"The Resort" is a captivating thriller that kept me guessing until the very literal end. Drawing parallels with the gripping atmosphere of "We Were Never Here," the narrative unfolds through the dual perspectives of Cass and Brooke, both striving to forge a fresh start but entangled in the shadows of their past. The unexpected twist at the conclusion caught me off guard. Rich character development enhances the story's complexity, providing a profound layer to the narrative. While some aspects might feel familiar, the story's execution sets it apart, making it a compelling read for thriller fanatics.

The Koh Sang Resort has a wonderful diving program. There are three rules to survive, and Cass teaches them to her student. On their first dive, they find the dead body of their classmate, Lucy. This is a lifechanging trip, and for all the wrong reasons.

It seems someone has uncovered Cass’s darkest secret, and she has nowhere to hide. With a killer waiting, it seems they will stop at nothing until Cass’s life is ruined and justice is finally served.

This thriller kept me guessing until the very end! It was just so good and there were so many twists. Going into this book I was a little worried that it would end up being similar to a few other remote island thrillers, and while similar, it was not the same at all – it was better! I didn’t know that was possible because I loved them, but I think I loved this one more. It was so beautiful and wonderfully written. I felt like I was in Thailand myself, and that was exactly what I needed considering we’ve had cold, dark and dreary days here. Thailand has always been on my bucket list and this book made it move closer to the top. Reading this story from the perspective of Brooke and Cass was very entertaining. I enjoyed getting to know both of them as they were very different. The pacing was good for a thriller, not overwhelmingly fast, but not slow either. Just fast enough to keep you on the edge of you seat wanting more.

If you are looking for an immersive read that will have you longing for a beach vacation, then check this one out.

Thank you so much to Sourcebooks Landmark @bookmarked and Netgalley @netgalley for this e-arc.

Publication Date: February 13, 2024

This was a five-star read for me.

This book was very good! I loved the suspense and the characters! I would definitely recommend and I’m excited to read other titles by this author!

A locked room mystery on an island resort in Thailand. This is competent writing but suffers from too many modern mystery clichés: first person present tense in alternating chapters. Telling and not showing. Too slow pace. Unreliable narrators. I'm sure many people will enjoy it, but I am burnt out on these types of thrillers and do not enjoy them anymore.

The famous Koh Sang Resort sounds lovely, but I wouldn’t want to work there! Cass is newly engaged and loving her job as a scuba diving instructor…until one of her students is found dead at the bottom of the ocean… Be sure to add this book to your To Be Read pile - it won’t be released until Feb 13, it would be a great Spring break beach read! Thanks to @netgalley and @saraochsauthor for giving me a copy to review!

Wow! Every single time I knew for sure what was going on, I was wrong! There were so many mini mysteries tucked into one big, atmospheric semi-closed-door book! Set on an island filled with beauty people, I thought I wouldn’t handle a single twist more and then I did and it was worth it.

'The Resort' is a fun thriller - yet another that takes the locked room element of a distant island and its mysterious guests and inhabitants. It's hard to tell who's telling the truth here - the travel influencer? the dive instructor with a mysterious past? one of the other so-called Permanents who made this lesser known island in Thailand their home? The plot itself was a little convoluted - with a lot of characters to keep up with -- but the twistiness makes up for it.

First off I want to say thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book. This book takes place in an island in Thailand and the author did such a good job of describing the setting that I felt like I was there each time I picked up this book. I loved the suspense and the mystery murders that were taking place on the island. I had theories but they were all wrong. I did think the book was a little bit long and slightly a slow burn but when the twists came they were good ones. They were also a lot of characters and personalities to keep track of but the autho did a good job of keeping everyone separate. Overall I rated this book 3 stars just because I thought it was a little drawn out.

Scuba diving instructor Cass ran for her past and is loving teaching people how to dive in the waters of Koh Sang. Then something horrible happens on a dive and she now is recalculating everything she thought she knew and the last she tried to outrun. The story includes the story of Brooke a social climber who com’s into the path of Cass for a reason. The hints and how this played out is very juicy and it is a a oh so glorious end.

A diving trip on a remote island in Thailand, but a murder brings the fun to an end.

I enjoyed the beginning of the story and the end was very exciting and suspenseful. The middle was slower and at times I had a hard time picking it up. I liked the two women’s chapters and how they were different. There were a lot of twists and mysteries; always something new happening!

“It’s happening again. Because a guest is dead. And if our suspicions are right, someone on this island killed her”.

The Resort comes out 2/13.

I was embarked on a journey to Thailand, a destination that proved to be a mix of enchanting landscapes and intriguing characters. While not devoid of challenges, the experience prompted thoughtful consideration about the ideal vacation companion.

The narrative's dual timeline added a layer of complexity, weaving secrets and unexpected twists that kept me engaged throughout. It's a testament to the storytelling prowess that moments of revelation were as surprising as they were satisfying.

In essence, Thailand became more than just a physical destination—it evolved into a backdrop that mirrored the complexities of the characters. This journey was not merely about exploring a new place; it was an exploration of relationships, choices, and the unforeseen turns that life can take.

Ultimately, the experience left me pondering not only the beauty of Thailand but also the nuances of human connections. It's a trip that resonates beyond the picturesque landscapes, making it a memorable chapter in the book of my travels.

Super twisty thriller that kept me guessing until the end. I did kind of see the end coming but it did not detract from the story. I appreciated Ochs' descriptions of the island, as it helped to make the story more real and relatable.

The setting is SO fun in this twisty thriller!! I loved being immersed in the beachy vibes of the small island resort off the coast of Thailand. This book definitely left me with the urge to hop on a plane and go somewhere warm! I super enjoyed getting to know the world of scuba diving a little bit more as we get deeper into the expat community (and their many many secrets) that forms the beating heart of this novel. The dual POV's kept me on my toes, and the twists (and murders) just kept on giving--highly recommend for any thriller lovers out there!

This book was so good!! The twist and turns had me wanting to keep reading and not put the book down. Very well written!
Cass leaves her terrible past behind her only to end up in more dangerous circumstances. Who is her true friends and who can she trust when the poop hits the fan?

A debut, dual POV novel set on a beautiful Thailand island that promises paradise but gives something else entirely. Cass, a scuba diver instructor with a secret, ends up with a dead diver and another injured. Brooke, a social media influenster, who seems to be running from her past. Both characters are well developed, and its a slow start of the book. I was grateful I really enjoyed the setting of the novel to push through because the twist in the epilogue got me good! This novel game me big Reckless Girls vibe with a bit more mystery if that was your cup of tea.

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to advance read this novel! Look forward to seeing others reading it when it releases Feb. 13th, 2024.

What a great debut novel!

First off, I thought the imagery and descriptions used throughout this novel was very good. I thoroughly enjoyed the dual POV. There’s a good handful of characters mentioned throughout the novel, but it doesn’t get confusing because each character is very well described with different backstories (although vague for storyline purposes). I really enjoyed the aspect that everyone on this island has some sort of secret and/or mysterious past that no one talks about and no one asks about. Sort of an island for the misfits but they all make a family together.

And can we just talk about the twist in the freaking epilogue! Go off I guess.

Overall, a super enjoyable read. I found myself engaged in the story the whole time.

The ONLY thing that really irked me about this novel was the cops trope that I think is done so often. Either that they are dumb or supposedly being manipulated/paid off in some way. It’s one of my biggest annoyances in a novel, however, I understand why it needed to happen in this one.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Sara Ochs! I look forward to more novels in the future!

A slow start, i usually DNF slow starts, but this one did eventually suck me in and was really good about 25% into the book.

The story gives dual POV, love multiple POV, and it is set in Thailand.

When things start happening and secrets start to come out both Brooke and Cass try to keep them hidden. I really enjoyed the story and would recommend.

Thanks NetGalley for letting me read and review.

This story follows several expats that have moved to an island in Thailand that is known for its diving resort. Written from two of the main character’s POVs, it alternates who is telling the story and how they’re living it in present time. No one’s story is quite clear, though it’s evident they’ve all moved to this island to escape something in their past. However, there have been some suspicious “accidents” and it has people on edge. To say the ending shocked me is an understatement. I thought I had it all figured out, and I certainly didn’t. The writing was so well done and truly set the scene throughout the whole book, I could clearly imagine every single page as I read like I was there with them. If you’re a fan of The Guest List, The Woman in Cabin 10, and other books similar, you’ll enjoy this one. Wonderful debut novel, will definitely pick up future books by Sara Ochs.

I mostly really enjoyed this book. About three quarters of the way through, I had some issues with some of the characters logic and reactions, but humans are unpredictable so that may not be fair criticism.

Overall the book moved quickly and portrayed the life of ex-pats on a small Thailand really well. The book moves between the point of view of two characters who are complicated women each with their own murky past that is slowly revealed. The pacing is good and there were many surprises along the way.


MINOR SPOILER: I'd also say that I don't know that the epilogue was really necessary though I'm sure many readers will like the last kicker. Also, the Hudson Massacre Killer feels a bit extreme if a person is accused of killing TWO people!

“Welcome to paradise. We hope you survive your stay.”

As frost is nipping at my heels these days, I reached for an armchair journey to a sun-drenched island and was surprised to discover that this fantastic book does not read like a debut!

The setting immediately pulled me in - a remote island in the Gulf of Thailand - but it was the perfectly plotted crime that held my attention.

This fictitious party island, Koh Sang, attracts those with secrets and those wanting to get away from it all. It’s far enough away from the other backpacking islands and doesn’t attract an overflow of tourists, it’s the perfect ‘locked room’ setting. The desire to hide one’s true self is what initially forms the tension; a group of people pretending to have fun, willing to take risks to protect their secret, and very aware that their past may catch up with them at any moment. The threads of mistrust unite the two groups on the island; the Permanents and the tourists. Permanents are those who live and work on the island full-time. Like the tourists, they are suspicious of everyone and any friendships made are surface-level and fleeting at best.

So the contrasts begin - two different groups of people, two different reasons for being on the island, and then the third contrast appears …

A murder.

Now we’ve got the juxtaposition of all this natural beauty with its lush vegetation and clear turquoise waters with the darkness of a crime. A crime committed by one of them.

The story is told in alternating chapters between Cass, a scuba diving instructor and a Permanent, and Brooke, a social media influencer on vacation who becomes involved with one of the Permanents. Although both women hide secrets, both are suspicious of everyone, and both are equally compelling characters, the story is more plot-forward than character-forward. Och’s ability to perfectly place her clues makes this an astounding crime thriller. Her twist was spectacular and was made possible by the dark, intriguing, and pacey story. It definitely has Agatha Christie vibes.

Och’s examination of friendships, or the illusion of friendships, is fantastic as is her spotlight on our tendency to hide our true selves. I’m looking forward to another thriller and I hear it’s set in Australia and also features an international cast of characters.

I was gifted this copy by Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.