I didn't particularly like any of the characters in this story, but did enjoy the plot and the twist. I hadn't worked out who was responsible for Tom's death( no spoilers as it was mentioned at an early part of the book) but there were developments which meant it could be any body.
I enjoyed this read.

Four old friends head to the Alps for a skiing holiday, but their relaxing break ends in tragedy when one of them ends up dead. How Tom, an expert skier, managed to ski off the edge of an easy run and fall to his death is a mystery, but the police seem happy to put it down to a tragic accident caused by deteriorating weather.

Tom's widow, successful business woman, Zoe, arrives in the ski resort in the company of her friend Ivy, who is a meteorologist, to arrange repatriation of Tom's body. Zoe appears devastated by her loss and just wants to get through the next few days in one piece, but as soon as Ivy sets foot in the ski chalet she senses that something is not quite right, especially as one of the group is the last man she would have expected to be with successful doctors Tom, Rob and Justin, given their past history.

Ivy is sure that there is more to this situation than meets the eye. Tom was the best skier she has ever known, and it seems unbelievable that he could have died in the way his friends say he did. But if Tom's death was not an accident, then she and Zoe are now under the same roof as his murderer...

Autumn brings with it the temptation of snuggling up with a twisty chiller, and The Ski Trip by Sarah Clarke is the perfect way to get snowy thriller season underway. A tragic death has occurred during a ski trip that was meant to bring four old friends together, and it soon becomes clear that a combination of long-held secrets, and the tension of recent events, may have combined to bring it about.

The threads of the story largely unfurl through timelines from the university years of the characters, the days leading up to the tragedy in the Alps, and events in the present following Tom's death. The narration flips back and forth between Ivy, Zoe and Tom, in a masterclass of storytelling that gradually builds up a picture of how past and present have collided to bring about the moment that dictates Tom's destiny. There is such an air of Agatha Christie about how Clarke does this, as everyone here seems to have something to hide, and she perfectly judges how and when to cast the red herrings aside and reveal the shocking truth.

The twists and turns come at you with a speed that makes you feel you are careering down the trickiest of black runs, until a moment of horrific clarity out on the snowy mountainside finally slots everything into place, but it is the combination of gripping action and the way Clarke weaves in the fall-out from long-repressed emotions and the things left unsaid that makes this thriller so compelling. Every character here is painted in shades of grey, and she delves cleverly into what motivates them to do what they do - even when their behaviour is reprehensible. The darker emotions hold sway, with jealousy and the desire for revenge foremost, but there are underlying themes galore around father-daughter relationships, motherhood, expectation, mental health, the impact of grief, and healing too. I actually found myself tearing up at the end of this story, which was unexpected - before Clarke drops in the slickest of jaw-dropping parting gifts!

This book is an absolute cracker, and should absolutely be on your reading piles this autumn/winter. I am really looking forward to reading more from Sarah Clarke.

Tom and his friends go on a skiing holiday, but Tom dies tragically in an accident or was it?

The Ski Trip is a thriller with an all-absorbing plot, with numerous twists and turns along the way with the interwoven connections among this group of old friends. The characters were very appealing, especially as you learn more about them as the book progresses. Just when you think you are invested enough, the beautifully orchestrated twist at the end leaves you unexpectedly shocked but satisfied.

I usually love a fast-paced thriller, but I found the pace was just perfect to be invested enough not to want to put it down. I will definitely be reading more of Sarah Clarke’s work. A definitely recommended read.

Tom and his friends are on a skiing holiday when he tragically falls to his death. Tom's wife flies out with her friend Ivy to join the group and find out what happened. Ivy begins to suspect that it wasn't simply an accident.

I could not put this down, it had me hooked from the first to the very last page.

The story is told from different viewpoints throughout which worked really well as I couldn't figure out who to trust. There was a real mix of characters and I enjoyed getting to know them all. I absolutely loved how unpredictable the twists were because I had no idea what would happen next.

The Alps setting was the perfect fit for the book. The characters had so much to deal with because not only were they in a foreign country dealing with a terrible situation, but it was such a cold and harsh environment. I could imagine every scene in my mind.

An addictive thriller that will completely draw you in.

Thank you NetGalley and HQ for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this chilly thriller from Clarke and loved how I could not foresee the plot development. I had plenty of suspects, plenty of motives… but was never correct! Furthermore, the final twist at the very end was even more shocking and effective, making this a great read from start to finish.

I enjoyed Clarke’s characterisation and found their different personalities added to the story. With the men and their battling egos versus the more softer women, I thought they all helped to develop the plot. The competitive nature of Tom, Rob, Julian and Harry helps to establish the negative atmosphere that exists in the events leading up to Tom’s death. The way that Clarke describes the friends makes them all suspicious but I could never be sure who knew the most about the circumstances of the accident.

When Zoe and Ivy arrive, the plot thickens because the atmosphere becomes even tenser between the group. Furthermore, Ivy can never truly relax because her mother is looking after her son and is concerned that someone is watching their house. Switching back to the Alps, it soon becomes clear that so many of the characters have secrets and the lack of trust really fuelled the suspense of the story.

The Alps setting is really vivid and I could imagine myself on the ski slopes with the wind whipping around. Despite reading this in the middle of summer, I could not help but feel a bit chilly! Frequently, the weather closes in on the characters and the use of pathetic fallacy intensified the claustrophobic atmosphere of the story.

This was a great read with as many twists and turns as a ski slope. Plenty of questions are raised along the way and I enjoyed trying to determine the truth behind Tom’s death.

With thanks to HQ Digital and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It was a great story, very thrilling. Multiple perspective narrative. A Little outlandish in the plot/storyline, but overall enjoyable. Thanks NetGalley for allowing me to review this ARC :)

The Ski Trip by Sarah Clarke was the absolute perfect read… tense, dangerously addictive and so bingeable.

I absolutely loved this psychological thriller I could not put it down.
The twists and turns were unpredictable.
The storyline was very interesting and kept me glued to my Kindle!
This thriller is impossible to put down, well-written, fast-paced and with characters you want to know even better.
I definitely recommend reading this book as it was well worth reading

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and HQ Digital for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

The book is told from Ivy’s point of view. She’s a single Mum and seemingly something of a loner, with little contact with her Mum (her Dad died when she was a young girl) or her friends from University. It’s evident there was a big falling out back at her friend Zoe’s 21st – but it takes the entire book to find out what actually happened as it unfolds in both the current and historic time lines.

Ivy’s estranged friend Zoe has recently been back in touch – and turns up on Ivy’s doorstep because her husband Tom has died whilst on a skiing trip with some mutual university friends. Zoe is desperate for Ivy to go with her to the Alps to bring Tom’s body back – and eventually persuades Ivy to leave her baby son with her Mum for a few days to head off to Geneva.

The action then moves to the French Alps as the group are skiing in Morzine. Now I should disclose an interest at this point – as my best friend from school lives very close to there – so as the book mentions Avoriaz, Les Gets, Thonon etc I could totally picture the locations! I’m sure part of this was Sarah Clarke’s evocative descriptions – but also because I knew lots of them. And just putting it out there – perhaps Tom and his group should have booked lessons with a fab British ski school there!!!

Back to the book!

The story then unravels both in the present day – where Ivy is suspicious of how Tom died in such easy skiing circumstances when he was an experienced skier and also back when the entire group were at Exeter University many years before. Each of the friends has secrets and things the rest of the group don’t know.

The twists and turns are brilliant and keep you intrigued – it was a real ‘just one more chapter’ book. Some of it is a bit far fetched – but for me that didn’t take away from the enjoyment of the book. There will be no spoilers here – as you need to have the shocks yourself!

There seem to be quite a lot of ‘university reunion’ books around at the moment – but the different geographical locations set this apart.

Overall it was a great read – and I’d like to read books by this author in the future.

Big thanks to Net Galley and the publisher, The Ski Trip is out on 14 September 2023, so not long to wait at all!

Thanks netgalley for this book, I enjoyed it but did find it was dragging a little in the middle.
Ivy had a visit from an old friend from university telling her Tom her husband had died while skiing and she wanted
Ivy to go to Geneva with her to collect hugs body.
Ivy and Zoe had fallen out many years ago and had not spoken since and Ivy could not. Understand why she wanted Ivy to go with her, they were not friends any more, and Ivy did not want to leave her baby with her mother.
Zoe was insistent that she comes with her and leave her baby with her mother.
After a lot of persuading Ivy went with her only to find out what had happened to Tom and why it happened,
And was Ivy in any danger.
Yes I enjoyed this book but could have missed out a chunk in the middle.

This is my first book by this author and I found myself somewhat conflicted with the characters! Three friends who have their issues are joined by a friend from the past for their yearly lads only skiing holiday. As long time friends I found it unsettling that there was so much aggression and distrust between them.
Tom, the best and most proficient skier among them, plunges to his death and his widow - Zoe - entreats Ivy - her one-time friend - to go with her, leaving her young son in the care of her stressed and poorly functioning mother.
What follows is told over 2 timelines and although the later part of the book is quite compulsive reading, I found the circumstances just a little too contrived.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Sarah Clarke/HQ for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

Just finished reading this and I loved it. A great whodunnit thriller written from different POVs set in the present with a past timeline filling in the gaps. Lots of twists and turns that I didn't see coming at all. Highly recommended.

Heart pounding thriller that left me on the edge of my seat. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. Definitely one of the best books this year.

Thanks to Netgalley & the publishers for the Arc! I'm not sure why I waited so long to read this Arc, because I really enjoyed it! I had a hard time putting it down to like work and attempt to parent. 😂 There's something about reading a book about skiing in the mountains of France when it's 95 degrees out and there's no air conditioning. I've never read any of Ms. Clarke's books before, but I will definitely be reading more from her in the future!

The only 'problem' I had was that the characters rented skiis.
Given the wealth and skiing skills of the group, I doubt that they would wear used boots and worn down skis. 🤷‍♀️

Your husband Tom, an expert skier, unexpectedly falls to his death on a yearly ski trip and some things just don't add up. So you travel to France to collect his body, alone with your 'friend' Ivy and that's where the drama begins.

This is billed as a thriller, but really starts out as a drama, as the book goes back and forth between the present, and 2008, when the six friends (Zoe & Tom, Ivy & Harry, and Julian & Rob) are all in college together. Their experiences together shape the narrative of what goes on in the present, as each has their own history and issues they are dealing with. Harry has always been in love with Ivy. Ivy has a child and is a single mum, and Zoe is married to Tom. Tom is the alpha male in this story, always going above and beyond to prove that he's the best; the best skier, the best knee surgeon, etc. He holds his friends, Rob, Julian, and Harry, to the highest standards as well and is willing to help them achieve as much success as he has. Tom is risk taker, so it's not too unbelievable that he died in this manner, but each witness has a different story and no one seems to know exactly what happened.
The first 2/3's of the book is a bit slow as we explore each characters' past, their motives, and their relationship with Tom.
The action is cranked up in the last 1/3 as a blizzard prevents the group from leaving the chalet and the killer puts their plan into action. There are some pretty implausible twists towards the end. I didn't believe the killers' motive, it was extreme and unlikely. But I suppose there are people like that out in the world. Ivy also has a reveal at the end which is a bit out of character for her. So that was interesting. Thus, I'm giving it 3 stars for pacing.

To give you an idea at how good I found this book, I read it in a day! I didn't guess the ending either. The plot kept making different characters seem suspicious and I barely noticed the jumps between past and present (which I can find annoying in some books). There was plenty of action in the plot and I just had to keep reading

Four friends are on a skiing trip in the Alps – they’re all up for a weekend of fun away from their partners and responsibilities. One doesn’t make it out alive, leaving his widow and her long estranged friend to travel to collect the body. While Zoe, the widow is torn up with grief, Ivy, her friend, isn’t convinced this was an accident.

Good premise but too far fetched for me. Story had a good pace and a quick read but the plot was too unbelievable. Thank you to net galley and the publisher for an ARC

This was definitely a book I won't be forgetting soon, but I don't know if that's necessarily a good thing in this case. First of all this book was more of a drama than a thriller in many ways. There was constant focus on cheating scandals and baby drama that I wasn't expecting at all from the synopsis. I felt like I was almost ready a soap opera, which definitely made it super addicting, but in a "train-wreck" kind of way. Also I was more at a 3 with this until the ending. The fact that the murderer was driven crazy basically by not having a baby was such an overused and harmful stereotype to women. Women are often seen as these hormonal monsters who are obsessed with having a husband and child and that is their main goal in life. The ending of this definitely left a sour taste in my mouth over that.

I have mixed feelings because I can't help but compare this with My Perfect Friend. For starters, I had a hard time finishing MPF, it's a slow burn if there ever is one, but I was completely bamboozled at the end for I didn't see it coming. The Ski Trip, on the other hand, it had my complete attention right from the get go. I like the thrills and chills that led to the inevitable end. The sequence of events was well written, it captured my curiosity and had me suspect everyone. At some point, it did get predictable, towards the end it was even simpler. But when I really looked back to all of it, this was more diabolical. I've finished this like two weeks back and yet it still left me wondering.

Four friends, Julian, Rob, Harry, and Tom go on a ski trip. Their trip is cut tragically short when Tom falls suddenly to his death. It seems this is a tragic accident, but Tom was a very accomplished skier and the run they were on was supposedly safe.
Tom’s grieving widow, Zoe, begs her old friend at university, Ivy to accompany her to France to repatriate Tom’s body and offer moral support. The two women have not long rekindled their friendship after a torrid argument many years previously. Once in France, Ivy becomes suspicious of the circumstances surrounding Tom’s death and it becomes clear that Julian, Rob, and Harry all have something to hide. Will Zoe believe her and can she unearth what really happened?
The story is told from both different points of view and multiple timelines. Apart from the end, however, the story really drags and there is literally so little tension, that you cease to care what happens.
The most exciting feature is that there is a major and totally unexpected plot twist at the end.
My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher HQ Digital, and Sarah Clarke for letting me have an ARC in exchange for an open and honest review.