An exciting, page-turning thriller, devoured in one sitting. I particularly like the premise of six women who had been friends since school, brought together by a shared love of climbing - a refreshing change from the usual university reunion or work-colleagues-who-hate-each-other scenario.

I wasn't overawed by the writing, and the dialogue felt a bit artificial at times, but despite this the characters were well crafted and (on the whole) believable, and overall this was an enjoyable read.

Six old school friends. One murderer. An entertaining thriller.

I liked that the action with this one started immediately and I appreciated the open ending. I waffled a bit on the story, but overall enjoyed this title.

Thanks to HarperCollins UK/One More Chapter and NetGalley for the eARC of this title. Opinions shared are influenced by nothing other than my reading experience.

A group of former friends descend on an almost deserted island for a weekend of adventure and activities. Most had barely spoken since high school but all are, for different reasons, eager to escape their current lives and relive some of the fun times they used to share. Their very first event involves abseiling down the side of the lighthouse, one of the few man-made structures on the island, and very nearly ends in disaster for one of the group. Is someone sabotaging them? And, if so, just which of their many secrets does their persecutor want vengeance for?

This was a solid thriller, featuring an isolated island setting and an untrustworthy friendship group who all had something to hide. Basically, my favourite set-up for a mystery! I loved how Bennett kept a stream of mysteries consistently being revealed, which ensured I had many theories present at any one time, and that my focus was often misdirected from what was really occurring.

This was fun, fast-paced, and full of twists and turns that heightened my intrigue as I flew through the pages. I'd definitely read from this author again.

Shades of Agatha Christy's And Then There Were None. A tales of 6 old friends on a weekend away on a deserted island.
They are then cut off by a storm. Then strange things start to happen. It has to be one of these women or the warden of the observation post.
A real who done it.

A well written mystery. Six friends travel to an isolated island to reconnect, Things start to go wrong and keep going wrong. Great characters. The ending did surprise me. I recommend this book. Thanks to NetGalley, Harper Collins UK/One More Chapter and the Author for allowing me to read and review this book.

I wish to express my sincere thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK One More Chapter for this riveting 'locked room' style mystery. The setting was atmospheric and vividly described. Six young women arrive at a small, rocky island with treacherous cliffs for a weekend of adventure, which turns into a frightening misadventure. A raging storm followed by cold weather and wild churning seas cut them off from a timely return to the mainland. Their accommodation is disappointing, lacking in heat, electricity, and no means of communicating with the outside world. The island's only inhabitant is a part-time bird warden.

The six women, once friends, have drifted apart. They have reunited after ten years when they were last all together. Some are excited at the prospect of a weekend of fun and strenuous activity, but others were reluctant to participate. The plans include rock climbing, rappelling, and similar activities they enjoyed in their youth. It begins with an accident, or maybe it was purposefully caused. An intense storm starts up that strands them on the island with no way to get help. This is a fast-paced plot with signs of impending danger and events occurring at a breakneck speed.

First, they fear that an unknown person has arrived on the island and is targeting them. Next, they suspect and blame the female bird warden. Finally, they realize that someone within their group may threaten their lives. Each woman has lied or has secrets they don't want to be revealed, guilt from past events, and long-held resentments. Stress and blame shatter the group dynamics.

It did take me a while to distinguish the six women in the group and sort them by name and personality. I wished the ending had a more clearly defined resolution.

This is a non-stop thriller with plenty of action and without unnecessary fillers. The women have no time for relaxation as their prime concern is survival. Peril and menace develop at a rapid rate with plenty of distrust and action during increasingly worsening weather.
Recommended!

It seems like vacations are the current trend in murder mysteries and this title fits right in. It follows Lyndsey and her friends from high school as they embark on a weekend away to a small coastal island for some climbing adventures. Of course, everything starts to go wrong almost immediately upon arrival. One of the group falls while abseiling (rappelling) from a lighthouse and it leaves her out of commission for most of the trip. The living quarters are not at all what they were expecting and bad weather is closing in, quickly. They alternate between bickering and drinking and events soon turn deadly. Will any of them escape or will the island claim six new victims?

Because of the setting, there's plenty of dialogue, but not much action except for movement between the same few locations on the island. Keeping track of which characters go where and when they do so can get a little tricky, as the women are constantly looking for this or that, or whomever is the latest to wander away from the bunkhouse. Once the secrets start spilling, the story really gets going. Now there are motivations to match some of the strange behaviors. Although there never was an explanation why Lyndsey's character eschews romantic relationships. I have no issue with that, it's just an odd trait to include with no cause or reasoning. That's not a spoiler, she's just apparently like this and brings it up more than once.

The ending probably won't come as a surprise to most people, but it's still fun to ride it out. Although male characters figure in the plot, they don't appear anywhere in the action, which is refreshing. This is about these six women and their compelling relationship. Have the passing years strengthened their bond or caused it to fall apart? You'll have to decide that one for yourself.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy of The weekend escape.
I got Lucy Foley, The Guest Book vibes feom this book.

A deserted island, a vicious storm, a murderer amongst friends…
It was meant to be a fun reunion, a chance for six friends to reconnect and relive the adventures that brought them together in the first place. But from the moment they arrive on their island home for the weekend, Lyndsey, Sonia, Bobbie, Amanda, Juliet, and Val realise that their paradise is filled with peril, and there are consequences when you try to outrun the ghosts of your past.

As everything starts to fall apart, and the friends begin to turn against one another, deep, dark secrets are revealed, and an unimaginable horror is unleashed. They came seeking adventure, but now they’ll be lucky to leave with their lives…

Just an ok read for me. I guessed who the perpetrator was and the reason fairly early on which was a disappointment but that said it had a good dynamic start and few red herrings along the way. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it

WELL THEN!

First, thank you to NetGalley and Publishers for gifting me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book started off strong and just never stopped.
with Characters that were lovely and relatable, a setting that was unsettling as all heck, to a gripping story line.. I devoured this book in no time, and I am not much of a thriller reader.
I definitely recommend this book to anyone and everyone.
It is intense and incredibly captivating.

I enjoyed reading this book. It had a good story to it. I liked the variety of characters in it. It was a well written book. I hope to read more books by this author.

A somewhat predictable formulaic book, a group of friends with secrets and they are dying one by one or are they. The unclear ending was the best part of the book but overall it was forgettable

Six girlfriends reunite for a weekend getaway on a mainly deserted island. What could go wrong? (Hehe)! When one of them experiences a tragedy, they begin to turn on each other and dark secrets emerge that threaten to tear their friendships apart. This novel moves with breakneck speed to reveal who is beyond the controversies. You certainly will want to stay away from islands for a while, or lighthouses, or jetties...ok, just stay home for a bit and read!

It starts out with a bang and I enjoyed the slow build as it revealed more clues about how the characters got to this point. It sucked me in immediately, and I didn’t want to put it down once I started. I do feel like it was similar in plot to other books I’ve read, but enjoyable nonetheless. Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my review.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book. This book had me gripped from the start. Great storyline and the characters where brilliant. Although I wasn’t that pushed on lyndsay it seemed to be all about her and what she didn’t have compared to her friends. She could have very easily had the life the rest of the group had. And the warden I though was unusual also. Other than that it’s a very good read. Would recommend it to anyone.

The Weekend Escape by Rakie Bennett.


Six friends set off to Shell Island , a remote inhabited island bar a lone female ranger, for a weekend of outdoor activities .
Although they have been friends for a long time a tragedy 10 years ago , changed everything.
It's not long after arriving that things begin to go wrong , and in a big way !
This is no Swallows and Amazons cosy mystery. They fall out with each other , accusations are abound , terrible secrets are discovered .
This story has it all , it was hard to keep up with it. Full of atmosphere , terrifying weather and nature adds to the suspense , and the island even has it's own character working against them.
It leaves you feeling like with friends like them . Who needs enemies

Lyndsey and her five friends travel to a deserted island for the weekend, a reunion to catch up and have some fun. But things quickly start to go wrong when one of them is injured, and then a storm begins. Then one of the group is murdered and the friends quickly start to turn against each other. Is someone else on the island? Or is one of the group responsible? Will they survive the weekend?

I loved this book! A thrilling and tense story with an interesting set of characters, and a brilliant ending. Recommended!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of the book in return for my honest feedback.

This story starts with a bang, and then tells the story of how we got there. I enjoyed the slow build up, seeing the friends turn against each other and try to work out what what going on & who was doing it. I loved the creepy atmosphere of the island. There were lots of twists that kept me guessing until the very end.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this as an Arc ebook, from the moment I opened this book to the moment I closed it, I was hooked and gripped! It took me 4 days (I'm a slow reader with a family to look after at home).
This book has everything you can really ask for Characters who are totally convincing, a storyline that holds you, and never gets boring. By around the 25% mark I did feel I knew the way the story was going to go, but at points I felt the writer was trying to confuse us and make us question our own theories.
Overall a brilliant read for me

The Weekend Escape was a good suspense building mystery. It takes place on a small island and the descriptive writing makes it easy to visualize the backdrop. As the story progressed, I was constantly going back and forth in my suspicions on what was going on and why/how things were happening. There was a point on the book about 3/4 of the way through I had been suspicious of every single character! Though similar stories have been told, I can honestly say I’ve yet to read an ending like this one that left me saying to myself, “Wait, did that REALLY happen?!”