The Resort is located in mysterious and beautiful Thailand. Set in an area far from the famous beaches of Phuket, a small group of expats work a dive shop for tourists. All of the friends have a past to hide but one of them is hiding something deadly. Suspicious deaths mar the beauty of the Island, and I had a hard time trying to figure out who the perpetrator was. There's a lot of action, especially towards the end, when things finally come together. The last chapter was especially jaw dropping! Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free, it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.

The set up and beginning of this book was well thought out and weave a good story. However the ending felt a little forced and rushed.

The last 3 chapters especially, I don’t really get the motives of why the story went the way it did. I’m not really sure how the group of 4 all got together. Just seemed a bit weird to me.

However I think this story is fine and I think it will be a good addition to the thriller row at the bookstore

No one can fully run away from their past. The world is small, and no matter how far away you run someone will always find you. Cass thought she had done enough to outrun her history. She moved to a remote island in Thailand, changed her name and her looks. There is very little that could tie her to her old life. Yet it seems that someone knows who she really is and they are bent on revealing to the world where she ran to. Brooke came to the island in search of a good story. Her aspirations to be a real journalist just need the right story to help spark interest. Together these two women get swept up in murder that has them both racing to figure out what happened before their worlds are changed forever.
This is a lovely fast paced mystery. The story is told from both Brooke and Cass’s perspectives and is perfectly balanced, allowing both stories to shine through. Readers will enjoy al the twist and turns that are reveled towards the end. This is a perfect winter read to get you in the mood for the warmer days ahead.
Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book.

I love a thriller that takes place on vacation. The Resort is a good mix of the behind-the-scenes life as a worker at a resort and the lives of guests, all tied through with a mystery that keeps unfolding. I tore through this book to find out what happened, and it was fun, twisty, and fast-paced.

3 stars

Brooke and Cass share perspectives in this mystery/thriller that has an ending to remember. I wish I had been less excited to arrive at the ending and more interested in the journey.

While Brooke and Cass have pretty distinct situations, I found them weirdly indistinguishable at times. Often, I'd have to jump back to the start of the chapter just to be sure I was on track with the correct character. Every character - Brooke and Cass included - has secrets, and at times, the slow burn to figure out what these are is too drawn out and then is followed up by some sort of explosive revelation (and all of these require TWs: grooming, rape, and child abuse). Readers who have experience in locations heavily populated by expats won't be surprised by what they find at this resort, and Ochs does use this trope - pulling a geographic - well. Guess what? It turns out you still can't outrun your troubles, even when you're trying to do it with a tropical backdrop and mai tais (at perhaps the most irritatingly named bar in all of literature. Frangipani? I've been to a lot of tropical bars, and the GREAT branding options are boundless - this one is just criminal).

The ending is pretty solid, and it saved me from real frustration with the novel overall. That noted, I'm going to recommend this one tepidly. It's not terrible, but there are many other recent mysteries and thrillers that are just more compelling. I do think there's promise in this writing, so despite the lackluster vibes on this one, I'll try more from this author.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the advanced copy. This is Ochs’ first book, and I think it is a great debut. It’s a slow burn for about the first half of the book, but once the action picks up, it’s a quick read. The POV alternates between Cass, a scuba dive instructor, and Brooke, a travel influencer. I would recommend this book to my friends.

After a semi-slow start, this a quick paced thriller based on an island near Thailand. The Resort is told between 2 alternating POVs: Cass and Brooke.

There are multiple deaths, who dun it situations and other mysteries going on on the island.

A lot of great twists and turns. Great debut novel! Definitely recommend for the thriller lovers!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book! I will definitely recommend it. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

After escaping her past, Cass is now enjoying her life being a scuba instructor. On one dive, something horrible happens and Cass has to take a step back and reevaluate the “perfect” life she thinks she’s been living, especially after she receives an anonymous note from her past.
I love a good destination thriller, and this did not disappoint in the slightest. The author did a good job with describe Thailand that it was easy to picture it, without ever being there before. There are some many twists and turns, you won’t get bored!

I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. Great debut and I will be keeping my eye out for more of this author's books in the future. A huge thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and to NetGalley for this ARC.

1. Breathe normally if something goes wrong.
2. Always dive with someone you trust.
3. Don't panic if your oxygen is running out.

Woah! This one is quite the travel/beach thriller, and I can't believe it's a debut novel! I really enjoyed the dual pov from Cass and Brooke. I was constantly trying to guess the twists and turns with this one and was shocked at the ending. I really enjoyed the plot twist. This would be a great book to take on vaca and devour on the beach. I will definitely be on the lookout for Sara Ochs' next book.

Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark, NetGalley, & Sara Ochs for the ARC. All thoughts are my own.
RELEASE DATE: Feb 13th, 2024 Add this to your TBR!!

This was such a great, suspenseful thriller! I couldn't put this book down and I would love to read more by this author. You'll never guess the twist at the end!

Thank you NetGalley, SOURCEBOOKS Landmark, and Sara Ochs for the copy of The Resort.

A beautiful island with diving and mountains and beaches….what could possibly go wrong there? This book started a little slower for my taste, but man am I glad I kept going. This was so good and that twist at the end, whoa!!! Definitely a great read!

This was a great twisty psychological thriller. Couldn’t put it down. Kept you guessing. Loved the setting! Thailand is on my bucket list of places to go. It was different because of the setting and that the characters were from all over. None of the characters were super likeable. I would definitely read another book by this author!

I'm mixed on my feelings for The Resort. I really liked the beginning and was sucked in to see how everything was going to play out, but I do feel like the middle dragged the storyline along a little too much. I did enjoy the few twists the story took along the way, and the ending, really threw me for a loop, and that epilogue, has me second guessing a lot of things! Overall, it was an enjoyable read, and I'll definitely be interested to read what Sara Ochs writes next.

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc!
I’m so glad I got the chance to read Sara Ochs first book, I loved it! This story has sooo much going on, it was easy to keep the characters straight after the beginning, the backgrounds of each was expanded on some, which was fun to know more about what lead them there. There were so many little twists along the way, I really hadn’t expected the “reveal”!! It was so worth it!! I highly recommend this book!

𝑾𝒆𝒍𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒆. 𝑾𝒆 𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒗𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒚..🌴🥥🔪

Special thanks to @bookmarked @saraochsauthor and @netgalley for this #gifted ARC.

➡️ swipe for synopsis 👉🏼

MY REVIEW::
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Okay, so take your typical locked 🔒 room thriller, but put it on an island 🌴- then add a bunch of hot 🔥🥵young people (I'd assume they're hot lol). Surprise! Someone was recently murdered🔪 there... and then another body shows up......but they say both were an accident 🤔. Coincidence....I think not👎🏼. So maybe one of these people (they call them the "Permanents") is a murderer? And everyone has a deep dark secret🤫......but whose secret is the darkest😈. And who is out to find the real truth about these "accidents"?

This took a minute for me to figure out where it was going. A few loose strings that finally came together in the end🙌🏻. The ending was good! LOTS of drama!!!!! I definitely had my jaw dropped😱 in that epilogue. Like how did she miss that?! But that cliffhanger though.... OOF!

QOTD❓️⁉️❓️ What are your thoughts on cliffhangers - yay or nay?

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#thrillerbooks #suspensethriller #thrillerreader #thrillerlover #thrillerobsessed #bookrecs #bookreview #bookstagram #bookaholic #booklover #bookstagrammer #booklove #bookcommunity #bookobsessed #bookworm #booksbooksbooks #booksofig #booksofinstagram #bookish #bookishfeatures #tbr #tbrpile #bookbuzz #mysteryandthrills #thrillerbooklovers #thrillerfriendsunite #netgalley #theresort #saraochsauthor
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A beautiful and remote island in Thailand is paradise for divers….and perhaps for a killer, or killers, as well.

Cass Morris arrived on the island of Koh Sang in search of a new life. All of the members of her family were dead, she was no longer in touch with friends from school, and was looking for a place to begin anew. She has found it at the Koh Sang Resort, where she discovered a passion for scuba diving in the waters off the island and has become a trained instructor to share this passion with others. She has also become a part of a group of ex-pats who live and work on the island; referred to as The Permanents, which includes her fiancé Logan who runs a popular bar, fellow dive instructors Doug and Neil, and yoga instructor Greta. Cass has been welcomed into the group with open arms, and she feels like she has found both a family and a home. She and Logan had hit a bumpy patch recently but have gotten beyond it, Logan’s proposal sealing the deal. No one talks a lot about their pasts, which suits Cass just fine….there are parts of her own past that she has kept from everyone, and suspects that they are all to some degree doing the same.. People with normal, healthy lives seldom run away to Thailand to put down roots at a diving resort, after all. But Koh Sang is less than perfect at the moment, despite the clear waters and pristine beaches. Jacinta, a beautiful guest at the resort, fell to her death from one of the island cliffs during a solitary early morning hike. It appears to be an accident, but when Cass discovers another guest named Lucy dead while diving with her class near the shore she starts to have doubts. She has also been receiving anonymous notes from someone who seems to know the truth of Cass’ previous life including her real name, and threatens to tell everyone. Cass is terrified, convinced that the truth will cost her Logan’s love and The Permanents’ acceptance, and between the stress of the unknown antagonist who wants to out her and the possibility that one or both of the female guests’ deaths was not an accident is dealing with a lot of anxiety. She pairs up with Brooke, a popular social media influencer whose travelogue posts are extremely popular and who has become a good friend to Cass during her brief stay at the resort. Together they try to figure out what happened to Lucy….if her death was not an accident, than the killer is still on the island. The police aren’t much help; Frederic, the owner of the resort, can pretty much buy the investigation results he wants, and he does not want these deaths to be looked at as murders (that would be very bad for business). Another guest is found dead, and this time it can’t be written off as an accident. Is this the first, or the third, murder? Who is behind the killing(s), and are they connected to the person leaving Cass threatening notes? And can Cass use the rules of diving (breather normally if something goes wrong, always dive with someone you trust, and don’t panic if your oxygen is running out) and apply them to her life as she struggles to keep her past a secret, questions what her own involvement might be in what is happening, and manage to stay alive?
The Resort is a twisty thriller set in an exotic location but full of the everyday failings of human beings. There is love, loss, anger, jealousy, greed and other emotions swirling around Koh Sang. No one can be completely trusted, because each person has things in his or her past that they have chosen not to reveal which may or may not be relevant to the current goings on. In Cass, we have a protagonist who is suffering “black holes” in her memory and is not altogether sure whether she is innocent of any of the possibly criminal activity happening. The reader knows that there is something in her past of which she is ashamed, something that concerns the death of her father and younger sister, but doesn’t learn the full truth of exactly what that is until near the end of the book. So Cass is on the suspect list, as is pretty much every member of The Permanents, the resort guests including Brooke, and others. There may even be connections between some of the suspects rooted in their lives prior to arriving on Koh Sang? The story moves along at a quick pace, and bits of characters’ backgrounds are dangled about amidst the plot twists which continue right up until the final pages. I enjoyed the ride, and made my own guesses as to who was involved in the nefarious acts (I was right in some instances, but in others not so much). I would recommend this to readers of Rachel Hawkins, Araminta Hall and Cate Quinn among others, and for anyone who has ever thought about chucking it all and reinventing their life on a tropical island. Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for allowing me access to an advanced reader’s copy.

Ok…so I started out really enjoying this thriller set on a tropical island in Thailand. Two main characters - Cass and Brooke. One a dive instructor and the other a travel influencer. There had been a little murder on the island and then another and I was starting to get invested…but then things went sideways for me.

Because a third character was introduced and they were the star of the show. Everything was their fault and their name appeared on almost every page. Xanax. And I just said Phuket at that point because it was so over the top.

This book had so much potential and then it turned into utter drivel with plot holes so big I could park a Buick Skylark in them. Origin stories that were tossed in there casually and explained so quickly that I had to re-read it and think - “really? That’s what they went with here?”

I don’t normally hate on books - especially by a new author - but this one is a hard pass from me. Too far fetched, full of ridiculous plot “twists” and the classic unreliable woman who is too boozed up to know what’s real or not, except in this case it’s benzo’d.

The Resort by Sara Ochs is an action pact read that takes place on one of the many islands in Thailand. There are a group of expats called The Permanents that include Cass a dive instructor, Logan, Cass's boyfriend that owns a bar, Neil another dive instructor, Doug the main person that runs the dive shop, and Greta a yoga instructor at the resort. Mysterious deaths are occuring that can't all be ruled as an accident. Between Cass and Brooke, one of the resorts guest tries to find out who is behind all of these deaths. Everyone of the Permanents have something to loose if there secrests gets out. What more do you want from a book. This one had a beach resort, murder, mystery, and an ending that kept me thinking what the f**k when I finally got to the last 2 pages of the book! Sara Ochs is going to be an author that you will want to watch out for. She is up there on my list of favorite authors! If you like Claire Douglas, Lisa Jewell, Ruth Ware, Riley Sager you will definently love Sara Ochs.