When Jenna attends a retreat, her family are devastated to hear she has committed suicide. Her mother doesn't accept the suicide verdict and sends Jenna's sister Fran on the next retreat to discover the truth. Fran has to learn who she can trust and who is a suspect as she desperately tries to discover what really happened to her sister.

A really good read. The characters come to life and the plot is interesting. There are enough twists to keep the reader turning pages and to throw you off the scent. The writing style is excellent. I was impressed by the authors ability to create an image without being overly descriptive as some do. I would recommend this book.

Thanks to Netgalley and Avon Books for the ARC of this book.
I found this book a really unusual and great read. The way it explores the relationship between siblings and an overbearing mother was really well done. I am sure there are a lot of people who spend far too much time and money on the type of “retreats” that Kate and Tom organised to find a way to correct their dysfunctional lives. The twists and turns in the book were really well written and kept you turning the pages. Only thing left unfinished was were is Tom now?
Looking forward to more please.

This was quite an interesting read It centers around missing (presumed dead after having committed suicide) Jenna, who was last seen at a retreat, and her sister Fran, who goes on the hunt for answers.

Apart from the story itself, which drew me in, left me incredulous, then amused, I found myself thinking about it for quite a while after reading the last page. The twists and unexpected turns are very clever, and I especially enjoyed Caroline, and also Fran. Frankly, Tom, Kate, Geraldine and even Jenna needed a good kick up the jacksy for the most part. And that sweat lodge! Holy cow, do people actually go in for that sort of thing? I'm amazed, ain't no way you'd get me in there, soul searching or not! Just goes to show how gullible people can be, and why people (like Kate) make a lot of money if they play their cards right.

In her acknowledgments, the author says that if this is the first of her books the reader has picked up, she hopes it inspires a second, and by Jove it has. I look forward to delving into a few more C.L. Taylor offerings in the near future. I give this a solid 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.

Thanks to C.L. Taylor, Avon Books, and NetGalley for my ARC.

Read this book all in one sitting. Loved the complexities of the characters and their surrounding relationships. Also liked the way the author led you down one path, then another, leaving it impossible to know who the villain or hero/heroine would be in this story. Liked the twists at the end too!

I really enjoy reading CL Taylors books. They are all unique in their plots and take you on a journey. This book was definitely one of my favorites from her. I really enjoyed how the story was told from 3 different points of view. I didn't love all of the characters, but I truly appreciated their perspectives and why they did what they did. I enjoyed reading about Kate's perspective and how she spiraled down as the book progressed. Never thought that she would be that devious! I was happy that Fran and Jenna made up with their parents at the end. I liked how that part of the book ended. I almost felt like with the Kate ending that we might see another book about her?

Wow I have no clue how C. L. Taylor does this time and time again and comes up with books that leave you unable to put them down, and leaving you opened mouths in awe and shock by the end!

But it's one hell of a skill to have, and this is another triumphant book that had me scratching my head. Ok I had a tiny inkling about one part of the resolution, but I wasn't ever completely sure, nor could I work out the hows, whys etc...

We are treated to three ladies perspectives, Jenna from her time at the wellness retreat in Gozo, Fran and Kate in the present day, where ultimately we are on a retreat run by the same man responsible for deaths at his previous one in Gozo, and that has just been released from prison.

Fran is on the quest for truth as to just what happened to Jenna, two years ago, as her family are refusing to believe the verdict of suicide. However the sheer act of asking questions could be rather dangerous it appears.

And in the chapters from Jenna's points of view, I was utterly gripped into what went on, and how so many people believed in Tom - the soul shrink. Tom suffers from a condition that is actually quite fascinating and his welcome talk on the new retreat sounded really impressive, but how much of that was really true I'm not sure!

I read this book in two sittings, with the need for sleep the only thing stopping me from reading it in one go. It was addictive, unpredictable, gripping and just C. L. Taylor at her very best. It keeps you guessing, keeps you thinking and is just a fabulous reading experience.

I've said it before, and I'll happily say it again, that C. L. Taylor writes absolute masterpieces, always so different but with the most amazing of storylines and twists that come out of nowhere. Just wow!

Thank you to Avon and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

The only issue I had with this was, if the mom really believed her daughter died on a wellness retreat, why was she so adamant that her only other daughter be forced to go on the retreat with the same people she alleges killed her daughter? This seems...unkind at best. I know she would never win mother of the year award but this seems excessively cruel. I dunno. Aside from that though, I enjoyed the story and read it quickly. A very good day start to 2021. 3.5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and publisher for the advanced copy.

I loved reading this book, especially about Fran. Fran comes across as a woman who goes to work does what she is paid to do before returning home to comfy slippers and hot chocolate by the fire. When she is summoned home, by her mother, it is still to take second place to her absent sister Jenna again! Jenna was the much younger sister of Fran, and they had never been close.


Jenna had gone missing while attending a retreat in Gozo, at the same time as two other guests had died. Tom Wade, the head of Soul Shrink Retreats, was being released from prison after serving a two-year manslaughter sentence for the two that had died. Jenna was still missing.
A very reluctant Tom and his pushy wife Kate had organised a new venue in Wales, and Fran’s mum was insistent that Fran goes to find out what had happened to Jenna.

This book was very entertaining, with characters that are larger than life. Fran is hilarious, not comfortable mixing with people, and has a lousy memory for the identity she has taken on. I had to cringe and giggle at her.


The story is told by three women, first Fran, secondly Kate whose memories go back to the last retreat and everything that went wrong to present day and finally Jenna leading up to what had happened to her. These three were perfect narrators and held all the answers.


This story is more of a Miss Marple than Peter James, easy reading, engaging and loved the end!


I wish to thank Net Galley and the publisher for an e-copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly.

Oh wow! This is a straight from the headlines thriller. The sister Jenna disappears at a retreat by a guru jailed for the death of two and the sister of third retreat goer ends up trying to get to the bottom of it. Amazing plot and twists and a satisfying ending.

Thank you to NetGalley for my copy of this book to review.

I have read a few C L Taylor books before and have really enjoyed them. They are always easy to follow with a good storyline so I was looking forward to reading her new one. Again, this was easy to get in to from the start and I liked the idea of the self-help retreat.

I usually love books that switch between voices and time-frames but I really struggled to keep up with who was who in this one, it didn’t help that some characters had more than one name too.

I thought the story dragged. It felt repetitive, especially in the middle, I wanted a bit more excitement. I did find myself skimming it towards the end which is a shame as I really liked the concept.

I didn’t dislike this book, but I didn’t love it either. Saying that, it wouldn’t put me off reading more from this author in the future.

Jenna goes to a retreat to heal, but she never comes home.  Now her sister, Fran, is trying to find out who killed her.  Will Fran finally get to the truth or will she never return home just like her sister?

This is another belter of a book from CL Taylor.  Yet again, you are transported into a world with twists, turns, secrets and lies and I loved it.

I really enjoyed Fran.  She is not your usual lead character in crime/thriller books.  She is sassy, but in a way your Mum gets sassy when someone cuts in front of her in a queue and she ends up muttering "youths" as she walks past a teenager.  She is slightly square, slightly older, and slightly rude, but that's my favourite personality combination of seems!  But most of all, she stands up for what is right, and you see that in the opening of the book, which just cemented my enjoyment of her early on.

I really found the family dynamics interesting too as well as the subjects within the story about domestic abuse (both marital and relative based) and really liked how in both cases it was flipped on its head from the "usual" stereotype of men being the perpetrator.

It's a book that I absolutely flew through, and like the other books I've read from CL Taylor, it's a another fantastic page turner.

Thank you to Net Galley and Avon books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Just finished this and I feel like I have a book hangover. Great book, I really liked the characters and C. L Taylor always sets the scene and describes her characters perfectly so that you instantly like or dislike them. I didn't really like the main character Fran at first but as the story went on I warmed to her. This book is packed with lots of drama and twists which made it hard to put down. Definitely a 5 star book perfect for summer

Fran's sister, Jenna, disappeared two years ago on a wellness retreat in Gozo.
When Tom Wade, the man behind SoulsShrinks Retreat gets out of prison after serving a sentence for the death of two people, Jenna's mother forces Fran to book a place on his upcoming retreat.
Will Fran find out what happened to her sister?

As expected CL Taylor doesn't disappoint, and produces another unputdownable book.
I found myself sucked right in, even though the plot details were doled out slowly. It is a book full of suspense that keeps you racing through it to find out what happens next.
My only reservation is that I found the twist a bit far-fetched, and the whole story, overall, had a familiar feeling; I must have read another book about a wellness retreat before.
Nonetheless, this was a really good, and gripping read, and I highly recommend it, whether you're new to CL Taylor's work, or whether you've read some of her books already.

This is my first book by C.L. Taylor and I was drawn in by the premise; a triad-narrative thriller told through the voices of three females all involved with wellness retreats ran by SoulShrink.

We hear from Fran whose sister Jenna died under suspicious circumstances on a wellness retreat. Whilst marked as a suicide Fran seeks closure so decides to attend the latest retreat hosted by the company. Next is Kate, who manages and organises the retreats. Whilst she is the brains of the operation, her husband Tom is the self-help guru leading the session. Lastly, we hear from Jenna, 2 years prior, about her experience on the retreat.

There are a lot of characters to get your head around in the book, and as some of them change their names it is a little hard to follow. With themes of suspicious deaths, hidden agendas, secrets and dysfunctional family circumstances, I expected to be enraptured, but I was a little underwhelmed. Despite the intriguing premise, the story was such a slow-burn that I found myself getting bored and agitated, and the latter half of the book was a little repetitive and anti-climatic. The final twist is a little lacklustre with an unconvincing motive. Despite this, it is an interesting delve into the relationships between people and the human psyche.


*Thanks to Netgalley and Avon Books for the review copy

I usually love any book by this author. In this particular book I just did not like the main character. I do think this was a well written mystery/thriller book.

Be prepared for a brilliant, clever, crime thriller/suspense you will not want to put down. This latest book from CL Taylor is brilliant. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The suspense grabs you and trust me you won't want to stop reading until the final page. The characters are awesome and the plot is unexpected, the twist are mind blowing. CL Taylor has truly written a masterpiece, it will shock and end with a killer twist. The main character Fran is certainly determined to find out what happened to her sister at the wellness retreat and that's where the twists and shocks come in. The book just absorbs you and it's one of those where you say "just one more chapter" well that chapter just doesn't happen and before you know it you have finished the whole book. I really loved it and it deserves more stars than five. I would highly recommend because you won't be disappointed.

C.L. Taylor has done it again...A gripping story full of suspense. 5 stars!
I first came across C.L. Taylor's books a few years ago when someone donated 'The Accident' to a book swap shelf. Ever since then I have been addicted to her books. So I was over the moon to say the least when I got accepted to review her new book!
'Her Last Holiday,' is full of twists and turns from the beginning right until the end. Just when you think you've got it there's another twist!
When you think of a wellness or health retreat you think of spa days, motivational speakers, delicious food, relaxation and happiness. However, this book completely flips this view and turns 'paradise' into a nightmare!
I loved the variety and mystery of the characters and how their different personalities played a role in the story. They are described in so much detail and I could imagine each of them clearly in my head.
I was hooked from the beginning and couldn't put this book down.
If you love mystery, a gripping story with plenty of twists and turns I would 100% recommend this book.
Thank you to C.L. Taylor, Avon and HarperCollins and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

I always love Cally’s books, she has a way with words that manage to drum up excitement and anticipation about what’s going to happen next. I thought I had this story figured out - I was wrong! The ending!!!

I give this book 4 stars because it felt a little samey and similar to other reads, it really did remind me of Sleep in a way (people who don’t know each other staying away in a house together on a retreat) I still thoroughly enjoyed it, and I’m so pleased I’m getting back into fiction again, I found that so hard in 2020! Thanks Cally!

I went into this book thinking, “who would let that man host another retreat?” I ended up loving the book though.

I loved the mystery in it, which I cant talk a lot about because of *spoilers*, but I really enjoyed it.

The characters were also great—and some of them also mysterious—and i really enjoyed learning about them as well.

'Learn how to heal your trauma, free yourself from anxiety and fact the future with optimism rather than fear’

Packed with mystery, wonderfully twisted characters and told in two timelines Her Last Holiday by C.L. Taylor is set in a wellness retreat in Snowdonia, Wales and another in Malta. The face for the SoulShrink Retreat is Tom Wade a motivational speaker and anxiety survivor and he’s just been released from jail!

Fran Fitzgerald is a teacher with attitude and Tom Wade from SoulShrink was the last person to see her much younger sister Jenna alive! Jenna went missing at a SoulShrink retreat that took place in Gozo, Malta.

On his release from jail Tom had decided he wasn’t going to run another retreat but his mind has been changed, it’s back to business and one will be held.

Seeing online that Tom has been released and within three days he's begun tweeting again, Fran’s mother Geraldine is bloody angry! Geraldine decides Fran should try and find out what happened to her daughter Jenna as she doesn’t believe it could of been a suicide. So Fran books herself on the next retreat to confront Tom and look for answers. Will Fran get her answers and will she get out alive?

There are many characters in this story (keep a notebook!) as the story is told from both Jenna’s and Fran’s point of view at each different retreat.

And we have our third narrator, Kate. Kate is the organiser, business partner and the drive behind the retreats. She has held everything together and pushed on after the murder accusations ruined them financially.

The story begins with a great dynamic and later in the story the tone and pace changes with many red herrings and secrets. I think to enjoy this story one hundred per cent you have to realise it's fiction so it doesn’t have to be believable!!!

The story is tantalisingly character driven. An entertaining psychological thriller!
Release date is 29 April 2021!