Our Last Resort by Clémence Michallon is a beautifully layered thriller that hooks you from page one. It’s equal parts haunting and heartbreaking as it unravels secrets from a cult-tinged past and a murder at a remote luxury resort. Michallon masterfully weaves the timelines, keeping you questioning characters and their motives. Definitely recommend!

This is the most compelling, absorbing thriller I’ve read in a while. It’s told from the point of view of a woman who was born into a cult - the kind where the people are completely cut off from the outside world by their leader. She becomes close friends with Gabriel, who she sees as her brother. The author tells their story with two timelines: their time together in the cult before escaping at age 18, and many years later as they spend time together at a desert resort where another mysterious death happens.

There are multiple mysteries going on here as well as the protagonist’s reckoning with her upbringing and her relationships since leaving the cult. I was eager to see both timelines unfold. The author’s writing kept me absorbed in the various settings of the story, and I could find myself relating to multiple characters. Highly recommend this for readers interested in psychological thrillers.

Thank you NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf Publishing for the opportunity to read and review Our Last Resort by Clemence Michallon. All opinions are my own.

Frida and Gabriel are our main characters in this dual timeline mystery, thriller. They have come together, after several years apart, to vacation at a secluded hotel in Utah. Between hiking and swimming, they both are hoping to reconnect and rekindle their closeness and friendship. After a few days of fun in the sun something terrible happens, a young woman is found dead. Police arrive on the scene and very quickly Gabriel becomes a prime suspect. This tragedy brings back many memories and secrets that are better left alone.

I wanted to read this novel especially because I loved her first book, The Quiet Tennant. This new story is very different. As I mentioned before we are in a dual timeline. Without giving too much away one timeline is when Frida and Gabriel are children growing up and the other is the current timeline at the resort. The story is following Frida's point of view. I liked the timeline in the past best and found Gabriel to be an unlikeable character, for me anyway. I didn't seem to contact with either character very much, therefore not necessarily rooting for them as well. The book was entertaining and a pretty quick read. Our Last Resort will be available at all major retailers on July 8th. Happy Reading,

I was a huge Quiet Tenant fan, so I was already excited for this one, and I loved it even more than I expected to!

Unconventional brother and sister Frida and Gabriel are enjoying time together at a luxury resort in Utah when one of the residents is found dead. As Frida unwinds what happened in the present, their traumatic childhood as kids born into a cult is revealed.

Frida and Gabriel are meticulously characterized and their arcs are extremely satisfying while navigating two suspenseful timelines. Our Last Resort is one of the rare mystery thrillers that mines deeply into its characters and doesn’t abandon that depth for the sake of twists.

SYNOPSIS
-Frida and Gabriel were raised in a creepy cult and basically trauma-bonded into becoming siblings.
-They haven’t seen each other in years but are reuniting at a fancy resort in the middle of the Utah desert to reconnect and maybe, you know, not hate life for five minutes.
-Everything’s going okay-ish until a young woman turns up dead.
-The book flips between their childhood in the cult and the present-day murder investigation, and neither timeline is chill.
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MY THOUGHTS
-I was locked in from page one. I fully ignored life responsibilities for it.
-It’s suspenseful without being melodramatic. Creepy but not in-your-face. Smart and unsettling in a way that sneaks up on you.
-I loved both timelines equally.
-The cult stuff is super well done. It’s quiet and insidious and believable, not all wild robes and chanting. The vibe is more emotionally manipulative and terrifying in a slow-burn way.
-The murder plot at the resort gave me locked-room mystery energy, and I kept changing my mind about who did it every five pages.
-Frida and Gabriel are messy, broken, and totally compelling. I weirdly loved their weird little relationship.
-The writing is kind of beautiful? Like, it’s a thriller, but then she’ll throw in a line that feels like it wandered in from a literary novel and I was like… okay, flex.
-Solid pacing, no saggy middle, actual twists, and an ending that didn’t make me roll my eyes. I’ll take it.
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TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Spooky cult childhood meets luxury resort murder mystery. Sibling-adjacent trauma bonding. Beautiful writing. Great vibes. Weirdly heartfelt. Five stars, no notes.

The synopsis had me at the word cult. I know it's fiction, but that kind of lifestyle is fascinating to me. This book follows two people that escaped a cult and are now maybe involved in a murder. At its core, this is a story about friendship and trust. Definitely a good read.

I didn’t read the synopsis of this, something I like to call my toxic trait LOL. I enjoyed the culty vibes this had, however it wasn’t something I was itching to pick up?! I did enjoy the relatively short chapters. I also guessed pretty early on the “twist” and that was a bit of a let down. Overall, this was a quick read. I need to go back and read her first book!

Thank you Knopf for the free advanced copy of this book.

Two siblings, Frida and Gabriel, escaped a cult fifteen years ago and have reunited for a luxury vacation at an Utah resort. When a woman is found murdered, suspicion falls on Gabriel whose wife died under mysterious circumstances 9 years ago. As the police work to uncover who killed her, secrets are unburied that will leave the siblings reeling.

I’ve heard such good things about the authors first book, it was excited to receive an ARC and ALC of Our Last Resort. It had all the makings of an excellent thriller, and initially had me hooked. Short chapters and alternating timelines sucked me in and I was eager to uncover the siblings’ backstory. Unfortunately the second half of the book lost steam, and ultimately left me feeling very “meh” about the book.

I do think it was a fascinating exploration of how our upbringing affects who we become as adults, and the ways we can break cycles. I also appreciated. The ways is explored familia bonds, and the lengths we may go to protect those we love.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc and to PRH Audio for the alc.

This book was just ok in my opinion. I was interested in the book in the beginning, but unfortunately, that interest did not hold. Saskia Maarvelad did a great job with the narration though as always

Our Last Resort by Clémence Michallon is a very highly recommended mystery/thriller following two cult survivors embroiled in a murder investigation. This is an excellent second novel after her debut novel, The Quiet Tenant.

Frida and Gabriel are on a vacation at the luxurious Ara Hotel in the secluded desert of Escalante, Utah. The two shared a traumatic childhood as they live in a cult under fanatical leader Émile until they escaped fifteen years ago when they were 18. They consider each other brother and sister. Ten years earlier Gabriel's wife Annie went missing and was found dead. He was the main suspect. Nothing connected him to the crime, but tabloids had a field day trying to indict him. The two drifted apart after this but are trying to reconnect.

Late one night Frida overhears a fight between wealthy, aging tabloid tycoon William Brenner and his very young, beautiful wife, Sabrina. The next morning Sabrina is found dead. Frida tells a deputy about the argument she overheard. William is arrested but is soon released and the focus seems to be on Gabriel.

The writing is exceptional in this engrossing literary mystery/thriller which unfolds through Frida's point-of-view. The pace is fast, allowing the narrative to build suspense and tension with each page and each new twist. Chapters alternate between the present day murder investigation and Frida and Gabriel's life growing up in the cult. There are actually several different mysteries within the plot.

The dual timelines work very well, are equally compelling, and help develop and provide insight into the characters. Frida is a fully realized, complex character with both her strengths and weaknesses displayed. Growing up in the cult helped shape both Frida and Gabriel's personalities. Understandably, they are both deeply flawed individuals who had to overcome a lot to learn how to live in the world. The final denouement was a shocking surprise.

Our Last Resort is an excellent choice for those who enjoy a well-written mystery/thriller. Thanks to Knopf/Doubleday for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The review will be published on Edelweiss, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

After loving Michallon’s debut, The Quiet Tenant, I was thrilled to receive an early copy of her latest novel. Our Last Resort follows Frida and Gabriel, two siblings who grew up in a cult and escaped together. They’ve been estranged for a few years and are using this trip to reconnect, but things take a turn when one of the other guests is found murdered.

This story is told in a past and present timeline, and I was hooked on both for the first half of the book. The past timeline in particular grabbed my attention since it focused on their upbringing in the cult, and I wish we’d gotten more of this in the back half of the story! These were the best chapters in the whole book for me, and they kept me highly invested early on just waiting for the next one.

But as I continued to read, the back half did not sustain the momentum from the first half for me. By the end, I’d lost some interest, didn’t care about the characters as much and found the big twist unsurprising by the time it was revealed.

It’s a good thriller (3.5 stars), but I think after such a phenomenal debut, my expectations were maybe a little too high and this one didn’t quite hit that mark for me. That said, I’ll definitely continue to read more from this author in the future, and I’d encourage you to read The Quiet Tenant if you haven’t already! It’s one of the most unique thrillers I’ve read to date from the points of view of three women in the life of a kidnapper and serial killer: his victim, his girlfriend and his daughter. It’s a book that has stuck with me since I read it, and if you love thrillers, it’s a must-read!

I loved The Quiet Tenant so I was excited to read this one, but I didn’t really care for it. There’s too much going on, but none of it is all that interesting. It almost needed to be about the cult or the murder, weaving the two stories together just wasn’t it.

I'm picky about thrillers but Clémence Michallon's debut 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁 𝗧𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗻𝘁 totally wowed me. It's creepy and suspenseful and kept me guessing until the end. And while I enjoyed her latest, 𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗟𝗔𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗢𝗥𝗧, it just didn't have the same impact for me. It's less literary and more of a murder mystery and I didn't connect with the protagonists. There are two timelines - one in the present at the titular resort where a murder has just occurred, and one in the past where the two main characters are growing up in a cult - and I wish there had been a deeper dive into the psychological aspects of the cult. Still, the author knows how to build tension and make you second guess what you know so if you're in the mood for an atmospheric locked-room thriller, this may be the book for you.

3.5 stars

Thanks to Knopf for the copy to review.

I loved The Quiet Tenant so I was really looking forward to this one but was sadly a little underwhelmed. The premise was interesting, two people who used to be trapped in a cult and now we are with them many years later and there is a mysterious death that one of them may or may not be involved in.

The two stories didn't seem to connect in a strong way and something just seemed to be missing. I enjoyed the cult chapters more than the current timeline but just wasn't connecting so much to the two main characters in the present day.

This is a murder mystery and many who enjoy that genre will enjoy this as it is a solid story it just wasn't as bingeable or propulsive as her last one

Our Last Resort by Clémence Michallon is a beautifully written, emotionally resonant novel that delves deep into themes of family, love, and resilience. Michallon’s prose is both lyrical and heartfelt, capturing the nuanced dynamics between characters with sensitivity and grace. The story unfolds with a compelling mix of hope and hardship, drawing readers into the intimate struggles and triumphs of the protagonists. With its vivid setting and authentic emotional depth, Our Last Resort is a moving read that lingers long after the final page.

Thanks to Net Galley and Pantheon for an early ARC of this novel from Clemence Michallon. This is my second read from this author and I enjoyed it even more than the first.

Two siblings who were raised in a cult in the Utah desert find themselves - now grown adults - at the center of a murder at a luxury hotel. The dual timelines and cliffhanger chapter endings were so well done that I couldn’t wait to see what happened next. I did figure out the twist, but only about 10 pages before the book revealed it so I’d consider that a good surprise still. I really loved how this book played on the aspect that we are all flawed humans, and none of us are purely “good” or “bad.”

This is a great summer thriller to read poolside on vacation - though you won’t look at your fellow travelers the same way after!

3.5⭐️
This was good, not great for me. The beginning and build-up felt slow, and the twists were pretty minimal and not that shocking. I do enjoy this author, though, and will continue to read what she puts out!

This brother and sister duo are on vacation together after not speaking for many years after his wife's death(this alone felt weird. Not sure why estranged siblings would vacation to a fancy secluded Utah resort...but they did) to shockingly find one of the resort guests dead.

This is told in dual timelines. Present day at the resort while investigating the murder and then childhood up until their estrangement.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC in an exchange for an honest review.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3. This book had potential - a cult upbringing and escape, a resort murder, an unreliable narrator, and the death of a spouse all entwined? Unfortunately this book didn’t really pull all these elements together in a cohesive way and is instead just a lot of under developed plot.

Frida and Gabriel were raised as siblings in a cult, and escaped together 15 years ago. Though the two have determined they are not actually siblings by blood, they remain close to protect each other and their secrets from the time of their escape. The cult has left imprints on them in ways no one could understand - not even each other.

After Gabriel loses his wife and is accused of her murder, the two drift apart. In an attempt to reconnect after his innocence is determined, Frida and Gabriel find themselves at a resort where yet another murder occurs. Frida, who is for someone so “private” awfully eager to engage the police, and once again Gabriel is accused of murder. Frida then circumvents the police to prove his innocence.

All the while, we are learning about the cult and what happened there… and finally (and suddenly) we learn the truth about all the crimes.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I finished “Our Last Resort” by Clémence Michallon, and it was a good book with great writing.

It’s the story of a young girl and boy who are raised in a cult and they befriend each other during their turbulent times while in the cult. They learn to rely on each other to survive, yet as the years go by, their friendship wains.

This is the same author who wrote “The Quiet Tenant” and she’s very talented. Unfortunately the plot was a little flat for me, since it was a little predictable, but I would definitely read this author again.

This book earned 3.5 stars from me. This book publishes on July 8th. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

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I was obsessed with Michallon’s debut last year and needed this one! Immediately, I feel like I’m thrown into this story. There is drama right away and then the back story starts. The dual timelines were effective, informative and made this book addictive. The flashback timeline gave me WACO vibes and later the narrator makes the comparison. I was not expecting the ending and final twist! This is a great beach/summer thriller!