Her Last Holiday by C.L. Taylor

 

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Avon Books UK/HarperCollins UK Audio in exchange for an honest review.

Fran never found out what happened to her sister when she disappeared from a self-help retreat two years ago. When the man responsible for the retreat is released from prison after serving time for the deaths of two other people, Fran's mother is determined to find out what happened to her daughter and sends Fran to go investigate. Told between the present day and flashbacks to Jenna's time at the retreat, slowly you begin to uncover what actually happened to Jenna and what might still happen to Fran.

It took me a few chapters to get into this book but once I did, I enjoyed it immensely. There is a lot of information to take in but once the story starts, it really is a cracking plot with plenty going on to keep you entertained. The audiobook was fantastically narrated and I found both easy to listen to and to follow. I always knew which timeline I was in which made keeping track of the story very easy.

The plot focuses on a closed setting with a set group of characters. They were all fairly decent and, while I could see some of the plot developments coming, I was genuinely surprised a couple of times. I think this would be the perfect book to read on holiday as it has that kind of atmosphere which would work brilliantly if you're sat by the pool or travelling somewhere. Overall this was a solid thriller with a believable, enjoyable plot and plenty to keep you interested.

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Whisper Island by Carissa Ann Lynch

 

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher One More Chapter in exchange for an honest review.

What a pleasant surprise! It is no secret that I love 'murder island' stories as I call them, even though they can often vary widely in quality. I wasn't expected a whole lot from Whisper Island as the blurb was quite vague but it ended up being one of the best murder island stories I've read in a while.

Whisper Island is the story of four college girls who go to stay on an island, only to be unexpectedly joined by one of the girls' brother and his new girlfriend. One of the girls used to date him and yet another wants him to cheat on his girlfriend with her. It all starts off as harmless teen drama until someone is found dead and things take a far more serious turn.

This book skates the line between horror and thriller in the best kind of way. It never goes into full on slasher territory but there is more gore than your typical thriller, plus a lot of the classic 'stalked by a killer' elements. It made for a gripping read and I loved not knowing what would happen next or who would die.

I think the weakest element was probably the characters. Though they are 3-dimensional and never feel flat or uninteresting, I did struggle to tell some of them apart which disturbed the flow of the story a little. Having said that, I was listening to the audiobook so that might have been a factor. I think the most important characters were identifiable and that's what really matters.

Overall, if you love closed setting thriller or horror books, then Whisper Island is definitely worth a try. It's relatively short and would be a perfect companion for a holiday or journey somewhere. The destination might not be all that surprising but there is plenty to enjoy along the way.

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Just My Luck by Adele Parks

 

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher HQ in exchange for an honest review.

Just My Luck is a fantastic domestic drama book about what happens when one family wins the lottery. That sounds like a fairly simple premise and it is, but therein lies the strength. When Lexi wins 18 million in the lottery, she can't believe her luck. Unfortunately just the week before, she was part of a syndicate with her friends who now feel that they are owed a share of the money. On top of that, her husband seems unable to control his spending and it is causing cracks in the relationship. Determined to use the money for good, Lexi must weigh her own values and desires against those of the people around her.

I wasn't sure going in if this book was a thriller or not, and to be honest I'm still not entirely sure. It lacks 'someone messing with the main character' or other hallmarks of a thriller, but there are definitely twists and turns to be found here and many of the characters have secrets. I think if you usually enjoy thrillers then you should check this out, although be aware it's not entirely typical of the genre.

This book had a great sense of pace and it always felt like there was something going on which was very engaging. The main drama of the book is actually not entirely focused on the syndicate and I very much appreciated that as it would have been a bit weak to drive the whole story. Instead there are a lot of different intricate personal dramas going on and plenty of stories driving the plot, with each character feeling fleshed out and like they had their own motivations. I never quite knew how things were going to play out and that was very enjoyable. My only complaint is that one particular plot point is benched for most of the book and I kept thinking about how interesting it would be to see how the characters involved in that were reacting to what was going on. It felt like a bit of a missed opportunity.

Overall, Just My Luck is a great summer book and a gripping story with a lot to offer a reader. It's not too heavy if you're not a thriller fan but it still manages to create a sense of tension and keep you invested with the story. I'm very glad I took a chance and requested it.

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