While this is a more standard thriller than her last, the combo of cults and a murder mystery was very enjoyable. Some of the twists were predictable but if you’re looking for an easy mystery read I would recommend

Our Last Resort by Clemence Michallon
🌟🌟🌟
This is an exciting and mysterious thriller.
Gabriel and Frida, siblings, decide to take a vacation at a resort in Utah. Their goal is to work on mending their relationship, that soured, after escaping a cult years ago.
After someone winds up murdered at the resort, will the siblings be able to get past this event?
I enjoyed the dual- past and present timelines; they kept the book entertaining! I would have loved if the book dug deeper into their past within the cult! I found that spin interesting.
The book is good, but I didn’t find it great. I was looking for a deeper storyline.

Thank you to NetGalley for an arc of this entertaining book.
*It comes out July 8th!!*

I was eager to read this one after loving The Quiet Tenant, but unfortunately, it didn’t quite land for me. The premise—a not-quite-related brother and sister staying at a luxury resort when a woman is murdered—had promise. Suspicion quickly falls on the brother, who not only crossed paths with the victim earlier that day but also has a shadowy past involving the death of his wife.

While the setup intrigued me, the plot felt overly contrived, and the pacing was uneven. The narrative jumps between the present and their childhood in a cult—a device that could have added depth and tension—but the cult storyline lacked the nuance and specificity to make it truly compelling. It felt underdeveloped, more like a concept than a lived world.

I also struggled to connect with the characters emotionally, which made it hard to invest in the stakes. That said, I did appreciate the spareness of the prose and found the ending satisfying, even if the journey there was bumpy.

A mixed read for me, but I’m still interested in seeing what this author does next.

Our Last Resort by Clémence Michallon
Pub Date: 7/8/25
Format: ebook/audio hybrid
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

2025 continues to be the year of fine thrillers and, unfortunately, Our Last Resort is following that trend. This is a dual timeline thriller that follows a sister and brother who grew up together on a commune. While they are on vacation in the desert, a mysterious death takes place that puts everyone under a microscope.

This was one of my most anticipated releases for the thriller genre this year. The Quiet Tenant was stunning and unique and I was so thrilled to read more of Michallon’s writing. While this was not a bad book, it felt very different from her previous book and read much more like a run of the mill thriller.

I think what lost me with this novel is that I did not feel invested in a single character, and really felt like some of the plot points were a bit forced. I did really enjoy the flashbacks to our main characters’ upbringing, but the modern day timeline felt a bit disjointed.

This is definitely a quick read, and the momentum was enough to propel me through it pretty quickly, but ultimately I sadly think it was just okay. I do recommend doing the audio if you check this book out because narrator Saskia Maarleveld did a phenomenal job as always!

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion!

I have mixed feelings about this book. I thought the storyline was unique as far as the cult side of it. I felt that was interesting and flowed. The disconnect was with the current day murder, seemed slower and more unnecessary I guess.
Overall, I do recommend the book, and some will love it. It just wasn't my favorite.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Gabriel and Frida have been as close as brother and sister since they escaped together from a cult when they were younger. Now reunited at an upscale resort in the Utah desert they seek to reconnect since they have drifted apart over the years. When a body is found at the resort they start to question how well they really know each other.

If you like your suspense with a side of cult, this book is for you. Set in the beautiful Utah desert this story blends past and present timelines and has you guessing until the end.

Michallon knows how to pace a mystery/thriller. Told in alternating timelines, this is the story of Frida and Gabriel, who survive a cult, the death of Gabriel's wife, and now are suspected in the death of a hotel guest at the resort where they are staying. The novel alternates between the present, and the past during their life in the cult and subsequent escape. Frida is the narrator, and thus her character is more fully fleshed out than Gabriel. The central question is how well do we truly know those that we love? I enjoyed this mystery a lot.

"Innocence doesn't bail you out; it just makes you easier to trap.

Frida and Gabriel arrive seeking a fresh start at the stunning Ara Hotel in the secluded desert of Escalante, Utah. Once so close they were able to finish each other’s sentences, they’ve grown apart in recent years after a sudden, unspeakable tragedy. Now, at the luxe resort, they are ready to reconnect between dips in the pool and hikes on spectacular desert trails. It all feels like paradise—until the dead body of a beautiful young woman who was vacationing at the Ara with her powerful, much older husband is discovered.

When the local police arrive and suspicion quickly falls on Gabriel, Frida is forced to revisit memories from their upbringing in a cloistered cult in upstate New York, their dramatic escape, and the scandal that followed. Frida’s belief in Gabriel’s innocence never wavered at the time, but now even she can’t ignore the evidence mounting against him."

Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

Eh. Meh. I still have The Quiet Tenant on my TBR, I own it, but this did not make me want to read that anytime soon. It was convoluted in ways it didn't need to be. I would have rather focused on the cult, honestly. It was way more interesting than the present-day murder. The cult had Scientology vibes.

This was an interesting read. I would rate it 3.5 stars.

It is set in dual timeline fashion. Frieda and Gabriel are raised together in a cult. Together they escape and begin life in the outside world. As well, they have lived through some very difficult times.

They are on vacation at a resort when a murder happens. Due to their past, they become suspicious. It is a good thriller read. I just wanted more likability of the characters. They were a bit flat. Sorry. I would like to thank NetGalley and Knopf Publishers for this advance read.

3.25 ⭐️
Our Last Resort is a unique story following Frida and her “brother”, Gabriel, who escaped from a cult 15 years ago. After lots of shared secrets, struggles, and life experiences, including the mysterious death of Gabriel’s wife and Gabriel moving across the country, they reconnect at a desert resort as they prep to be in a documentary. During their stay, a young woman, the wife of a powerful man, is found dead and Gabriel and Frida become the main suspects. The story is told in multiple timelines, alternating between the past and the present, with tidbits of information slowly revealed, deepening the mystery, and revealing the deep bond between the two. The book was well written and the twists were interesting, but not overly surprising. Some parts felt a little slower, but overall it was an enjoyable read. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC in return for my honest review.

This book kept me guessing until the end! I loved how quickly this book moved. There was no fluff or unnecessary plot points. It moved fast and kept me hooked until the very end! I loved the cult aspect and I loved how the way Gabriel and Frida grew up affected them throughout their lives. I don’t want to say much because it would spoil things, but I would say to go in blind. It doesn’t take long to get this plot down!

Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Our Last Resort is the sophomore novel from Clemence Michallon.

"Fifteen years ago, Frida and her brother escaped a cult. Now her brother is the prime suspect in a murder investigation—and this isn’t the first time.
Frida has always believed in her brother’s innocence, but the evidence against him is mounting.
How well do we ever really know those we love?"

This story is told in dual-timeline. Frida and Gabriel reconnect after many years apart at a desert resort. A woman dies and memories come flooding back about their time together in a cult and the lengths they had to go to escape. There are secrets about the cult and about Gabriel's dead wife. Michallon builds the suspense until she reveals the surprises and the importance of family.

Short chapters make this a quick read. Good new story from Michallon.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for an advanced reader copy of Our Last Resort by Clemence Michallon in exchange for my honest review. This is my first novel by this author and I found her writing to be beautifully crafted. I was intrigued by the premise: Frida and her brother Gabriel escape from a cult and 15 years later reconnect at an exclusive resort in the Utah desert. A young wife is found dead and Frida and Gabriel become prime suspects.

Told in dual timelines from Frida’s perspective, the reader discovers why she and Gabriel are so bound to each other and why they’re now estranged. The scene building and inner dialogue is excellent. The novel is suspenseful, but I found the overall pacing to be slow for me, until the climax at the end. Frida and Gabriel are deeply flawed which make their actions and the final twist not totally surprising. I struggled with the combination of unlikable characters and slow pacing. For fans of literary suspense, this novel's well-written nature makes it worth considering, even though it didn't quite resonate with me. 3.5/5⭐️

Frida and Gabriel arrive at luxury resort Ara hoping to enjoy a peaceful and relaxing stay. That is until one of the other guests is found dead and suspicion soon falls on Gabriel. As police began to question Gabriel, Frida begins to invoke memories of their past growing up in a cult and ultimately their grand escape that ends in tragedy.
I really enjoyed The Quiet Tenant and was looking forward to reading the second novel from this author. I couldn’t put it down as each chapter ended with me wanting more. I’m not really a fan of books about cults, but somehow the author did it right! This book was a murder mystery that had a lot of moving parts from the past that all came together in the end. I really liked Frida as a character. She went through so much but always tried to do better. I also thought she was kind of witty and loved when she would reference things from “a mob show” because I knew what show she was referring too as it is also one of my favorites. With its past and present timelines, fast paced chapters and overall mystery, this book will not disappoint!

2.5⭐️ After reading and loving The Quiet Tenant, I was really looking forward to Michallon’s new book. Unfortunately, it didn’t live up to my own hype.

I’m usually a sucker for cult vibes in a book, and I did enjoy those parts of the story. However, some of it felt repetitive at times, and I do wish there was maybe a little more “showing” rather than “telling”. I also felt like the jumping back and forth between the past and present was disjointed sometimes. I had a hard time connecting to Frida and Gabriel, and I think that affected my reading experience. The plot slowed a lot in the middle, and I felt like I was pushing through certain sections.

That said, I do think this was well-written. The scenery at the hotel was beautifully described, and I could easily picture it. The twists were interesting (if not shocking to me), and the book overall was very readable.

This book wasn’t for me, but I can see others enjoying it.

Brother and sister Gabriel and Frida are enjoying a reunion at a luxury resort in the Utah desert when a a young woman is found murdered. Frida is quick to suspect the woman's husband, but the evidence starts to point to Gabriel. Told entirely from Frida's POV and alternating in timeline between present day and past, Frida is forced to confront old traumas, actions, and relationships that have led her and Gabriel to this moment.

The pace of this book was fast and kept me interested. It wasn't as shocking as I expected, as I was able to predict a lot of the twists. The cult aspect didn't play into it as much as I expected either. Overall it was an enjoyable read and is a great summer thriller, but didn't come together or shock me as much as I wanted it to.

Because this review is less than 4 stars, it will be included in a new release round-up at the end of the month. I will update my feedback with the link once it is posted.

Cults and a murder mystery!
This story has two time lines and they were both so very interesting to me. Some of my guesses were wrong but the big twist I just knew. I was hoping there would’ve been something more to tie the two time lines but it was still a fun and quick read.
Half way through I just couldn’t put the book down and had to finish it. The story definitely picks up speed and rushes you to the ending.

Sexual content and graphic scenes were very minimal. There are some TWs.

A bonded,but not biological, pair of siblings, Frida and Gabriel, were teenage escapees over 20 years ago from a cult, and have come to a luxe desert resort in Escalante, Utah, to catch up with each other after a 9 year estrangement. Their peaceful stay is interrupted when the young wife of a rich bully (Frida overheard them bickering) is found dead. Gabriel, whose past includes another suspicious incident, won’t cooperate with the police, and becomes a suspect. Did he know the victim? And is this somehow tangled with his recent life that Frida doesn’t know about?

Told in Frida’s present POV and via her flashbacks to their tortured past, author Michallon has delivered another intense, twisty thriller after her debut novel, “The Quiet Tenant.” Both main characters are deeply affected by their distorted childhood experiences; both of them have survival skills that affect their sense of morality. Michallon creates a compelling, well-developed, intelligent character with Frida — the result is another haunting piece of crime fiction. 4.5 stars!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): YES Sabrina has green eyes, matched by emerald green sunglasses. Gabriel has mismatched eyes, one brown and one blue.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): Hmmmm. Keeping a magnolia tree in southern Utah would really require a lot of maintenance and constant care.

Thank you to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy!

DNF at 20% - I am so bummed but this just wasn't working for me. After looking at some other reviews, it seems like some of my quibbles were only going to get worse so I'm putting this aside. I'm definitely interested to see what comes next from Michallon.

Frida and Gabriel were raised as siblings in a cult in upstate New York. We're introduced to them when they are vacationing at a luxury resort in the Utah desert. In alternating timelines, it is revealed that the two have grown apart and why, after being inseparable for years. As tensions mount at the resort after a guest is found dead, suspicion drives a further wedge between the pair, and no one is as they seem.

I really enjoyed this book. I don't read a ton of thrillers and even less about cults, so that was an element that made this fresh for me. I was quickly drawn into the story and read compulsively to figure out how everything was connected.

Clémence Michallon's debut, The Quiet Tenant, has been on my TBR for a year and I'm bumping it up the list after reading this!