For this being Sara Ochs debut novel, I am floored! The writing was so well done, the characters well-developed and the twists were twisty! The first 60% of the book was a little slow (but good), but the last 40% was so suspenseful that I just sped right through it! Major props!
Welcome to Death Island... where the body count keeps growing. You think you're in Paradise, but you soon discover this island and the people living there are keeping secrets. Deadly secrets!
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the opportunity to read and review this arc. Get ready for an exciting read when this book is published on February 13, 2024!

I received a free ARC ebook of <i>The Resort</i> from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
Sun-kissed beaches, tropical cocktails, and the freedom that only an exotic locale can bring. What could possibly go wrong?
<i>The Resort</i> has two alternating points of view. Together, the two young women approach the mysterious deaths at the resort with differing assumptions and biases.
First there is Cass, a young woman in love but with so many secrets that burden her every move. She is the newest of "The Permanents," the ex-pat group of young carefree adults who have opted to make the resort in Thailand their home. Here she reinvents herself with a new name and a past littered with half-truths and outright lies. Readers will know that she feels responsible for the deaths of her younger sister and father; we also know that her past has caused tabloid headlines and anxiety treated with Xanax. When she finds an anonymous note threatening a reveal of her past, Cass feels everything and everyone slipping away, especially Logan, her fiance who knows nothing of her true history.
The other point of view is Brooke, a new arrival at the resort. She had a messy, poor childhood she has worked hard to overcome. She is an observer of The Permanents, especially Cass, as she attempts to ingratiate herself with them. Brooke is a social media influencer; she makes a living taking selfies in tiny bikinis while espousing the good life at resorts throughout eastern Europe and southeast Asia. Despite her willingness to show her face everywhere, she too has secrets and troubled past.
The scenery may be lovely but the danger and the evil are very real. The body count is rising. This book was entertaining and there were a few absolute surprises but some characters made the leap too easily into criminal behavior.

This is an intriguing thriller set in a beautiful resort town in Thailand. But it’s not all paradise because people are dying and there is a killer among them. This book has several twists that kept me engaged until the end.

It is told from the perspective of Brooke, a travel influencer, and Cass, a dive instructor running from her past. They are both trying to figure out what’s going on, who they can trust, all while trying to keep themselves safe from danger. Secrets are revealed and they learn they can’t trust anyone.

I loved how it all unfolded, and was shocked even in the epilogue. This book took me on a journey. Add The Resort to your TBR if you’re looking for an engaging mystery that will keep you guessing.

Thanks to Netgalley and Sara Ochs for the advanced copy of this book.

Well, usually reading makes me dreamy for a vacation. Not after reading The Resort :)

This thrilling novel, told from dual POV {my favorite!} will grip you right from the beginning!

It'll keep you guessing throughout the book and you will be deeply satisfied!

Can't wait to see this book on all the must-reads lists in 2024!

This book held my attention and the premise of the plot was intriguing. Using the blog influencer as the protagonist was inventive and relevant for our times. The story highlighted a region of the world I was less familiar with and that kept my interest as well. Well developed plot line and I considered the resort itself as one of the characters of the book. Kept me guessing the backstory of each of the characters, and that held my attention. Thanks for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

This was a good weekend thriller that left me in suspense throughout. I caught myself surprised by each new twist and the ending caught me off guard. Some parts were a little outlandish, but it’s a story that took me to a far off place for the afternoon, so I would question a scenario then move on. By the time I got through the epilogue. I was left with wanting a follow up book!

The pacing, twists and location were all quite good. I liked the main protagonists. I didn't care for the epilogue, simply because I didn't find it credible given everything else with the other characters.

A twisty turny story of murder and coverup at a beautiful island resort. You never know what's going to happen next. And the secrets! Everybody's got them.

A dive resort on a remote island in Thailand. A tight-knit group of expat friends. A dead body (or three). Secrets, lies, and more secrets.

Loved the premise and setting - did not love the pacing. It started off great and the ending was BONKERS (especially that epilogue!), but the middle was much slower than I’d have liked. That said this was an impressive debut, and I’d definitely read another book by Ochs in the future.

Spooky setting, strange vibes... I loved The Resort. Mystery and more! Well done by Ochs. Good characters and plot. All the makings for a thriller. One of my favorite genres. Not always done well but Ochs did it! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Five stars.

This book was so fun! I loved the beautiful exotic setting and the characters were all so interesting. So many plot twists that kept me turning pages. This is a fun summer read. I received a free copy of this book from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Cass’s life is just starting to come together. She’s newly engaged, living on a beautiful island in Thailand, and she’s finally getting to a point where she can put the past behind her. Until her past shows up to haunt her, and she starts receiving letters that she’s going to be exposed. Meanwhile, she makes a new friend, Brooke. But IS she a new friend or…? Then there are the bodies. When one of Cass’s students doesn’t show up for dive day and then they find her body in the water, Cass discovers her new fiance’s ring near Lucy’s body. What is going on? This book is twisty and turny and completely ridiculous in a very entertaining way. I'll probably wait until the paperback to buy this for my shop, though. Content warnings for sexual assault and grooming/CSA.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Sourcebooks, and Sara Ochs for an arc of this novel.
In this novel we follow the pov's of Cass and Brooke. Cass is a dive instructor at Koh Sang resort and has just gotten engaged to Logan, who owns a bar. Brooke is a travel influencer who has only been at Koh Sang for two weeks. Right before Brooke arrives, a woman named Jacinta was found dead after hiking and falling to her death. Then one of Cass's students named Lucy ends up found at a cove that Cass likes to take her students to to learn to dive. Cass and Brooke both begin to suspect something isn't right. At first they believe it to be David until he is found with his throat slashed in an alley near Logan's bar. Brooke is then revealed to have gone to Koh Sang in order to find Cass who is actually Meghan. Meghan is believed to have murdered her sister and father in a hotel room near her university that Brooke was a freshman at. Brooke was sexually assaulted by Eric who was a friend of Cass's. Cass lied to the police about what Eric did, even though Cass really had no idea. Brooke posts an expose about what Meghan/Cass did in order to get her revenge. Logan confronts Cass about it and makes her believe that she murdered Lucy in order to protect the other Permanents. The Permanents are Logan, Doug, Greta, and Neil. They all had a hand in the deaths of Lucy and Jacinta. Lucy and Jacinta were sisters until Jacinta died and Lucy and her friend went to Koh Sang to find out the truth. David blackmailed the other Permanents besides Cass, which got him killed. Cass and Brooke forgive each other and Cass realizes that Logan and Greta killed Jacinta and Lucy. Greta killed Lucy in order to stop her asking questions about Jacinta. Logan killed Jacinta so that she wouldn't tell Cass about their affair that was only one kiss. Cass saves Brooke by taking a bullet for her. Logan becomes enraged after killing his fiancé and Neil uses a knife to hurt Logan to save Brooke. Officers from the UK show up and arrest Doug and Greta who both confess to what they did. Logan and Cass both die. Neil and Brooke both leave the island after two weeks of interrogations and healing. Then it is revealed that Neil killed Jacinta and suggested to Greta that she kill Lucy and threatened to go after Alice, Greta's ex.

I can already tell this is going to be on a lot of must-read thriller lists! This was a fantastic, engaging, thrilling ride of a book. It was long enough to get to the point without being too wordy. I never got bored, I was kept guessing the whole time and it's set in a beach resort in Thailand I mean, come on...what more could we ask for.

The suspense, the thrills, the mystery and the murders were all done so well and tied up perfectly.

Welcome to paradise. We hope you survive your stay...

Indeed. Well done Sara Ochs. I'll be adding this author to my must read list.

Thank you NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark and Sara Ochs for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great mystery read. I was invested in the characters and how they would all ultimately be connected. I enjoyed how involved the other characters were with each other and how it was all connected to the crimes being committed on the island. The setting was perfect for this type of story. I was surprised by one of the last twists. Sarah did a fantastic job of drawing the reader in and keeping them invested. The multiple POVs also helped with that. Her writing was concise but also descriptive. Every time I thought I had figured something out, another twist would be introduced. Overall, this was a really great read and I definitely want to read more from Sarah.

This was a fast paced novel that took place in the beautiful setting of Koh Sang Resort in Thailand. Cass, a scuba instructor discovers a body while taking out a group of students on a dive. She quickly realizes that the life she has created on this idyllic island has not completely helped her to escape mistakes she has made in the past. I really enjoyed this book, the location, and the cast of characters.

This is a good suspenseful, resort-based thriller. It's a dual POV and alternates between Cass and Brooke, the main characters who are both on an island off the coast of Thailand. The resort looks beautiful, but there are so many mysteries going on and being hidden on this island. The beginning was a bit slow, but after that, this was a fast-paced thriller. There are so many secrets and lies that start to unravel pretty quickly in the story, and we realize that Cass and Brooke are trying to get away from their past. There are also some deaths happening on the resort and the two main characters are trying to figure out what happened. Overall this is a good mystery read, the twist at the end landed quite well, and I didn't see it coming. If you like thrillers full of secrets, friendships, mysteries, lies, and intrigue, then you need to read this.

Thank you Sourcebooks Landmark and Netgalley for this arc for an honest review.

The story is told from the alternating points of view of Brooke, a travel influencer, and Cass, a scuba instructor who is a Permanent—an ex-pat on a remote island in Thailand, who lives there permanently. Both these women let you know they have secrets in their past and present, which is significant because there has been yet another death on the island. The first two deaths are chalked up to being unfortunate accidents, but when another body is found with a slashed throat, it seems that the other deaths within one month may not be accidents after all.

Every non-native person who lives there—from England, Scotland, America—is there because they are running from their past, which gives Brooke and Cass an array of potential murderers to consider, not to mention the possibility one of the nosy tourists who seem enamored with Brooke’s slight fame or might know something about Cass’s past.

NetGalley provided an advance copy of this novel, which RELEASES FEBRURARY 13, 2024.

The Resort
Sara Ochs
Pub Date: Feb 13, 2024
Sourcebooks
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
I would recommend this for readers of Rachel Hawkins and We Were Never Here. Searing vacation thriller set on a remote island in Thailand. I enjoyed this vacation gone wrong.
4 stars

Wow what a fast paced ride of a thriller ! This one kept me reading late into the night. I had no idea this was a debut novel until I looked up the author's information on Goodreads, hoping to read something else of hers. I enjoyed the descriptions of the setting in Thailand. It really set the tone for a good vacation thriller. The alternating pov with Cass and Brooke were very well written. I felt like you really got to know both of the girl's characters and their motivations for being on the resort as well as the secrets they have been hiding that start to unravel as the book progresses. 4.5 stars !

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.