This was a great premise as I've read about the subject that gave Susi the idea for the book.. I'm not going to say more as you have to find out what it is for youself.

If you';re afraid of how tech and new tech ideas can work against us however, this is going to freak you out. There were vibes of And Then There Were None and 1984 and the film The Island. Characters I didn't care for however and it soon became obvious that I was looking forward to seeing them being killed off. Not sure what that says about me but one in particular was awful.

I felt the idea and premise was stronger than the way it panned out. The tech idea however was nicely built up and explored. People's reactions were spot on and the way the people were controlled on that island was nothing short of Big Brother's gone Digital. Hell if this ever becomes a reality, I'm going to live on an island myself. Just not this one.

You never really know where they are but there's a reference to a literary island which was a nice touch. The ending for me didn't fit the rest of the novel but it was a good journey getting there.

The first 85% or so of this book was very intriguing. Sadly, the ending just didn’t work for me as well as I’d hoped it would.

The overall story has a vibe that’s similar to many others: a group of people wake up somewhere unknown and have to go through a series of trials to find out what’s really happening. Where this one differs, though, is in the way that each character’s storyline is pushed forward, along with the manner in which futuristic tech is utilized.

I can’t really say much more without spoiling it, but I will say that one of the three big twists was easy to see coming. I had guessed a crucial detail about the biggest reveal far in advance, too. Neither of these things reduced my enjoyment of the book, which was sitting pretty firmly at 4 stars in my mind until the last 10-15%.

Yes, the ending wraps it all up, but it just didn’t have the necessary impact. I was left thinking, “Seriously? All of this because of that?” I expected a bigger, more interesting motive. I also expected one last twist from a character’s memory that was never completed (which, if it had been, could have provided a much better ending). Alas, neither of those things came to fruition.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

Seven strangers in an island, trapped, and soon they are only six... It was a great modern twist on the Agatha Christie story, with new and maybe too incredible technology, but it kept me reading until the end. If you know the original story you can guess some of the twists, but I was not expecting the last one, and I'm still shocked. Great book.

Amelia and six other lucky (?) people are invited to an all expense paid trip on a private island. They have been chosen, they are told, to test a new tech product. It turns out the tech device they are each forced to wear will reveal all their dark and nasty secrets to the other guests. They are told if they can just follow the rules, they will have a lavish party, but the group begins to fight and divisions and loyalties become apparent. Amelia starts to believe the only “gift” she will get from this trip is getting away with her life intact, if she can just stay strong. Now this is a Survivor I would watch!

The Last Resort is not unlike an episode of Black Mirror - a show referenced throughout the novel. Susi Holliday has written an entertaining short fiction with a few decent twists. The characters are shallowly defined. The author's decision to centre each chapter on an individual's perspective, while intriguing and offering an opportunity to get to know each, in turn, keeps the narrative going but doesn't lend to more profound character development.
The jacket notes describe this novel as a survival adventure involving 6 strangers flown to an island where each is challenged by the revelation of their deepest secrets. The tale is well paced and keeps the reader engaged. The premise is promising - technology, intrigue and a diverse set of characters. There are flashbacks intended to only become coherent once we reach the end of the adventure. The basic story of the entwined lives of the participants sustains the reader, but the conclusion is ultimately unsatisfying. The buildup, the reveals, the twists, the tension, are all well sprung, but the conclusion seems like the author simply ran out of steam. The outcomes teach us no real lesson, nor draws together the life experiences of the participants. Given that the author is familiar with Black Mirror, one would hope that there might be some thought-provoking question posed and explored. The potential of neurological 'trodes that stimulate thoughtful recollection, for example, or the use of hallucinogenic drugs that allow for self-stimulated alternated realities are promising but unrealised.
The novel is a reasonable read, and I am not unsatisfied to have spent the time. However, I do feel that there is some potential unrealised in the delivery of this novel. The characters drawn from diverse backgrounds could allow for teasing out deeper connections to their ultimates fates or possible reflections on the main protagonist's understandings of her own life trajectories. The intriguing devices introduced raise questions around surveillance and our own self-perception, but this too seems to be merely glossed over. These could have been drawn into a tighter message through more deliberate plot construction.
Decent, but ultimately disappointing for unrealised potential.

The first 90% of this book was amazing. I was totally enthralled by it. I could not stop reading it. Then WHAT? the ending felt weak and wasn't really satisfying. And we never found out why two other people thought they remembered/recognized the island. The epilogue wrapped things up, but I was still left thinking "really"? about the end. That first 90% of the book though. That was so good, it's probably worth buying it for that. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC.

What a great book for the first 85% — suspenseful, can’t put down. Seven strangers on an island for mysterious reasons, futuristic technology, everyone with secrets to hide and an unknown, malevolent host. Then comes the end of the book—totally disappointing. Five stars for the 85%, two stars for the rest. But still a recommended read

This book about seven strangers chosen to enjoy a free weekend stay at a luxurious resort in exchange for their participation had a promising start. Instead of starting their weekend at the resort, the participants are left on the island to find their way to the house. Interspersed throughout the book is a flashback to an event that occurred on an island in the summer of 2000, apparently involving one or more of the characters. Based on the frequency of these flashbacks, the reader is led to believe that the event that occurred that summer has something to do with the weekend retreat.

About half way through the book the narrative began to bog down with descriptions of numerous climbs over omnipresent hills dotted throughout the small island where they are stranded, together with holographic projections of each characters most horrendous mistakes drawn from a tracker inserted in their ear. The tracker appeared to be accessing memories from their brain, which each character would have preferred to remain hidden. Then as each of them is seriously injured, they are whisked away by the host’s spokesperson, leaving the remaining participants to fend for themselves in finding the house. The ending devolved into a deranged monologue by the evil perpetrator, explaining the rationale behind the events that occurred.

Although the character development was good, showing how each participant reacted to the stress of their situation, the repetitive bleak landscape, together with the somewhat farcical ending, prevented this book from reaching its full potential.

This book is ridiculous,but fun.

Until it becomes JUST ridiculous.

That's pretty much all I can say.

I love a good locked room mystery and thankfully there are lots to choose from these days. This book is well-written and had an intriguing premise, combining the locked room (or in this case, island) mystery with futuristic technology in a kind of Fyre Festival meets the Matrix situation...but with murder. I can suspend my disbelief for a great thriller with the best of them, and I love a creative idea, so I was hyped for this, but ultimately it didn’t work for me. I think the book was a little too ambitious, trying to do a few too many things at once. The author could not really come up with a believable explanation for the invention and use of this technology the way it was used in the book. And the ending just flew totally off the rails for me - came out of nowhere and was not believable.

I give the author credit for trying a very cool and creative idea, and she’s clearly got writing skills, but ultimately the plot just did not work for me as a believable mystery.

Thanks to NetGalley, Susi Holliday and Amazon Publishing UK for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 stars
When I read this blurb I was immediately on board,
Without giving too much away, the 'secrets' that each of these individuals have, ready to be revealed to us throughout, reminded me of the Saw movies. These are people who have done some terrible things and devastated other people's lives. So you're not quite rooting for any of them to survive, which means you're ready to be taken on the rollercoaster ride that is what happens on the island.
The bizarre technology, how they arrive on the island and even the notion of drinking water being tampered with, made this such a unique type of thriller/mystery.
However, the ending, even after what was a pretty disappointing few twists, left me asking myself 'all of this happened for that?!'
Up until probably the last 30/45 minutes, this had me completely engrossed and immersed.
It still is a really interesting concept for a story and had the ending and resolution been handled better, this could easily have been a 4 or 5 star read for me but the frankly silly and rather ridiculous ending ruined the whole experience for me.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Last Resort was a brilliantly entertaining read, a mix of mystery and mayhem, both speculative and traditional in a kind of locked room mystery that just happens to have a wide vista.

One luxury resort that turns out to be rather deadly and not terribly luxurious, a cast of characters that engage throughout and a black mirror meets the famous five vibe that is addictively brilliant. There's even a cave although no ginger beer unfortunately.

Cleverly timed and implemented death lots of creepy stuff some insightful psychological trauma and a lot of great writing add up to a book that is a pure pleasure to read. Recommended.

A fast-paced thrill ride that keep me guessing right to the end. With a brilliant ensemble cast ego each get a moment in the limelight, I raced through this book to find out how it would end. I wasn’t disappointed!

Thanks to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for allowing me the opportunity to read The Last Resort by Susie Holliday.

I loved the idea behind this book - 7 strangers heading off to a luxury island, all eager to see what time in this mysterious resort will bring to their professions and lives. They very quickly become aware however that things are not as they seem.

The story was fast paced, had great relevations that kept me entriqued and I enjoyed the chapters changing between characters.
I struggled with the ending of the story however, after such an intense read, I felt the ending fell a little flat and didn't quite keep up with the pace of the rest of the book.

I was strongly reminded of writing by John Marrs as I read this book and I would definitely read more of Susie Holliday.

Seven people sign up to go to a private island to test a product from Timeo Technology. A device you wear that punctures into your skin and reads thoughts , reveals secrets and pits people against each other. Felt like something I watched before on reality TV and something I read before . Characters were complaining a lot and I could not really get into this. Not a page turner. I tried. I felt I had to force myself to continue . Expected more.

3 Stars. I was attracted by this book because of the description, as a fan of Agatha Christie's "And Then They Were None". This book is a good thriller with a surprising final twist. Thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the ARC!

Great read but honestly, the ending hugely disappointed me! But overall it was well written and pretty creepy! Will recommend to a few of my friends who I know will love this book though! Really well written and kept my mind running, heart racing

Thanks NetGalley for the e-ARC!

This book was exciting & full of twists! If you enjoy mysteries, atmospheric settings, and interesting characters, I would definitely recommend this book.

This was my first book by this author, It was pretty enjoyable. I would give this book a 3.5 star rating! It was a pretty Quick and easy read!

A huge thanks to NetGalley, Amazon Publishing UK and Susi Holiday for the Uncorrected Proof, in exchange for my honest review.

Let me start by saying that locked room mysteries are my absolute favorites. I love using the clues throughout the book to figure out who will be the last one standing and how it will be done. A locked room mystery with a technology twist, sure why noy?

The story started out great! The characters were developed well, there was just enough question to make you keep reading but not so much that your head is spinning. I loved all of the false starts and stops just when it looked like something was going to be revealed. Unfortunately, these "stops" also applied to the characters as well. Mid-way through the development of the character, they are killed off and their story is ended just as abruptly. This left holes in the story.

The technology angle also had a lot of promise but jumped the Sci-Fi train along the way. I don't regret reading this one and if you are looking for a fairly quick read with short chapters, this is it! Just don't forget that there may be some suspension of reality and no Agatha Christie.

A fast paced thriller that doesn’t just pique your curiosity but it frantically drags you along with every disastrous & dangerous moment for the guests of the island. The first chapter when we meet Amelia had made me interested and the middle section of the book was full of tension. However the ending left me feeling deflated and slightly disappointed after such an exciting journey with these flawed but addictive characters. The resolution felt lacklustre and sadly meant that my overall enjoyment was spoiled.

As the rating system doesn't allow half marks, I will be generous and round up my rating.

This book is definitely the genre I normally like to read...mystery and a little Sci fi. It was good from the start and had me guessing what was really going on. While you can kind of figure out what will happen, there are some surprising elements. I will say, it does get a little slow in parts and the end is disturbing and a little rushed. Not sure if I will read another from this author. Thank you to Netgalley for providing this book in exchange for my honest review.

A LONG JOURNEY THAT WENT NO WHERE!

A group of people, tricked into coming to an island for a weekend of luxury, only to find out they are going to be guinea pigs for a new neuro-based tech and the menu includes their worst held secrets.

The premise sounded very intriguing, unfortunately that's where the intrigue ends. A cryptic backstory, so vague it essentially provides no backstory at all. This book is quite long, too long given the pace was not consistent. Attempts at suspense were squashed by four extra pages when only one was needed. Ultimately this was a story where none of the characters mattered or played into the main story, with the exception of one. This was somewhat mind boggling to me, as I wondered what was I bothering to read then for the past few hours. Topped off with an underwhelming almost B-rated horror movie ending. (Don't be fooled by the word "horror").

I believe this is supposed to be a whodunnit/locked room book. Sadly, this was just not up to par and felt a bit amateur. I believe if someone did a large amount of editing there is definitely room for much improvement as there were very interesting ways in which the characters were "toyed" with.

*Thank you to Amazon Publishing UK via NetGalley for providing the digital review copy.

I received a free e-copy from Netgalley in return for an honest review.

A few times a year I receive those tempting invitations to go somewhere warm and sunny (obviously not this Covid year), stay in a nice swanky hotel and do it all for nothing - so long as I'm willing to sit through a hard-sell about investing in a time-share or a time-share dressed up as something else. I'm no millionaire or famous person but even I can tell it's just not worth getting involved. If something seems too good to be true, it almost certainly is. I just wondered why the seven strangers - or one couple and five singles - would have accepted the offer of a luxury trip to an island without thinking "Hmm, is this a good idea?"

The seven spend a day being drugged, manipulated and having their minds and their memories mined for their guiltiest secrets. As my old French teacher would quote - usually at people who'd not done their homework "Be sure your sins will find you out". As the seven blunder about the island wondering what the heck is going on, we readers soon work out who might be behind the invitation but in most cases, we're not sure why the people have been chosen.

I enjoyed this. Well, the first 85% or so after which it all got a bit more weird than I was ready to swallow. Word to the wise; if invited to a luxury retreat on a mystery island, be really careful what you swallow.

The book is well paced, a lot of what happens requires the reader to suspend rather a big chunk of disbelief, but it thankfully avoids following the Agatha Christie style 'And then there were none' approach, preferring instead to save up a lot of the action and deliver it in a 'blink and you'll miss it' finale. Did I believe the baddie would do what they did? Not entirely. Did I believe the mighty powerful techno-brains behind the world's great innovations? Only partially.

If I wanted one improvement it would be for the seven weekenders to be more logically linked to the story and for there to be a better reason for at least five of them to be there.

When seven strangers are invited to an all-expenses paid luxury retreat in order to test a new product from the mysterious Timeo Technologies, they eagerly accept. But soon their excitement turns to terror when it's revealed why they're really there.

Each of them has a guilty secret and instead of luxury they find a trap. Will any of them make it out alive?

I have to say, the premise of this book is a lot more exciting than the actual novel. It's a quick read that does not move quickly, if that makes any sense. The plot is slowed down by a lot of backstory, but its backstory that doesn't illuminate anything. The book rests on two narratives: the present tense of the guests POVs (only the females; the three male protagonists never get a chapter) and the past story of "Anne" and "George." It's clear the past plays an important role in why the strangers were brought together, but it's simply to tell us over and over that "Father was a bad man." But we're never really shown anything to make us care. This leaves the ending bizarre and lackluster.

Likewise, in the present story, no one's really developed in a way to make you feel connected to them or care about what's happening and their reactions to what's unfolding are just strange. As their secrets are revealed and each is shown to be a terrible (actually, how are most of them not in jail?) person, they keep hammering home that, "no, this isn't real, it's all a game. And even if it's not, everyone does terrible things so our terrible things are justifiable!" Amelia repeats this to herself so much it's annoying, and no dear, while a lot of people may harbor memories they're not that proud of, most of us haven't committed acts of murder/brutal, bloody assault.

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for making this available to review. I'll have to recommend this lightly. It wasn't the worst thing I've read, and it was entertaining enough to keep me reading, but I was hoping for a little more intensity throughout. Or at least be a little more believable.

I really liked the majority of this book but the ending let it down in my honest opinion. It fell felt and didn’t live up to expectation sadly. Sadly because 90% was great. Possible rewrite before actual publication???

The Last Resort is a modern-day thriller that felt like The House on Haunted Hill had been combined with aspects of The Hunger Games. Containing equal parts of sci-fi, mystery, and thriller, this story started off interestingly with seven strangers sitting on a plane, being flown to an unknown destination for a luxury experience. However, when it comes out that most of the participants were coaxed there using blackmail, and strange happenings begin occurring, the experience becomes more about survival and less about the luxury getaway they were all promised.

I found the plot of The Last Resort to be very exciting and it kept me guessing throughout the story; trying to figure out each characters’ dark secret, the backstory of the main protagonist, Amelia, and who the mastermind was behind the entire experience. I enjoyed how Holliday wrote the story from the different character perspectives and at certain points had each of the character’s experiences overlap so that readers could see parts of the story from different views. I also liked how you slowly were given more information about each of the characters, especially as their dark past was revealed. Holliday was able to create several characters that were both likable and hated all at once, which is often difficult to do. Her ability to intertwine multiple characters and their personalities kept the story fluid and I often found myself not wanting to put it down because I needed to know who was behind all of this.

While I did appreciate how Holliday created each character, along with their sordid pasts, I did find myself wanting more at the end. I wished there had been a bit more development with each of the characters, as well as with the flashbacks that were trickled throughout the story. I also was a little disappointed with how abruptly the story ended. While the ending was not something I would have predicted, it could have had more depth to tie together the various story lines together.

Overall, this was a fast read that took a different spin on the frequently written thriller. I would still recommend for anyone that enjoys a good mystery and thriller that they add this to their reading list.

The Last Resort is a gripping thriller that mixes in technology and wearable devices expertly. While I was reading there were some And Then There Were None and Black Mirror vibes.

Seven strangers have been invited on a luxury trip to review new devices and technology created by a mysterious company. They meet for the first time on the plane to the island. Amelia, a notable aid worker feels wildly out of place alongside a game developer, social media influencer, and financial powerhouse. Despite their hodgepodge backgrounds, they are quickly bonded when the plane experiences severe turbulence and they realize, this trip may not be the luxury adventure they were promised.

After the harrowing flight, the guests are greeted by Harvey – seemingly the only person on a remote island. But it is difficult to know where the plane landed and where they are as it seems they were drugged on the plane and woke up here. Wherever here is.

The promise of luxury is even farther removed when Harvey equips each of them with a prototype of a new wearable device the mysterious company is developing. He indicates that the device taps into their neural networks. It seems completely fanciful and too futuristic to be real but somehow, device knows things about the guest’s lives, it knows their darkest well buried past.

The Last Resort has a locked room feel with the guests being trapped on the island. The combination of this and the futuristic tech is intriguing, and I flew through the first 75% of this book but wow the ending was… such a letdown.

Dredging up the past of the seven guests felt like it was leading somewhere. How are these seven strangers connected? And then, the climax wraps up the connection, but it seemingly leaves out the relevance of five of the guests.

I could have looked past that since the significance of the island was established but I ended up reviewing 3/5 stars because the actual ending was so dull. It easily could have wrapped up a different way. The whole focus was on the technology but the ended fizzled. It truly felt like the book was unfinished.

I absolutely loved the idea and premise of this book however after reading the first few chapters im not entirely sure it fits in with my interests as a reader. I dont tend to lean more towards the dystopian side of thrillers (the ear devices in the first few chapters for e.g.). That being said, should that be enjoyable for a reader, im sure this book would be a hit.

I want to thank NetGalley, Amazon Publishing UK, and author Susi Holliday for providing me with an ARC of this novel!

This was a reading experience unlike anything I’ve had before! This was a super compelling story that I was unable to put down once I started it. I felt like the author had transported me into this world to see first-hand what was happening. This really kept bringing me back to the TV show Black Mirror, one of my favorites. The idea was spot on. If advancing technology freaks you out, I don’t recommend reading this; it will unsettle you until the awesome twist at the end. But I say get over it and read this!! It was superb!

Thank you again to those named above for the chance to read and review this novel!

WOW!!! Wait till you read this story!

The reader is treated to a high tech - but not impossible - suspense thriller!

Seven very different people are invited on a "luxury concept island " trip. Since they are being offered money, too, they had figured - what the heck.
These seven have no idea where they are flying to in their small plane. Upon arrival, shock and utter bewilderment are only their first reactions....

Superb characterization and vivid description add to this wild read. Super suspense awaits at every turn of the page!

Praise for Susi Holliday.

Many Thanks, as always, to Amazon Publishing, UK ; Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for a real adventure.!

This book is really a perfect example of missed potential.

The plot is so very promising, and everything I would have hoped for. And Then There Were None with a techy Black Mirror twist? People with dark secrets in a locked room mystery? Of course I was going to get it, but I was so very let down. Some things are truly too good to be true.

But, before I get into some criticisms I must say this book is here for one reason only, and that is to be entertaining. Even though I didn't get as much entertainment out of it, this is honestly a goofy ride and if you're ready to roll with it just roll with it!

Like I said, The Last Resort had so much potential with the technology aspect. But, I didn't find it to be used to its fullest abilities. It was cool, but there was definitely more that could have been done. And atmospherically it could've pulled a lot more off. It felt as if the characters were spending 50% of the book in the same area until the very end. It almost felt claustrophobic in a way and I was begging for something to happen so they could all get split apart. Speaking of characters, I thought a lot was missing. Their basis and personalities are fine, but I was really lacking any of their true character arcs once the book ended. I love subtle dialogue where we get all of the information we need without someone having to actually say it, and this book did the opposite of that. It was almost trying a little bit too hard for me to hate their characters and understand what their goals were.

In the end, this was just for entertainment book. I gave it a one-star due to my thinking "is there anyone I would be able to recommend this too?" And I had to sadly answer a no to that question.

One of the strangest books I've read in a long time. I was really excited when I was approved for this book. It had such an interesting premise but ultimately a disappointing ending.

Seven strangers are brought to a mystery location and promised an all-expenses paid 'luxury' retreat where all they have to do in return is test some new products for Timeo Technologies. Sounds easy enough and the seven go willingly. Immediately things are off but like sheep they all follow each other mindlessly. The characters are all quite dull and I wasn't rooting for any of them.

They were told it would take approximately 19 hours to get to their destination, not that they know what their destination is. They also have to walk there. Through dense bush land. Luxury it ain't. I felt like I was reading for 19 hours what should have been a relatively short story. Over descriptions of the surroundings (I get it, they are in the bush) and the characters constant whinging about where they are going were tiresome. However, there were some things that kept me going. It was alluded that Amelia wasn't actually meant to be on the island. She may not have been selected like the other six. I was right about her having ulterior motives but just not in the way I thought. Also, I desperately wanted to know how this bizarre story ended. What were they doing there? Where they all going to start dying one by one Agatha Christie style?

Halfway through, I was still bored. I guess I expected more people to be dead. Or maybe some big revelations? When this didn't happen I was sure the ending was going to be a big one. I only hoped it wasn't going to be like the TV show Lost. You know, no ending at all. All a dream. Please God no. I was wrong. It was worse. Honestly, the most implausible ending I've ever read. The small flash back scenes did not help. The ending just didn't make sense. Probably better off making it all a dream.

Look, the writing wasn't bad. The descriptions of the scenery, vast and wide, were good. I did feel like I was emerged in the jungle and on the beach. And I liked the cover, very eye catching. Sadly, this story is forgettable.

**Thank you to Amazon Publishing UK for providing my review copy via NetGalley.

The Last Resort by Susi Holliday reminds me of Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None” but with the modern trappings of a futuristic hi-tech era. It puts a sci-fi twist on a good old murder mystery.

Seven people are invited to a luxury getaway on an exclusive private Island. They’re unsure of exactly what they’re supposed to do when they get there, but soon they realize that the adventure they’ve embarked upon is not what they thought it would be.

They’re fitted with devices that reveal their innermost secrets and as it turns out, they aren’t very nice people after all. Things start to go very strange after that and it becomes apparent that not all of them will make it out alive.

I really liked the concept of the book and how it took modern elements and combined them with the classic elements of a murder mystery.

Each chapter was from the perspective of a different character, and that was quite interesting as well. However, we never really got to know the characters in depth and it all seemed to just skim the surface of the characters’ personalities, which makes them come off a bit shallow.

As much as I enjoyed the book, I thought the ending lacked a certain something. I would have liked a stronger motive for the events that transpired and a deeper connection to the story line.

This is a good book for mystery fans, and especially those who like their mystery with a modern spin.

Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advance reader’s copy, for an honest review.

The Last Resort is a wild, slightly over-the-top mystery for those who are able to sit back and just enjoy the ride not worrying too much about logistics. The novel is clearly based on Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, but beyond the setting and circumstances the plot is definitely updated. The book is technology heavy which gives it a bit of a different feel and atmosphere than ATTWN. I enjoyed the book, and the technology aspect was an intriguing change that felt sinister because what if tech like this is an option in the future? (That'll definitely be the end of going on vacations with strangers without knowing where you're headed!)

Content Warnings: SPOILER racism; incest; domestic violence; child abuse END SPOILERS

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions in this review are honest and my own.

Seven strangers find themselves on an airplane, all mysteriously picked to be a part of a super secret, exclusive, ultra luxurious resort. Soon after landing though, they begin to realize that what they thought they signed up for may not be the case, and that things they never thought possible begin to happen. The seven strangers need to work together to survive, but no one is sure who they can trust or cannot trust.

Most of this book had me completely hooked. I could not stop reading, just trying to get to the end as fast as possible because I NEEDED to know what was happening. But the ending left so much to be desired and was a total let down. This book had a lot of potential, and I did enjoy reading it. I just think that the ending was wrapped up too quickly, leaving a lot questions and dissatisfaction for the reader.

Between the sinister looking cover, and the ominous, promising sounding synopsis, I had high hopes for this book, as it sounded like my exact cup of tea. Unfortunately, I was completely let down, as it failed to deliver and live up to my expectations.

While I believe this was supposed to be a whodunnit/locked room book (aka plot lines in which I love), it was just not up to par in this book and all felt a bit too amateur. There is a cryptic backstory, but its so vague, that its pretty much nonexistent.

The beginning of the story is perhaps the most interesting part of the book, if only because it involves the characters being onboard a plane on the way to a mysterious destination, wondering what's in store for them and why. I almost wish I hadn't found out why, cause it's all so outlandish and ridiculous, TBH.

The plot is essentially a group of cardboard cutout characters, arriving at a luxury resort, going through a series of trials to find out what's really happening, and being killed in dull, ridiculous ways. There's also some futuristic technology involved. I..just didn't get it.

Given a different set of characters, more interesting elements, and a more developed plot line, perhaps I would have enjoyed this a little more. Maybe even a lot more. But unfortunately, I just could not bring myself to like this book.

Unfortunately, this wasn't for me and I can't see myself recommending it, as there are other books similar to this one, but better.

Thank you to #netgalley, #amazonpublishinguk and #susiholliday for the eARC of this book.

Black mirror meets survivor meets fantasy island!
What a great idea for a book, I really enjoyed the premise. Because of the way technology is advancing it certainly had a very realistic yet creepy vibe.

I don't want to say much more as I think going into this book blind is the best way, but I will say for me the twist was kind of obvious, and I feel the ending was a bit of a letdown. But other than that, excellent storytelling!

This to me was let down by the silly ending. A mixture of Fantasy Island meets Lost, a group of people arrive on an Island with the promise of luxury and a sumptuous party in return for their feedback. Their party consists of a social influencer, a gossip columnist, a paparazzi photographer, a business woman, a nutritionist and a humanitarian.
It soon becomes apparent that this is no ordinary Island and it isn’t going to be all plain sailing. Then an accident kills one of them and the others realise that they are in danger.
#netgalley #TheLastResort

The ending came too soon on this read! This is one of those books where I want every charter to have their own spin off. Though the ending made it all seem a bit random... to not give too much away... it leaves me wanting more mystery, more secrets, more surprises!

I received this book as an ARC from Net Galley.

I have never read this author before. The book started out slow and got strange. I did not like this book at all.

This was a dnf book for me.

I tried - but this just got too ridiculous too quickly for me to even be invested enough to want to see it through... I'm fine with some suspension of disbelief - but this one went very far past that very early on. On top of that, I couldn't connect with any of the characters, all of whom were odious or irritating in their own way and felt like tropes trotted out to tick off boxes: ditzy girl, check; hipster dude, check; earnest do - gooder, check; brusque older woman, check; obnoxious American, check. The idea that any - let alone all - of these people would just go along with whatever was presented to them right out of the gate, just felt incredible - and not in a good way... I think I'm just not a good fit for this one. I was invited to review it - the blurb sounded dark and fast paced but I never found my way into caring about what was happening and ultimately it's just not my cup of tea...

Thanks to NetGalley and to the publisher for my ARC which I received in exchange for my honest review. I was immediately intrigued by the premise of this book and was so excited to be approved for the title. Even though the book is not due to be released until November, I skipped over some of the earlier releases in my NetGalley queue to read this one. I'm sorry to say that I was ultimately very disappointed.

The premise of the book is fantastic! Amelia, an aid worker, is intrigued when she receives an invitation to an all expenses paid, exclusive luxury island resort. Amelia soon finds herself on a private plane with six strangers en route to the island. It quickly becomes clear that none of the passengers on the plane have any idea as to what they have really agreed to. The island resort is owned by the mysterious Timeo Technology corporation and passengers are fitted with a memory tracking device upon arrival. The device not only guides the guests through their own personal journeys, it also reveals the deepest darkest secrets of each person to the rest of the group.The secrets are uniformly horrible and all of the characters are unlikeable.

The technology described in the book is amazing, very much like something you would see on Black Mirror. I get the sense that the author is a big fan of the series as Black Mirror is repeatedly referenced in the novel. I loved that aspect of the story and I was willing to suspend my disbelief just to see where this was headed. Unfortunately, it all falls apart. The author reveals the deepest secrets of the other guests on the island but yet the reader is not given enough background information about any of them to care when they start dropping like flies.

The big reveal at the end is beyond absurd. I still cannot fathom why or how the brief interaction the sole surviving guest had with the evil genius behind Timeo as a child could have resulted in a lifelong obsession. I am a huge fan of Black Mirror type storylines and locked room mysteries. This book truly had the potential to be fantastic but the reasoning behind the villain's actions is just so outlandish and tenuous that I couldn't help but be disappointed.

I think the author is very talented and I enjoyed her ambitious willingness to think outside the box. Although this book was not nearly as good as I hoped, I would be willing to give the author's next release a read.

The premise hooked me immediately, and I was intrigued enough to power through when the first part of the book felt a little too cryptic. Once things started to move, however, I couldn't put it down. Like some of the other reviewers, I was ultimately underwhelmed by the big reveal and had guessed many of the twists in advance. The ending just didn't seem to make sense with the rest of the book.

That said, there were parts of this I loved. Even though the perspectives jumped around quite a bit, I liked seeing the story unfold from different angles. The plot moved quickly and had enough head-scratching moments to keep me flying through the pages. I just wish the reveal made a bigger impact and felt more compatible with the majority of the plot.

Good premise, but I found that the book fell short. The idea of being trapped on an island with a bunch of strangers and being forced to tell all your secrets sounds super fascinating, but I feel like the story is a little off. More than once it compares itself to Black Mirror; in the book.

The Last Resort by Susi Holliday is like a mixture of And Then There Were None, The Most Dangerous Game, and 1984 all rolled into one lovely psychological thriller. The concept is that 7 people (one couple, but the rest are strangers) are invited invited to an island to provide their feedback on a new type of luxury experience. Each person has to sign a nondisclosure agreement in exchange for the experience and some type of remuneration. Upon arrival, the group begins to feel like less like invited guests and more like contestants on some type of reality show competition (think Big Brother with some touches of Survivor thrown in). Each guest is is promised to have an experience which has been tailor made for them; however, it is quickly revealed that this experience may not be what the guest actually wants. Everyone has a past that they would rather keep hidden, but secrets will be revealed.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. I liked the concept of using the advanced technology (I won't elaborate as I don't want to accidentally spoil anything). I liked how the author used the children's book series The Famous Five to help give a back story from the summer of 2000 to introduce mystery characters when they were children (using aliases from The Famous Five). I actually would have loved more from this back story because it also sounded rather fascinating. I also liked how one "minor" interaction between characters can seem trivial to one person while be something much more meaningful to other characters.
While I liked the overall concept of the book, the ending felt a bit rushed to me. I would have liked to have more information from the host. I also think that the final act of the host didn't seem to fit with the development of the character. Again, I don't want to spoil anything, but it kind of reminded me of the super villain in a comic book revealing their ultimate evil plan to the super hero and being thwarted by their own reveal. (This is NOT what happened, so NOT a spoiler -- it just felt similar to me.)

The premise was great, the execution not so much. The characters are shallow and their 'secrets' are not that great...This was much better executed in And Then There Were None. The ending is pretty ludicrous as well. Thank you for the review copy, unfortunately this was not for me.

I could not get into The Last Resort by Susi Holliday. I didn't connect with any of the characters. The synopsis sounded so good and that the story would be a page-turner. Seven strangers are invited to an all-expense paid retreat on a private island. It's revealed they are testing a memory tracking device, and their darkest secrets are told to the group. Sounds exciting, right? Nope. I had a difficult time getting through the first few chapters, but I kept hoping it would get better. The story was very long and felt too convoluted to be believable, especially the reveal at the end. The concept was interesting, though, but it just wasn't developed well.

#NetGalley #TheLastResort

#TheLastResort #NetGalley
A good read.
Amelia is invited to an all-expenses-paid retreat on a private island, the mysterious offer is too good to refuse. Along with six other strangers, she’s told they’re here to test a brand-new product for Timeo Technologies. But the guests’ excitement soon turns to terror when the real reason for their summons becomes clear.
Each guest has a guilty secret. And when they’re all forced to wear a memory-tracking device that reveals their dark and shameful deeds to their fellow guests, there’s no hiding from the past. This is no luxury retreat—it’s a trap they can’t get out of.
As the clock counts down to the lavish end-of-day party they’ve been promised, injuries and in-fighting split the group.
Characters were creepy but enjoyable.
Narration of the story is excellent.
Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for giving me an advance copy of this awesome thriller.

Thank you so much to Amazon Publishing and NetGalley for a;lowing me to review this book. This is my first NetGalley review and what a fantastic book.

This story had me gripped from the beginning and I finished it in a day. It was such an interesting concept which I haven't come across before.

The story begins with a group of strangers meeting on a plane. They have each been invited to a new luxury resort but have been told not to tell anyone of their trip. They all come from different backgrounds and have been invited for their particular skills. They arrive on an Island but have no idea where they are and what is going to take place over the coming hours. When they arrive they are all fitted with a tracker which can access their neural pathways. They all hope this means that they will have a personalized luxury experience. The device can access their memories, hopes and fears but all is not as it seems! They are tasked with making it to the big house for a party where all will be revealed.

I found all of the characters really interesting and was particularly drawn to the stoic Amelia. She seemed to be the most sensible of the group and was the one who kept the group together throughout the story. I liked the way each chapter focused on a different character and their perspective. It also kept referring back to what happened in the summer of 2000 which was the premise of the story. I loved how this was all tied up at the end. It was a very Big Brother brother like situation but t'he contestants didn't know what they were involved in. I found the story tense and pacey and I didn't want to put it down. I found the whole technology absolutely terrifying but also quite believable. It's very unusual for a book like this to make you laugh but there were a few moments that I did laugh out loud. I really enjoyed the cultural references too. Such a fantastic book. I am looking forward to reading more from this author..