Jenna went missing, presumed dead after a spiritual retreat three years ago. The organiser has been in prison during this time and is released to find his wife is ready to start their retreats again, while Tom is not particularly excited to return after the horror of his last retreat they start again.

Fran is Jenna’s sister, bullied by her mother to find out the truth she is enrolled on the next retreat. Completely out of her comfort zone she is determined to find the truth.

Quite slow paced, but very good writing.

This was a good thriller, twists that I didn’t see coming but it lacked a bit of excitement.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Fran's sister Jenna disappeared during a Soul Shrink wellness retreat two years ago. Two people were killed during an accident during that retreat and the man behind it, Tom Wade, was just released from prison. In order to discover what happened to her sister, Fran goes on Tom's Soul Shrink retreat. Now she is with Tom, his wife, and people that knew her sister. Will Fran find out what happened to Jenna?

I enjoyed this mystery and the characters in it! It's filled with unexpected twists and turns. Will definitely recommend it. Thank you, NetGalley.

I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

This one was really enjoyable. A wide range of realistic, complicated characters with well-motivated actions and plot-turns. Twists are unexpected without being unbelievable. A solid thriller

When I first picked up C.L. Taylor’s Her Last Holiday, having read advance publicity material, I expected an Agatha-Christie-style ‘whodunnit’ where a group of people are cooped up together in enclosed surroundings until suspects are gradually eliminated one by one by the detective and the eagle-eyed reader. C.L. Taylor’s latest offering, however, expands this literary trope by providing a fresh, contemporary insight into the growing ‘self-help retreat’ industry and the lengths of sisterly loyalty.
School teacher Fran is desperate to find out what happened to her younger sister Jenna who disappeared during a self-help workshop on the Maltese island of Gozo run by the charismatic Tom Wade and his ruthlessly wife Kate. Although Tom has been forced to endure a prison sentence for the manslaughter of two other workshop participants, Kate is ruthlessly determined to re-launch his ‘soul shrink’ brand when he is released, and the couple organise a similar workshop in Cumbria that Fran books under an assumed name.
Initially I found the broken timeline and the many spotlights on ancillary characters difficult, as there are so many diversions from Fran’s search to take notice of. Eventually, though, Fran’s strategy crystallised, the deeply buried family secrets her parents have guarded emerged, and the motives of some of the family workshop participants became clearer, and as a result I enjoyed reading the novel more. I also liked seeing how the resourceful, determined Fran meets her match in an undercover journalist keen to discover her own narrative, and witnessing how the deeply flawed, unlikeable character of Kate was always several steps behind them with her suspicions. The ending of the novel is not only completely unexpected but also deeply satisfying, something that is rare in novels of this genre. I am sure that fans of C.L. Taylor’s previous novels will read this stand-alone tome anyway, but I hope Her Last Holiday will also garner her many new readers. Warmly recommended, and with my thanks to the publishers and to NetGalley for the ARC provided in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

This was my first C L Taylor and it. certainly wont be my last.

I enjoyed the set up and found the twists to a degree were really good, there were a few things I didn't see coming. However I did feel that there were maybe too many twists which maybe made this feel a little unbelievable? Also I didnt believe the ending one bit ... too many unanswered questions!

This was an easy read and kept me wanting to read till the end. It’s also keeps you guessing up until the end you find out what happens to Jenna. Would recommend this to anyone

I always look forward to reading a book C.L Taylor. So, when I received a copy Her Last holiday, I couldn’t wait to get stuck in.
Jenna goes on a Wellness retreat in Gozo, with inspirational speaker Tom Wade who own Soulshrink. When things go wrong, and Jenna disappears over a cliff, suspected suicide. They never found her body.
Two years later after Tom wade has left prison after being incarcerated for the crimes that day. His wife Kate has tried to reclaim some of Soulshrink’s business back and improves it and stages another retreat. Jenna’s mother has persuaded sister Fran to attend this retreat to find out answers about her sister death. But things don’t always go as planned and things start to go wrong there too, and she finds out more about her sister than she bargained for.
Her last holiday is professionally written story told in several points of view, past and present between Jenna and Fran and Kate. I liked the storyline but, I found none of the characters in this book were likeable and I found this book hard to get into with all the different characters, to be honest only the last third of the book really got my attention. Three stars from me.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this arc.

I absolutely adored The Lie by CL Taylor. She writes such pacy reads that have you hooked with chapters that end on cliffhangers and leave you gasping. Her Last Holiday is not different.
This follows three women across a Now and Then timeline. Now follows:
* Fran - 51-years old, an ICT teacher. Her younger sister disappeared on a retreat in Malta three years old. Her death was ruled as suicide, even though her body was never found. Fran has a strained relationship with her mother who bullies Fran into going to a retreat in Wales held by Tom Wade, who was released from prison 9 months after. It was on Tom’s retreat Jenna, her sister, was last seen before she disappeared...And it’s there that Fran will get answers.
* Kate - Tom’s wife. She organises everything - the architect behind Tom’s success - and she’s determined that the retreat will be success after her husband’s release. No-one will get in her way...
* Then - Jenna - 37-year old Jenna is going on a retreat to Malta. She has answers she’s seeking, and it’s not long before her quest for healing turns into something more unexpectedly passionate as she falls for Tom. But someone isn’t happy...And is falling Jenna. Leaving her life-threatening warnings...
The narratives combine nicely. I was on the edge of my seat constantly. The characters are fleshed out and your impressions of the characters change constantly throughout the story. I did think, however, that the last 20% had far too many far-fetched twists and the ending wasn’t as satisfying. But on the whole this is truly, a gripping read about family regrets and secrets, creepy retreats, and the bond between sisters. 4/5.

The story has more twists and turns than a small country road.. I liked the pace of the writing as it left little time to rest. Nobody knows who to trust, including the reader. However I think it over stretched itself in places. It's a well paced read even though I wasn't in love with the ending.

I am a huge C. L. Taylor so receiving an ARC of Her Last Holiday was a so exciting.

In typical fashion Taylor writes a gripping tale with so many twists. This plot driven storyline along with fantastic characters made for an exhilarating read.

This was a race to the finish line I'm always gripped by C.L. Taylor's books and this one was no different, you get so invested in the story that you say just one more chapter and before you know it you've finished and it's 3am! 🤣

An intriguing story of troubled souls seeking relief in retreats with tragic consequences.

Full of suspense, suspicion, lies, tragedy, I raced though and enjoyed the twists and turns along the way!

I have absolutely loved reading this book and found myself racing through the pages to find out what would happen next!

Two years ago, Fran’s sister Jenna disappeared on a Soul Shrink wellness retreat in Gozo. The now infamous man behind the retreats, Tom Wade, has just been released from prison after serving his sentence for the deaths of two people. However, he has never spoken about what happened to the third suspected victim Jenna.

In a bid to uncover the truth, Fran books herself onto his upcoming retreat in Wales; the first since his release. She is determined to uncover the truth and speak to the man who might hold the key to her sister’s disappearance. But will she escape the retreat alive? Or is there someone who is desperate for Jenna’s secrets to stay hidden?

I really liked the ‘now’ and ‘then’ dual storyline in this book. The ‘then’ chapters were from the perspective of Jenna giving insight into the retreat in Gozo and her thoughts and feelings during this time. The ‘now’ chapters were from the perspective of Fran (Jenna’s sister) and Kate (Tom’s wife). These alternating narratives made this a really gripping read and I loved how there were so many hidden secrets which were slowly revealed across the course of the story.

The descriptions were so beautifully detailed throughout meaning I could really picture both the Gozo and Wales retreats. I also really liked the depth and mystery surrounding the characters and found the two things combined made for a really immersive reading experience.

I particularly loved the layers of suspense and the fantastic twists and turns along the way. When certain truths were revealed I was left speechless! I also really liked the final three chapters. They were the perfect ending to an incredible book and I didn’t see them coming at all! I honestly cannot recommend this book enough!

My thanks to NetGalley and Avon books for a copy of “ Her Last Holiday “ for an honest review .

Another enjoyable read from C L Taylor that kept you guessing right up to the end..If I’m honest i didn’t like this as much as her previous books , but that’s only because they were so good. This book took me longer to get into, and I struggled a little with the name changes but I will definitely be recommending this as a perfect summer read..

The author brings us a well done mesmerizing story of a disappearance and possibly murder of a young woman. Jenna, the lady in question had been involved in a wellness retreat taking place on the Maltesian island of Gozo . She was caught up in a situation that went horribly wrong when two people taking the retreat were victims of a horrific accident and killed. Jenna mysteriously disappeared from the group and was believed to have also died as well. The leader of the group, Tom Wade, was sentenced to two years in prison when deemed culpable for the deaths.
Jenna's sister Fran learns that Tom has been released from prison and has with a partner organized another retreat. Fran joins the retreat with a determination of attempting to find out what did happen to her sister.
Ms. Taylor sets up her story with flashes back and forth between the current retreat and that taking place on Gozo several years ago. The method and her use of the shifts makes for a perfect vehicle for engrossing the reader. What really happened is a carrot hung out before the reader keeping him or her totally brought into the story and attempting to fathom what really happened and also why did it occur. A publicity caption for the novel terms the author a master of suspense and yes that is so. Her novels don't disappoint and the ending of those I have read cause Ms. Taylor's readers to immediately begin looking for the next one.

DID NOT FINISH

I got to the 60% point of this book and can no longer waste my time on this book. The people are ridiculous, the entire book is ridiculous. Why would a mother send her other daughter, actually why would said daughter agree, to go to a retreat where her sister Jenna was possibly murdered?????

The dangerous rafting experience was something no upstanding retreat would ever engage in with inexperienced people. They don't even know if these people can swim.

The sessions led by Tom are ridiculous, he plays at being a psychologist while being an untrained lay person who just got out of prison.

The detailed description of the mutilated bird on the patio and the ensuing throwing of stones at a passing cat was awful.

The writing is terrible, it flip flops all over the place and there is so much detailed chatter it's driving me bonkers.

I really have to get back to reading only thriller writers that I know I like. There are just too many out there that are just poorly written and it drives me crazy.

THANK YOU

I’ve always loved CL Taylor’s books and this was no exception on the whole but I did feel elements of it were a little far fetched at times and I didn’t feel as gripped as I normally do by her novels. That being said it was well written as always and I enjoyed the different POVs and the timeline jump throughout the book. I was going to give it a 3.5 but the more I think about it the more I realise I did enjoy it a lot so feel a 4 is fairest. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and Avon for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I”ve read other books by C.L. Taylor and “Her last holiday” didn’t disappointed me. In my opinion this is one of her best books, with deep and believable characters that make the reader care about them. The story is engaging and updated as we have so many real life “gurus” claiming they can fix all kinds of problems, I liked try way the story unfolds and especially how Fran overcomes her fears and reunites with her sister. I highly recommend this book.

This is a detective mystery without an official detective. That role is occupied by Fran a woman in her fifties with emotional issues of her own, who attends a course run by a psychoanalytical organisation called SoulShrink. Her reason is to find out what happened three years previously to her sister Jenny who disappeared at a course in Gozo run by the same organisation. The book’s title is the question; was it Jenny’s last holiday? Jenny was declared to have committed suicide but her body was never found. Some of those attending the course in Wales were at the earlier one too. Fran goes under an assumed name and is not the only one doing the same. The book has impressive insights into emotional issues and behaviour. The story has twists and surprises leading to a satisfying conclusion. The psychoanalysis context is carefully handled. I recommend the book. It is a good read.

If you are like me, and prefer a well crafted mystery with clues to follow, and revelations that you can buy into, then this may NOT be the book for you.

This book will appeal to readers who have no trouble suspending disbelief!

Two years ago, at a Soul Shrink retreat in Gozo, two guests died, and one guest went missing, presumed dead.
Fran’s sister, Jenna was the guest who went missing.

So, what does Fran’s mother do, when she learns that Tom Wade has been released after serving his two year prison sentence, and that he will be running another retreat? She books a spot for Fran, so she can go investigate her sister’s death. No qualms about risking her remaining daughter’s life?

When Fran arrives, she learns that several other guests who had attended the retreat that Jenna was on, are in attendance as well. Because, having two guests on your retreat die, and one go missing isn’t too traumatic, right?

Fran teams up with a reporter who is undercover, to try to learn the truth.

When all the CRAZY is said and done, I hope the reporter was at least given an exclusive!

C. L. Taylor’s writing style is engaging and I have enjoyed her past work, so I look forward to reading what she releases next. But, this one was too OVER THE TOP, for me. 😕

Thank you to Avon books for my gifted copy provided through NetGalley!
It was my pleasure to provide a candid review!

Available April 29, 2021

Wellness retreats are supposed to be good for you, aren’t they? That’s what Jenna thought. But is that what happened? Did she commit suicide? Was she murdered? You must read this to find out! Her Last Holiday is told from three main points of view, which I love. Also told between past and present retreats, which I also loved. You get to see what’s happening from all perspectives and how it all connects and plays out. I definitely recommend Her Last Holiday by C.L. Taylor! Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the ARC!!