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!

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.

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.

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.

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 promise of a luxury experience on an island turns deadly. 7 strangers chosen for a free luxury holiday on a secluded island. Of course nothing comes without a catch. Holliday put together a thriller with the expected twists and turns. Some loose ends were there but it was an easy read

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.

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.!

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!

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.

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.

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.

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 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???

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 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.

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 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.

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.