This was a good popcorn read that would be great to read while on a beach somewhere. I just found it lacking in substance and found a few plot holes that bothered me. The cover is pretty and it fills that beach thriller trope well though.

Thank you NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for a complimentary copy of this novel!!!

What if you could escape your past and leave it all behind? That is exactly what Cass does when she arrives on a remote island in Thailand, Koh Sang. There she settles in and begins work as a scuba instructor and even gets engaged to Logan. While there, she grows close to a group of expats who have also settled there on the island to escape their past.

However, Cass cannot escape her past. Someone has found her and knows who she really is. One person is found dead at the bottom of a cliff. A dive student is later found dead as well. Then, a third person is found in an alley with their throat slit. Cassie’s past has finally caught up with her and she doesn’t know who she can trust. Someone is out to get her. Afterall, justice is best served cold!!!

This novel is a vacation thriller. It was a slow build up for me; but once it picks up, the secrets and revelations keep coming!!! This novel is perfect for fans of Rachel Hawkins and Andrea Bartz!!! Definitely not one to miss!!!

Content trigger warnings: mental illness, rape, self-harm

Oh... my... goodness... this book! I could NOT put it down!!! The Resort is a psychological slow burn thriller!

Welcome to Thailand, more specifically Koh Sang. You'll get the story from dual pov's Cass, a permanent resident at the resort, and Brooke, a Social media influencer who makes her way across the world traveling.

This book was gripping from the very first page. I had a hard time putting it down immediately when I picked it up. It’s one of those books you need to make sure you have time to sit and read because each chapter end with making you need to continue.

I enjoy thrillers written in multiple points of view, so that was a plus for me. I liked reading from Cass & Brooke’s point of views because they didn’t know who to trust so neither did I. I also liked the fact that we knew how both women saw the other characters actions in terms of the whole mystery.

An added bonus was the two main character’s didn’t even know if they could trust each other. I didn’t see the ending coming, and that’s what makes a good mystery/thriller for me. I will definitely be picking up more books by this author.

THE RESORT is a fun, inventive, psychological thriller of sorts that takes place in Thailand at a resort called Koh Sang. The cast of characters is interesting, all with something to hide. I liked the descriptions of the island, the resort, and I really liked the plot. My biggest gripe with the story was Brooke's story arch. She's presented to the cast as a travel influencer who's pretty and is always showing off her body (which isn't an issue for me). However, when the bodies start piling up, she immediately takes on the job of finding out who killed who. And when her reason for coming to the island is finally revealed, I literally CRINGED. I am not going to victim-blame Brooke because of what happened to her but to place the blame at the feet of another female - the other main character, Cass - was so unnecessary. Talk about internal misogyny. It also doesn't really vibe with her character because she always trying to be inclusive (she accuses one of the group members of racism when deciding on who could be suspects of one of the murders); she has a travel blog that she talks about preserving the environment where she's traveling, climate change, and all things sustainable while traveling. You'd think Brooke - being solo traveler - would be more open-minded about patriarchal structures within traveling and the world. She was too eager to jump to conclusions and then use the so-called evidence she found to fit the narrative she was looking to shape. This is a lot what cops do when they work murder cases. I didn't appreciate this aspect of her story. And there was a tidbit of her remorse at the end AFTER she realized her mistake and a MC died.

Overall, though, I did really like the book. A good page-turner and had me on my seat!

3.5 stars

The Last Resort is a slow burn mystery on the Koh Sang resort. There are two main women who each have their own POVs, Cass and Brooke. One woman has already been found dead and now there has been another. Who did it?

It’s slow going to get to the exciting parts of this story. The last 100 pages or so make the best part of the story. And that epilogue? Perfect.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmaek and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I could not get into this book. The Dual female POV were confusing as they were so similar. I struggled to get through it, but the twists were awesome. I loved the location of a remote island in Thailand as well as the scuba diving aspect. I feel those made this story unique. It was hard to like a lot of these characters.

The Koh Sang Resort in Thailand boast beautiful beaches, exotic views and secretive staff. Cass has been hiding from her past and working as a dive instructor at the resort. She has recently gotten engaged to Logan, a bar owner, and prays he never finds out what truly happened to her back in the States. Logan has secrets of his own that he wouldn't want Cass to find out. It seems that most of the staff are running from something and have ended up at the resort to hide.
Brooke is an influencer with her own agenda. She befriends Cass with an eye on getting revenge for her past trauma. When a young lady named Lucy shows up and starts asking questions about an accidental death, the staff close ranks. But Lucy ends up dead and the police rule it another accident. But Cass and Brooke are determined to figure out exactly what is going on. Even if they have to reveal their own secrets.
I'd like to add that the epilogue blows up the tidiness of the ending. ;)

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for this e-arc.*

Murder upends Cass's life in so many ways in this thriller set in Thailand. She's led a quiet life, hiding her secret and working as a dive instructor. But someone knows it and someone is a murderer. Brooke is an influencer who is meant to be on vacation and she's formed a romantic relationship with one of the other expats on Koh Song, These two tell the tale of a murderer- a murderer whose motives (or identity) won't be obvious until late in the novel. Ochs does a nice job with the culture of the expat community and with the atmospherics. This would have benefited from an editorial scrub of a bit of purple prose but it's still a page turner. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

𝘼 𝙨𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙫𝙖𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙚𝙩 𝙤𝙣 𝙖 𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙚 𝙞𝙨𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙬𝙤 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙬𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣, 𝙖 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙘 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙥 𝙤𝙛 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙨, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙢𝙪𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙥𝙤𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙚 𝙘𝙧𝙖𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣.

I had such a bumpy road with this book, I didn’t love it at first and got about 30% into it when I was considering DNF’ing it, but I’m so glad I didn’t. I did a combo of the ebook and audio.

It did take a while for me to get into the story, but it picked up towards the middle and the ending was crazy. I always struggle with thrillers nowadays because they end in such predictable ways - having already read so many in this genre. I’m glad I was satisfied with the way this one ended.

I will say, that there were a bunch of characters introduced right off the bat, it did get confusing remembering who was who.

The story is mainly told through the perspectives of Cass and Broke, both very interesting characters. They’re both unreliable and have many secrets of their own. There are a bunch of twists scattered throughout the book.

Overall, this was a solid thriller. The beginning was a bit slow and introduced too many characters right away, but it did eventually pick up and had me intrigued. I thought the ending was well done and the story as a whole was very enjoyable.

Thank you so much NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark, and RB Media for the review copies in exchange for my honest review!

Cas is a “permanent” at an island resort in Thailand. She is here because, like many others, she is running from her past. She is a dive instructor at the resort and even has a fiancé, Logan.

There has been a rash of deaths recently at the resort starting with a woman named Jacinta who fell from a cliff top. Are they merely accidents or is something else at play on the island?

Brooke is a social media influencer who has come to show here followers the island resort, but she’s also hiding a secret.

This book reminded me a little bit of Saint X by Alexis Schaitkin or We Were Never Here by Andrea Bartz. It’s a bit of a “locked room” mystery, but in this case the locked room is an island in Thailand.

There was a large cast of characters, which for me, usually confuses me and I can’t keep them straight. But with this book, that wasn’t the case.

I thought this book was a solid debut! It was suspenseful and there was a twist or two I didn’t see coming!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the ARC!

Thank you Netgalley Sara Ochs and Sourcebooks Landmark for an ARC of this book to review!

It was a bit of a slow start for me but quickly became a page turner. I needed to know more and the twists and turns just kept on coming.

Set on a remote island in Thailand, we’re introduced to Cass, a dive instructor, and her group of friends who work at the resort (The Permanents) as well as Brooke, a travel influencer, who is staying at the resort. You don’t end up living on a remote island unless you’re hiding something and everyone seems to have their fair share of secrets. When a guest is found dead, the second death in a matter of weeks, suspicions start flying and the story begins to unravel. Can they trust anyone?

I always enjoy a duel POV, this one was well done and it really kept me guessing and entertained. There were times though that I questioned the probability of certain things and the epilogue confused me so much I had to reread the last two chapters. Even with the reread I’m still left with many questions. I also struggled to keep the visualization of being on a beautiful, tropical island.

Overall, it was a good book and I would recommend it!

I am honestly shocked this is a debut! It’s been a while since I found a thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat, guessing until the last minute.

The book is told from two perspectives, and both narrators were so compelling, I couldn’t help but fly through the pages. I would absolutely recommend this to mystery and thriller readers who are looking for a propulsive read in a tropical setting.

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for granting me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A hidden haven for ex-pats with a past, and a party spot for those who are young, wild and carefree is the setting for The Resort by Sara Ochs. This was a highly anticipated read for me and while I was thoroughly entertained, I had to suspend a lot of belief for this to work. That said, this is a promising debut and I am looking forward to how she grows as a writer!

The setting was well done. I could really envision the resort in the remote island of Koh Sang. I also really liked the cast of characters. The twist between Cass and Brooke was thin though and felt like it came out of left field. Usually a twist hits and other things make more sense but this just felt very sudden. After this it felt like a new book but still entertaining as we start to learn the motives and history behind the events.

As twists continue to come they alternate between making sense and feeling like convenient ways to give another character backstory. It felt a little like a popcorn-thriller as the plot wrapped up. I did like the amends, however brief, that Cass and Brooke made with each other. The epilogue was another thing out of left field and unless there is a sequel it was totally unnecessary and just added to my confusion of where these breadcrumbs were left.

All that said, I was still fully entertained by how it all came together. Even when it doesn't all quite fit, it's a wild ride.

Wow-totally blindsided by the ending! This was a really good read-twists and turns and and ending that leaves you shocked. Just the kind of thriller I like!

Thank you for the ARC for my honest review.

Don't get me wrong, this is a solid thriller! It just wasn't for me.

The dual POVs between Brooke and Cass confused me at first and I'm not sure why! It's a slow start, but once secrets start being revealed, wow, do they pack a punch! The final twist shocked me but also didn't surprise me that much as I had a bad feeling about that particular character. It was hard for me to get behind any of the characters, and they all just fell a bit flat for me. The exotic location of a remote Thai island was lovely, but I didn't feel as though I were there.

If you enjoy vacation thrillers and reading about a community of expats all with dark pasts, then this is definitely a read for you!

The Resort was fantastic...it gave locked room vibes, but on an island and I may have unlocked a new trope I really like....drama/murder/mystery/locked room on an island vibes. This was really well written and all consuming.

I couldn't put it down and now crave a tropical vacation, but one with just a little less drama!

The Resort is a twisty, fun beach read about the expat community at a Thai resort -- largely people hiding out from their previous lives for various reasons -- which creates problems when someone comes looking for the truth. Mysterious people and deaths about and the quick misdirects keep you guessing through the end.

THE RESORT, by Sara Ochs, is a breathtaking and tangled thriller told in a dual POV. Cass is a Permanent, one of many who has made a home on the island, and Brooke is a vacationer and a travel influencer. Both Brooke and Cass have secret pasts, but so do most of the characters. So the reader can’t trust anyone, and it seems that every closet holds a skeleton. It’s a constant guessing game. And every time I had it figured out … well, I didn’t’! There are twists, and turns, and a fantastic final shock.

This reader loved the descriptions of the remote island setting, Koh Sang Resort in Thailand. Seasonal tropical storms, shocking murders, and heart-throbbing underwater dive scenes all make this book a page-turner. Girls’ trip, anyone?

And here’s the best news: This is author Sara Ochs’ debut book. I’ll be looking for more from her. THE RESORT publishes on February 6, 2024.

4.5 stars - Goodreads, please allow half stars!

On Koh Sang, a remote Thai island known for partying and its beautiful scuba diving, a group of expats have found a home at the island’s resort. Known as “the Permanents,” they left behind their old lives to start again in paradise. But they can’t run forever, as they soon find out, when a guest is found lodged in some coral during a scuba dive she was supposed to be on. The police quickly rule it an accident, but newbie Brooke doesn’t think so. And Cass, a Permanent with something to hide, is also suspicious. What they don’t realize is that everyone else is also hiding something. And the secrets may be deadly.

The book is told alternately between Brooke and Cass’ POVs.

This book is an amazing mystery set in paradise. It’s a vacation gone wrong in a book, and who doesn’t love that? The author does a great job of creating a really intensely suspenseful atmosphere and at times, I suspected just about everyone in the book. The author was that good at throwing red herrings around and was great with the twists - they came fast and furious!

Especially at the end! Oh the end! Wow, it was a nice wrap up while really throwing you for a loop. The way a good “end twist should be.

I just feel like there were some plot holes in there. I was a little confused about the logistics of some things, but maybe I just need to let go and accept that it just worked out the way it did and be done. In fact, I think it will. Because why not? It’s just a story and I liked the ending, so huzzah!

Overall, this was a fun, quick book - pick it up for an escape from the winter blues!