Love Susi Holiday's books and this one was no different. Eeriely atmospheric and a great cast of characters to carry the plot along at a perfect pace.

I enjoyed Susi Holliday's recent psychological thrillers The Lingering and Violet so was very keen to see what she wrote next and The Last Resort didn't disappoint. It belongs to a very definite (and rather different) subgenre, the "last man standing" thriller where a disparate group are brought together in an environment they can't escape and challenged to survive. It's both a contemporary genre, and one with deep roots - think And Then There Were None, which The Last Resort has some affinity with, being set own an island with each character possessing one or more guilty secret. Indeed, the book affectionately tips its hat to Christie and - some way in - its protagonists, realising what genre they're in, comment knowing on what may be in store.

I rather like this sort of self awareness (I'm avoiding the "meta" word) and it's only one of the many respects that, in this book, Holliday simply OWNS the format. From the setup - seven strangers on a plane, invited on a dream holiday, in reality off to who knows where - through the subsequent dangers, to the enigmatic last page, this is a book that demands attention. The group members themselves are satisfyingly portrayed - Amelia, a development worker, Tiggy, a social media "influencer", Giles, the games designer, gossip columnist Lucy, photographer James, Scott, who flogs dodgy dietary supplements and Brenda, the venture capitalist. While 283 pages isn't much to give a rounded description of this many people Holliday makes them distinctive and creates a real personality for each, avoiding them being stereotypes - it would be too easily simply to make everyone nasty, all the time, to set up the necessary conflict but that doesn't happen here.

As the group progresses following the instructions of their enigmatic host, there are of course rifts between some, stoked by the mysterious revelations about their pasts and the fear of what is being done to them (are their minds being read? How closely are they being surveilled? Above all, why were they chosen?) but these arise organically from the characters as depicted, they aren't imposed.

And there is a real mystery here. The reader too will wonder what, exactly, is going on. Obviously all are being manipulated, but why? What does it have to do with the interpolated story - set in 2000 - featuring two new characters? That's, of course, the puzzle which Amelia and the rest have to solve too, although they're not being given all the pieces we are and it creates a real sense of doubt for us as we follow their plight. I did work my way to the solution before the big reveal, but not that long before, and again, the key turns out to be motivations and character, so you need to watch everyone closely.

In all, The Last Resort (the title has to be ironic!) was great fun to read, with plenty of surprises and some real shocks. While it playfully hints at what's going on by its references to earlier examples of this genre, those should not all be taken at face value - things are tricksy here!

Such a bizarre premise for a book but it works. Things start to go wrong for the strangers almost immediately and gradually dark secrets are revealed as the contestants try to work out what on earth is going on. It's tricky to write a review without spoilers but this book does come recommended.

Usually, I really love this author's books. This one just didnt work for me as much as the others. Started good but then it just couldnt hold my interest. Could just be me though so give it a chance as usually she's a solid writer.

Fast Paced and addictive I could not put this down! The premise of this book is seven strangers, seven secrets, one perfect crime. That alone hooked me and this book absolutely does not disappoint!
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Invited to an all expenses paid private island to test out technology, seven strangers easily agree. It’s an easy yes. They will all quickly come to regret their decision. Nothing is as it seems as all of their awful secrets are exposed one by one.
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Adrenaline fueled and heart stopping I couldn’t read this book fast enough. The ending was satisfying and one I didn’t see coming.
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This book comes out on Tuesday, December 1st
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Thank you #Netgalley and #thomasandmercer for an arc in exchange for an honest review

This one is creepy, and it had all the elements I was looking for, but missed the mark somewhat for me. I never felt fully drawn in. I'm not sure if the writing style just wasn't for me or if it was more character development. If it sounds interesting, I still recommend giving it a try.

Wow, this was a game of two halves for me.I loved the description of the book, and it had a perfect start for me, intriguing and with lots of different characters. However after a while I started to lose interest, and I am not sure why. I am an impatient reader, and I found it to be slow in places, and that is where my attention span switched off a bit, but I don't know it that says more about me, or the book. I loved some of it, but felt it dragged in places. I hope other more patient readers than me will enjoy it more.

Hmmm ... this is a really difficult book to review for me because I am in two minds as to whether I really enjoyed it or not!

The premise is excellent and it started off really well and, I thought, this is going to be good but alas it soon became a tad boring and I gradually lost interest the further on I went. I was hoping for that "wow" ending that might redeem the book a little but, for me, it didn't really happen.

The characters aren't particularly likeable but that doesn't really matter in this book and I ended up looking forward to seeing what inventive ways were going to be employed if/when they were to die but it was all rather "meh" and anti-climatic.

What I did like was the setting of the remote island, the mystery surrounding why they were all there and how the advanced technology was used but I wanted more tension and excitement ... there are times throughout the book where it ramped up a little but they didn't last long enough and there were too many down-times and periods of inactivity for me.

I think there will be many, many people out there who will love this book particularly those who prefer a more slower paced mystery so please don't take my word for it and give it a go if you like the sound of the blurb.

Many thanks to SJI Holliday and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.

Seven strangers invited to an all expenses paid luxury retreat with a whole island to themselves and of course you would go...

It all goes wrong very early on in this book and is extremely drawn out. It took me longer than usual to read as I just didn’t get in to it at all. I did finish it but it was difficult trying to convince myself to keep going and hoping for something more to happen. I felt like I didn’t connect with the characters, I felt the whole plot was a bit pointless and the ending... well didn’t really go anywhere.

All in all, not great. The cover caught my eye as it looks brilliant but as they say ‘you can’t judge a book by it’s cover’.

Seven strangers have had invitations to stay on an island for a day or so, enjoy a bit of luxury, give their opinions based on their areas of expertise. Once they’re all on the plane things begin to unravel and nothing is as it seems. None of the guests were pleasant and all had secrets they’d rather stayed secrets. In between the island shenanigans there’s flashbacks to the meeting between a holidaymaker and an islander in 2000. The book is a mix of several genres. I quite liked it, it was easy to read and the pages/percentages went by quickly but it was really rather odd/silly with an unsatisfying ending and all a bit predictable! The premise was great and the story definitely intriguing and I’d be happy to try another book by this author.

The characters are interesting and the plot kept me hooked. Thank you to NetGalley, Susi Holliday, and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC of this book.

I loved this book and simply flew through it! My only qualm was that the constant changing of tenses (oftentimes mid-sentence) threw me whenever I picked the book back up after a break, but once I was in the flow of reading I barely noticed it. I found the characters 'real', regardless of whether they were likeable or not, and nothing was so unrealistic as to be jarring. Most of the book wasn't particularly suspenseful, but it was super fun and the twist at the end was intriguing - it's certainly a book I'll read again on a rainy weekend!

Thank you to NetGalley, Susi Holliday and Amazon Publishing UK for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

Honestly, I was so enamoured by this cover that I requested it before I even knew what it was about! But luckily it was right up my alley! Novels like these with sketchy characters and a deserted island vibe are my guilty pleasure. I was suspicious of everyone and all the interesting technology that they seemed to have that no one had ever heard of. All these characters were guilty of something, but you couldn't help but feel bad for what they were all going through and how all their dirty laundry was being aired. The ending was amazing and while I knew it had something to do with one specific character, I really didn't see how it was all going to end up. It was a good, if a bit tidy ending, but I really enjoyed the journey!

Three men and four women are receive invites for an all-expense-paid retreat on a private island. They are all told they will be there to test a new product for a technology company. They weren't expecting to be drugged while on the plane .. and they have no idea where they are. Nor are they prepared when a chip is inserted in each of them , all but one.

What ties all these people together? Six of them are in the business of influencers and reality shows ... all but one. Each guest has a guilty secret that somehow this tech company has rooted out.

One by one, the 'guests' find themselves hurt and injured ... or worse. There's no way off the island ... phones get no signal. Survival is for the fittest .. and that seems to belong to Amelia. She plans on being the last one standing.

The premise was a good one, all though this was more sci-fi / fantasy / horror than thriller. I couldn't connect with the characters, didn't even like most of them. They seemed to all be shallow and kind of boring. It became hard to care what happened to them. There's lot of action involved, but again, I didn't feel much suspense. The ending felt rushed and wasn't satisfactory for me at all.

Many thanks to the author/ Amazon Publishing / Netgalley for the digital copy of THE LAST RESORT. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Amelia and six other guests all sign up for an all expense luxury trip not knowing what they are getting into. The truth becomes something that none of them can fathom. This book is quite the mind trip and really kept me guessing until the very end on what was even going on. I liked the psychological components and that the book flashed back into time to further develop the story. The end of the book seemed a little cut and dried, but overall this was a good read. I thought this was well written and will definitely recommend this book to others. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley.

This book was given to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 7 strangers set out for a "luxury" retreat. They have all signed a non-disclosure statement. They all have secrets. They are under the pretense that they are there to hype up a new vacation/resort area. However, they are exposed to new technology. They are all suspicious, of the retreat and of each other. I suppose when I requested this book, I didn't read the full description, so as I am reading I was really trying to figure out what the heck was happening. The book is told from the perspective of the 4 women on the trip. There is also the back story from 2000 interspersed. The reader does not know whose is involved in the back story. Thinking Big Brother meets Survivor. I enjoyed reading this but I felt this book led up to a really strong point, but the ending seemed just a little flat to me.

This was not my favourite book written by this author by any stretch of the imagination. The blurb sounded great and the book was interesting at the beginning. Seven people “invited” on a luxury retreat which soon turns out to be nothing of the sort. I enjoyed the character descriptions and the ideas behind the story and it the story gathered momentum and kept me interested. Unfortunately for me, the ending was too far fetched and let what was a otherwise enjoyable book down..

This is a deeply unsettling novel, set in a near future dystopia which reminded me somewhat of Westworld. It’s an opportunity that seven strangers can’t pass up when Timeo Technologies invites them to experience the very latest in leisure experiences. Our group of characters are promised a luxury getaway of their dreams, an experience they’ll never forget. The last part is definitely true.

Amelia wonders why she’s been invited, especially when she meets the other guests who have more obvious benefits to Timeo - a social media influencer, a photographer, a games developer and a financier. They have nothing in common with Amelie who works for an NGO and prioritises helping others. Where do her skills fit in? However, as the trip develops it becomes clear that this seven have something else in common - each has a huge secret they wouldn’t want the world to know about. Every guest is fitted with a tracker that is symbiotic; it fastens into the skin behind the ear to tap into the body’s nervous system. Once activated it’s impossible to remove without causing damage, a sensation that made me feel really uneasy - I would be worried that it would give them control over me and of course there is a downside. Instead of enhancing their island experience, or simply tracking where they are, this technology appears to harvest memories and then manifest the worst of them like a flickering projector film. Each person must relive a time when they behaved at their worst, knowing that every other guest can see it too. One character relives a time she attacked a girl with a glass in a nightclub. The guilt and shame is terrible and each person responds differently. As injuries and paranoia start to set in, Amelia begins to think that the only way to leave the game is to be the one left standing when the countdown ends. As each person makes their way to the big house, where a party is promised, true characters emerge and the group are split. Who will get there first and what will they have to do in order to get there?

I really enjoyed the opening chapters of the novel where we get to know the seven characters and they get to know each other. This was fascinating to read for a therapist like me, because we are only being introduced to everyone’s surface characteristics. The author cleverly sets the scene with a sense of foreboding and although I wasn’t really invested in any particular character I did start to worry about what was to come. I enjoyed the set-up of the technology, it felt believable within the context of real innovations mentioned in the narrative. This felt like the future, but not too distant. I did think the entire island was virtual for most of the narrative, because the setting felt strange. The island itself felt warmer and more tropical than an island off the south coast of the U.K. A couple of participants seem to have memories of the island and there were also moments that felt artificial, such as where Amelie noticed pixelation at the house. I wondered how far the device they were wearing created the environment and whether Amelie noticed differences because she was on an alternative type of tracker. It was more like a ‘Fitbit’ than the headset worn by the others and wasn’t quite as advanced.

To get the best reading experience I would definitely recommend reading in longer stretches. I had a lot going on when I started this and had to read in short bursts, so I did struggle to remember the characters and become fully immersed in the story. It was great to be able to read in long sections from then on and really lose myself in the story. I also think that in order to truly enjoy a story we need to engage with one of the characters, but I found that difficult to do in this novel. I really didn’t like anyone, even before their past was revealed. If anybody, I think Amelie was the one we were supposed to identify with but for some reason this didn’t happen for me. This wasn’t just because these characters have done some terrible things, but because they felt as unreal to me as the island itself. These are not people I meet in everyday life, but then I live in a very rural part of the country and so my experience is possibly limited. Social media influencers and financiers are few and far between in Lincolnshire where you’re more likely to meet a farmer, gamekeeper or home carer. I really came away from it thinking this was a world far outside my social and economic experience.

This may say a lot about my character, but the most fascinating parts of the novel come when the characters are at odds with each other or under pressure. There’s a scene between Brenda, the banker, that’s almost Biblical! She is lured away to a quiet spot with a delicious looking picnic, but a nightmarish snake is lurking and starts to slowly wind itself around her leg. For someone with a snake phobia, this was a really vivid scene and hinted that perhaps the technology could root out each participants greatest fears. The following descriptions of Brenda’s leg, as the others try and get her to the big house before the poison takes hold, are horrific. In her pride she hasn’t wanted to tell them she was bitten, but her leg swells and changes colour dramatically and the tension created by the time scale on the injury really added urgency to the narrative.

I think the author had a brilliant premise. She has married our fear of modern technological advances with a good old-fashioned mystery in the style of Agatha Christie. You don’t know who is going to be picked off next. I did feel a bit side-swiped by the ending. It came suddenly and felt a little like the exposition of a Bond film with a villain hiding in his luxury home in an island, playing god with the guests lives. I think Susi Holliday is an incredibly talented writer. I struggled to fully engage with it though and it didn’t reach the heights of her last novel Violet which was one of my books of the year in 2019. However, if you like mysteries, morally questionable characters, and a bit of sci-fi thrown in then this might be the book for you.

A diverse group of people are thrown together when they accept a mysterious invitation to a luxurious getaway. It soon becomes apparent that this adventure is not going to turn out well. There’s great promise at the beginning, which I found both intriguing and gripping, and I was looking forward to an Agatha Christie-like mystery. I have to admit though, that for me the book didn’t really live up to the promise..

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for an opportunity to read The Last Resort.

This book brings Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None to current times. Seven strangers, each with their own secret, are brought together on an island with the promise of a luxury weekend. But it’s the 21st century so there’s a lot of technological advances the hosts have at their disposal. And then people start to die 😱

Overall I enjoyed this book - although the ending was a bit disappointing and I think could have been more exciting.

This book has the makings of a great movie or a Netflix limited series.

3.5 ⭐️