This is the first C.L. Taylor book I've read and it was ok. Kate's attitude regarding her ex-con husband leaves a lot to be desired. The changes in narrative occasionally got confusing but on a whole the book was ok.

I received an ebook ARC from Netgalley and this is my voluntary, honest review.

At a retreat on Gozo Fran tries to find out the truth behind her sister Jenna's supposed suicide at a previous retreat run by Tom Wade. Jenna's body has never been found but two other people died at the same retreat and Tom served time because of this.

I liked that the mystery was set at a wellness retreat with some weird characters involved. The twist at the end was too far-fetched for me, which was a shame because I did enjoy the story until the denouement.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books for the opportunity to read and review Her Last Holiday.

You come to Soul Shrink to be healed. You don’t expect to die.

Tom Wade is the man behind Soul Shrink Retreats and has just served time for the deaths of two people that attended one of his retreats in Gozo two years ago, the same retreat that Jenna, another of his clients, went missing from at the same time, also presumed dead. Now two years on, and still racked with guilt that she wasn't there for her sister, Fran is determined to find out what happened, so with the company re-established by Tom and his wife Kate, she decides to book herself on the retreat they have organised in Wales, in the hope that she can uncover the truth, but someone has other ideas and wants to keep those secrets hidden.

This latest thriller by C L Taylor is told across two timelines; Then and Now, and from the perspectives of three women; Fran, Jenna and Kate. It's an intriguing read with a few twists to the tale along the way, some likeable characters and some not so much, the plot is authentic, although at times questionable but, in true Taylor style, kept me gripped to the end, hoping that Fran would get the answers she was looking for. It's a book that requires concentration as it jumps back and forth between the timelines, but don't let that put you off, because it's definitely worth reading.

I'd like to thank Avon Books UK and Netgalley for the approval. I will post my review on Amazon and Goodreads.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read Her Last Holiday.

Unfortunately this book just didn’t work well with me? Although the first few chapters grabbed my attention, I overall found it dragging on a bit and didn’t really find the story interesting enough to keep me engaged,

Jenna went missing on a Wellness retreat in Malta two years ago. Two other people died on the retreat & Jenna was considered to have fallen/jumped off a cliff. The retreat leader, Tom was imprisoned for manslaughter. His wife Kate is anxiously waiting for him & keen to start up their SoulSearch business again. Jenna's mother is convinced he knows more about what happened to her & nags her elder daughter to find out by going on one of their retreats in Wales. Fran is not very keen. She doesn't get on with her overbearing mother & the age gap meant she had never been all that close to Jenna but she eventually agrees. The story is told from the three perspectives of Kate, Jenna & Fran. Although she was so prickly I liked Fran very much, she had been through a lot- I loathed her mother!!

I really enjoyed this book. There were surprises & twists that kept me guessing. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

I enjoyed this book and do like reading books by this author. Fran's sister Jenna died during a wellness retreat on Gozo two years ago; apparently committing suicide. Two others also died and Tom, who ran the retreat, is jailed. We join the book on his release from prison where his wife, Kate, is keen to get him back up and running and making money, despite his reservations. When a new retreat is announced, Fran's mother bullies her to go to find out what happened to Jenna.

It is a book that makes you want to keep reading to find out what the truth is and whether we get to the truth. I found the book moved well during the first two thirds but seemed a bit rushed at the end. Overall a good read that you won't want to put down.

Really enjoyed this book and loved the twists and turns that kept catching me out! Fast paced and easy to read, I highly recommend it.

I`m a great fan of CL Taylor but this book is the weakest.

Fran`s sister Jenna disappeared while on a wellness retreat run by Tom Wade in Malta, her body was not found and the police reported it as suicide.
Years later Fran encouraged by her mother goes on a retreat in Wales run by Tom to hopefully find out the truth that happened to Jenna.

I found it confusing with the plot going from then and now very often and peoples names changing often, I couldn`t gel to any characters as thought they were a bit weak.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review

Her Last Holiday is a twisty thriller. The narrative is told from the point of view of three different women who are all connected to the story in someway.

Fran is searching for the truth about her sister’s disappearance. Wracked with guilt that she could have done something to prevent her sister’s disappearance and presumed death, she is determined to find some answers and sign up for an upcoming retreat under an assumed identity.

Other chapters are told from the point of view of Kate, the wife of Tom Wade. She is the driving force behind Soul Shrink retreats and has stood by him during his trail and prison sentence. She is desperate to rebuild their reputation and finances. Intelligent and manipulative, the relationship between Kate and Tom is clearly essential to their success, but also seems to be leading to their downfall.

The final point of view is Jenna herself. What exactly happened on the retreat years earlier. Jenna’s chapters slowly reveal the truth and the relationships between the characters and the links between the past and the present untangle. How did she disappear and what role did Tom and Kate Wade play in her disappearance?

This is a compelling thriller that will send readers along the wrong path and keep them guessing. You are never quite certain who you can trust and which characters are telling the truth. Lots of lies and manipulation.

Fran is a really likeable character and I really hoped that she would be able to uncover the answers that she was looking for. She makes lots of errors and nearly reveals her true identity or multiple occasions. Fran begins the book completely down-trodden and in some ways really finds herself at the retreat – although no thanks to the techniques and the workshops. At points she struggles to maintain her composure and is herself not sure who amongst the retreat guests she can trust. This story wasn’t quite tied up in a neat bow at the end and there were still some questions and motives that are left unresolved

I’ve read a few thriller by C. L. Taylor in the last year or so and they are always twisty and always good so I definitely recommend this one. It’s 400 pages so not a short read – but it is fast paced and gripping throughout.

Thank you to Netgalley for gifting me an advanced copy of the Her Last Holiday

My thanks to Avon Books U.K. for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Her Last Holiday’ by C.L. Taylor.

This is C.L. Taylor’s latest psychological thriller.
Its main protagonist is Fran, a fifty-one year old woman, whose younger sister Jenna disappeared nearly three years ago during a wellness retreat in the Mediterranean that went terribly wrong.

The front man of Soul Shrink Retreats was Tom Wade, who has just been released from prison after serving a two year sentence for negligence in the deaths of two people on the retreat. Yet what about Jenna? Fran is determined to find out the truth, so books herself under a false name onto a SoulShrink retreat in Wales - the first since Tom’s release. No further details to order to avoid spoilers.

Like many novel’s in this popular sub genre, the narrative voice moves between a number of characters and is also split between events in the present and on the original retreat.

This was certainly a fast moving thriller. However, it did feel towards the end that the plot lost its credibility with what I would describe as ‘twists for twists sake’ rather than the more organic type.

I also found it difficult to warm to the characters, some of them seemed more suited to a soap opera, while others felt underdeveloped. I still enjoyed reading it though it’s one that I rate as an okay read as it didn’t feel particularly original and became so over the top by the conclusion.

It's two years since Jenna attended a seminar/retreat on the island of Gozo which was organised by Tom Wade a self proclaimed wellness guru. Unfortunately two people died at this retreat and Jenna disappeared and is presumed to have committed suicide as all of her belongings including her passport were still in her hotel room. Now Tom has served his prison sentence after being convicted of negligence and his wife Kate has organised another wellness retreat, this time in Wales.

Jenna's older sister is persuaded by their mother to attend this retreat under an assumed name in order to find out more about what happened to Jenna.

I did enjoy reading most of this book although suspension of disbelief is needed but it unfortunately became farcical towards the end. I can't say I found many of the characters to be very likeable.

If you loved C.L. Taylor's Sleep, then you'll love this too.
Her Last Holiday is a fast paced psychological mystery about the disappearance of one sister. Told between 2 timelines, with the points of view from 3 characters, this is a book filled with enough suspense to keep you on the edge of your seat until the end.

There had been a twelve year age gap between Fran and her sister Jenna. Fran had been sent to boarding school and didn’t have a great relationship with either her mum or sister. Jenna seemed to be treated better and was brought up differently plus she had a better rapport with her mum. After a relationship breakdown with ex boyfriend Nick and a shock that caused big problems between her and her mum, Jenna tried to speak to Fran about it, as it was her present that started this problem, but got knocked back because Fran was ‘too busy with work’. Jenna decided to go to a wellness retreat in Gozo to help sort herself out.

Unfortunately, she never came home, she just seemed to disappear. There was an incident at the retreat where two people died and Tom Wade from Soul Shrink was charged and put into prison for eighteen months. Her family never knew what happened and as it got nearer to the time for him to be released from prison, Fran’s mum Geraldine put pressure on Fran to find his address so she could speak to him. After a few months of being a free man, Kate had managed to persuade Tom to run another retreat in Wales. She did all the work needed to set it up, even vetting the guests as much as possible, to worm out journalists! When Geraldine knew about the new retreat, she put pressure on Fran to go, even booked a place using her own name so she could speak to him and find out the truth, face to face. So much harder to lie that way, so she reckoned.

Fran arrived at the retreat and nearly fell at the first hurdle by almost forgetting to introduce herself as Geraldine. Did Kate notice? Fran brought Jenna up as soon as possible and Tom took her for a private walk but she learnt nothing. Later, there was a note in her room, addressed to Fran so someone knew her real name but who?

This was a brilliant read from start to finish. You could feel the tension coming off the pages and between some of the characters. Exquisite writing and excellent plotting with diarised segments from Kate, Fran and Jenna, plus ‘Now’ and ‘Then’ too.

An average mystery read with a back and forward of present day (Fran) and the past (Jenna, Fran's sister).

I enjoyed the different perspectives and liked how the author kept things moving in both timelines. It really kept my attention since I wanted to see what had happened to Jenna. I didn't connect much with the characters, especially Fran, so by the end of the novel I didn't care too much on what had happened with her.

Thank you to Netgallery and Avon Books UK for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Her Last Holiday - C.L Taylor

I was immediately drawn to the story and wanted to know the story behind Jenna's disappearance. There were plenty of characters to get your teeth stuck into and this 100% helped to build the tension and suspicion surrounding them all. I did struggle to warm to anyone, and this has affected my final opinions as I just wasn't that desperate to finish the book. I thought it was a good plot but I did find it a little slow paced at times. Thank you so much Avon Books, Harper Collins and NetGalley for allowing me the chance to read and review this book.

It's the first book i read by this author and won't surely be the last as I liked it.
A gripping story that kept me turning pages and on the edge.
Well thought characters, great plot development and storytelling.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Another great book by CL Taylor.
Jenna disappeared whilst on a ‘Soul Shrink Retreat’ in Gozo two years ago. Whilst the organiser of the retreat, Tom Wade, was imprisoned for events which lead to the deaths of two of the participants at that retreat, it is still unclear exactly what happened to Jenna. Her sister, Fran, is determined to find out the truth.
Fran books herself a place on a retreat in the UK run by Tom, who has been recently released from prison. Can Fran get to the truth and find out what happened to Jenna?
Whilst the book is a mystery/ thriller, there is so much about the family relationships and the relationship between Jenna and Fran which makes this much more than just another thriller. A really great read.
Thanks to NetGalley for a Kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thoroughly enjoyed another roller coaster ride with CL Taylor. Top marks for creating a fifty something, abrasive, not always worldly wise heroine! Such a refreshing change. Fran, under pressure from her awful mother, is on a mission to find out what happened to her younger sister, Jenna. Jenna, reeling from the turmoil of some unexpected news, hopes to find solace on a wellness retreat in Gozo, falling in love with it's charismatic leader Tom. We know Tom has just been released from prison after being held responsible for two deaths on the retreat. We also know Jenna is missing, presumed dead after a fall. Was it suicide or was she pushed or is she still alive? There is barely a likeable character amongst them. Tom's partner Kate certainly has her own agenda for the success of Soul Shrink. Don't trust any of them... Fran joins a Welsh retreat incognito to find the truth. Many plot twists and turns, sometimes stretching credulity but we get there!

3.5 stars

Fran's sister Jenna went missing while on a wellness retreat two years and is believed to have committed suicide. There were two other deaths at the same retreat and now Tom, the leader of the retreat is being released from prison after serving time for those deaths, Fran is determined to try and find out what happened to her sister. When a new retreat is organised and her Mum books a place, but then can't go, Fran is persuaded to take her place. Will she be able to get the closure that her and her family needs?

Told from three different perspectives and two different timelines, this is a complex and twisty tale of secrets that needs a bit of concentration and a smidge of suspending your belief, particularly towards the end.

I have previously enjoyed several of C.L. Taylor's books, so I was really looking forward to this.
It seemed a little reminiscent of The Castaways by Lucy Clarke initially, whereby a woman's sister goes missing and the woman investigates the disappearance to get closure on what happened.
I was immediately drawn into the story and enjoyed making the theories around what happened to Jenna.
There was a multitude of characters to build suspicion around, and the dual timeline certainly added to the intrigue.
However, I feel that the story somewhat fell apart at the end. I had to suspend belief way too many times, and I rolled my eyes constantly. If a story is verging on the unbelievable, it loses it's integrity for me.
This book was somewhat of a disappointment I'm afraid.