In this intricately woven tale, the author skillfully navigates the delicate balance between past and present, leaving readers captivated and constantly questioning. The characters, shrouded in mystery, evoke both love and disdain, making it impossible to reveal personal alliances.

The clever narrative structure seamlessly interlaces timelines, providing a unique perspective that adds depth to the storytelling. While some may find the conclusion lacking in explanations, the journey itself is a testament to the author's ability to keep readers on the edge of their seats.

Being pleasantly deceived becomes a gratifying experience, as the unexpected unfolds, challenging preconceptions and inviting a range of emotions. The intricate web of relationships portrayed prompts profound contemplation, leaving readers with much to ponder long after the final page.

The Last Resort Heidi Perks

5 stars
How the past can influence the present

Will and Erin are a happily married couple with a 3 year old daughter, Sadie. Everything seems fine in their lives until Erin’s beloved dog, Coco, goes missing whilst in her husband’s care. Blaming Will for the loss of her dog, when he buys her a necklace for Valentine’s Day and tries to put it around her neck she has to push him away frightened that he might hurt her.

Things go from bad to worse for Erin and in an effort to save their marriage Will and Erin go to couples therapy with a lady called Maggie Day. However Erin just cannot get out of her head that her husband is wanting to harm her and finally he moves out. However Maggie still wants to see Erin alone which is totally against her principles but it is revealed that over 20 years before Maggie’s little sister, Lily had been murdered at the age of 14. The bracelet that she was wearing has never been found but Erin has described seeing the identical bracelet in her husband’s car!

The story jumps around detailing the breakdown of will and Erin’s marriage for the last six months up until she is knocked down in a hit and run accident. We also hear the tragic details about the murder that has haunted Maggie all her life since it happened.

Slowly all the threads are drawn together and we discover the truth but even then I was shocked at the ending.

I really enjoyed this book, it is written in a very readable way and keeps you turning the pages. Heidi Perks is one of my favourite authors and long may she continue writing.



Karen Deborah
Reviewer for Net galley

Erin and Will go to see a counsellor after their marriage hit a rocky patch - Erin suddenly didn't trust him. Surprising consequences and the solving of a murder from over 20 years ago. Brilliant book, I couldn't put it down. Deliberately brief on my summary as I didn't want to give anything away.

I loved that this book got straight into the action with a hit and run - that was me hooked!

The story is told across multiple timelines; the present day and from six months ago, working up to the present day.

Erin and Will, as a last resort to save their marriage, started couples therapy and I was intrigued by Erin’s behaviour and fears. A gift from Will on Valentine's day triggered something - but what?

Maggie, their therapist, has very strict rules on client boundaries, but she seems to want - or need - to cast them all aside for Erin and as the story switches between past and present, Erin's and Maggie's stories start to connect together.

The suspense was building from page one and there was just no way of guessing the baddie in this book, so it was super tense throughout and even when the layers started to unravel to reveal the truth, there was that last, huge twist that just came and smacked me in the face when I wasn't expecting it - brilliant!

With all of Heidi's books, I love how the writing flows so beautifully, but I think The Last Resort is possibly my favourite of hers so far.

As a side note, Heidi’s portrayal of Pauline, Leila's bossy mother in law, had me giggling - please don’t let me be that person when I’m older!

5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Heidi Perks and Random House, Cornerstone for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Erin was afraid her husband was dangerous, having ‘killed’ their dog and then Gaslighting her. Now she is in a coma in ITU the victim of a hit-and-run. Up until Valentine’s Day, six months ago, her life had been idyllic, married to the love of her life, Will, with a three-year-old daughter, Sadie, and a dog called Coco. But that morning, when Will leans over to put a necklace round her neck, she suddenly panics, for no reason. By Easter she has become increasingly worried. Then the dog, which she loves but Will wasn’t that keen on, disappears on his watch. Will assures her that things that she’s seen aren’t real, didn’t happen. The tension in the family spirals, not helped by her BFF apparently siding with Will, and her mother-in-law constantly interfering “ for Sadie’s good”. In desperation they decide to try Family Therapy, but the counsellor Maggie has issues of her own, linked to her sister’s murder twenty-three years ago. Is the counselling improving their relationship or making things worse? When Will decides to move in with his mother for a short period, things come to a head. Is Erin mentally ill, or is Will cynically plotting to get rid of her while getting custody of Sadie?
This psychological thriller is a fine example of the genre and the writing is very good. It is told from the alternating viewpoints of Erin and Maggie, and time travels between the present, Erin in the ITU, and the events of the last six months which count down from St Valentine’s Day to the present. Once the latter has caught up with the former we enter the police investigation into the hit-and-run. There are a few twists, as the various threads are pulled together. It is not too difficult to work out the ending, but it is neat and believable in the context of the slightly unbelievable plot. It’s a bit over a 4 but not enough to make it a 5.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

Thank you to Netgallery and the publisher for this ARC. The publication date for this book is 7th Dec 2023! This is the first book I’ve read from the author and I was blown away! I flew through this book as it was so intriguing and suspenseful from the start it kept me on the edge of my seat throughout.

The characters were well written also my favourite was Maggie as I would always wonder what would happen next. There are many twists and turns that made read well into the night. A fantastic book that everyone should read!

It’s Heidi Perks so you know the writing will be good, I really enjoyed the storyline, it just kept me guessing. I thought I had it worked out, but nope, more twists. Erin and Will start going to a therapist when their marriage gets in trouble and now it’s six months later and Erin has been involved in a hit and run. From the very start the reader has no idea who to trust, I absolutely loved it and definitely recommend it. Thank you #netgalley

Good psychological thriller featuring Will and Erin as the central characters. As a lover of psychological thrillers this only scored 4 out of 5 for me as there are other authors who I think write better books. Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the chance to read a pre publication version.

Will and Erin look like they have it all as a couple. Until Erin starts to feel like something isn’t right. As they embark on couples counselling, it feels increasingly like there are two separate sides.

Then Erin is found at the side of the road, a victim of a hit and run. Who’s telling the truth and who hit Erin?

I really enjoyed this fast paced thriller told from multiple points of view and flashing between the past and present. The characters are well developed and paint a picture of the complexity of human nature and relationships. This book will keep you on edge until the very last page. I’ve never read a Heidi Perks book before but will definitely be reading more in the future

A brilliant read, twisty and dark, it will keep you guessing.

A very unique storyline which is far fetched but compelling. You are quickly caught up in the drama of Erin and Will’s marriage. When they turn to Maggie for counselling no one realises how much more complicated and intwined their stories will become!

A great read.

The Last Resort is a psychological thriller that centres around Erin and Will, who are struggling with their marriage. Erin feels Will is gaslighting her, she starts having flashbacks and worries she’s not safe around her husband any more. They agree to see Maggie, a marriage counsellor. But how do the three tie together? Does Will have something to do with the death of Maggie’s sister years ago?

I enjoyed this book, though I did work out “whodunit” quite early on. I felt the characters were well developed and their roles were clearly defined, though I didn’t really warm to any of them.
I enjoyed the back and forth between past and present, which helped build the storyline and tension up. I think it would’ve been 5 stars if there had been just a couple more twists that I didn’t see coming.

A good read. Thank you NetGalley and Random House for my advanced copy.

The books by Heidi Perks are just brilliant and this one is no exception. A masterful psychological thriller with lots of twists and turns right up until the end. A fast paced read which kept me turning the pages from start to finish.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Ultimately this is a well told psychological thriller which has all the right elements, but I couldn’t feel a thing for any of the characters, even Maggie, the therapist in therapy.

I think this would be a good read for those who like twists but don’t mind not empathising

This book is thoroughly entertaining and an exciting page-turner. I found myself flipping over the pages faster to find out the what on earth was going on. I did find the characters and storyline slightly challenging. This made it a bit more difficult to fully engage with and believe in the story. There are still a few unanswered questions at the back of my mind. Ultimately the book is an impressive effort and I loved the author.

I am definitely looking forward to reading more books by the Heidi Perks.

What a brilliant book this is, great characters who I soon got to know. I was kept involved in the storyline from the beginning until the end which was full of twists and turns and what an ending it was with everything brought to a satisfactory conclusion.

This book is definitely one of my top ten reads for 2023 and I have no hesitation in recommending.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House (Cornerstone) for this brilliant ARC.

The Last Resort is a suspense thriller where, as the reader, you slowly realise you don't know which character to trust. This is my first read of the popular thriller author Heidi Perks and I have got to say I'm pretty impressed with their writing. I enjoyed the quick, short chapters which sped the thriller on and the multiple POVs added to the uneasiness of the situation.
The characters themselves I found to be pretty unlikeable and I wish I felt more empathy for their situations as the book would have been more successful if I was more invested in the outcome. There is a lot of family trauma which is definitely the centre of this novel, it is very layered and I think you can really understand and relate to the characters' behaviours and actions.
This thriller really did keep me guessing until the end, it took so many twists and turns and I didn't see it coming.
This was a very well developed plot and I would be interested in reading some more from Heidi Perks in the future or potentially from her successful backlist.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5

Thank you to NetGalley, Cornerstone and Heidi Perks for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Review posted to Goodreads.

With Heidi Perks you know you are in for a real treat. Murder, intrigue, plot twists, amazing characters and a well crafted story, and this was no exception. I LOVED it - it just took me time to get over my book hangover to write a review.

Erin and Will were the perfect couple, and so happy in their marriage. Then Erin's beloved dog goes missing whilst Will is supposed to be looking after it. This is not long after Will buying her a necklace and when he tries to put it on her she has a real feeling of dread. Erin's best friend has taken Will's side and she feels like she has no one to turn to. This is the start of the end for Erin and Will, and they decide to go to couples therapy with Maggie Day, who is herself in therapy.

When Erin is hit by a bit and run driver, and is critically ill in hospital, and Maggie has disappeared, the hunt is on to find out what happened to Maggie and who hit Erin, as it is looking a lot like murder.

A totally amazing book that will put you through the wringer, but you won't be able to put down.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123223486-the-last-resort

I’ve not read anything written by Heidi Perks before, I am pleased that has now changed, if all her books are as good as this one then I am excited to read more from her.

Will believed his marriage to Erin was pretty perfect, they had a lovely home with their perfect daughter, Sadie and their family dog Coco, until one Valentine’s Day everything comes crashing down when he goes to put on a necklace he bought Erin as a Valentine’s gift and she panics. This starts a chain of events where Will and Erin’s marriage starts to unravel. Erin begins to act irrationally and on the surface looks to be losing her mind. They both agree to couples counselling, where they meet Maggie. With a therapist who has such a sad and dark past is she really the right person to save Will and Erin or will this lady be the final straw to end a doomed marriage?

I found this book to be very well written, the characters were well articulated and I felt I could see them walking around as I turned each page. I genuinely didn’t know which way the writer was going to take us.
The story is written from the perspective of Erin and Maggie, in the now and multiple times in the past 2 months. Each chapter highlights who and which time we are in so I found it very easy to stay with the time we are in.

I never wanted to put this book down, I read late in to the night on multiple occasions, I enjoyed The Last Resort so much that I even found myself reading at my desk on my lunch break. So yes I would, and have already, recommended this book.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reading copy and introducing me to another writer.

I always look forward to the latest Heidi Perks but this seemed to miss the mark a little. I would recommend it but not quite up to her usual standard.

The first time I have read this Author but I enjoyed the style of writing. A solid four star read. Great premise. Good characters. Page turner. Plenty of suspense to keep me guessing Would definitely read the next novel. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.