Cass sought refuge in Thailand, seeking to escape the haunting memories of her past. As she embarked on a new life as a scuba instructor, she believed she had finally left her history behind. Yet, fate had other plans, as her past resurfaced unexpectedly. The looming question remained: would she confront it head-on?

Admittedly, the story's outset felt sluggish and bewildering with its multitude of introduced characters. However, once immersed in the narrative, I found it captivating, holding my attention until the final moments. The conclusion proved to be nothing short of astonishing! Overall, for those in search of a tale with unforeseen twists, this book is certainly worth exploring.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sara Ochs, and RB Media for generously providing the audiobook for review. As always, my opinions are solely my own.

Spring has sprung and the redbuds are blooming! 😍 Fun fact: redbuds are the state tree of Oklahoma.

I thought I’d pair a pretty book cover that matched my pretty tree. Unfortunately, that’s about all I think I want to share about The Resort. 😐 This one’s just a pretty cover, guys.

This was a fun ride! The narrators all have voices that are very easy to listen to, believable, and I was hooked from the first chapter on. There were lots of accidental deaths that were a bit hard to believe, but the twists and turns still had me needing me to keep going and find out what happened!

Thank you NetGalley and RB Media!

Sara Ochs’s debut novel, "The Resort," is a thrilling read you won't want to miss! Set against the backdrop of Thailand, this mystery takes you on a deep dive—quite literally—into a world of secrets, suspense, and unexpected twists.

The story follows Cass, a diving instructor with a mysterious past, who finds herself entangled in a web of murder. When one of her students dies during a diving trip, Cass's new life in paradise quickly turns into a nightmare. And also, someone knows who she really is, and they're not afraid to use it against her.

I loved the book's pacing—each chapter offers a new clue or twist. And let me tell you, as a seasoned mystery reader, I was pleasantly surprised by much of the plot (that rarely happens these days)! Ochs smartly steers clear of predictable twists, and keeps you guessing until the very end.

The audiobook narration did not disappoint! The team of Miranda Raison, Dakota Blue Richards, Joe Jameson, and Pema Monaghan brings this story to life with an energy that matches the book's pace. They skillfully juggle a range of characters, ensuring each one has a distinct voice. It’s an audio experience that adds depth to an already engaging story. If you’re a fan of thrillers with a dash of danger and a sprinkle of sun-soaked beaches, then this audiobook is your next escape.

Congratulations to Sara Ochs for such a riveting debut. It’s hard to believe this is just her first novel, and I can't wait to see what she writes next. "The Resort" is an exciting ride—and one you won't want to miss!

"The Resort" is a perfect concoction of locked room thriller, mixed with dating tv drama set on an island, and murder. This one was slow and boring in the beginning but it did pick up toward the end. I had trouble connecting with the characters and just couldnt get invested in the story. The narration was good, but the female narrators voices lacked differentiation which caused some confusion at times. Overall, an ok book that made for an entertaining listen. 3 stars.

This book didn't quite captivate me as much as I had anticipated. As the story unfolded and mysteries unraveled, it veered into territories that felt overly implausible to me.

While the audio version boasted an extensive cast of narrators, I found the two main female voices strikingly similar. Their resemblance made distinguishing between them challenging, with volume being the only distinguishing factor. This led to frequent adjustments in volume, which grew bothersome and detracted from the overall experience. Perhaps opting for the tangible version would have provided a more immersive experience, as the audio presentation fell short of expectations.

The Resort is a thriller with a cast of characters, all with shady pasts, that are trying to start over on a resort. This "who dun it" thriller was a quick read or listen. The premise is intriguing with a group of people staying/working at a resort when bodies start appearing and everyone may have something to hide. With alternating chapters of perspectives between Brooke and Cass, it made piecing the puzzle together that much more interesting.

There wasn't one character that I was particularly drawn to. Actually, I didn't think any of the characters had redeemable qualities. This led me to not really care who made it, who didn't, and who did it. I'm not sure if this was in part because of the narrators. I felt that both the narrators for Brooke and Cass were very monotone. Initially, I thought this was purposeful, but their inflections never changed despite the storyline picking up in intensity. It wasn't until the last couple of chapters where the story became more animated. I wish that had been the case throughout.

Overall, The Resort was enjoyable, but it seemed as if all of the histories of the characters really came to fruition in the last quarter of the book. I had wanted more hints into their pasts throughout the book so I could piece it together. I didn't feel like their pasts, and where they overlapped, were believable. This was especially the case with Greta and Alison. It just seemed disjointed.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a quick and easy read for a vacation or to get them out of a reading slump. I would love to read more Sara Ochs books in the future. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this copy!

got to the 20% mark and had to DNF this....so slow, so boring, and honestly i feel like i know the twist coming. will perhaps pick up down the road.

I was super excited to be granted access by RB Media via NetGalley to listen to Sara Ochs novel, The Resort. I was seeing it all over and put in the request on whim hoping to get it. Sometimes, my friends, wishes do come true.

For those of you who follow along with my reading journey, you know, I love an unreliable narrator and Sara Ochs nails it. Cass is about as unreliable as they get and oh my do all the characters have secrets. Quite frankly, these folks are messed up and have put all their eggs in one basket called Koh Sang, Thailand. An ex-pat community is bound to have stories, but are all the roads that led them to Koh Sang happy ones? You bet your butt they aren't!

As an audiobook, this book was propulsive and made me want to keep listening, because I had to know what would come of everyones dark messy pasts. I will say, the book got a bit weird toward the end, but I'm glad I pushed through.

I’ve been sitting with this book for a while unfinished and I’ve decided that it’s just not for me, and I’m choosing to DNF. My big issue is the women blaming women for rape, which is just icky. Between that and the Xanax parts, it’s just not for me.

I was bored for the first half of this book, but once it picked up I enjoyed the ride. I think most people will really like it but I didn’t like the final twist. It was very entertaining overall.

Thank you NetGalley and RB Media.

Get ready for the holiday of your nightmares! Could really put myself into the scene and into the heads of the characters. Great story telling

3.5 stars. First and foremost, I absolutely loved the Thai island setting of this one. The descriptions Ochs provided were well done, and it so gave me an itch to travel. I loved how Ochs set up the locked room type novel with this unique setting. Do the characters all seem to have pretty dramatic backstories.....yes. I can see why Ochs made the choices she did with character development, but I think a little less might have been more in this case. There are many twists and turns, and I loved the way the tension built. My only major complaint is that I think the epilogue should not have been included (and I might be in the minority on this but I think it took away from the rest of the story and the character arcs that were developed). Overall, this is a solid debut by Sara Ochs, and I will definitely check out more by this author in the future.

DNF at 36%.

In the words of RuPaul… Meh.

There was nothing unique about this, and at one point I literally was listening just so that I had something in my ear but I was too lazy to go change the audiobook to something better.

I read Brooke’s last chapter and the epilogue and I feel vindicated in this DNF. The plot went to a place that didn’t excite me at all and I would not recommend this.

Cass is recently engaged, living in paradise, and teaching scuba lessons at the only resort in a small island in Thailand. The reader doesn't know much about Cass, other than the fact that she's hiding something crucial about her past. When Cass receives a threatening note, she's determined to keep the secret from her new fiancée. However, she starts to question everything once one of the members of her scuba group ends up dead. This is a thrilling mystery that's vaguely reminiscent to Knives Out-The Glass Onion.

The narration was well-done, though there were a few instances of really strange pronunciation.

Many thanks to RB Media, Recorded Books and NetGalley for an advanced listener's copy in exchange for my review.

Round up to 3.5 stars

"The Resort" is set on a beautiful island in Thailand where the locals are actually people on the run from their dark pasts.

The story of deaths that occur at Koh Sang is told from two points of view (my first criticism because I'm typically not a fan of multiple narrators). Dive instructor Cass discovers one of the bodies, and the other narrator is a travel influencer named Brooke.

The twists were just twisty enough to keep me entertained — and the dark pasts were indeed very dark.

Reminiscent of "The Beach," where people escape to a beautiful place just to ruin it!

The resort
2 stars
I’ve tried and cannot finish this book. I think the main culprit is the monotone narrator in the audiobook. I’ve almost fallen asleep 15 times. If you’re looking for an ASMR book, this is for you.

4+ (?) stars

I quite enjoyed this suspenseful thriller. The setting was fun; I like a remote island as a part of the plotline, and this was a nice take on that idea. Some of the characters were appealing and relatable in their own ways, which was enjoyable, and some of the plot twists were surprising but still fitting, making it a satisfying story over all. (Also, sometimes it just needs to be said: the cover and its colour scheme are beautiful.)

I recently had to get this one from book of the month because I loved the audio so much. Thanks for the audio

The Resort is a wild ride. I enjoyed the story and the characters. The pace was a bit choppy at times but kept my attention. I found myself suspecting many and knowing little. In the end I was surprised which added to my enjoyment. A solid read that would be great to enjoy on vacation. The narration was good but didn’t fully bring the story to life for me.