I was absolutely blown away by this book - gripped from the moment I started reading and didn’t put it down. It was so easy to see the world through Orla’s eyes and go on this emotional journey with her. I was hooked from start to finish and a little bit gutted that I read it so fast as I wanted the story to go on for longer!

Orla’s character is one that is believable in that she is trusting and let down by those closest to her - I could understand every emotion that she felt by the constant twisting and turning of events. My only criticism is that the book wasn’t longer as I wanted to stay lost in the story for a little longer! Would recommend to anyone who is interested in thrillers and mysteries.

I really enjoyed this book and had read In Her Eyes, another book by the author.

I enjoyed the writing style and I was compelled by the storyline and the characters. The front cover is brilliant too!

I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. It started well but I found some parts to be far-fetched and although that didn't stop me from finishing the book it did affect my enjoyment.

Not very original storyline.
Easy to read but nothing unexpected happens. A very contrived part with who is arrested for the murder.
Little twist at the end

The Weekend Away by Sarah Anderson is a rollercoaster ride. One red herring after another—-or is it?! A lot of it required suspending belief and just going with the flow. What a mess and what a tangled web. Good, fast paced storyline. It’s easy enough to relate to Orla the exhausted mum and Kate her neglected fun-loving friend. Or la’s subsequent acquiescence with drinking, going with strangers and identifying a body of a non-family member.......not so easy to swallow. Nonetheless a ripping yarn- right up to the last page....and beyond.

Plenty of twists and surprises in this book. Also some rather convenient coincidences ... an Uber driver multi-lingually fluent, and people flying into Lisbon as if they were catching a bus.

But I did enjoy the tale of Orla and Kate; 2 best friends one of whom has secrets that would surely break the friendship if uncovered. The plotting did get rather convoluted but nonetheless the story kept me interested and the final page was a real surprise!

Thank to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley, Avon Books UK and the Author Sarah Alderson for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
All I can say is WOW!!! This book was an absolute page turner.
The epitome of a cat and mouse thriller.
I couldn't read it fast enough.
My first read from this Author and certainly won't be my last.

A good story which I was compelled to read in one sitting. Although I wasn't surprised by the ending, there are lots of twists and turns, which make this a very enjoyable read.

Plot
Best friends Kate and Orla go to Lisbon for a weekend away but it is a weekend away that changes everything....

Ending – Thumbs up or meh
Thumbs up!

Book surmised in 5 words or less
Well thought out. Enthralling read.

A keep you up all night read?
Yes – definitely!

My thoughts
Thank you to Sarah Alderson, Avon Books UK and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my review.

I liked this book. It was easy to get into and hard to put down. It’s difficult to talk about the plot without giving anything away or give any spoilers but it ticked the boxes for me both in terms of readability, plot and holding my interest.

I liked the plot twists along the way which were fitting and the ending didn’t leave me feeling short changed.

Firstly, thank you to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book prior to publication.

It’s the story of two lifelong friends, Orla and Kate, who go away together for the weekend, to Portugal on this occasion. This is something they have done frequently over the years. However, this time, on the first night Kate disappears, and subsequently is found dead. The book tells the story of Orla’s efforts to get to the bottom of the disappearance. Although she reports it to the police, she is not convinced that they take her seriously, and don’t appear to make much effort to try and find out what happened to her friend. She is assisted by Konstandin, an Uber driver, who decides to help her.

The book starts off quite slow, but, however, once it gets going it’s gripping and fast paced, and you don’t want to put it down. It has a lot of twists and turns, and has a surprising ending.

I really enjoyed it, and worth reading.

Hooked me in straight away two very different characters in Kate and Orla and Rob the pawn in the game; then a sinister twist escorts missing people and divided loyalties the very creepy character of Sebastian and his airb&b very plausible irritating and inept police and a compassionate hit man - what’s not to like - great book with a perfect ending l didn’t see coming 🤫

Orla and Kate have been BFFs forever! They used to spend all of their time partying, living, and traveling together before Orla got married. Now a new mother, Orla’s agrees to a girl’s get away weekend with Kate in Lisbon.

Orla wants to relax, Kate wants to party.
After a night of heavy drinking and partying, Orla wakes up in a haze and learns that Kate is missing. The police aren’t taking her seriously, she can’t speak Portuguese, and she faces other hurdles in her quest. As pieces start coming together, Kate questions how well does she really know her friend.

Wowza! This was an absolute thrill ride that leaves you baffled until the very last sentence. I really liked that everything I predicted and everyone I suspected was wrong. There were a few unrealistic and questionable decisions that Orla made, but I guess desperate times call for desperate measures. I thoroughly enjoyed this mind maze and doubt casting thriller!

Thanks to Avon Books and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Weekend Away Turns Sinister....
A weekend away each year for friends Orla and Kate is a cherished event. This year their trip to Lisbon sounds ideal and is planned to perfection. However, soon after arrival the break becomes something way more sinister. Well plotted, albeit a little too predictable in places, this is an entertaining psychological suspense for some guaranteed escapism.

Whoa! What a ride this was! Sarah Alderson's "The Weekend Away" kept me up way into the early morning hours. Do we really know the people we love? Suspenseful, well developed characters and might there be a sequel? I loved it.

I loved this book! Beyond thrilling and kept me on the edge of my seat. Travel thrillers are one of my favorite genres to read. What’s more thrilling than being in a country you don’t know, with a language barrier that hinders you from speaking to most of the citizens, and your best friend goes missing without a trace? Who can you trust?

I loved all of the twists within the story, and not to give anything away, but the ending twist was my favorite. I truly never guessed what happened to Kate, no matter how many times I thought I knew what happened. I was totally engrossed in the story and found it easy to relate to the characters, especially Orla.

The ending was not necessarily wrapped in a tight bow, but it was satisfying enough and not to mention chilling. I would highly recommend this book to anyone and would definitely read another book by this author. As a matter of fact, I will seek out books by this author.

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I LOVED this book. I devoured it over 2 days. Considering we are in lockdown, this book was a great escape, and I could picture the streets of Lisbon so vividly. I loved that about it. The mystery throughout the book is great, some fantastic twists, and fun to unravel. A great summer read for fans of thriller/mystery.

Orla spends her vacation time looking for her friend Kate who disappears in Lisbon during their weekend away. I was completely hooked by the mystery and I finished in one seating. It's a good book, full of twists that you don't see coming, and even if the ending wasn't was I was looking for, it's worth it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this fun and gripping tale of a girls weekend away that goes terribly wrong. With drug taking, male prostitutes, helpful members of the albanian mafia plus infidelity and drug taking, this is a brilliantly entertaining beach read, although the end will give you a bit of a fright!

A girls’ weekend is exactly what new mom Orla and soon-to-be divorcee Kate need. Their annual getaway will give the best friends a chance to reconnect and put the stresses of every day life behind them for a few days. But a few days of fun and sun in Lisbon quickly turns in to a nightmare when Kate goes missing. Finding her friend becomes a frantic mission for Orla; it’s a mission that will uncover secrets and change her life forever.

It took a few chapters for this book to hook me. Pacing is key in this type of thriller, but the slow start gave way to an otherwise well paced story. There were a few scenes throughout that I thought could have been expanded on and some plot threads that could have been explored a bit more. There were also several moments where an inconsistency in Orla’s narrative seemed to jump off the page. That being said, the book kept me reading and once I was hooked I was reluctant to put it down.

Unfortunately, good pacing wasn’t enough to make this a stand out book for me. In a genre full of similar titles, a book needs to be exceptional or bring something entirely different to the table to make it stand out and be more than enjoyable but forgettable reads. Readers familiar with the genre will likely guess some of the plot twists in advance, but playing amateur detective alongside Orla will certainly appeal to some.

This was an easy to read thriller that kept my attention all the way through! Lots of twists and surprises I didn't see coming. Very good, would recommend....interesting ending