be selected to be part of Dennis’s book club this month and what an exciting book he picked! A debut thriller that totally had me guessing all the way through!

I love a good destination thriller and this one could not have been more twisty and addicting. It does start off a little slow, but this is where the groundwork is being laid and I found myself intrigued, but once the book took off, I was totally hooked!

I loved the way the story unfolded, alternating between Cass and Brooke, as they slowly reveal their past and reasons for coming to the island. But as we meet the rest of the characters, it becomes evident that everyone is hiding something, that they all have their reasons for coming to this island and no one knows each other’s secrets, even though they consider themselves friends. Lies, secrets and dead bodies…this one has it all!

This one really kept me on my toes because every time I thought I had things worked out, a new twist would turn everything upside down. And then that ending – it was such a shock and I loved it! This was such a fun, thrilling ride and I cannot wait to see what comes next from Sara Ochs…I’ll for sure be reading it!

Wowie. This was quite the ride. Brooke you had me guessing if you were telling the truth or an unreliable narrator. I loved Cass and Logan so much. So many twists and turns and 100% didn't see several of these things coming. The scenery was absolutely beautiful, even with all the death, I still want to visit Thailand.

Travel-thriller for me! I liked learning about Cass and Brooke and there were certainly many secrets to be uncovered throughout.

I did find it kind of drag mid way through with lots of back and forth but nothing really happening.

I did like the twists and history, but some of unreliable narrator got a little too convoluted along the way.

Cass is recently engaged, living in paradise, and teaching scuba lessons at the only resort in a small island in Thailand. The reader doesn't know much about Cass, other than the fact that she's hiding something crucial about her past. When Cass receives a threatening note, she's determined to keep the secret from her new fiancée. However, she starts to question everything once one of the members of her scuba group ends up dead. This is a thrilling mystery that's vaguely reminiscent to Knives Out-The Glass Onion.

The narration was well-done, though there were a few instances of really strange pronunciation.

Many thanks to SOURCEBOOKS Landmark and NetGalley for an advanced listener's copy in exchange for my review.

The Resort is a chilling, immersive read. I love how the friendships and mysteries are portrayed. The suspense never stops and I had a hard time putting this down.

(Actual: 3.75⭐, rounded up) This was honestly a great, action-packed thriller and did well in exceeding my initial expectations! The plot and Ochs's style of writing kept me engaged despite having a bit of a slow start and the Thailand setting was beautifully depicted and clearly decently researched, which I loved. I found the main characters to be well-developed and relatable, and I'll always appreciate an author's use of alternating POVs in order to successfully tell (and sell) their story. Going in blind (as most should when it comes to this genre), I will say that I definitely didn't expect all of the twists and turns that came about (especially that ending!!). And, in the end, as someone who loves to travel, this was a fun - if not somewhat cautionary - tale and reminder that everyone has their own story and reasons behind why they're on holiday, so have fun, be mindful, and stay safe!

This book will keep you on your toes the whole way through. It was amazing and I wish I could read it again for the first time. Great great book!

This book had a slow start for me and got better at the end. However there were way too many red herrings that it got frustrating as the reader. It got to be too much by the end. 3 stars

A group of unlikeable people, hiding out, running, seeking an escape from their nightmares. They find it on an island in Thailand. It should be an idyllic place but it is populated by The Permanents who are psychopaths. They claim to love and then lie and plot and plan and lie again without remorse. It was a story that left me without sympathy, disbelieving all of them. Connivers one and all. They lie to each other, to themselves. They are bad actors. Was there anyone worth saving? Did I care about any of them? Not really.

Because I could see who and what the players were and what they were about, nothing surprised me. The twists and turns were expected, people were going to die for absolutely no reason other than psychopaths rarely change. So let’s kill her and then someone is asking questions so she has to be killed and it just doesn’t stop. And let’s not forget the rotten, corrupt cops who can’t be trusted not to beat their suspects. There was nothing appealing about this story for me.

Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for a copy.