I love reading Daniel Hurst’s books. You know what you are getting. They are never too long. They won’t have overly complex plots with extraneous storylines. There will always be a couple of twists you won’t see coming. They fall into what I like to think of as popcorn thrillers, as they are entertaining, and you can just picture the story unfolding. They remind me of Keirsten Modglin and Freida McFadden. They are consistently good.

This one is no exception. Two families that the mothers/wives are best friends go off for a family holiday to a cabin in the woods. Everyone is full of secrets and the reader is left to wonder which ones will come to light. The chapters are short and they switch back and forth for the many POVs. They mostly also ended in a little bit of foreshadowing that kept you wanting to keep reading as the next chapter would then switch to another narrator and you would have to wait to follow up on the mini cliffhanger.

This one is a little less of a thriller than his normal books and more just mystery/suspense. I was able to figure out where most of the book was heading, but I still enjoyed the ride and can’t wait to read his next book.

I did both listen and read this one and thought it fit perfectly to have the dual narration by Zoe Mills and Richard Burnip. I didn’t prefer one version over the other and thought the narrators did a great job bringing the story to life.

If you are a fan of these short, entertaining, suspenseful books, then I think this one will entertain you.

This is an unexpectedly good little thriller. It’s one I almost passed over but am very glad I didn’t because it goes by quickly as it sucks you right in up until the very end.
Nicola (the main narrator) and her husband Ryan and their daughter are invited to stay in their friend's Kim and Lewis’s home in Scotland along with their son Cole. Alls is going well enough until Nicola hears something that she never expected. It doesn’t stop there though as she later finds out another big secret. Nicola is left reeling and has no idea what to do or how to handle things.
This book has characters that might appear a bit on the whiney side and they perhaps a little hard to stomach but at the same time they are characters with qualities that are very much ones that you may just find relatable as well.
The end of this book is something you really don’t see coming and the whole build up to it is absolutely worth it.
If you like audiobooks, this one is very good. It’s mostly told by Nicola but is also shared with the others a time or two. The narrators are fantastic and it’s one that is so easy to listen to. Thanks to NetGalley, I had the chance to do just that!

This book started out super slow. It wasn’t until more than halfway until it started to pick up. For me, that made it hard to get into and why it took me so long to finish listening. I will say the premise was a good one, however I feel it could have been a bit more thrilling.

It did however have a twist in the epilogue that was decent!

All in all, not a bad read/listen, however not something that will have you on the edge of your seat.

Mr. Hurst literally in my eyes couldn't write a bad book. I love and absolutely devour all of his books I'm able to get my hands on. Daniel Hurst is an auto-read author for me because I know I’ll be presented with a fast-paced psychological thriller that is, not only well-written but is guaranteed to get my pulse elevated! A paid for holiday is never free, you'll pay for it in some shape or forum.

I had the audio book and enjoyed the narrators. A weekend in friends second home in remote Scotland. The wifi is down much to the teenage sons angst and then the help needed as tensions rise. A good story with twists and turns and a moral what would you do?

This is pure Daniel Hurst.
I have read "The Doctor's Wife" from this author and really enjoyed it. This has similar parts to the book with a new psychological plot.
In a nutshell, Nicola,, her husband Ryan and daughter Emily, join Nicola’s long-time friend Kim, with husband Lewis and son, Cole, at their luxurious holiday home in Highlands Scotland. All perfectly normal so far right? But this is Daniel Hurst who will expertly turn this innocent scenario into a nightmare.
Things are never as they seem with this author so you soon learn not to take anything from face value.
The frightening thing is that this is totally believable....
For me the star of the show was once again the Highlands which I WANT TO VISIT after it being so beautifully described.
The other stars of the show were the wonderful narrators Zoe Mills and Richard Burnip who brought the whole tragedy to life with much emotion. Pure enjoyment....

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. Your best friend invites you and your family to spend the weekend with her and her family at their gorgeous holiday home. Nicola and Kim have been best friends for years in fact it was Kim who introduced Ryan and Nicola all those years ago so even though the husbands don't really care for each other, Nicola accepts Kim's invitation for the weekend getaway. Everything seems to be going great when one night Nicola overhears Kim and Nicola's husband, Ryan talking and what she hears will change everything about this holiday home getaway.

I really enjoyed this book it kept me interested throughout and I did like the characters, I really enjoyed the fact that the twist was not long and drawn out like some books can be. It was revealed and then the story quickly proceeded from there on. I would definitely read more books from this author. Enjoy!!!

3 stars!!

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for a free copy of this audio book in exchange for my unbiased review. I liked this one, but it wasn't a new favorite. It takes place at a secluded cabin in a wooded area very far from the nearest big city. The opening scene introduces you to all the main characters driving together in the car on the way to a family friend cabin getaway. This book has all the Daniel Hurst mainstays-marital problems, two-faced characters, and dual-perspective narrative-but the two main characters featured in first-person alternating chapters had awkward and explainy monologues. The way Hurst wrote the husband's and wife's internal chatter was just a little too 'spelled out' for you. There was too much telling and not enough intrigue or guesswork for the reader to play with. I was more hooked by the end than I expected to be despite my complaints, but I know Daniel Hurst can do better than this! I'm ready for the next one. Please up the writing game like I know you can do!

Two best friends Nicola and Kim joined by their families go on their typical holiday to Kim's new Holiday Home in Scotland. Nothing unordinary is about this trip, as the two families often tend to get together. But this trip uncovers multiple secrets the two families are keeping from their significant others.

Chilling domestic thriller presented to you by Daniel Hurst. Two best friends bound together by more than a simple close friendship. Once the elaborate secrets begin to emerge, we’re blasted with one immense shocker after another. I couldn’t stop reading! The betraying secrets and horrific actions of the characters destroy friendships, families, and trust in this dramatic novel.

The Holiday Home was a fast, fun read. Thank you, NetGalley for a free and advanced copy of the novel in the exchange for my honest review.

Really enjoyed this. Flowed well and enjoyed the characters. Liked the barration and plot & it wasn’t too drawn out like some domestic thrillers can be.

Daniel Hurst’s newest novel, The Holiday Home, is a tension filled tale about a family vacation that turns unexpectedly violent. Best friends Nicola and Kim, together with their spouses and children, are spending the weekend at a remote luxury cabin in Scotland that Kim’s husband just bought. Nicola’s husband Ryan is argumentative, and when Nicola sneaks a look at his text messages and also overhears a conversation between Ryan and Kim, she realizes they’ve been keeping a big secret. Things get worse from there and we readers wonder how many of these people are going to survive the weekend.

The plot moved quickly and entertained me. I listened to the audio book and enjoyed both narrators. It’s a short book and the characters’ personalities aren’t developed very much. I didn’t get attached to any of them or sympathize with their problems. Their internal dialogues were repetitive and many of their behaviors were unbelievable. I was mostly invested in finding out what would happen next in the narrative.

I recommend this novel if you want a fast easy read that you don’t have to think much about.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

It's been a bit since I've listened to an audiobook that had me so engrossed in the story. I listened to this one mainly while working and let me say how much I enjoyed this one. There were so many twists and turns, a lot of things happened I didn't see coming. I've definitely learned that there's a "type" of audiobook I enjoy listening to so much, and this fits that "type" perfectly! It was not too long, the narrators were perfect and the story was great!

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to preview this audio. I loved this book as I have with all from Daniel Hurst, The suspense and twists were immaculate. Chef’s kiss!
Quickly summarized, this is about two couples and their children escaping for a getaway together. When Nicola hears a conversation between her husband and her best friend, the trip quickly turns into a nightmare that will change their lives forever.
I would definitely recommend this to my fellow readers and friends.

An entertaining listen with a few twists and turns. It held my attention, but I wasn't on the edge of my seat.

Thank you NetGalley for the audio copy in exchange for a honest review. Nicola her husband Ryan and their daughter have been invited away to an isolated luxurious log cabin owned by Nicola’s best friend Kim and her husband Lewis and their son Cole. There is tension between Ryan and Lewis from the start. Then Nicola overhears a conversation between Ryan and Kim and her break turns into a nightmare. Yet another gripping thriller from Daniel Hurst.

Daniel Hurst never disappoints with his fast paced, intriguing thrillers. This was yet another one that held my attention from the very first page and had me on the edge of my seat until the very end. I love that he always throws in an extra little twist at the end that pushes his books from 4 stars to 5 stars for me. This one was full of twists and turns and plenty of betrayal. I really wasn't sure where this was headed at first but once things started to unfold, I wasn't sure how it could end realistically. I was pleasantly surprised by the ending and delighted at how things unfolded in the end. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Holiday Home - Daniel Hurst

The perfect Holiday Home in a stunning location with beautiful scenery and good company, sound perfect right!? Daniel Hurst did a great job of putting the reader on edge from the get go, I was drawn in by the scene setting and escapism of nature and was creeped out by the uncomfortable companionship's and past history between the two families.

The narrators did a great job showing the story from different POVs, and I thought the pace of the book was just right, as there was not unneeded fluff! This was my first experience of this author and I look forward to reading more from them.

Many thanks Netgalley and Bookouture Audio for an advance copy in return for my honest views,

Colleen Chi-Girl
Bookshelves: 2023, audio, contemporary, crime-mysteries, netgalley, scotland, thrillers
***-1/2 stars

This is my first Daniel Hurst novel and it was enjoyable. I read this ARC on audiobook and would like to thank the author, Bookouture, and NetGalley for my unbiased review.

Publisher's blurb to wet your appetite: "My best friend and her husband have invited me and my family to their lakeside property for the weekend, to experience their luxury lifestyle. I’m not envious of their wealth, although I know my husband Ryan is. All I want is to escape from our recent troubles and get my marriage back on track. Then I overhear Ryan having a whispered conversation late one evening, and he says something that sends a shiver down my spine. In this beautiful paradise, my whole world is turned upside down.
This was meant to be the perfect holiday, but someone isn’t going to survive it…"

The story starts off great and is told from various POV's. Nicola, her husband Ryan, and their teen daughter are being hosted by the wealthier couple Kim and Lewis at their posh Scottish summer home overlooking a loch. Kim and Nicola are best friends and go way back. The husbands, on the other hand, don't care for each other, but have agreed to spend the weekend together. Neither of them act mature and are jealous of the other man. Ryan bc Lewis has the summer house/wealth, while Lewis is jealous that Ryan is an easy-going friend to their (Lewis and Kim's) teenage son. Both men have this macho banter and it gets old and annoying. Then things shift dramatically...

Kim sees a text on Ryan's phone and she learns a secret that Ryan's been keeping from her. As things evolve, more and more is disclosed until the weekend and all the people begin to fall apart.

This was a pretty crazy story. I especially didn’t see that bomb that was dropped at the very end. The story was engaging and keeps you on the edge of the seat.

The holiday home

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the eARC copy of this novel

This story begins as a husband and wife visit the wive's friends.

Initially it appears that the husband's a bit too interested in how the young boy in the household's being raised, and although the visiting husband's actions trigger alarms, things aren't always as they seem.

Stay tuned for a captivating novel by Daniel Hurst.