2.75★

It took me a little bit to get to this but I finally read it and I’m sad to say I didn’t like it. I already had issues with the author’s previous book, but I wanted to read her next one anyway, because the writing was so beautiful. I don’t know, this really isn’t so it for me.

What I liked:
☆ The writing! The author writes so beautifully, I can’t get over it. It goes for both of her books I read and it’s what kept me going.

What I didn’t like:
☆ The “murder mystery” was obvious. Actually both of the murders felt pretty obvious. Not like there were many suspects introduced.
☆ We got to know a lot about the main characters and while it was interesting, it felt like that was the main point of the book. This is supposed to be thriller but it was more about them growing up in a cult than anything else. If this was a mysterious literary fiction that’d be more fitting.
☆ I was bored at times because of the point above. I think this tried to do more than it should and fell flat for me. The plot was just… not enough and boring.
☆ The characters. Idk, I didn’t hate them but I didn’t like them. The only interesting part about them was the cult. That was their whole personality basically.

So yeh overall this was disappointing for me. Predictable, boring, but beautifully written.
Would I read more by this author? Probably. I’m not ready to accept that they just might not be for me yet.

I really enjoyed reading the quiet tenant, so when I saw this book, I was so excited to read it. The characters were great. I loved the bond between Frida and Gabriel. This author truly has a gift when it comes to writing thriller books. The twists were incredible and left me speechless.

I went into this one so excited because I loved The Quiet Tenant, so my expectations were definitely high. Unfortunately, this one just didn’t click with me.⁠
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The story alternates between past and present, but for me, the two timelines felt so different that it almost didn’t feel like the same book. I usually love a good cult angle, but here it just didn’t land the way I hoped. The present-day storyline especially felt a little far-fetched and hard for me to connect with.⁠
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On top of that, I struggled with the characters. I didn’t find myself invested in them, which made it hard to care about what happened. I wanted to be pulled into the tension and atmosphere, but instead, I felt disconnected most of the way through.⁠
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I’m honestly so bummed because I was really excited for this one, but it just wasn’t for me. That being said, I know a lot of readers who enjoy dual timelines, and cult themes may still find it more engaging than I did.

I DNF'd this book about halfway through. I was not very invested in the story or the characters. The beginning intrigued me and kept me reading, however the rest of the half of the book did not keep me interested. I may re try to read it at a different time and update at that time.

I find books about cults fascinating so I was excited to read this thriller. The story follows our 2 main characters in a duel timelines. I enjoyed the past ense timeline the most as it tells us about life growing up within this cult. I also enjoyed the "who dunnit" plot but I struggled at times with authors writing style. During the present, I found alot of unnecessary detail, almost like filler info to drag the story on, a bit too descriptive possibly.
Overall it was a good read. Thank you #netgalley for the arc

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Thank you to NetGalley and Elliott & Thompson for the copy of Out Last Resort.

I did enjoy the cult element to this story and found the duel timeline kept me hooked. I really liked the main characters relationship and that kept me interested. I had been really excited to read this but sadly it wasn’t as good as I had hoped.

Thank you to Netgalley and Elliott and Thompson for this early reading copy of Our Last Resort by Clemence Michallon. Having thoroughly enjoyed her previous offering in The Quiet Tenant I was keen to jump in and get reading. This book ticked a lot of boxes for me as I do love anything cult related and I did enjoy that part of the story. While this book was a very slow burn it did enough to keep me engaged and eager to see how it would conclude.

Set over dual time lines we follow the story of Frida and her brother Gabriel who escape a cult after being born and bred there and knowing no other life. After years of struggling they build new lives only to drift apart. Trying to reconnect they meet at an exclusive resort and that is where the action begins. Out Last Resort is an enjoyable read and I think readers who liked The Quiet Tenant will love this one.

*ARC REVIEW*
This book was just "okay" for me. I did not enjoy the setting or the characters and the storyline fell flat for me. The only redeeming quality for me, is the fact that it did still keep me questioning who did it. Other than that, I couldn't wait to be finished. If I DNF'D books, this would have been a DNF for.me. 2.5 Stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Elliott & Thompson Publishing for this ARC. I truly wish I had enjoyed it more!

Thanks to Netgalley and the UK publishers for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I'd heard mixed reviews going into this one, which meant my expectations were relatively low. However, I ended up very much enjoying it.

It was a super quick and easy read. I loved the past timeline looking into the cult and Gabriel and Fridas bond and what they went through.

Admittedly, it did feel a bit like 2 completely different books at times and I struggled to see how the 2 timelines would connect. This led me to be more invested in the previous timeline for parts of the book. However, it did wrap up nicely and I liked the direction the author took us in the end. Would recommend.

I really enjoyed The Last Resort! From the start it hooked me with the creepy, tense atmosphere, and I found myself needing to know what would happen next. The characters felt real and complicated, which made the story even more interesting because I wasn’t always sure who to root for.

There were a couple parts that slowed down a bit, but overall the suspense kept me turning the pages. I also liked that it wasn’t just about the mystery—it had a lot of emotion and depth, which made it stand out compared to other thrillers I’ve read.

Definitely worth picking up if you like psychological thrillers that keep you guessing!

A murder in a resort leads to so many questions. After surviving a horrific childhood, Frida and Gabriel become involved in the investigation. This was a great domestic thriller with very twisty turns! While this is the first book I’ve read from the author, it definitely won’t be the last!

What happens to husbands when their wives are found dead?

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Read if you like:
🏠 1st person POV
🏠 single POV
🏠 dual timelines
🏠 strong family bonds
🏠 cult murder
🏠 TWISTS!!
🏠 exciting and jumpy the whole way through
🏠 animals 🩷🩷

Why have I not heard anything about this book yet??
I’ve been excited about this one for a while, since I read the first Clemence Michallon which had a TONNNN of people talking about it. I enjoyed this one just as much!! I was invested in the story right from the start and I found myself constantly thinking about the story in between my chunks of reading (kids 🤣🤣).
I always enjoy multiple story-telling formats in a book 🩷🖤🩷 This book included emails in addition to the regular story-telling narration. I appreciate different formats because it just makes the story so much more fun to read, and you almost get multiple POV with seeing other people’s sides of the story.
This one did get a tiny bit confusing at times trying to figure out which timeline I was currently reading.
I love when a murder/thriller involves a cult! They do the most crazy and unhinged things, and you just never really know what is coming next. The escaping the cult is always thrilling and exciting the whole way through. And it was almost CRUEL in this book to keep flipping back and forth between timelines and keeping us right on the edge of our seat the whole escape!! I literally could not stop reading until the characters escaped.
I really liked the 2 main characters, and I really enjoyed their interactions and their love for each other. I loved how they stuck together no matter what 🩷 There were some really nice aspects to this kind of scary and dark MURDER story.
The twist was crazy!! Although as a true crime fanatic I did see it coming 🤪🤪 It was absolutely perfect for this story!!
This one really was a hit for me. I found it exciting the whole way through and I could just not wait to get back to reading it when I was forced to take a break. The ending was perfect and crazy and I loved it!
Thank you so much to Elliott & Thompson and Clemence Michallon for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review 💕💕

Thank you so much Netgalley and publisher for the opportunity to read this jewel.

3.5/5
I really enjoyed the author’s writing style, as well as the character development and setting. I’m usually not a fan of time jumps in novels, but Clémence handled them very well. The story kept me entertained; the final reveal felt a bit predictable to me, but overall the plot was very enjoyable. Toward the end, I would’ve preferred a different path to keep the tension higher, but it was still a satisfying read. I will definitely look more into her other book.

Our Last Resort was a gripping dual timeline thriller that follows siblings Frida and Gabriel from being in a cult from birth, and after escaping as adults. Although not true siblings, they met early in childhood and have been inseparable since. Suddenly, Gabriel is the suspect of a murder investigation, for the second time, the first victim having been his wife.
This was a pretty slow burn after the beginning being faster paced, with quite a lot of character exploration which helped the characters, mostly Frida, feel more three dimensional.
I enjoyed both timelines and seeing how they came together with the past affecting the present. The setting descriptions were so rich and vivid, I was easily able to imagine being in the Utah desert, or upstate New York.
It’s not often I’m able to pin down the twist early on, but quite soon in I had a “wow, what if?” hunch that surprisingly turned out to be correct, which still blew my mind.
The ending especially I believe, accentuated the strong connection between Frida and Gabriel, and served an excellent example of family not always being blood.
I saw how The Quiet Tenant took the book community by storm and wasn’t missing out on this one! It was a bingeable read I enjoyed and I’m running to read The Quiet Tenant ASAP!
Many thanks to Knopf for sending me a digital review copy via NetGalley.
Publication date 7/8/25

Our Last Resort by Clémence Michallon is a haunting, character-driven thriller set in a remote desert hotel where past trauma and present danger collide. Frida and her brother Gabriel reunite at the Ara resort in Utah, hoping to reconnect and film a documentary about their shared, harrowing childhood in a cult. But when a woman is found murdered and Gabriel becomes a suspect—again—their fragile bond is tested by secrets, guilt, and the weight of unresolved grief. Michallon masterfully uses the isolation of the setting to amplify psychological tension, crafting a story where every silence feels loaded and every glance could be a clue.

What elevates the novel is its emotional depth. Frida’s narration is laced with anxiety and hypervigilance, shaped by years of indoctrination and survival. The murder mystery unfolds alongside a deeper reckoning with identity, memory, and the scars left by coercive control. Michallon’s prose is restrained yet evocative, and the plot—while not overly twisty—builds steadily toward a chilling revelation. Our Last Resort is less about solving a crime than understanding the people shaped by it, making it a standout for readers who crave suspense with psychological and moral complexity.

3.7 I admit that I couldn't finish The Quiet Tenant because it was just to creepy. But this second book by Michallon was an easier read while still suspenseful. Frida and Gabriel are children at a Cult when they become such fast friends that they consider themselves sister and brother. The cult contributes to that labeling by claiming one man, as father. The story is told in alternate settings and times from the cult days to the meet up at a resort after years of separation. A murder builds the suspense with some unforseen turns. Drew me in from page one. Good read.

Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley

I was expecting more from this I thought it would be more of a thriller but I thought it was more of a mystery vibe. It’s not something I’d rush to reread or recommend but I did enjoy the author’s writing style & would be open to reading more of their work. The characters didn’t really grab me so overall it was just an okay read.

★★½ (rounded up)

I’m a bit torn on how to review Our Last Resort. It’s a very slow burn, almost hypnotic in its pacing and language. That rhythm pairs well with the luxury desert setting, where a sense of danger quietly undercuts the beauty and glamour.

This is juxtaposed with flashbacks to Gabriel and Frida’s past, growing up in a cult. Those scenes were intriguing and haunting, and I was completely caught up in their story and the unique nature of their relationship.

However, the connection between past and present felt more tenuous. By the end, I still didn’t have a clear sense of Gabriel and Frida’s relationship in the now. The slow build and simmering suspense felt like it was leading to a big twist, but that moment never quite arrived.

That said, I did enjoy it. The prose was atmospheric and haunting at times, and there was something mesmerising in the effortless way it moved between timelines. It felt more drama than thriller, and I flew through it in a day, enjoying the ebbs and flows of their journey.

I’d recommend for anyone looking for an engaging and atmospheric slow burn suspense.

Thank you to the publishers for this advance reader copy. Opinions expressed are my own.

Our Last Resort cleverly blends together the horrors and pitfalls of being part of a cult along with its aftereffects in the lives of two young children- who are now adults in present day America. Frida and Gabriel (even though they are not brother and sister by blood) develop a familial kinship after an event that takes place within the cult and decide to forge their own paths in everyday society in the outside world.
The story was captivating, suspenseful from start to finish and had a nail biting ending that I didn't see coming but which tied everything up as a whole. This is my second foray into the authors work and it wont be my last.
Thankyou to Net galley and Elliot and Thompson for and ARC of this book.

After being completely mind blown from reading Michallon's debut novel, The Quiet Tenant, I was super excited to get the chance to read this one a bit early, thanks to being offered an ARC from the publisher and Netgalley. Because there are so many books and so little time, I find myself a wee bit late in writing this review.

Our characters Freida and Gabriel spent their childhood, if you can call it that, inside the walls of a cult compound. Not knowing the premise of the book ahead of time, this drew me in immediately. I have always been fascinated by and have read many, stories of cult survivors and their lives in the aftermath of leaving that life behind. Years later, this brother and sister team are on a vacation of sorts and get caught up in the murder investigation of another resort visitor.

The chapters alternate between present day and their life inside the cult. Some books with the back and forth can get a little confusing but not this book. It's all just so perfectly penned, I did not want this book to end!

I'm finding that this author really allows us to get to know her characters so well, that we feel like we know them personally. I think that is why the ending was so shocking to me. I don't want to spoil it for other readers but there was a twist I really did not see coming. Many thriller writers claim that their books are full of these twists but very few actually deliver these unimaginable twists. Michallon is indeed that author who delivers!