This was such an easy read, I flew through it! I read an eARC of this thriller on NetGalley so thank you to the author and the publisher.

We have a thriller surrounding a wannabe actress who takes her friend’s place on a movie shooting in the desert when her friend gets sick. She will have to masquerade as her friend while also playing a role in the film and hope she doesn’t get caught out. However whilst on the plane, she overhears a nefarious plot and not long after, a body is found.

This was tense and a really interesting plot. I found myself gripped and wanting to keep reading throughout. No-one in this book was likeable and there was a bunch of back-stabbing, meanness, betrayal and lies that is unveiled throughout. I was compelled to uncover the secrets of this convoluted cast.

This is very much plot driven and the characters weren’t really memorable outside of their own machinations and secrets. However, they didn’t need to be. The plot was so fast paced that this wasn’t to the detriment of the book.

I would read more from this author after reading this book. It did what it needed to as a thriller very well.

This seemed to be right up my street when I read the blurb. A location thriller. Unfortunately the story eventually became just too ludicrous to believe. I really wanted to give Ellie/Phoebe a slap and tell all the other lovies to get over themselves. It was almost a DNF but I hate to do this to Netgalley books so I persevered. I am happy to say it improved around the 70% mark rushing on to a still rather unbelievable but quite clever conclusion that I wasn't expecting. All told the ending rescued the book for me and brought it up to 3 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

The premise of this book is excellent, aspiring actress stepping in for her friend to take on her very first acting role. I found this book difficult to get started and unrealistic from the start, quite a lot going on and a few gaps in the plot that I would have loved to see develop further.
Generally a great idea for a story that made you want to find out what happened so having to read on.

Wow!

I want to start by saying a massive thankyou for giving me an ARC of this! This is my very first!

This book… Absolutely fantastic! When I tell you I binge read it in an entire 2 days……Not forgetting being unable to put it down at 3am! The twists, and turns! So many times I thought I had it figured out! Only for another twist to take place! This is amazingly thought out! The attention to detail is fantastic! I could see things in my head because of how much attention to detail was put into many aspects of this book!

Follow the Journey of Ellie, who has suffered loss, hurt, manipulation and lies. Journey across the world in this twisty and turbulent read! From UK, To New York, to Abu Dhabi. From the busy streets and bustling city life, from the calm before the storm.

I love a destination thriller, and this one takes us to the deserts of Abu Dhabi. Ellie meets her doppelgänger, Phoebe who is an actress going through a tough time. She’s supposed to fly to the movie set soon but she has been feeling really low and tired. When the opportunity for Ellie to step in and take her place, she jumps at the chance….what could go wrong?

I thought I knew where things were heading in the first part of the book and it seems like an "And Then There Were None" vibe. I was happily surprised to see some flashbacks to New York and new information revealed just when I thought I had things figured out.

This read was entertaining and had lots of twists. Some of it is not quite plausible and the reader must suspend their belief to get the full effects. This thriller was filled with chaos and deception, unreliable characters making questionable decisions, and lots of hidden backstories between the cast which lead to drama and conflict. I loved the setting of the desert and the descriptions of the sandstorm and oppressive heat were great. I enjoyed this read but it was very chaotic and a bit violent as well.

Thank you to @netgalley and Aria & Aries @headofzeus for the earc in exchange for my honest review.

Loved the setting for this thriller. The writing really transported me right there and it kept me up at night couldn't put it down!

Nothing is what it seems, if you think you’ve unravelled the mystery before the last chapter then you have probably got the wrong answer. Who is really who on the film set and why are they really there? A little slow to start with but picked up pace and a good read. I’m not sure it needed so many descriptions of sand in the desert but I would recommend this book.
My thanks to Net Galley and the author for an ARC

I enjoyed this book and watching the story unfold through the pages. Ellie is an aspiring actress keen to get her first role but there are other issues at play that make the part even more important to her.

Once on set so many things happen and no one is clear who the suspects are.

Watching the characters come to life through the pages and the roller coaster of twists and turns.

Really good different enjoyable read

Okay, so, this book? Not my thing. I thought I'd really dig it, but it was just too much. Like, way too much going on. I like stories where people go to cool places and bad stuff happens, and this was supposed to be one of those. That's why I picked it up! But, honestly, the way it ended? Ugh. It made me like the whole book less.

Oh this is the perfect beach suspense read and my only regret is that I didn't hold onto it for holidays. Great characters, wonderful setting and a plot that proceeds at rocket fueled pace. A cracking read

ARC review: Sun Trap by Rachel Wolf. I love a destination thriller, and I can’t say I’ve read any set in the desert in Abu Dabi! ! Two aspiring actresses who look freakishly alike come up with a plan for Ellie to take Phoebe’s place in an upcoming movie, due to Phoebe coming down with a mystery illness. So Ellie pretends to be Phoebe (this can only end in trouble!!! ) The unfortunate thing is that whilst on set in the desert, people keep on… well…. dying!! I found this book easy to read and it was fun to feel like you’re behind the scenes of a movie set. The tension and anxiety builds when the police get involved, and Ellie has to keep pretending she’s Phoebe (I’d be terrified!).
Don’t go into this book wanting to find plot holes, just jump into it and immerse yourself in the mystery. It was a fun and fast paced read and I really enjoyed it!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Pub date 2 September 2025
Thankyou very much to publishers Aria and Aries, NetGalley and especially to Rachel Wolf, for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
#netgalley #ariaandaries #rachelwolfauthor #suntrap

Well, that was a rollercoaster of a thriller. There were so many twists and turns running alongside the main story of filming a Hollywood film in the Abu Dhabi desert. I loved how the main character had small twists added along the way like peeling the layers of an onion. I read this in one go, I could not put it down. Would I forgive Ellie? I'm not sure.

I wanted to love this and I tried really hard but it was just too ludicrous.

The setting was superb, Hollywood movie, Abu Dhabi, the desert, sand dunes etc. The plot was just too silly to make sense.

I won't spoil it by saying anymore.

I wanted to love this book, but unfortunately I didnt. It was a bit over the top for my liking. I love my destination thrillers and was expecting so much more. Thats why I was attracted to it . The ending was disappointing and affected my rating.

How far would you go for your dream role? When Ellie is handed the opportunity of a lifetime—stepping into a friend’s shoes, quite literally—she jumps at the chance. A blockbuster film, a career-defining moment. But on the flight to Abu Dhabi, she overhears something chilling: two people plotting a murder. She convinces herself it’s nothing… until the first body drops. And the lies start closing in.

Sun Trap is a slick, sun-drenched thriller that gripped me from the first page. Tension crackles through every chapter, and just when I thought I had it figured out—another twist sent me reeling. Ellie is a compelling protagonist, caught in a dangerous web of ambition, deception, and survival, where the price of success might just be her life.

Cinematic, addictive, and impossible to put down, Sun Trap is the perfect summer thriller. If you love psychological suspense with a touch of Hollywood glamour, this one’s for you!

Would you risk it all for a shot at fame?

A huge thank you to @NetGalley and Aria & Aries (Head of Zeus) for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

#SunTrap #RachelWolf #ThrillerReads #MysteryAndThrillers #Bookstagram #SuspenseBooks #NetGalleyReview #AdvanceReaderCopy #AriaAndAries #HeadOfZeus

There was literally twist after twist after twist in this destination thriller. With a cast of highly unlikable characters and set in the desert on a film set, you reel from one dramatic incident to each murder, right back into intrigue. It's 100% a beach or poolside read! If you like thrillers, you like unlikable characters, and you want to be whisked away to the sun, this book is for you. Thanks to the author, Aria, Aries (the publisher), and NetGalley for the chance to read this advanced copy!

With a cast of unlikeable characters you love to hate this is a punchy, tense thriller to get stuck into.
I was enveloped by the heat, the velvety darkness, the sand and the deaths; there are a few unlucky cast members in this one! I felt on edge and didn’t feel I could trust anyone. There are some fantastic plot twists to keep you guessing too, a really addictive read!

I really wanted to love this book as it sounded intriguing but it was only ok. I liked the exotic setting and the couple of twists in the middle got me! However towards the end there were almost too many twists (never thought I would say that!) and it all got a bit much.

Overall you really do have to suspend belief to enjoy this book, otherwise there would be a lot of plot holes. But if you enjoy a destination thriller where things get really crazy with twists every five minutes you might enjoy this one! Just wasn’t my favourite type of thriller sadly.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Enjoyed this book and although I did have to suspend my disbelief a little I was soon into it and read it quickly. It was pacey and thrilling and would make a great beach read.

What a disappointing book - it was so far fetched that I could barely finish. Novels may need a bit of coincidence and misdirection but this was ridiculous, there was nothing even remotely believable, not least that she was thought of in positive terms at the end.
Sorry, no redeeming features.