Frida and her brother Gabriel were born and grew up in a cult. Now they are adults who have drifted apart. Currently, they are trying to reconnect at a luxurious resort in Utah. Sounds nice right? Well, it was for about five minutes. Until a guest is found dead… Murdered, and Frida and Gabriel are soon under suspicion
Told by Frida in the past and in the present. We learned what it was like growing up, and never being exposed to the outside world. In the present, Frida starts to wonder what Gabriel might have done, and their once unshakable bond may not survive this murder.
I thought I made a pretty good guess regarding who was guilty. I got half right, but wound up totally wrong on where the author was headed.
This book was quite different than The Quiet Tenant.I think you’d be best to put that idea right out of your head.😁

I loved “The Quiet Tenant” so much that I signed up to read this with no idea what the plot was about. This author HOOKS ME every time. I could not put this book down. I was immediately and totally invested. It was such a great story, the characters were good, the plot flowed well between alternate time lines. I actually don’t have any complaints.

Thanks to NetGalley for the copy of this ARC! This will be out in July of 2025.

A super fast read again, which I love, but fell a bit flat after her first book. This one didn't really have much to it. Obviously it kept my attention just wanted more to it.

I simply could not put this thriller down. This was my first experience with Michallon, but it certainly won’t be my last. I loved the alternating timelines and learning about Frida and Gabriel’s tragic cult upbringing. The ending was superb!

"Here's the truth about committing murder: There are no perfect crimes. Only lucky ones. Only a hundred cursed stars aligning just so."

Follows a dual timeline of Frida growing up in a cult with her brother and of the present timeline where someone was dead in the resort they were staying in.

This book was so bingeable and page-turner, that I can read it in one-sitting. But I did not.

I don't really classify this as a thriller because it's not exactly thrilling, but more of a murder mystery.

I do love reading about fictional cults and I was so intrigued by this plot that it kept me going, it gave me the ick and my heart broke for the main characters and what they went through.

HOWEVERRRR

The present timeline was a bit stagnant imo. I didn't really care for what happened or who was murdered, or whatever, but I was curious as who did it.

There's a lot of internal monologues which is not a favorite of mine, so I guess that kinda took my reading experience down, but overall it was okay read. I still love The Quiet Tenant compared to this.

Thank you to NetGalley for this book!

This was such an incredible book, that I stayed home all day, and devoured the whole thing! Finished it just as the sun set!
Loved the light mystery, the theme of surviving a childhood raised in a cult. Truly felt the author did a phenomenal job explaining unusual family ties, and the sacrifice we make for our chosen family.
Highly recommend, and can't wait for this authors next work!

3.5 stars, rounded down for goodreads. I think I had high expectations for this one, because I LOVED the Quiet Tenant so much. This one just didn’t measure up for me.

We follow Frida & Gabriel in past and present… their growing up in a cult together and their vacation at a hotel in Utah, where a fellow guest turns up dead. I felt this was a quick read, but it was just so predictable. Some of the plot points were just so random… the coyotes? And I felt like I had a lot of unanswered questions… the whole trip was to discuss a documentary that was rarely mentioned, what came of the cult… I don’t know. this was just not it for me.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

I am pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this one. I read this author's previous work and was definitely in the minority. It was a slow character study that wasn't my cup of tea. Our Last Resort is a departure and more up my alley.

Our Last Resort tells the story of siblings Frida and Gabriel who are staying at the luxury Ara Hotel in the Utah desert. When the dead body of a guest is discovered, Frida and Gabriel and thrown into the mystery of what happened. While this in many ways is a straightforward murder mystery, the author adds nuance and depth to the story and the characters. There is a cult backstory that is interwoven. It is fascinating and makes you root for our main characters. I found the writing brilliant and the pacing to be exceptional. This is a one sitting read.

I will say it is a bit predictable, but I was so invested in the characters and story that I did not care.

Our Last Resort was an absolute thrill ride! The suspense had me hooked from start to finish, and the ending completely blindsided me. The dual timeline added depth and intrigue, making each twist even more exciting as the characters' pasts slowly came to light. I loved how the mystery unraveled bit by bit, revealing hidden secrets and unexpected truths that kept me eagerly turning the pages.

I absolutely loved “The Quiet Tenant” by Michallon so I was excited to try her new novel. It was an okay story for me. Unfortunately, I had such high expectations because of her debut novel, that this story fell a little flat for me. I still appreciate her writing and would recommend this novel, giving it a 3.5 rating.

I really loved The Quiet Tenant and was excited to jump into another thriller by Michallon. Gabriel and Frida’s past were extremely intriguing to me (I love a good cult) that I really looked forward to the flashbacks but found myself wanting more from the present day mystery of Sabrina Brenner’s murder. It was almost like there were so many elements to the story that in the end certain areas were lacking and underbaked. I honestly could’ve done without the present day murder mystery and spent more time with the childhood cult memories. There are definitely some triggers in this one so reader be wary. I would recommend if you like cult fiction but as a thriller this was just okay.

After reading and LOVING this authors first novel, I was so excited to get an advanced reader copy! Unfortunately, this one didn’t grip me the same way. The story focuses on three different plot points. In the past, we learn of the main characters upbringing in a cult and how they left, present day murder mystery at a luxury resort, and future upcoming podcast. I think if the author had focused the plot on one of these things, it would have been better. Instead of one gripping exciting thriller, we had three underdeveloped plot lines that I was wanting more from. I would have loved more focus on the cult, how it started more of the day to day and more info on how it was ended! There were some twists along the way, but nothing was a total shock for me. Unfortunately, this one fell short for me. Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy!

This was ok. I did like the plot line and the writing was lovely. The twists were good although I did guess them. However, there was a lot going on this book. Several story lines to follow and every character has some tragedy injected which seemed...a bit much and not realistic? One example, a woman who is in the book for one purpose only and not really moving the plot line along, randomly has a line thrown in about her being killed by a serial killer years later. No idea why that was needed as it didn't add anything to the plot or the character and it just moved the needle into unrealistic. Because of this, it felt really unfocused and scattered. I really wish we'd just stuck with the present timeline with the past maybe being told in flashbacks. I'm not sure, if that would have worked. And there are pages of dialogue that the main character WANTED to say, but didn't. That all felt like wasted time only to come back to what she actually said. For me, it was just too much. It also felt more literary. A lot of time was spent on the characters inner thoughts, and while eloquently worded and visualized, I really wanted to get back to the plot after a few pages. If you are more into literary, pick this up as I think it'll be right up your alley. I'm more in it for the plot and twists, so this wasn't my favorite.

I really liked both time lines in this book. Learning about the cult was very fun. I sort of predicted the ending but I still enjoyed getting there.

(I don't have many triggers but my one is animal cruelty which we see here- a heads up to anyone who struggles with this as well.)

I wanted to love this one as much as I loved his debut but so many things were amiss for me and I really struggled to connect to the characters.
The synopsis gave me high hopes going into this book but the past/present storyline felt cumbersome and unnecessary, too much focus on their upbringing in the cult really detracted from the present and the characters themselves. I absolutely LOVE Michallon's writing style and slow and predictable as I found the story, I really did savory every bit of his writing!

Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for the ARC.

Enjoyed this book that I received from NetGalley early in exchange for a review. I love the short chapters and alternating time perspectives between past and current day.

Gabriel and Frida, are children that grow up in a cult together, for years they are each others constant companion and comfort in their small cult community. Until a fateful decison changes their lives. Fast forward to present day, Gabriel and Frida are at a luxury desert resort seeing each for the first time in years. To the outside world they are brother and sister and they become entangled in a murder investigation. Secrets of past and present are revealed in this luxury destination.

I really liked Clémence Michallon's first novel so I was excited about this. Plus, a White Lotus-style resort and a creepy cult? Count me in. Unfortunately this one never quite got off the ground for me. There was a distinct lack of mystery and an even greater lack of danger, which made it hard to care very much. That being said, I flew through it, so take that as you will.

Started out very slow. I almost gave up on this book, but I had enjoyed the author’s previous book. I am glad that I did. The pace picked up , there were beautifully woven twists and turns that kept me in suspense and kept me guessing.

Clemence’s writing is truly so clean and well thought out. This was the best ARC I’ve read, with fewest mistakes. I’m so impressed with how she can cause a reader to feel the inner workings of relationships between characters.
While this story wasn’t as captivating as “The Quiet Tenant” I still think it was interesting, and she is capable of doing great things in the writing world!

A couple years ago I read this author's debut novel, The Quiet Tenant, and I loved it so much that I was very excited and eager to read Michallon's next new book.
Our Last Resort, sadly, didn't work so well for me as her other book did.
And I'll just say it: this is a 'cult book'. If you don't like mysteries or thrillers about cults, be aware of that.
I usually enjoy cult-y books. But I did not truly enjoy this one.

I didn't connect or barely care for the siblings who are the protagonists, and they are the centre of the whole story.
There is a murder mystery that takes place inside the resort that did hold my attention for the most part. I was honestly in it for the murder mystery and not for the siblings' dramatic and traumatic past. I certainly couldn't care less for all the endless chapters in the past timeline.
And even though the conclusion is far, very far from being original or unpredictable, I thought it was satisfactory enough. The setting (in the present timeline - the resort in the middle of the desert) was a hit for me. I was invested in the resort chapters.

I guess I could recommend this book to any readers who enjoy thrillers about cults and siblings' drama. If you've read The Quiet Tenant and loved it, maybe you should go into this book with lower expectations. But if you haven't enjoyed that book, maybe you'll enjoy this one better.

Thank you, NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, for providing me with a free eARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.