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** spoiler alert **


Our Last Resort
Rating: 3 stars
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC given for review. All opinions are my own.

Our Last Resort was for me a book that for as many pages it had it really didn't say much. I felt like it was two stories in one. On one end we have the cult flash backs that the two siblings had survived and then trying to solve the murder mystery of one of the guests at the resort during the present time. I felt that what was going on during the present time between Frida and Gabriel was overshadowed from what happened when they were kids in the cult.
When the truth was uncovered of who and why the person was killed at the resort fell flat because something that Frida had done nine years ago seemed to bring a conclusion to the story.

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Gabriel and Frida grew up in a cult led by Emile. At some point while they were teenagers, they decided to venture outside of the estate and discovered there’s a whole different world out there. However they stayed with their mothers and Emile. Once Frida reached 18 years old, things changes, not for the best. That’s when they realized something wasn’t right and started to plot how they’d leave that place.

They had an incredible bond. Gabriel and Frida were not siblings by blood, but by choice. They had endured a lot from being in the cult all the way to learn how to live in the real world.

The story taking place at the resort showcased that they were both invited to stay there to give an interview about growing up in a cult. However, shortly after they got there, there had been a murder, and Gabriel was one of the suspects.

Frida was trying to figure out why, what happened and how she could prove he didn’t do it.

The development of the characters is very well done. It’s fast pace, and suspenseful. There’s 2 timelines but it gives a lot of concept and understand on the main characters. I really liked the ending too, very fitting to the story.

I would recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for providing an ARC in exchange of my review.

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I just finished OUR LAST RESORT by Clémance Michallon, who wrote THE QUIET TENANT, which is probably the best thriller debut I’ve read in a WHILE. So I had high expectations for this one!

The book starts in the middle of a vacation for two siblings in a luxury resort in Utah and flashes back to their childhood in a remote “community” (ahem, a cult). At the result, a woman is dead, and in looking into the murder, Frida and Gabriel’s cult past — as well as the mysterious disappearance of Gabriel’s wife — come to the surface. Frida again steps up to protect her brother who she thinks — no, knows — couldn’t have ever murdered anyone. Or could he?

I was definitely hooked and had to know how the siblings escaped their cult, who killed Gabriel’s wife, and who killed the lady at the resort. I know — a LOT going on and a lot to figure out. I think it was maybe too much? It somehow felt like too much and not enough, with a lot of what felt like filler? I can’t exactly put a finger on it.

The book is expertly woven with three mysteries. Pacing was pretty good, but the sibling relationship was kind of… odd. But maybe that’s to be expected of these cult kids lol.

Thank you knopf for the gifted e-ARC.

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While not as suspenseful as “The Quiet Tenant,” I still enjoyed this mystery thriller by Clemence Michallon. It seems if a lot of today’s thrillers are centered around cults and I’m a bit weary. Still a good read.

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Frida and Gabriel arrive at a hotel in a secluded desert looking for a fresh start. While they are enjoying all the luxuries the hotel has to offer, their paradise suddenly turns darker when the body of a woman is discovered. When the police arrive suspicion falls on Gabriel. Frida must revisit memories of the past from their upbringing in a cult to work out if he is really guilty.

I found The Quiet Tenant by this author intriguing so was looking forward to reading this one, hoping it would follow in a similar way. This ended up being another well written story told in dual storylines. I have to admit that I found the past storyline when they were in the cult much more compelling than the present time and would have enjoyed more focus on this.

I found the characters under developed and I couldn’t find a connection with them and although I found the mystery element to this story interesting, I found there weren’t many twists, meaning it ended up a bit too predictable. I also found that although I found myself intrigued by the start of the story, the pacing slowed quite a lot as the story carried on. Even though I had some issues with this book, it is by no means a bad read and I can see plenty of readers who enjoy intense slow burns getting a lot from this. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

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Absolutely loved this one! Our Last Resort is emotional, beautifully written, and full of heart. The setting was dreamy, the characters felt so real, and the story had just the right mix of romance and depth. I didn’t want it to end!

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I really wanted to love Our Last Resort, but found the pacing to be very slow, making it hard to stay engaged.

The novel’s biggest strengths are its vivid, isolated setting and nuanced character portraits. Michallon writes beautiful, detailed prose, and the retreat itself almost becomes a character. The story deals thoughtfully with themes of secrets, healing, and the difficulties of trusting others. The narrative moves at a very slow tempo, with extended periods where little of significance occurs. While I appreciated the depth of the relationships and the atmospheric writing, I was left wishing for more momentum and fewer lingering ambiguities.

For readers who enjoy introspective, character-driven mysteries, this could be a good fit, but I personally craved a bit more action. Overall, a solid 3 stars.

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⭐ Rating: ★★★★½

📚 Genre: Mystery / Psychological Thriller

🖋 Publisher: Elliot & Thompson

📅 Release Date: [Insert date if you have it]

🙏 Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

First Things First…

This is my first time reading Clémence Michelon, and wow—I am impressed. Our Last Resort is her second novel (as far as I can tell), and if this is any indication of her voice and style, I’m absolutely on board for more.

The Premise 🏝🕵️‍♀️

Frida and Gabriel grew up in a cult. Yep, a full-blown cult. The narrative moves seamlessly between two timelines: their traumatic past and their uneasy present. The present sees them reconnecting at a secluded resort, where (of course) a woman turns up dead. Coincidence? Not a chance.



The story gradually peels back the layers:

What exactly happened in the cult?

What was the trigger that finally made them leave?

And how is this new death tied to their shared past?

The Vibe 🧠💭

This is less about twists-for-the-sake-of-it and more of a slow-burning, psychological mystery. Frida narrates, and I really appreciated that she didn’t feel like an unreliable narrator just for dramatic effect. Instead, the revelations felt earned—cleverly timed without being manipulative. It’s a masterclass in withholding just enough and letting the story breathe.

Themes That Hit Home

This isn’t just a whodunit. Michelon digs into meaty questions:

Why do people do awful things?

Are they inherently bad, or shaped by circumstance?

Can you ever really shed the past, or does it follow you like a shadow?

And what does family mean when it’s been forged in something as toxic as a cult?

Final Thoughts ❤️🖤

Our Last Resort stands out in a sea of thrillers. It feels fresh, emotionally resonant, and psychologically astute. I genuinely haven’t read anything quite like it. It also earns the rare honour of being my favourite mystery/thriller I’ve read from NetGalley this year.



Highly recommended if you like your mysteries with emotional depth, complex backstories, and a little bit of philosophical heft.

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⭐ 5 Stars (4.5 rounded up)
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this thrilling and addictive read!

Told in both present and past timelines, Our Last Resort pulled me in from the very first page. The pacing was relentless, keeping me completely on edge and making me genuinely anxious—in the best way. The writing is sharp and immersive, building tension with every chapter as secrets from the past slowly unravel and crash into the present.

I loved how the dual timelines seamlessly wove together, deepening the suspense and creating a layered story that was impossible to put down. The characters were brilliantly complex, and the desert resort setting added such an eerie, atmospheric vibe.

📖 Blurb: A luxurious desert resort becomes the backdrop for a gripping tale of secrets, betrayal, and survival. As the past collides with the present, nothing is as it seems, and every choice could be deadly.

This is a fast-paced, anxiety-inducing must-read that will keep you up late at night turning pages. Perfect for fans of The Quiet Tenant and psychological thrillers that deliver both twists and emotional depth!

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While I enjoyed the Clémence Michallon's debut novel, THE QUIET TENANT, OUR LAST RESORT took me a little longer to get into and ultimately, fell flat. Michallon's immersive writing remains consistent across both her novels, and was really what kept me going. Otherwise, the story left me with a lot of questions. I didn't quite understand the necessity of the dual timelines as there was little connecting the two stories. I wasn't engaged in the present timeline, and by the time I got to the "reveal" I thought to myself, "Alright, I guess that makes sense," but by that point the present timeline had run out of steam; it was clearly relying on the past, and the cult narrative, to give it some promise. The novel was ultimately lacking the suspense element I was looking for. I'd recommend this for readers who are looking for a murder-mystery novel and not a thriller.

Thanks to Netgalley and Elliott & Thompson Publishing for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

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More of a slow burn thriller which isn’t as much for me. Saying that though there’s a great storyline behind this!

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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A slow-burning thriller where the real tension isn’t the murder; it’s the memory.

A slow-burn mystery wrapped in desert heat and childhood ghosts. Our Last Resort is part thriller, part trauma tapestry, where the real tension isn’t just the murder at the luxury resort, but the murkier question of how we survive what raised us. Frida is an unreliable narrator in the best possible way-not coy, but protective; and her story unfolds with restraint and emotional weight.

The trauma seeps through the pages; not just the flashy trauma (cults! assault! abandonment!) but the long, quiet ache of attachment gone missing. Michallon writes with compassion and a quiet confidence. She lets her characters be human: broken, self-protective, sometimes soft in ways they don't even notice.

I stayed not for the whodunnit, but for the ache of it all: morally gray characters, fractured siblinghood, and the rare moments when a stranger’s kindness changes everything.

A four-star for its layered character work and quiet psychological power. Without that? It might’ve been a three. But the people in this story stayed with me, and that counts for something.

If you come for the thriller, you might wish it snapped faster. But if you stay for the character study, for the trauma rendered in fine strokes and the shadowy softness of memory, you’ll be rewarded.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #ElliotandThompson for the ARC.

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I loved the cult aspect of this book. I read this book pretty quickly, it definitely had me hooked. However, I didn’t absolutely love it. Frida and Gabriel were boring, in my opinion. The who dun it for one of the twists did have me guessing until shortly before it was revealed.

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3 stars

I absolutely loved _The Quiet Tenant_, to the point where I think of it every time I encounter a certain kind of dude or a specific style of property. The events and characters of that novel have haunted me often since I first cracked that read. This is why I immediately requested Michallon's newest effort, _Our Last Resort_, with incredible enthusiasm. This is not a bad read, but for me, it did not match the majesty of its predecessor.

Readers meet Frida and Gabriel in the present day at a secluded location. These two have a remarkable history. They grew up together in a cult, experienced incredible trauma as a result, escaped under less than amenable circumstances, began to consider each other siblings, became further enmeshed in each other's lives, and then drifted apart. Now, they're back together to mend...just kidding. They are back together, but let's be real. These two have a lot to work through and work out, and it's not going to be a chill vacation by any standards. In case anyone thinks otherwise, a young woman immediately ends up dead. This event becomes the catalyst for a wild ride between past and present.

Reader, you may think you know what a central reveal will be...and you will likely be right. You may also quickly guess at other details. For me, this transparency was too much for the genre. I wanted some mystery here. I also wanted some more depth to the characters and faster pacing (which should've especially been achievable with multiple timelines. There should have been a lot happening).

Coming off of a much-loved earlier book AND having just read another fantastic mystery/thriller by a different author, I found myself wanting a lot more out of this decent but not totally mind-blowing read. I'm really looking forward to returning to Michallon but hopefully finding more of that earlier magic.

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OUR LAST RESORT - I ha a difficult time with this book. I did not care for the writing style, the characters, or even the story lines. Instead of stopping at 47 percent, I skimmed the rest of the book, which did not satisfy me any. I'll just say this book barely makes average. Source: Netgalley. 3*

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I love Clemence Michallon’s novels. Like her first, this one is fab!
A dark, tragic tale of love and what we wouldn’t do to survive. Mystery abounds amongst the viable murderous scenarios but which one is the truth? Raised in an abusive cult, two teenagers finally manage to escape only to find themselves totally alone and confused in a world in which they have to, somehow, find their place, their only allegiance to each other as family. Harrowing to say the least.

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“Death seems to follow you everywhere…”
That one line perfectly captures the unsettling, slow-burn brilliance of Our Last Resort by Clémence Michallon.

After absolutely loving The Quiet Tenant, I was nervous—would this new novel live up to the chilling, poetic magic of her debut? I’m happy to report that it absolutely does. Michallon is no one-hit wonder; she’s officially on my auto-read list.

This story follows Gabriel and Frida—two people who aren’t biologically related, but became inseparable after growing up in a brutal cult. Years later, having drifted apart, they reunite at a luxury resort following Gabriel’s wife’s tragic death. But paradise quickly turns into something far more sinister when a woman is found dead on the property, and long-buried secrets begin to surface.

Told through dual timelines—past (their harrowing childhood in the cult) and present (the resort)—the story moves with eerie elegance. Both timelines were equally gripping, and I found myself fully immersed in each. Michallon writes with a literary flair that feels rare in thrillers. Her depiction of cult life is unsettling and authentic, and her transitions between timelines are smooth and purposeful, adding depth to both character and plot.

This isn’t your typical fast-paced thriller—it’s more of a quiet, creeping suspense that builds slowly but masterfully. I especially appreciated the focus on Frida and Gabriel’s bond. The emotional weight of their shared trauma adds so much richness to the narrative.

While I did have a hunch about who was behind the mystery, it didn’t take away from the enjoyment. In fact, I stayed up way past my bedtime to finish it—which is always the true mark of a great read.

Highly recommended for fans of literary thrillers, cult narratives, and character-driven mysteries.
Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the ARC.

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🔹 My take: 3/5

🔸 Frida and Gabriel have come for a week long stay at the luxurious hotel Ara situated in a desert in Escalante, Utah. Hotel has got many influential guests including William Brenner and his young third wife Sabrina. Frida notices something off between the couple in early days and on the fourth night of their stay, a horrible scream wakes them up and they find Sabrina dead. Frida & Gabriel have their own dirty little secrets and they know this scandal could be pinned down to them if the police digs into their dark past. Who is really Sabrina’s killer and are Frida & Gabriel working hand in glove or against each other?

💖 Wows - The book is in dual timelines - present which is in Escalante where murder has happened and the other 15 years in past which is about Frida & Gabriel’s early years when they were a part of a cult run by a man Emile. The chapters about their past are very elaborate since it gives insights on how it shaped their personalities. Clemence’s word building is very atmospheric. The way the hotel, its artefacts and spaces are described, it sounded like a true boutique hotel. I liked the stealthy expeditions the teens had sneaking from cult premises.

💔 Ows - It would be me but off late I have read too many thrillers that involve cult and the cult eventually is involved in “the business” which is so predictable that it sounds cliched now. I was invested in the murder investigation but their past really bored me since I knew exactly what was coming. Found multiple plot holes at the end like how come no one ever reported the kids missing, what happened to the cult overall in the end, what was Emile’s purpose of the cult, why did the police never searched where the last clue was found though it was a thing of interest, how come no one in cult recognised Gabriel even once? This fell flat and did not look like a thriller or mystery.

💫 Looking forward to reading The Quiet Tenant by the same author that has rave reviews on GR. Sadly, this one did not work for me. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to @elliottandthompson and @netgalley for sharing the DRC in exchange for honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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I really enjoyed this author’s previous book, so I was excited for Our Last Resort, but unfortunately, this one fell a bit flat for me. I’m usually all in for a good cult storyline, and while that element was intriguing, I actually found myself wanting more of it—the present-day timeline dragged a bit and lacked the urgency I expected from something billed as suspense. To me, this read more like a slow-burn literary mystery, and while the writing was solid, I never felt fully connected to the characters. That said, Saskia Maarleveld’s audiobook narration was excellent (as always), and I’ll absolutely keep reading whatever this author writes next. Not bad by any means—just not one that’ll stick with me for long.

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I absolutely loved this author's debut, The Quiet Tenant, so I was really excited to hear about her new book - especially with those cultish vibes that immediately drew me in.

Siblings Frida and Gabriel, who escaped a dangerous cult as children, reunite years later at a luxury resort hoping to heal. But when a murder occurs and Gabriel is accused, long-buried secrets resurface, and Frida must face the truth about their past and what really happened the night they fled.

The story moves at a much slower pace than I expected. The tension builds very gradually, and at times the plot feels a bit padded out. It definitely lacked the gripping suspense and urgency that made The Quiet Tenant such a standout for me.

Sadly, the mystery and twist felt a little underwhelming. The reveal didn’t quite land with the impact it needed, and some of the plot threads felt underdeveloped or unresolved.

While the themes of trauma and sibling dynamics were compelling, I struggled to connect emotionally with the characters, something just felt like it was missing.

After such a powerful and unique debut, this one didn’t quite deliver the same punch. That said, the writing is thoughtful and the premise strong, it just didn’t hit the emotional or suspenseful highs I was hoping for.

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