A hidden haven for ex-pats with a past, and a party spot for those who are young, wild and carefree is the setting for The Resort by Sara Ochs. This was a highly anticipated read for me and while I was thoroughly entertained, I had to suspend a lot of belief for this to work. That said, this is a promising debut and I am looking forward to how she grows as a writer!

The setting was well done. I could really envision the resort in the remote island of Koh Sang. I also really liked the cast of characters. The twist between Cass and Brooke was thin though and felt like it came out of left field. Usually a twist hits and other things make more sense but this just felt very sudden. After this it felt like a new book but still entertaining as we start to learn the motives and history behind the events.

As twists continue to come they alternate between making sense and feeling like convenient ways to give another character backstory. It felt a little like a popcorn-thriller as the plot wrapped up. I did like the amends, however brief, that Cass and Brooke made with each other. The epilogue was another thing out of left field and unless there is a sequel it was totally unnecessary and just added to my confusion of where these breadcrumbs were left.

All that said, I was still fully entertained by how it all came together. Even when it doesn't all quite fit, it's a wild ride.

Wow-totally blindsided by the ending! This was a really good read-twists and turns and and ending that leaves you shocked. Just the kind of thriller I like!

Thank you for the ARC for my honest review.

Don't get me wrong, this is a solid thriller! It just wasn't for me.

The dual POVs between Brooke and Cass confused me at first and I'm not sure why! It's a slow start, but once secrets start being revealed, wow, do they pack a punch! The final twist shocked me but also didn't surprise me that much as I had a bad feeling about that particular character. It was hard for me to get behind any of the characters, and they all just fell a bit flat for me. The exotic location of a remote Thai island was lovely, but I didn't feel as though I were there.

If you enjoy vacation thrillers and reading about a community of expats all with dark pasts, then this is definitely a read for you!

The Resort was fantastic...it gave locked room vibes, but on an island and I may have unlocked a new trope I really like....drama/murder/mystery/locked room on an island vibes. This was really well written and all consuming.

I couldn't put it down and now crave a tropical vacation, but one with just a little less drama!

The Resort is a twisty, fun beach read about the expat community at a Thai resort -- largely people hiding out from their previous lives for various reasons -- which creates problems when someone comes looking for the truth. Mysterious people and deaths about and the quick misdirects keep you guessing through the end.

THE RESORT, by Sara Ochs, is a breathtaking and tangled thriller told in a dual POV. Cass is a Permanent, one of many who has made a home on the island, and Brooke is a vacationer and a travel influencer. Both Brooke and Cass have secret pasts, but so do most of the characters. So the reader can’t trust anyone, and it seems that every closet holds a skeleton. It’s a constant guessing game. And every time I had it figured out … well, I didn’t’! There are twists, and turns, and a fantastic final shock.

This reader loved the descriptions of the remote island setting, Koh Sang Resort in Thailand. Seasonal tropical storms, shocking murders, and heart-throbbing underwater dive scenes all make this book a page-turner. Girls’ trip, anyone?

And here’s the best news: This is author Sara Ochs’ debut book. I’ll be looking for more from her. THE RESORT publishes on February 6, 2024.

4.5 stars - Goodreads, please allow half stars!

On Koh Sang, a remote Thai island known for partying and its beautiful scuba diving, a group of expats have found a home at the island’s resort. Known as “the Permanents,” they left behind their old lives to start again in paradise. But they can’t run forever, as they soon find out, when a guest is found lodged in some coral during a scuba dive she was supposed to be on. The police quickly rule it an accident, but newbie Brooke doesn’t think so. And Cass, a Permanent with something to hide, is also suspicious. What they don’t realize is that everyone else is also hiding something. And the secrets may be deadly.

The book is told alternately between Brooke and Cass’ POVs.

This book is an amazing mystery set in paradise. It’s a vacation gone wrong in a book, and who doesn’t love that? The author does a great job of creating a really intensely suspenseful atmosphere and at times, I suspected just about everyone in the book. The author was that good at throwing red herrings around and was great with the twists - they came fast and furious!

Especially at the end! Oh the end! Wow, it was a nice wrap up while really throwing you for a loop. The way a good “end twist should be.

I just feel like there were some plot holes in there. I was a little confused about the logistics of some things, but maybe I just need to let go and accept that it just worked out the way it did and be done. In fact, I think it will. Because why not? It’s just a story and I liked the ending, so huzzah!

Overall, this was a fun, quick book - pick it up for an escape from the winter blues!

Rollercoaster ride of a thriller. Just when you think you’ve figured the mystery out whiplash. Beautiful setting with the afternoon storm to wash everything clean. Make sure to not panic and always go with “friends”!

Welcome to Paradise.. or is it? You’ll want to dive into this one!! This book takes place in a beautiful remote island in Thailand. It centers around a resort and a group of friends working at the resort and scuba diving facility at the resort. This book is full of secrets, twists and lies. I was constantly questioning my theories and finding little bits of truths as the story moved along. The story is told between alternating points of view. They all have secrets, past history and lies of deception. I really loved the way the story unfolded it kept me engaged and not wanting to put the book down. Many thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the digital review copy of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This tense thriller is an exceptional first novel.. It's a familiar concept -- murders occur in a group at a remote location, and severe weather strands them from outside help. In this case, the location is a stunning, exotic island off the coast of Thailand, which adds to the intrigue. The superior writing and the many sharp twists and surprises lift The Resort above the predictable and make it stand out against the work of many more seasoned authors.

The Resort follows Cass a local dive instructor at a resort in Thailand. She first came to the resort years ago and decided to move there. Everything seems to be going normal until one of her dive students ends up dead. But this is not the first mysterious death on the island and it most likely won't be the last. Cass is determined to figure out who the killer is before someone else winds up dead. But that is more easier said than done.

This was a very basic thriller. While it did grab my attention and I did what to see what happened, I just really did not care for the overall book. It read like a YA book meaning the characters to me felt very immature. Nothing in this book really stood out to me. I also felt like this book just dragged on a little too much for me. I do want to read more by this author since this is her first book. But overall this book was just a miss for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for the early ARC.

Everything is not as it seems in paradise. Two murders within one week have gotten our narrators in a tizzy, both unreliable narrators with secrets of their own. To what end will they expose themselves, and their dark pasts to protect this slice of paradise they've found? Once the book kicks up it moves quickly, with good twists and turns waiting at every corner.

3.5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this title.

Set in the idyllic beach town of Koh Sang Thailand, Cass is a diving instructor who has found her place amongst a small group of expats.

Brooke is an influencer who finds herself on Koh Sang. She hits it off with Cass but when a guest ends up dead, lives are threatened and secrets will be revealed.

Overall, this book was okay. It was a pretty quick read and keeps you interested in what happens next.

"DNFing at 54% - but skipping to the last couple chapters to see the twists.

Fans of Colleen Hoover or BA Paris might enjoy this book.

I Saw some twists coming not the final one though, which took me by surprise. I might have finished the book if under 300 pages. Unfortunately its too slow paced and too repetitive to be a nearly 400 page book. Not enough pay off to make this a satisfying read for me personally.

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks for sharing a digital copy with me to read. As always, opinions are my own.

The Resort might be one of the best travel thrillers I have ever read or listened to. This psychological travel thriller will have you gripping you seat as you turn the page. Unexpected twists along the way that lead to an astonishing twist at the end.

A definite recommend for fans of thriller authors like Riley Sager and Rachel Hawkins.

Oh I loved this one! I didn't even realize it was a debut!
I felt like I was there, which is scary but I loved it.

This book had a lot of promise in the synopsis. However, I did not feel like was easy to feel connected to the characters or the plot. I really wish it had more to move it along.

This book alternates between Cass and Brooke, who both have hidden secrets.

Cass is a dive instructor at Koh Sang Dive Resort in Thailand. Just after she is newly engaged, she receives an envelope with a photo that says “I know who you are. And soon everyone else will too.” Will her dark past catch up to her?

Brooke is a college drop out who is a travel influencer on Instagram and TikTok. She is working at the resort as a waitress until she can get her certification to be a dive instructor.

When Lucy, a guest at the resort, is found dead and her death is ruled an accidental drowning, Brooke and Cass don’t believe it. Can they figure out who killed Lucy before the killer strikes again?

A slow burn, resort story that has misbehaving characters with secrets. As the story unfolds, the twist and turns will have you turning the pages to find out who did it.
Just when you think you have it figured, the ending will surprise you! A great read to take on vacation!

Thanks to SOURCEBOOKS Landmark, I was provided an ARC of The Resort by Sara Ochs via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a good read - I really enjoyed this book. I'm so glad that I got the chance to read it early and will definitely be recommending it to multiple people who enjoy these types of novels. I enjoyed the characters and especially enjoyed the writing by this author. I'm excited to see what the author comes out with next as I'll definitely be reading it! Thank you to the publisher for my early copy of this book!

This is an incredibly strong destination thriller debut! I read this book in tandem with the double cast audiobook and was enthralled from start to finish.

The lush tropical setting: isolated island in Thailand housing a popular resort known for it's dive school and tours and raging parties. Only reachable by a long ferry ride with very little government or police oversight the island is the perfect place for ex-pats to land who want a fresh start or to escape from their lives 'before.'
The narration is dual POV between Cass, an American ex-pat, and Brooke, a travel influencer who is new to the island. Cat has been living on-island for a few years and teaches scuba at the resort; she recently become engaged to another ex-pat bar owner but no one knows her true identity. Cass takes Brooke under her wing, but after one of her dive students is found dead Brooke starts asking questions that threaten to bring undesired attention to the island and possible the ex-Pats' identities. As other mysterious deaths occur, Cass also starts getting threatening letters to reveal her identity. Brooke and Cass work to investigate what the police keep dismissing in a race against time and survival!
Fast-paced, unreliable narrators, a cast of characters with secrets, and an immersive tropical setting make this thriller one you don't want to miss this summer!
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks publishing for my digital copy in exchange for my review.