Rollercoaster ride of a thriller. Just when you think you’ve figured the mystery out whiplash. Beautiful setting with the afternoon storm to wash everything clean. Make sure to not panic and always go with “friends”!

Welcome to Paradise.. or is it? You’ll want to dive into this one!! This book takes place in a beautiful remote island in Thailand. It centers around a resort and a group of friends working at the resort and scuba diving facility at the resort. This book is full of secrets, twists and lies. I was constantly questioning my theories and finding little bits of truths as the story moved along. The story is told between alternating points of view. They all have secrets, past history and lies of deception. I really loved the way the story unfolded it kept me engaged and not wanting to put the book down. Many thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the digital review copy of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This tense thriller is an exceptional first novel.. It's a familiar concept -- murders occur in a group at a remote location, and severe weather strands them from outside help. In this case, the location is a stunning, exotic island off the coast of Thailand, which adds to the intrigue. The superior writing and the many sharp twists and surprises lift The Resort above the predictable and make it stand out against the work of many more seasoned authors.

The Resort follows Cass a local dive instructor at a resort in Thailand. She first came to the resort years ago and decided to move there. Everything seems to be going normal until one of her dive students ends up dead. But this is not the first mysterious death on the island and it most likely won't be the last. Cass is determined to figure out who the killer is before someone else winds up dead. But that is more easier said than done.

This was a very basic thriller. While it did grab my attention and I did what to see what happened, I just really did not care for the overall book. It read like a YA book meaning the characters to me felt very immature. Nothing in this book really stood out to me. I also felt like this book just dragged on a little too much for me. I do want to read more by this author since this is her first book. But overall this book was just a miss for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for the early ARC.

Everything is not as it seems in paradise. Two murders within one week have gotten our narrators in a tizzy, both unreliable narrators with secrets of their own. To what end will they expose themselves, and their dark pasts to protect this slice of paradise they've found? Once the book kicks up it moves quickly, with good twists and turns waiting at every corner.

3.5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this title.

Set in the idyllic beach town of Koh Sang Thailand, Cass is a diving instructor who has found her place amongst a small group of expats.

Brooke is an influencer who finds herself on Koh Sang. She hits it off with Cass but when a guest ends up dead, lives are threatened and secrets will be revealed.

Overall, this book was okay. It was a pretty quick read and keeps you interested in what happens next.

"DNFing at 54% - but skipping to the last couple chapters to see the twists.

Fans of Colleen Hoover or BA Paris might enjoy this book.

I Saw some twists coming not the final one though, which took me by surprise. I might have finished the book if under 300 pages. Unfortunately its too slow paced and too repetitive to be a nearly 400 page book. Not enough pay off to make this a satisfying read for me personally.

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks for sharing a digital copy with me to read. As always, opinions are my own.

The Resort might be one of the best travel thrillers I have ever read or listened to. This psychological travel thriller will have you gripping you seat as you turn the page. Unexpected twists along the way that lead to an astonishing twist at the end.

A definite recommend for fans of thriller authors like Riley Sager and Rachel Hawkins.

Oh I loved this one! I didn't even realize it was a debut!
I felt like I was there, which is scary but I loved it.

This book had a lot of promise in the synopsis. However, I did not feel like was easy to feel connected to the characters or the plot. I really wish it had more to move it along.

This book alternates between Cass and Brooke, who both have hidden secrets.

Cass is a dive instructor at Koh Sang Dive Resort in Thailand. Just after she is newly engaged, she receives an envelope with a photo that says “I know who you are. And soon everyone else will too.” Will her dark past catch up to her?

Brooke is a college drop out who is a travel influencer on Instagram and TikTok. She is working at the resort as a waitress until she can get her certification to be a dive instructor.

When Lucy, a guest at the resort, is found dead and her death is ruled an accidental drowning, Brooke and Cass don’t believe it. Can they figure out who killed Lucy before the killer strikes again?

A slow burn, resort story that has misbehaving characters with secrets. As the story unfolds, the twist and turns will have you turning the pages to find out who did it.
Just when you think you have it figured, the ending will surprise you! A great read to take on vacation!

Thanks to SOURCEBOOKS Landmark, I was provided an ARC of The Resort by Sara Ochs via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a good read - I really enjoyed this book. I'm so glad that I got the chance to read it early and will definitely be recommending it to multiple people who enjoy these types of novels. I enjoyed the characters and especially enjoyed the writing by this author. I'm excited to see what the author comes out with next as I'll definitely be reading it! Thank you to the publisher for my early copy of this book!

This is an incredibly strong destination thriller debut! I read this book in tandem with the double cast audiobook and was enthralled from start to finish.

The lush tropical setting: isolated island in Thailand housing a popular resort known for it's dive school and tours and raging parties. Only reachable by a long ferry ride with very little government or police oversight the island is the perfect place for ex-pats to land who want a fresh start or to escape from their lives 'before.'
The narration is dual POV between Cass, an American ex-pat, and Brooke, a travel influencer who is new to the island. Cat has been living on-island for a few years and teaches scuba at the resort; she recently become engaged to another ex-pat bar owner but no one knows her true identity. Cass takes Brooke under her wing, but after one of her dive students is found dead Brooke starts asking questions that threaten to bring undesired attention to the island and possible the ex-Pats' identities. As other mysterious deaths occur, Cass also starts getting threatening letters to reveal her identity. Brooke and Cass work to investigate what the police keep dismissing in a race against time and survival!
Fast-paced, unreliable narrators, a cast of characters with secrets, and an immersive tropical setting make this thriller one you don't want to miss this summer!
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks publishing for my digital copy in exchange for my review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ALC. This was just an ok listen for me. Nothing horrible. Nothing great. It starts out strong but then falls off.

Thank you Netgally and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for the ARC of The Resort by Sara Ochs. This novel starts out with a prologue that sets the tone for an ominous outcome of the book portraying someone's last moments before their murder. We then flash back between Cass, who is a dive instructor on Koh Sang and a Permanent and Brooke who is a travel influencer traveling to the area. The story changes pov between Cass and Brooke as they try to discover the truth while hiding their own secrets. This story keeps you guessing and holds a twist I didn't see coming.

It’s no secret that I love a thriller set in paradise and The Resort by @saraochsauthor did not disappoint! I switched between the ebook and audiobook while reading this novel. It is set on a remote island in Thailand that is known for scuba diving and full moon parties. The prologue grabbed my attention with a murder and did not let my attention go! The story is full of secrets and twists, with an unpredictable ending!

If you are like me and love a novel about murder in paradise, then I highly recommend grabbing this book. It’s perfect for a beach read or wishing you were on a beach, somewhere warm.

Thank you @bookmarked and @recordedbooks for allowing me to read and listen to this book in exchange for my honest review.

(This same review was posted on the Barnes & Noble website)

The Resort will transport you to a beautiful island in Thailand where you can learn to dive, take yoga classes, and enjoy the scenery and the local fare. But the staff at the resort are all hiding secrets and trying to escape their pasts.

Cass is a dive instructor at the resort and is living a life she never thought possible. She's recently engaged and teaching resortgoers how to dive. Brooke is a travel influencer who visits the resort and befriends Cass and the group of residents that live there, known as The Permanents. When one of the visitors of the resort is found dead during a dive trip, the book takes off.

Every chapter features a new development, a new revelation, or a new layer that I didn't see coming. And just when I thought I had it all figured out, I was wrong.

The Resort is carefully crafted to keep readers on the edge of their seats and guessing until the very end.

Thank you Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the eARC!

On a remote party island in Thailand, tourists are suddenly and mysteriously injured or killed. A woman at the bottom of a cliff and a dive gone wrong are initially deemed accidents. But there are questions. Now, a storm has cut off the island. Is there a killer on the loose? Who will survive?

This is a page-turner of a debut novel! Some classic mystery/thriller tropes are peppered with secrets, lies, revenge, and murder for a gripping read. The twists were good, and the ending took me by surprise. Don't skip the epilogue! This one threw me for a loop.

I loved the atmospheric resort setting. Ochs writes it vividly, making this island go from paradise to a creepy place to be trapped. Told in the dual POV of Cass, a dive instructor, and Brooke, a travel influencer. The two decide to take matters into their own hands and investigate. The characters are well-developed and memorable, and I thought Brooke's character was particularly well done.

Cass is part of a group of ex-pats living on the island who moved there to escape their past and make new lives for themselves. But the secrets they harbor come to light, and drama unfolds. A large suspect pool and plenty of motives kept me guessing. The action builds at a slow-burn pace at first, but once it takes off, the story becomes suspenseful and has a shocking ending. Escapist fun and a solid debut, Ochs is an author I look forward to reading more from!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the opportunity to review this ARC.

I love the premise and the cover. The setting was great, a dive hotel on a remote island in Thailand. It was described well and I could easily picture what it was like.

The pacing was a little difficult to get through. The beginning was interesting, the middle was pretty slow, and the end was crazy. I thought the end was a little too out-there for me, I like a more believable story.

I did enjoy the epilogue, and would be interested in seeing how this plays out.

Secrets. So many secrets. EVERYONE seems to be hiding from the past. Who to trust is often whispered. Set on a beautiful Southeast Asia resort with beautiful backdrops and the perfect blue ocean. This is a summer beach read that will keep readers wondering.