This was an average read for me. There were parts I enjoyed, but there were also many parts that were forgettable. I struggled to really get into the book in the beginning because I just didn’t feel connected to the characters and had no idea why we should care so much about a victim we knew little about.

As the story progressed I was more engrossed, but also more just meh on the characters. There were some questionable choices made and I felt that Gabriel’s character was almost just a contradiction of himself.

If you’re into cult stories, this one might be more in your lane but unfortunately for me, it was just an ok read!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my eArc!

Unfortunately this book did not do it for me. I didn't get any thriller vibes from it. It was more murder mystery (which admittedly is not a favorite genre of mine). I felt like it was missing a big twist or reveal. It needed a spark that was not there. After quickly realizing this was more a murder mystery, I thought I maybe could still get into it becasue it had a cult aspect (which I love). But I feel like we didn't get to dive deep enough into the cult of it all. It felt surface level and I would have prefered something darker. I also thought the present day timelie move VERY slowly to the point where I was geting bored. I really wanted to like this book but I just didn't, but I'm not giving up on Clemence Michallon!

I was locked and loaded for all of the cult vibes after reading the blurb for Our Last Resort. Instead, it was mix of three timelines- what happened leading up to Frida & Gabriel leaving the cult; the death of Gabriel’s wife; and the seemingly random death of a woman staying at their hotel in the present timeline while they are on vacation. As the storylines evolve, tensions mount until all is revealed at the end. I wasn’t sure how I felt about things in the middle but the ending added some shock value to keep everyone happy!

With hypnotic character development and an original plot that pulled me in deep, Our Last Resortwas a unique trip into the depths of friendship and love. From the introspective poignancy to the palpable tension, all sides of this novel won me over in spades. It wasn’t quite the propulsive thrillerthat I had been expecting, however. Instead, the suspense-laden tale was mixed deftly with a heart-stopping sibling drama. Despite the lack of adrenaline-fueled action, though, there was no end to the building unease as I waited for disaster to strike. And let me tell you, when disaster finally did descend, it did so via a pulse-pounding climax that had me ripping through the pages with glee.

The biggest win in this unputdownable read, however, was easily the combination of fully fleshed out personas and relentless intrigue. Unwinding layers of secrets from the siblings’ enigmatic past, the dual timelines delivered a perfectly paced storyline filled with anxiety-inducing cliffhangers and well-timed reveals. By the time I reached the somewhat open-ended conclusion, I very well could’ve been holding my breath for the entire time I was reading. After all, I felt as if I’d been immersed in Frida and Gabriel’s worldthanks to the evocative descriptions and thought-provoking prose. Besides, with twist after twist that left me gasping out loud, how on earth could I have ever put this book down?

All said and done, while I wouldn’t classify this book as a fast-paced thriller, it certainly kept me spellbound from beginning to end. In fact, I was so hypnotized by the cult-centered mystery and modern-day intrigue that I finished the book in one single sitting. With a complex relationship between the two main characters and an equally intricate plot that kept me riveted throughout, I was blown away by the deep exploration of friendship, identity, history, and trauma. Add in the underlying locked room mystery vibe, and there wasn’t much missing from these thrilling yet pensive pages. Atmospheric, bingeable, and with teasing plot twists, I couldn’t get enough of this enthralling tale. Rating of 4.5 stars.

Thank you to Clémence Michallon, Alfred A. Knopf, and NetGalley for my complimentary physical and digital copies. All opinions are my own.

Really loved The Quiet Tenant but this one was just alright. I really loved the cult storyline because I’m just always a sucker for a cult. The resort storyline didn’t suck me in though. It also seemed like the two were so unconnected they didn’t really make sense.

It was decent and I read it in a day so that says something. I would’ve liked it more if it was just the story of the cult and Gabriel’s wife Anna’s death.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

I give this 3.5 stars. I feel it was drawn out a little too much. I felt like the characters were unmemorable. It was a decent storyline, but all the back and forth of timeslines made it often-times difficult to keep straight. For me, it lacked depth and emotions. The ending was great. I wish there would've more of that kind of writing in the actual story.

I wasn’t in love with Clémence Michallon’s other but this book sounded so good I wanted to give it a try but I wasn’t for me. It was so slow and the plot didn’t move fast enough for me. I think I might be done picking up books from this author. The writing style is just not for me.

Thank you so much to Clemence Michallon and Knopf Publishing for my copy of this book! It was about Frida and Gabriel, two cult survivors who are reconnecting years later. They grew up as siblings, and survived a traumatic childhood, and now they are trying to spend time together again. On vacation at a luxury resort, someone ends up dead and suspicion ends up on Gabriel. Frida starts to uncover memories from the past, including the death of Gabiels wife. Though Frida has never questioned his innocence, she starts to question the death of a second woman close to him.

Thoughts: WE LOVE A CULT BOOK! This book was such a twisted cult story about the aftermath of two cult survivors. Gabriel and Frida have such unique pasts and it was so intriguing to learn about them. The contrast of the far past, near past, and present made this story interesting and twisted. It made me ask what was real and who was telling the truth.

I love the way Michallon writes and immerses the reader in her settings. I was recently in Escalante Utah, and this book captured the desert setting perfectly. The sibling relationship was perfectly captured, especially with their twisted background. Though I knew how it would end, I really loved the journey to get there and couldn’t put it down. 4-stars!

I loved Clemence Michallon’s The Quiet Tenant, so I was really excited to get an ARC of OUR LAST RESORT. I didn’t like this one quite as much, but it’s still a solid, insightful mystery, with an intriguing desert setting. The main characters, Frida and Gabriel, grew up together in a cult and have since escaped. When a woman is found dead at the luxury resort where they’re staying, their past catches up with them.

The chapters are short and the character development is good. I wasn’t totally blown away by the twists, but the writing makes this book worth it. There are two timelines here that are woven together, but I wish there had been more of the cult aspect included, as that was the most interesting part of the plot for me.

Overall, a solid book that I’ll recommend to thriller lovers.

Thank you to publisher Knopf for an early digital copy of OUR LAST RESORT in exchange for my honest feedback.

The Last Resort
This well executed suspense follow two cult survivors who are involved in a murder investigation during their stay at a luxurious hotel in Utah.
Very compelling characters mixed with mystery and intrigue make for a spectacular read! 4 stars

Our Last Resort

A Novel

By: Clemence Michallon

Publish Date: July 8, 2025

Publisher: Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor/Knopf

General fiction (Adult)/mystery and thriller

#OurLastResort#NetGalley

200 Book ReviewsProfessional Reader

I would like to thank both NetGalley and Knopf for allowing me to read and review this book. All opinions are my own.

Book Review:

I really enjoyed reading this book and I gave it 4 stars. This mostly takes place in Utah. In this book we have two main characters who were raised in a cult setting. It talks about how they grew up and got to know each other. They call themselves brother and sister even though they are not related. They are at a resort in Utah to talk about doing a documentary about the death of the brother’s wife 9 years before. When they get there, he keeps begging off of their spending together and she doesn’t really think anything of it. Then one night she can’t sleep, and she overhears an argument between a well-off older man and his much younger wife. The next morning the wife is dead in the lobby of the resort. The police are called in and the sister tells them that she overheard an argument between the husband and wife, so the police take the husband in. Later he is released, and the police are back on the investigating and the two main people they are interested is the sister and brother team.

The book also goes into the background of the two main characters and how they met and how they escaped and why. This is a fast read and keeps you guessing. I did figure out who killed the wife and what happened to the brother’s wife before the reveal in the book.

I really enjoyed the way the two stood up for each other and formed a family between the two even though they really had no idea what a family was or how they functioned.

I loved Clemence Michallon’s The Quiet Tenant so I couldn’t wait to read her latest novel. Our Last Resort is a riveting story that kept me on the edge of my seat.

Set at a luxury resort in Utah, Frida and Gabriel are survivors of a cult who escaped together when they were eighteen. Now adults, their relaxing vacation takes a turn when a fellow hotel guest is found murdered. As they get caught up in the murder investigation, flashbacks reveal their troubled childhood while the present timeline slowly discloses clues to the mystery.

Themes of unconditional love, trauma and survival are well handled with thoughtful emotion. Crime fiction fans will enjoy this psychological thriller full of suspense and just wait for the satisfying twist at the end.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader’s copy.

This was such an interesting plot - seemingly sister and brother, who were together in a cult, are on vacation when a woman is found murdered. There were so many pieces of a puzzle that came together at the end nicely.

I loved Clemence's previous book, The Quiet Tenant, and I think I may have loved this one more.

Any good cult fictional (or nonfictional) story has my attention. I thought parts of the book were heartbreaking and you can't help but route for Frida and Gabriel.

But wow, bad luck seems to follow Gabriel - he is linked to women who have died - and you feel for him.

Frida would most likely have been a different person had she not been born into the cult. Her future actions were understandable given the cards she had been dealt.

*** semi-spoiler alert ***

I did not like the epilogue's lingering question and that is truly my only "complaint" about the book.

Thank you NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor for an e-copy of OUR LAST RESORT to review.

I rate OUR LAST RESORT five out of five stars.

This novel focuses both on Frida and Gabriel’s childhood growing up in a cult and their present day vacation at a luxury resort. Told in dual timelines, the story unfolds to show how Frida and Gabriel have dealt and deal with everyday life after they escaped the cult in which they were raised — as well as a murder which takes place at the resort. Although this was an interesting read, to me it pales in comparison to The Quiet Tenant, the author’s debut novel, which I thoroughly enjoyed. It is a pretty slow burn, and I found it difficult to attach to the characters in any way. Additionally, although there are some decent twists and turns, some go beyond the willing suspension of disbelief. All in all, though, this was a good read.

This one was an absolute page-turner! I was hooked from the very beginning and finished it in just 48 hours—I simply couldn’t put it down. The suspense was perfectly paced, keeping me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I didn’t see the twist coming until the moment it was revealed, which made the payoff even more exciting. The dual timelines were a bit confusing at first, but once I got into the rhythm of each chapter, it flowed well. Overall, this was a gripping and intriguing read that I’d definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys a good, twisty suspense story.

Our Last resort has cult, has murder and has past and present timelines. I love when books have various timelines and I did enjoy the time jumps to give us readers some clues into what happened in the past that resulted in 2 people dying, besides the person who died in the present timeline. I enjoyed the chapters speaking about the cult and how their life experience affected Frida and Gabriel.

Overall, I enjoyed the book it was a quick read and a good murder mystery and that the author did a great job with the multiple timelines, to me this was one of the best parts of the book. However, I felt like I needed more overall and that the whodunit reveals felt a bit rushed and very predictable in my eyes.

I gave this book 3.5 stars rounded it as there are no half stars here.

Thank you NetGalley and Knopf for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have to be fully transparent here and say that I absolutely DO judge book say their covers. And every time I do, I'm usually proven wrong. I have put off reading both the advance copies of Michallon's books I've been gifted because honestly, the covers just weren't exciting enough to grab my attention. And man was that a stupid decision. As soon as I picked up Our Last Resort, I couldn't put it down. The pacing was great and the dual timelines/flashbacks kept me interested. I do think it was a bit predictable altogether, but I had fun reading it. I'd recommend it for anyone looking for a quick and easy but suspenseful mystery.

I enjoyed The Quiet Tenant.
And was eagerly waiting to read Our Last Resort by Clémence Michallon.
A riveting, skillfully crafted story to keep readers on the edge of their seats.
A well written story that kept me hooked from the very beginning.
The characters draw you in and keeps you flipping the pages.

The Quiet Tenet was one of my favorite books last year, so I was really excited to get this book as an ARC.

While not as compelling as The Quiet Tenet, I was completely absorbed by this book. I think I will read anything Michallon writes. I’m bummed to see it getting lower ratings but I can understand that the pacing is slower. What I would say is if you stick with it, the ending is very satisfying.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for an ARC.

Thank you NetGalley! I loved the Quiet Tenant and knew I had to read Clemence’s new novel. It’s definitely a twisty read set with dual plot lines in a fancy resort. If you’re looking for a new cult novel, check this one out