This is a detective mystery without an official detective. That role is occupied by Fran a woman in her fifties with emotional issues of her own, who attends a course run by a psychoanalytical organisation called SoulShrink. Her reason is to find out what happened three years previously to her sister Jenny who disappeared at a course in Gozo run by the same organisation. The book’s title is the question; was it Jenny’s last holiday? Jenny was declared to have committed suicide but her body was never found. Some of those attending the course in Wales were at the earlier one too. Fran goes under an assumed name and is not the only one doing the same. The book has impressive insights into emotional issues and behaviour. The story has twists and surprises leading to a satisfying conclusion. The psychoanalysis context is carefully handled. I recommend the book. It is a good read.

If you are like me, and prefer a well crafted mystery with clues to follow, and revelations that you can buy into, then this may NOT be the book for you.

This book will appeal to readers who have no trouble suspending disbelief!

Two years ago, at a Soul Shrink retreat in Gozo, two guests died, and one guest went missing, presumed dead.
Fran’s sister, Jenna was the guest who went missing.

So, what does Fran’s mother do, when she learns that Tom Wade has been released after serving his two year prison sentence, and that he will be running another retreat? She books a spot for Fran, so she can go investigate her sister’s death. No qualms about risking her remaining daughter’s life?

When Fran arrives, she learns that several other guests who had attended the retreat that Jenna was on, are in attendance as well. Because, having two guests on your retreat die, and one go missing isn’t too traumatic, right?

Fran teams up with a reporter who is undercover, to try to learn the truth.

When all the CRAZY is said and done, I hope the reporter was at least given an exclusive!

C. L. Taylor’s writing style is engaging and I have enjoyed her past work, so I look forward to reading what she releases next. But, this one was too OVER THE TOP, for me. 😕

Thank you to Avon books for my gifted copy provided through NetGalley!
It was my pleasure to provide a candid review!

Available April 29, 2021

Wellness retreats are supposed to be good for you, aren’t they? That’s what Jenna thought. But is that what happened? Did she commit suicide? Was she murdered? You must read this to find out! Her Last Holiday is told from three main points of view, which I love. Also told between past and present retreats, which I also loved. You get to see what’s happening from all perspectives and how it all connects and plays out. I definitely recommend Her Last Holiday by C.L. Taylor! Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the ARC!!

Clever mystery about a women who goes on a retreat to Gozo and never returns. The parents ask the remaining sister to find out what happened there, so she goes on a similar retreat two years later. The head guru of the retreat has just been released from prison and she meets him, his wife, and many needy, gullible people in dark places. I was reminded of the incident years ago when several people at a sweat lodge died due to the inadequacies of the leader. It was uncomfortable knowing these characters were being taken for a ride by spiritual hooey. The mystery was drawn out and eventually solved, and it kept my attention to the very end. Very enjoyable read whether or not you’ve had experience with retreats, life coaches, etc.
Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

You can always count on a C L Taylor book to be tense and thrilling and Her Last Holiday is no exception. I read this over a couple of days and found it impossible to put down.

Two years ago Fran’s sister Jenna disappeared at a wellness retreat in Gozo. The man behind the retreats has now been released from prison having Ben convicted of the deaths of two people, but no one knows what happened to Jenna. Desperate for the truth, Fran enrols herself on his retreat in Wales and finds herself face to face with him. Will Fran find out the truth about Jenna, it seems more than one person wants Jenna’s secrets to stay hidden.

This book is well written over two timelines which adds to the drama. I can highly recommend this book. Thank you to NetGalley, Avon Books UK and the author for the chance to review.

This book was addictive and exciting because I really had no idea where it was going. I really enjoyed the three perspectives which helped build suspense, particularly towards the last section of the book. I do think the ending was a little anticlimactic, which was a shame, because the plot itself felt so unique and not at all expected. It was also less sinister than I anticipated and more focused on the relationships between the characters. However I enjoyed the unexpected direction the story took.

Overall a good book which I found very easy to get stuck into.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Her Last Holiday by @cltaylorauthor
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When young Jenna visits a retreat in a desperate bid to “find herself” she finds herself caught up with the hosts who are not all as they seem. Jenna subsequently disappears and it is ruled as suicide. Not satisfied with these answers, older sister Fran books herself into the same retreat (although the location is now in wales) where the same deceit and manipulation is occurring. Will Fran and her family get the answers they deserve?
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Another expertly written novel from Taylor which effortlessly slips between the main characters and two time period of ‘then’ and ‘now’. Definitely one to add to your TBR pile.
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Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books U.K. for this ARC

With Cally’s books you always get a page turner and I defy you not to finish her books in a few days. This latest addition is no different for me although I feel the premise is a little similar to a couple of her books I have read.
I wouldn’t let that put you off though as she’s probably the best thriller authors out there and her twists will have you guessing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the advanced copy.

Loved this book, C.L Taylor sure knows how to keep the twists and turns coming. I had an idea of "who dunnit" but love it when you get to the end and it's all been turned on its head.
Thank you for letting me read this, I will 100% be recommending this to my fellow book lovers
Another 5 Stars for C.L.Taylor

Another pacy book from C L Taylor, to be devoured hungrily so as not to lose track of any plot twists. I was sure I’d predicted the twists and outcome, but I was so far wrong!
I love all of C L Taylor’s books, but this might be my favourite yet. The story skips back and forth between present day and the holiday in which Fran’s sister went missing. She has been assumed to have committed suicide, but Fran believe last there’s more to this verdict than meets the eye. Fran’s overbearing mother is determined that she should find out what happened and so persuades her to attend a life retreat run by the man she believes is responsible for the death of her sister. Brilliant from start to finish. Highly recommended

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I have read a number of this author's previous books, so was very keen to get started on this one too.

The story contained all the ingredients expected in a good pschological thriller.

The storyline regularly flipped from present to past, and was also told by multiple perspectives. Some of the characters also had past and present names, and some had aliases. The reader has to be on their mettle with this book, and I would recommend reading in one sitting or at least very quickly.

For me personally, I have to drop one star simply because I only read a few chapters a night, and I had a job keeping up!

coming out at the beginning of the year! So when I found out that we would have not one but 2 books by her I was over the moon!


And of course I was not disappointed! The plot is fantastic and captivating with this suspense slowly building up in an incredible plot.

I love the different points of view from the different characters and also enjoyed reading the stories from the past as well.

I was captivated from chapter one and I really love the complexity of the characters. They are not only realistic - which normally makes them quite relatable - but you can also see them grow throughout the book which makes the plot really interesting.

C L Taylor always leaves us with some food for thought and, although I tend to get a bit frustrated with books that may leave the ending or plot lines open to interpretation, I never feel that towards C L Taylor’s books.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book (and all others by C L Taylor) and can’t wait for her next book!

I would like to thank Netgalley and Avon Books for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

As a huge C.L Taylor fan, I was looking forward to her next novel out, so when I saw it available to request on NetGalley I knew I had to. And then when my request was accepted I was beyond excited!

Like all her books, I’m hooked by the first page, and this was indeed no different. I read it within a couple of days as I couldn’t put it down. I’m so grateful to have been approved for this.

This should appeal to readers who enjoy the likes of Ruth Ware and Lucy Foley.

Rating: 4.0/5

Thank goodness for C.J. Taylor! Having recently battled my way through a couple of books that were less than enjoyable, it was a relief to get my hands on something that was a pleasure to read.

In her latest offering, Cally Taylor has produced a story that essentially has a mystery at its core, but which also touches on family (particularly sibling) relationships and the impact that unrevealed secrets can have on future events. The novel also questions the rôle and motivations of self-styled, self-help groups and the. often charismatic. people who run them.

The narrative operates across two timelines: The present day and also at a point 2-3 years earlier. Jenna, the sister of our lead protagonist, Fran, disappeared while attending a wellness retreat. The man behind the self-help retreat, Tom Wade, has since been serving a jail sentence as a result of two other people dying while they were in attendance. Jenna's body was never found, nor was she heard from again, and Tom has never revealed what happened to her. Following his release from imprisonment Tom is set to pick up where he left off and run another wellness retreat. So, Fran signs up for the course - and goes in search of the truth.

Along with her contemporaries, Ruth Ware and Lucy Foley, C.J. Taylor has an impressive knack of creating settings and characters that are authentic and relatable. As a result, the reader is more accepting of the world they are being invited into and the scenario being presented. She achieves that again with this novel and while it is, perhaps, not her best, it is still very good.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.

Disaster strikes a self help Guru's retreat leaving two read and one other missing. As the leader of the retreat leaves a short prison sentence he sets about organising a new venture. Among the first recruits are the sister of the missing person and an investigative journalist, both determined to find out what happened. Great story told through the eyes of three main characters.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book, I am a regular reader of this author and this book had many turns and lots of tension. I loved the ending and could of had added epilogue to it. I fully recommend this book great edgy suspense tense novel

It took me a little bit to get into this book but when I did I really got invested. Switching back and forth between past and present the reader follows multiple characters on a wellness journey.

I was a little sad that I guessed the correct ending pretty early on into the book. But that didn’t turn me off from finishing the book. There were still so many small details to get and I enjoyed continuing to piece them together.

My favorite character was Fran. She was definitely rough around the edges at the start of the book. By the end I feel like Fran had blossomed and I loved following her journey. Fran and Jenna (sisters) struggled with a dysfunctional family situation which I found relatable. I also found the self help aspect of this story interesting!

This was my first C.L. Taylor book and I am looking forward to reading more!

I'm giving this book 3.5 stars

It's hard to rate this as there were bits that I loved whilst other parts that for me just didn't work.

The story itself sounding intriguing. I love the back and forth of past and present.

Little snippets slowly being revealed, adding to the tension and the mystery.

However I just didn't gel with any of the characters. None of them seemed rounded enough (if that's the right way to say it), they just didn't draw any emotion from me.

I persevered as the book as a whole was ok but the ending lost me.

The author was going for a big reveal and an even bigger twist but in my personal opinion it fell flat. It was like the story was rushed at the end, too quick to try and reach some sort of conclusion.

Rather than being shocked (I'd worked out a chunk of it), I was instead left thinking that it just wasn't all plausible. And for me a book that could somehow be reality is one that truly hooks me.

Over all an OK read, which I'm sure many will actually enjoy. This just wasn't the thriller for me.

I was hooked from the beginning and i my attention was kept the whole way through as i wanted to find out what was going on.
All the characters are well thought out and have their own personalities
This was a great book. It was very well written. And a quick weekend read.

Wow, this one was fantastic!! I just knew that it was going to be an amazing thriller and the suspense was there the whole novel!