Sun Trap by Rachel Wolf is amazing, and what you believe becomes twisted and it all changes!! This book took me only 24 hours to read, it was so enjoyable!
Ellie is a young English woman who wants to be an actress. She finds out about a movie being made that will include her childhood hero. She devises a plan that will make sure she is chosen to be within the cast. And close to him.
But on the plane journey to Abu Dhabi, she overhears two people discussing murder, and not long after, this becomes a reality…
I love the way Rachel Wolf gives you the true facts gradually, feeding us readers a truth at a time. She makes sure you make assumptions that have to change as more tidbits come to light. Brilliant!!
Many thanks is to Head Of Zeus for the opportunity to read this arc copy via Netgalley. My opinion is my own.
#Netgalley, #HeadOfZeus, #RachelWolfAuthor.

3.25*

I love a destination thriller and enjoy suspending belief to become immersed into the high unrealistic and crazy world of the story and 'Sun Trap' is no different. You really do need to suspend belief with the story premise but it's so ridiculous that you can't help but go along for the ride. There are plenty of twists and turns and our main character, Ellie is well realised and reasonably likeable (not often the case in these books!). There are pacing issues for the middle third of the book but the ending comes at you like a speeding train with reveal after reveal that for the most part I didn't see coming.

You know what you're getting with this kind of book so don't think too much about the story or how far fetched it is. Just go along and enjoy the whirlwind ride, and whilst it's a cliché to say, it really is going to be a great read by the pool for your 2025 holiday.

Thank you to NetGalley and Aria & Aries | Head of Zeus - an Aries Book for a digital review copy of "Sun Trap" in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book.

3.5 rounded up.

This book begins with a girl and her doppelganger and I though "What? Really?" and had low expectations. I read on though thinking I could overlook this highly unlikely plot device. I am glad I did read on because this is a goof read with so many secrets, deceptions and unexpected but believable plot reveals.

It is very entertaining with a lot going on and I like the unusual setting of the desert. The intense heat is very well described as is the sand storm and the choking and extreme discomfort it causes. Most of the reveals came as a surprise to me although the alert reader might guess one of them quite early on. The ending was quite good too..

This would be a great holiday read especially if you are somewhere hot.

Gosh, I just finished this book and my head is swimming. This book lulls you into a false sense of security and then sucker punches you. There are so many red herrings, Rachel Wolf could put a fishmongers out of business. The characters are shifty, the setting is opulent and unfamiliar, and the secrets are many. My only qualm is that I wish that the characters were a little more developed.

A very entertaining albeit implausible thriller that uses its Abu Dhabi setting to great advantage. Ellie wasn't supposed to be in the movie or on the plane-she's taken her friend's place-but she is and now she's got a problem. A big one because she heard two people plotting a murder. And guess what- there's a murder. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This will be a great travel book (hah!) or one for the beach bag.

Ellie lands her dream job in a film in Abu Dhabi, but that’s not true she is pretending to be her friend Phoebe who actually won the part. On the private jet to the hotel Ellie overhears two people planning a murder.
Well written, gripping and full of twists and turns I practically read this in one sitting.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc.

I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait for others to read it coming out this month


BE CAREFUL
Ellie has wanted to be an actor since she was a child so, when a role in a blockbuster film presents itself, she grabs it.

WHAT YOU
On the plane to Abu Dhabi to begin filming, Ellie overhears something she shouldn't – two people discussing plans for murder.

WISH FOR
Unsure if it's a misunderstanding, and not wanting to ruin her big break, Ellie remains quiet. Then ten members of the cast become nine...

Ellie needs to be careful – it's more than just her career on the line.

Because she isn't who she says she is.
And liars are always the prime suspect.

I love this time of year when the summer thrillers start to appear and Sun Trap is the perfect beach or holiday read if you’re looking for a bit of escapism! ☀️🩸🏜️💀 Honestly, it's one of those books that's just outrageous, a real rollercoaster of over the top fun!

Ellie is taking part in an acting workshop in New York when she meets Phoebe who looks eerily similar, the others on the course are fascinated by the pair who could be twins they are so alike. Phoebe is due to fly out to Abu Dhabi straight after the course ends for her first small film role but she falls ill and the stress of having to turn down the role is making matters worse. Ellie agrees to pretend to be her and take her place on the film set - what could possibly go wrong?!?! On the private plane, Ellie overhears a conversation where a man and a woman talk about murdering one of the cast members but without knowing who they are or who they are planning to kill, Ellie is stuck in an impossible situation, but this is just the beginning...

This is an especially twisty thriller, just when you think you know where the story is going, everything takes a completely different turn and this unexpected departure is so brilliant. The film industry, the glamorous hotel, the scorching hot desert, the egos of the cast and crew and a sinister murder plot are all key components in making this thriller work so successfully. There's something about the setting that gave me an Agatha Christie vibe but with a more contemporary cinematic feel.

You will need to suspend belief while reading Sun Trap, but it's a thoroughly entertaining destination thriller where nothing is as it seems!

What an incredible read - I just had to sit and finish it in two sittings. Fast paced, topsy turvy and fascinating characters with a totally unexpected ending.

This was such a gripping read, its plot was very intense and increases as Ellie realises how much danger she is in. Exhilarating and high stakes made it a more addictive read for me.

Oh the lengths someone will go to correct past wrongs, or make dreams come true! I am impressed with what Ellie did, with luck on her side and a doppelganger of a friend willing to trade places with her, even if it turns into a real nightmare. I would say the movie is cursed! From almost plane crashes, car crashes, overhearing plots to commit murder, and don't forget the bodies that start showing up! Seems like no one is trustworthy, even if they show a friendly side and it does get pretty crazy! I did like the first twist which kept me quite intrigued to see how it would play out, but then it got a bit crazy as it turns out everyone came to Abu Dhabi with schemes they were looking to come to fruition and in between filming on the dunes, and racing land rovers through a sandstorm, there is plenty of action and made it quite a fast read and hard to put down. I will say, don't trust anyone and prepare for much backstabbing and lots of different killing methods but not everyone dies and people do come out of it trying to be better friends and people and get the help they need.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this thrilling story of actors and their many issues who need more therapy before they decide to kill others off. Show biz is cutthroat!

This was a dreat read and I just read until I finished it. It is a fast paced story based upon secrets, suspense and many lies. Death came at intervals that kept me wanting to find out who was responsible as my mind kept changing. In some ways I can say that it reminds me of the farces that were so popular years ago as it was full of almost improbable situations, stereotypes characters and humour. This would make a great movie

The first part of Sun Trap had me hooked. Intriguing premise - aspiring actress on her way to a major movie when she overheard a conversation planning a murder, hours before one of the crew is killed - and as the plot unfurls I found myself keen to know what was going on. Unfortunately, it went downhill rapidly.
As the body count piles up and more people seem to discover Ellie is not who she says she is, I found myself hoping someone would call things out…and soon.
The truth behind the story was not bad, but by the time we’re being told what’s going on things had tipped into a rather melodramatic situation. Nobody acted as you might believe them to, and the resolution with Ellie and Phoebe was far-fetched.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review this before publication. A definite holiday/travel read.

Ellie Miller has always wanted to be an actor so when she is offered a golden opportunity of a film role in a movie - she jumps at the chance!! Soon ,she is on a plane to Abu Dhabi where she overhears a plan to kill someone once they arrive! How much is true? What is real? Whom do we believe? Why is it going to happen? All of the answers are told in a thrilling way and it was an unputdownable book! What I particularly loved was it was the ultimate locked room mystery but set in the desert! The subplots are woven together with a few red herrings to play with your mind to a rollercoaster of an ending.

Not sure whether I liked this book or not. Ellie is an actress and gets a role in the UAE, but she’s pretending to be Phoebe. When she overhears someone of the plane that somebody will die on location she’s scared. The book goes back and forth to New York and UAE and it’s a bit over the top. The characters were ok, but a bit annoying. There is a little twist to the story at the end, but it wasn’t really my book. An ok 3 star read. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy.

An entertaining thrill ride from the start, this was an enjoyable read. Sun Trap follows a Hollywood movie crew to the Abu Dhabi desert, where the filmmaking gets deadly. This is one of the books with constant action. I was invested in the story although I did not feel connected to the characters at all. Especially after the half way mark there was twist after twist after twist. Also, is this not one of the most gorgeous covers you've ever seen? 3,5/5*

Thank you, Netgalley and Aria & Aries, for the chance to read a copy in exchange for an honest review!

suspend your questions on the questionable and dive in. because this book is about to get murderous, chaotic and it will spin you out. but if you want a delicious moment after moments of murder and madness then this is for you. its twisty in all the gripping ways and its doesnt hold back. murder happens. then murder happens again and you will want, then need to know how this book ends. who is a goody, a baddy? is there a goody? just what is going on with these people!? it plants seeds and then whips them up.
its does go to far in every sense of the way but i cant hold it against it because it does it well. its well written and captivating in the chaos.

This is the first book I have read by Rachel Wolf. The book is set in Abu Dhabi and the setting interested me as my son had spent several years living there. I was disappointed that the book did not focus more on the culture of this wonderful country.

The story focuses on Ellie a young aspiring actress who in gains a break receiving a part in a movie but the circumstances surrounding how she obtains this are a large part of the plot. Her good friend had actually won the part but due to her ill health Ellie is soon on a plane hoping for stardom. On the way she overhears a conversation between two people planning to endanger the life of another cast member.

There are numerous characters and initially I did struggle keeping up with who each was. The book moves along at a relatively fast pace and for the first half of the book I was engrossed with what was occurring. However soon the whole plot became incredibly unbelievable with too many coincidences and it all seemed a bit over the top. It was still entertaining but I did loose interest in the second half until the last 10% which did then elevate my rating.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy, all opinions expressed are my own.

It's no secret that I love a good destination thriller, so it comes as no surprise that I added Sun Trap as soon as I saw the Abu Dhabi setting. It's not often that I get to visit the United Arab Emirates in books, so the setting was definitely one of the things I was most excited about... Although the blurb itself was enticing as well with the mention of a murder complot and that Hollywood angle. I admit I was a bit worried when I saw the mixed reviews coming in... I guess it helped that I lowered my expectations though, because while I didn't love Sun Trap, I didn't exactly hate it either.

So, Sun Trap. The first and most important thing to know is that you definitely have to be able to suspend your disbelief. This plot is wild! Especially the second half goes way over the top and there is no doubt that there is nothing credible about the developments at all. That said, somehow it does mostly work on an entertainment level, so if you just sit back and enjoy the ride the lack of credibility shouldn't be too big of a problem. What I do have to say that especially the final part did take things too far to be enjoyable... I mean, I like a good twist or two in my thrillers, but this story has proven that there is actually such a thing as 'too many twists'. As a result, the impact of the individual twists was lost, and it only resulted in my eyebrows working overtime.

I can't deny that I did love the Abu Dhabi setting, although I do wish the descriptions of the setting would have been a bit more extensive to truly make it come alive. As it is, the story could have been set in any place near a desert... Adding more local flavor would have definitely enhanced the story for me. That said, I did like the Abu Dhabi chapters. The story also has flashbacks to a recent past set both in New York and London, and those chapters are very important in revealing more about the main character Ellie.

The Hollywood angle is very present in this story, with lots of diva/entitlement moments as well as the preparations to film a movie. While the first made it a lot more difficult to like certain characters, this behavior did fit with the world and the drama wasn't unexpected. That said, it was a bit too obvious from the start that Ellie was an unreliable narrator, and I can't say that I had a lot of fun having to spend so much time in her head. Sure, some of her secrets definitely came as a surprise, but her motivations were too over the top to be credible and it only made me like her less. The rest of the cast is a bit of a mixed bag, and they could have been developed more thoroughly beyond the typical cliches. It took some time to keep them all apart, that's for sure!

I don't want to give away too much of the plot to avoid spoilers, but if you don't mind a complete lack of credibility and like a Hollywood angle and a foreign setting, you might find Sun Trap to be entertaining as well. The twists are so wild that it will be very hard to guess the truth before they pop up, that's for sure.

The film industry is notoriously difficult to break into, so it should not be a surprise when people go to great lengths for their shot at the golden ticket. In such a competitive environment, who can you really trust?

This is an intriguing and fast paced story set on location at luxury hotel in the middle of the desert. The VIP guests are of the cast, many of whom have their own secrets. In this incestuous environment, unsurprisingly, when things start going wrong, it's not too long before the domino effect kicks in.

This was an enjoyable thriller which packed in quite a few surprises - quite an achievement in an overcrowded genre. Worth a read!