Our Last Resort by Clemence Michallon blends drama and mystery in a story about survival, loyalty, and hidden truths. The novel follows Frida and Gabriel, two individuals who escaped a cult as young adults. Years later, while vacationing at a resort to provide interviews for a documentary, a young woman is found dead. Alongside the murder investigation, the book unravels layers of mystery surrounding their escape from the cult and Gabriel's wife’s death years earlier, a case in which he was a suspect but never charged.

Michallon's writing style is accessible, with simple prose and dual timelines that are easy to follow. This straightforward approach keeps the story moving, though it occasionally sacrifices emotional resonance and narrative complexity.

The narrative alternates between the present and the past, offering glimpses into Frida and Gabriel's lives within the cult and their experiences in its aftermath. While the past timeline held incredible potential, it only scratched the surface of their backstory. This was, by far, the more compelling aspect of the book, and I couldn’t help but wish it had provided more insight into the cult’s inner workings - its leader, Emile, their beliefs, and the traumatic events that shaped their lives. Adding more depth to this part of the narrative would have allowed for a richer exploration of family, loyalty, and the bonds formed in shared adversity.

The present-day murder investigation felt less impactful. The suspense was mild, and the drama often lacked the emotional depth needed to fully engage me as a reader.

Our Last Resort has an intriguing premise; unfortunately, it left me wanting more, especially when it came to the cult storyline. As a drama with a touch of suspense, it had moments of potential but ultimately fell short of delivering the depth and emotion I had hoped for. For me, it was an okay read, but not one that will linger long after the final page.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Knopf Publishing, and Clemence Michallon for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Frida and her brother are able to bravely escape a Cult and start their new life. While they are seeking a new life they are faced with many bumps along the road and faced with family hard decisions.

Frida and Gabriel, teenagers, siblings but not quite.
Bonded through childhood punishment they learn how to navigate the world they’ve live in, only to find themselves learning to survive in another one.
Emile is the guru of his world, where his teachings are projected and his rules are obeyed. Frida and Gabriel are born into his cult living a measly strict existence of chores and scriptures.
However, they manage to escape - catching the train to New York and starting another life together - brother and sister allied forever.
18yrs later, they take a trip to a spa resort.. when one of the guests is murdered. The limelight shines on the 2 kids from the cult and the story takes you through their lives, flipping to present day with the latest on the investigation into the death of Sabrina Brenner.

After reading the quiet tenant, and loving that I was highly excited to read the next instalment ‘our last resort’. Although, not quite the same style and it didn’t have me as gripped this was still a good interesting tale which kept me intrigued.
I will definitely be looking out for Clémence’s next novel! I’m in awe that English is not her first language as it’s so fantastically, expertly written!

Thanks Netgalley for my ARC of this book

15 years ago, Frida and Gabriel fled a cult in upstate New York. They took a train to New York City and began to rebuild their lives one step at a time. Fast-forward to present day and they meet up at a very exclusive resort in Utah, with the intent of telling their story to a documentary team. After a few nights, another guest, a high profile wife is murdered. Gabriel and Frida fall in the police crosshairs of persons of interest in the case.

This book is told between both the present timeline as well as the past showing their lives in the cult as well as their time spent directly afterwards. This is where I think the book lost a little potential. The past timeline tells us who Frida and Gabriel are, and the circumstances in which they live, but never gets into the nitty-gritty of it. You know who the characters are, but you don’t really know them. This by far was my favorite timeline and I feel like it could’ve focused entirely on this and not even brought in the present day murder investigation. The present day murder investigation just reminded me of a cut and dry Law and Order episode.

This one did take me a little bit to get into, but I believe that’s because I I wasn’t fully invested in the characters.

Overall, this was a good book, however, I prefer The Quiet Tenant over this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

It took a while for me to get into this book and understand where the story was going. I enjoyed it in the end. The bond with Gabriel & frida is completely unbearable & it was nice they had each other during a traumatic childhood. I preferred the present time frame to the past especially at the beginning. Good ending but overall I preferred the quiet tenant and this lacked excitement and pace for me

Frida and Gabriel have an unbreakable bond, even if they might at times wish that there connection was a happier one. And perhaps that is why they have allowed themselves to drift apart a little.

But a childhood spent being part of a cult leaves its mark, and few others can understand the impact it has on how a person may live their life even after they are finally free of that toxic environment. So, the two of them arrange to meet up at a beautiful resort to catch up. Unfortunately, things don't quite go according to plan...

I have yet to recover from the impact of this writer's previous book, so I thought hard before getting hold of this one. But her use of language is beautiful, despite the darkness of her subjects. And that is very much on display in this book as well. The mystery part was not that mysterious, but this was an absorbing story. Worth reading, it gets 3.5 stars.

2.5 stars

A mystery that has you hooked at some points. Would recommend this for beginners. Experienced mystery thriller readers might see a lot of what unfolds in this whodunnit coming from miles away.

Whenever there's a cult mentioned in a synopsis, I'm sat, I'm ready. While the cult business was part of what unfolded, it might as well have been something else. It wasn't explored enough to matter this much to the story. So unfortunately, while the writing was very good, plotwise this was a bit of a let down for me.

I really enjoyed the quiet tenant by this author, so was very excited to get the arc for this! I enjoyed the pacing, the twist, and the characters! I always love books with cult aspects and this was no different. Can’t wait to read more from this Clémence!

no you're tense! wow this book is the only proof you need of why the term "nail biting" exists. it is for books like this. and ive not felt it so impressively from a book in a long time. i was ill in from start to finish. there were things that didn't get done in life just so i could finish this book.
this is cementing this author as a must read. and what an author and must read this is.
this book gives is Frida and Gabriel. they've had a traumatic time of it after being raised in a cult. and definitely the type of cult we all hear of. when they managed to break free they drifted apart both in mind and location.
but they both need and want to fix this so they come together at a extremely lush and luxury resort. but things take a swerve for the worse when a body turns up at their resort.
and then we see from both past and present to put this mystery and these characters stories together. we learn more and more about them. does what we go through shape us? yes. does it change how we meet people the more we know about their past? is this right or wrong? did my opinions change when i read of their lives? well, you need to read to find out just what you thought and then went through throughout this book. but it will keep you hooked, keep you thinking, keep you tense.
im in awe of authors who can write like this. just wow.

This book did not disappoint! For me this started as a slow burn but then holy shit this book blew my mind!

Our Last Resort presents readers with a locked-room murder case, as suggested by the title, which also carries a double entendre. The story unfolds in dual timelines, alternating between the present—where a murder is being solved—and the past, which builds the connection between Frida and Gabriel.

Trauma experienced early in life can profoundly shape individuals. It can help forge bonds and break down barriers, but it can also perpetuate further trauma. Frida and Gabriel strive to create their own life despite growing up in a cult that indoctrinated everyone they knew. They were different, willing to challenge the status quo.

The story takes a turn with the locked-room "resort" murder. Frida witnesses a domestic dispute unfold between another couple at the resort. The husband, a minor celebrity, embodies toxicity and makes his violence against his spouse seem conceivable. Can Frida unravel what happened in order to resolve any misunderstandings regarding Gabriel’s past and present?

This novel offers a quick read filled with just the right amount of edge-of-your-seat anticipation. While the twist may be somewhat predictable, the premise is unique. Overall, it’s an enjoyable mystery for a beach or vacation read.

I gave this one 3.5 stars! I went into this one thinking it would be more of a thriller and it felt more like a mystery to me. I did really enjoy getting the two different timelines. I felt this book started a little slow but definitely picked up. It was super intense at the end & the twist was shocking!! Overall I really did enjoy the book and would recommend!

Hmmm...this is a tricky one. Told in dual timelines, Our Last Resort is a novel about growing up in a cold and heartless cult with "mothers" who "cared" for the children and the brainwashing and abuse that take place. The residents tried to convince themselves the leader was all knowing and that they wanted this self-sufficient lifestyle, far from the outside-outside. But Frida and Gabriel who were practically sister and brother did the unthinkable and escaped as teens. Their lives took them on different journeys and they drifted apart. Ten years later, the two reunited at a resort in hopes of reconnecting. But they got more than they bargained for as death came knocking. Once again, trauma brought them together.

As a Rome addict, I appreciated the Rome mentions. The premise itself is fascinating but the writing style didn't grab me, nor did the characters. Though touted as a thriller, it didn't feel like that, though there are murder mystery elements. What went on in the cult got dark and not in a good way. Slow burns usually captivate me but this one caused me to long for the story to end. My heart and head did not become invested. I couldn't help but think about the missed potential But I can see how others' views could differ. It is likely more a matter of personal preference than anything.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Our Last Resort.

I may have been one of the few readers who didn't like The Quiet Tenant.

The fact there was no blurb provided for Our Last Resort left me apprehensive; is that a good thing or a bad thing?

To be honest, if I knew some of the narrative was cult themed (this is the fifth book I've read with this theme in the last few months) I might not have requested it.

I appreciate the opportunity to read the author's sophomore effort though I wasn't a fan and not due to the cult theme, which provides necessary exposition.

Gabriel and Frida were raised in a cult, raised as siblings with a dangerous, charismatic man at the helm.

When they finally escaped, they relied on each other to build a new life for themselves, but as we know, the past has a way of coming back to haunt you.

Gabriel and Frida are enjoying a much needed vacation at an exclusive resort when one of the guests is found dead.

Tensions come to a head when Gabriel is framed for the murder and arrested. Once again, Frida comes to his rescue and she'll do anything to protect her brother. She has before.

The narrative is divided into the past and present, flashbacks provide insight into the sibs' cult childhood, offering details as to what led to their escape and how they ended up where they currently stand.

Frida and Gabriel are not interesting or compelling characters; they're pretty dull especially Gabriel. Perhaps that's a result of their isolated upbringing and Gabriel's mental health issues, but I neither cared about either of them.

The narrative lacks urgency and suspense; nothing happens, its a lot of exposition and ruminating. We're in Frida's head most of the time as she explains her actions, plots her course of action, and comes face to face with the deeds she's committed.

The murder of the guest is mostly a subplot to explain the sibs' past and it's not hard to guess whodunit.

The story is about family and how far you will go to protect the people you love and the life you have.

Unfortunately this novel did not do it for me, I found it hard to get into and not very engaging. I wasn't the ultimate Quiet Tenant fan like most others are, but I still wanted to give this author another read. I wish I had a better review but it was a miss for me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

this one had a solid setup —i was really intrigued by the idea of a couple trying to fix their fractured relationship in a remote hotel, especially with a cult-related past catching up with them nd i was especially drawn to the dual timeline and the exploration of a secluded, eerie setting.

but the story didn't hit as hard as i'd hoped. the mystery felt too predictable, the ending rushed and i couldn't really connect with the characters. it had potential, just didn't fully land for me.

Thankyou netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I've been intrigued by this author's previous book, The Quiet Tenant, for a long time now, so when I saw Our Last Resort come up as an ARC on Netgalley, I immediately requested it. Having given it 35% or approximately 100 pages, I'm ready to soft DNF it. It might be that this is mismarketed as a thriller, when it's more of tense book with probably some twists at the end, I wouldn't know, but for now, we're 35% of the way in and nothing much has happened to our two main characters. The dual timeline, between the present when they are meeting up again after 9 years of estrangement, and the past, when they were kids growing up in a cult, does a poor job of keeping my interest, because for now nothing much has happened and it feels like the plot is moving at a glacial pace.

It's a no from me, for now. I might go back later.

page turning, fun, impressive book with strong ideas. discusses flipping back and forth between the present and the past about these two self-proclaimed siblings who grew up in a cult. 4 stars. tysm for thea rc.

Thank you Netgalley and publishers for a copy of this book. Our Last Resort was an enjoyable read, though it did feel kinda predictable at some points. I really liked the dual timelines and how they shed more light into the siblings history.

Set at realistic pace, the writing was captivating and enjoyed the atmospheric thriller but the predictability was toning down my interest. Great choice if you’re into character-driven stories and a dash of suspense!

2.5 stars

I loved this author’s last book, The Quiet Tenant, and couldn’t wait to read this one. Unfortunately for me it fell super flat.

The plot was extremely slow, the multiple timelines were a little confusing, and I kept waiting for something to happen. Unfortunately almost nothing did happen. I feel like this book could have been really great - it has all the elements there - but it just couldn’t get off the ground.

The characters are one-dimensional for how complicated their back stories are. Not a lot of what they do makes a lot of sense and there are many details that didn’t add anything to the story.

The climax was so short and uninteresting that I was shocked in the aftermath to learn that WAS the climax.

I’m disappointed after The Quiet Tenant, but this one was just not for me. Hopefully her next book will be better!

Thank you NetGalley and Elliott & Thompson for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.