The Trip follows four friends on the holiday of a lifetime; but it doesn't seem to live up to their expectations, ending in a vicious murder.

This book was a real slow burner and that usually puts me right off, but there's something that kept me hooked on this one. I really like Phoebe Morgan's writing style and the depth she gives to her characters. There were times where I felt it was dragging a bit, but it never made me want to stop reading and it made me realised how invested I was as I was impatient to find out how it ended.

I always like a story centred around a holiday and this was no exception. Thailand was a wonderful setting for this book and I enjoyed reading about the locations, having visited a lot myself.

My thanks to NetGalley for sending me this ARC in return for an honest review.

Thrillers were my favourite genre for quite some time and even though I wouldn't necessarily say that is still the case, I still enjoy a well done, cookie cutter thriller. Murder, mystery and tension. This book was all of those things and I had a great time reading it. It was oozing with mystery and intrigue and I was racing through the pages trying to get to the bottom of what had gone on in the lives of these characters; find out their secrets. The short and snappy chapters told from multiple perspectives kept the plot moving along at a relatively quick pace and I enjoyed getting multiple sides of the story.

Holly was my favourite character throughout the story. She was the only one of them who I felt to be honest and actually cared about the other friends in the group. Saskia and Theo were the showy couple who appear to have it all, but that was quickly disproved; money isn't everything! for Lucas, money was his everything on account of the absence of it in his life. Although I didn't dislike him per se, I didn't agree with the secret he was keeping from Holly and it put me off him from quite early on in the book.

For a large proportion of this book, I had such a horrible feeling of tension and eeriness. The scenes in Bangkog were written brilliantly and the uneasiness the characters were feeling regarding being followed and watched leaped off of the page and into my conscious. There's a reason that city breaks aren't a favourite of mine! I enjoyed the twists and turns in this book and the last chapter took me by surprise. A solid thriller that swept me away with the story that I would recommend for a summer read.

I was kept guessing during this book. I guessed who was being tracked due to having the app on my phone. What I didn't guess was the kind of past brought up by a chance encounter with someone who had crossed paths with one of the characters before. The way everyone else slowly began to realise that the supposed stranger in their midst wasn't the person he pretended to be seemed real as it wasn't a sudden realisation from all at once. The ending was a surprise I didn't expect

What a book, what a plot, what a trip. A great holiday read, or a read if you are looking forward to your holiday. Well done Phoebe on another compelling novel.

The story is based around two couples, Theo & Saskia and Lucas & Holly. Theo and Lucas are friends from school yet with different fortunes in life. Theo has the money and Lucas needs a spreadsheet to help with his struggling finances. The four go to Thailand for Theo and Saskia’s honeymoon which is where their past starts to haunt, initially with subtle and strange goings on then teaming up with solo traveller, Caleb. Due to a mix up with their top class hotel in Bangkok they spend their first night at a hostel which is where the mystery really starts to develop. The different fortunes of Theo and Luke give an ongoing friction to their otherwise strong friendship but is there friction between Saskia and Holly and what is Caleb after? Let’s not give anything away, the twists are there until the end.

The book also provides an insight to the culture and atmosphere of Thailand including the contrast between the hustle and bustle of Bangkok and the paradise of one of its scheduled paradise islands.

A recommended read as a gripping mystery and not far off being a travel guide to Thailand.

A thriller set in Thailand involving two couples on a week long trip. I enjoyed the busy description of Bangkok and the quieter beach resort but I found the characters bland apart from the baddie Caleb. Predictable but a decent beach read. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

"The Trip" by Phoebe Morgan offers an enticing virtual getaway into the lush backdrop of Thailand, perfect for those seeking a suspenseful holiday read. While I can't vouch for the accuracy of the setting, the allure of a thriller set in an exotic location while it's raining here in the UK was great!

The narrative follows two couples, Saskia & Theo and Lucas & Holly, both in their early thirties, as they embark on what should be a dream vacation. However, beneath the surface there is clearly more going on, adding tension to their seemingly idyllic getaway.

From the outset, the story grips you with the promise of uncovering a compelling secret. As the couples navigate through a series of unfortunate events – from missing belongings to questionable bookings and eerie messages – the plot unfolds with a sense of urgency.

Admittedly, the storyline ventures into the realm of the far-fetched, and there are some noticeable gaps in the plot. However, despite its shortcomings, "The Trip" serves as a breezy, escapism read, perfect for lounging by the pool or relaxing on the beach. It offers a welcome distraction, easy to follow yet still engaging, making it an ideal holiday read.

Loved this book! I've been eagerly awaiting Phoebe's new book and it was definitely worth the wait!

The book is about 2 couples, Saskia and Theo and Holly and Lucas, who spend a week together holidaying in Thailand. Although they are immediately struck by the atmosphere and culture of the country, items begin to go missing, a fellow traveller seems to have sinister motives and the couples are hiding secrets from each other. Nothing is as it seems....

I found the story immediately engaging and was keen to know where it was going! Bangkok especially with its evocative culture, was brilliantly captured, along with the sights, smells and stiffling heat. The story is told through the eyes of the different characters, which helps to distinguish their individual personalities.

The tension bubbles away under the surface, both with the secrets between the couples, and the mysterious happenings at the hostel and then the villa. I did guess one of the twists towards the end (no spoilers!) but this didn't lessen my enjoyment in any way.

The perfect beach read this summer. Highly recommended.

Thanks to author, Phoebe Morgan, publishers HQ and Net Galley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Great summer read!

Theo, Saskia, Lucas and Holly head off to Thailand on the holiday of a lifetime. Lucas and Holly have created a spreadsheet to enable them to stick to a tight budget but Theo and Saskia are happy to splash the cash. Several mishaps start the tension between the characters bubbling right at the start of the trip and it carries on throughout the story. The introduction of Caleb, their knight in shining armour changes the dynamic of the group.
Two of the group are hiding secrets and one of the secrets ends in murder but the identity of who is murdered and whose secret it relates to kept me on my toes for the duration of the book.

It was a slow burn but I enjoyed the reveal and the ending.

Well written and I felt like I was there on the holiday myself!

The Trip is an easy read, perfect for the beach or a lazy day in the garden.
Theo and Saskia are recently married, the perfect life, the perfect house and no money worries at all due to Theo’s parents. They have arranged to go for a week on holiday with Theo’s best friend Lucas and his girlfriend Holly. They are departing to Thailand and are all excited to get the holiday started after arriving in Bangkok the holiday takes a dip as the luxurious hotel Theo had booked has no recollection of their booking and they end up in a hostel for the night. Undeterred they aim to have a great night but Saskia feels she’s seen someone from her last and this is going to cause trouble and doesn’t want anyone else to know. Before long this person is part of their group and it’s not going to end well especially when they are followed to their idyllic beach house part of their holiday.
This was an easy read and I read it quickly, I liked the characters and the plot line, I had just guessed what was going to happen too early but to be fair I still enjoyed the book. The atmosphere of Bangkok was just as I would have expected it to be, all hustle and bustle.
I would like to thank NetGalley and HQ for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

Psychological thriller set in Thailand and following the fates of two couples on holiday. Coming from different backgrounds their experiences are from working class and wealthy beginnings and their lives have been very different. Meeting Caleb, travelling alone, who finds their lost passports and bag seems a blessing but the friends soon find more and more danger approaching.

Well written and an interesting story with a good twist and the end which I did not expect. I enjoyed this but not on par I felt with others that I have enjoyed by this author. Great descriptions of Thailand and the possible dangers to tourists among the beautiful backdrop.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Four friends go on holiday to Thailand in this twisty psychological thriller. All have secrets, some darker than others. Most of the characters are unlikeable and unreliable narrators. The story is claustrophobic and atmospheric but slow-paced, relying on the characters' reflection rather than action.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

The Trip is a quick beach read with reasonably forgettable characters and an undercurrent of tension which doesn't quite build up to a successful finale. Considering her past, you'd wonder why Saskia flaunts her new husband's wealth so easily. She can't have been so naive to think that characters from her history would disappear forever. Theo's main trait is 'being rich', while Lucas is his hard up best friend. Holly is nice enough, her final chapter was admittedly an interesting twist to her story. Apart from some mild peril, the thrills are limited but the story does rattle along quickly enough that it's not boring. A solid 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC 😊

This is an ideal beach read: home or away, you have a thrilling mystery that is enjoyable, albeit quite predictable as well. Personally, I don’t think this book was as good as previous reads from Morgan and this was because I thought the plot development was too obvious. However, if you are after something that is a jolly good distraction from daily life, this is a perfect choice.

I loved the setting that Morgan portrays, feeling like I am with the four friends as they travel to Bangkok and beyond. I could vividly picture the exotic setting and loved the intensity of Bangkok versus the eventual tranquillity of the beaches. The excitement from the characters was palpable, although as travellers, they came across as quite foolish and naïve, making silly mistakes that leads to increasing trouble. I disliked how frivolous Saskia is as a character, especially how much she flaunts her opulent style in front of her friends and online. She is presented as someone who needs constant online validation which is a shame when she is supposed to be going on an exciting adventure with her husband and friends.

Unfortunately I found the plot too predictable to get excited by it. When Holly’s bag is temporarily lost, I could foresee how the story would develop. Saskia’s past added a bit if depth to the novel but, on the whole, I thought the story was verging on being far-fetched. Indeed, the final scenes in Thailand were convenient but I liked how Morgan unexpectedly concluded the story, altering my opinion of another character as well.

Every chapter seems to carry an undercurrent on tension and suggests something sinister is at play. As you progress through the novel, it is easy to determine whether it is a character over-reacting or whether this threat is genuine. Unfortunately, I thought Morgan could have done more to develop some of these signs and I was particularly hoping that more was done with Theo’s character, rather than him being presented as a wealthy man with few cares and too much money to throw about.

I was really hopeful for this story but found the obvious plot development a massive let-down. There were too many clear clues to the story and the ending was too neatly wrapped up. I don’t think it helped that the protagonists were quite idiotic in places but, one thing was certain, it definitely transported me away to sunnier climes whilst my weather is so unpredictable.

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

I’ve really enjoyed other novels by Phoebe Morgan and her new novel, The Trip, doesn’t disappoint. She works very cleverly with a small cast of characters, regularly switching the POV.
Holly and Lucas are on a fabulous holiday in Thailand with best friends Theo and Saskia. From the off the trip doesn’t go according to plan and it is clear that there is a huge financial gap between the couples, creating tension at every turn. When a stranger inserts himself into the group, most of them feel uncomfortable, but one of them knows exactly who he is and realises her past has just caught up with her.
I belted through this, desperate to know what happens next. I thought the ending was a bit of an anticlimax but I should have realised a lot can happen in the last few pages!
A great fun psychological thriller which deserves a space in your summer reading.

This has been thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining, kept me hooked from start to finish. I thought it was really well written and all of the characters of which there are four main characters, well 5 if you include Caleb who does have a rather large part to play in the story, had been well and truly developed. I think character Holly was my favourite, overall she’s a good girl, has principles but sometimes you just have to do that one bad thing, I can’t say anymore than that as would not want to release any spoilers to other readers.

I was completely captivated from the get go, there were a couple of moments when I was sitting on edge of my seat in eager anticipation as to what might happen next, some I guessed at, some I didn’t. I really liked the couple of twists near the end, one was predictable but one wasn’t.

If you haven’t tried one of Phoebe’s books yet then I really recommend that you do.

This book gave me all the holiday vibes but throughout the story there is a clear sense of unease and foreboding. It was designed I think to be quite disconcerting and it had me feeling unsure of all the main characters.

The setting was strong, the heat, the noise all added to the events that unfolded and as the characters tried to deal with unexpected issues they faced I felt that there was so much more to their stories that had to be revealed.

I liked how the plot went, things started to become clearer for the reader as secrets were revealed and it did make you think what you would if you found yourself in this situation. Seeing the events unfold from different characters also added depth to the plot.

There is a twist to this story, which I did think about before it happened and I enjoyed the sense throughout of unease and a feeling of tension. A great holiday read.

An enjoyable story which I flew through, which shows how addictive it was.

This was a bit of a rollercoaster read for me... a very slow burn too start with a bit too much predictability, with some great twists towards the end made it a stronger finish.

Thailand. Friends. Holidays. All the ingredients were there for a great thriller and my goodness did it deliver. The story hooked me from the first page and didn't let go until the last.
A cracking story, flawed characters, great setting. A fabulous read.
Highly recommend

This was an enjoyable read, The story takes place in Thailand, with four friends, two couples, on holiday. I thought it was tense, and I felt the stakes, although it did feel predictable at times. Sometimes, it worked to the novel's advantage, where I felt more tense knowing what was happening. I liked reading this and it was a good experience.

It’s been a while since the last Phoebe Morgan book so I was excited to have a copy of this from NetGalley.
Four friends are heading out to Thailand for a holiday. Theo and Lucas have known each other forever, Theo’s wife Saskia and Lucas’ girlfriend Holly have become great friends. Holly and Lucas have some financial troubles, and are worried about the cost of the trip. Theo is very well off, flashing his £40k watch, so there’s already some potential for tension. The trip starts with some challenges, lost bookings, lost bags; not quite the dream break everyone was hoping for. They are joined by Caleb, a charming, but rogue-ish stranger, more things go wrong, more secrets are revealed and a murder ensues.
This is an enjoyable holiday read, with a cast of flawed protagonists and an excellent final twist. Great fun.