Really enjoyable book with some great twists and turns. Easy to read and kept my attention the whole way through. Would defo recommend

This was a very enjoyable book and lots of unpredicatable plots developing with some quite complex characters. Will be looking out for this authors books.

The Ski Trip by Sarah Clarke is the story of Ivy, a new single-mother, friend-ish of Zoe, Zoe’s husband, Tom, and several other friends from their long-ago university years. Ivy receives a somewhat out of the blue call from Zoe requesting/begging her go to France because of Tom’s death on ski trip with several other of their mutual friends. Being a new mother, and Zoe being a somewhat estranged friend, the request is awkward. Ivy’s anxiety-ridden mother isn’t really in a good shape to look after Ivy’s son, but Ivy is insistent, desperate and…
In France, Ivy doubts and then questions most of what has happened, who was involved and why. Tom was an excellent skier; could he really have skied off a well-marked cliff? The slope wasn’t dangerous and relationships within the group of friends were strained in the days before his ‘fall’. Ivy suspects foul play and so does the police chief, but there’s no evidence. Ivy is torn between justice for Tom and getting home to help her son and her anxious mother.
This is a crisply-written story, broken into well-structured chapters that kept me reading quickly. The characters’ back stories (their university and early career years) are credible and interesting; and flawed. Everyone is a suspect.
I really enjoyed reading this; it was a cut-above the rest of the simple, present-day whodunit genre. And I LOVED the twist at the end, followed by the extra twist in the last page.

Rating: 2.3/5

I find it a frustrating experience reading Sarah Clarke's work. Having been impressed by her debut novel, "A Mother Never Lies", all of her subsequent three books have flattered to deceive to varying degrees.

Her latest offering "The Ski Trip" shapes up promisingly enough in the early stages. It has some familiar characteristics that, although not groundbreaking, have formed the bedrock of a number of appealing mysteries and thrillers. Ski resort settings have been popular with a number of writers in recent years and offer a backdrop that is not only appealing, but that also conjures up a counterintuitive sense of oppressive claustrophobia in spite of the wide open spaces. Add to the mix a cast of long-standing friends who are on their annual jaunt together, although each of them has secrets that they would prefer to keep hidden from the others. Finally, there is a dramatic death - but is it the accident that it appears to be, or the result of foul play?

For the most part, I enjoyed the first half of the book. Sarah Clarke set the scene well and the characterisation was pretty solid. There were a couple of elements of the plot that I was not entirely convinced by, but I was happy to grant the author the necessary artistic licence. However, even dramatic licence needs to remain within certain boundaries in order to maintain credibility and, as the narrative progressed, so I felt that Sarah Clarke crossed that line. The whole scenario became too contrived, to the point of being silly at times, and relied on too many convenient developments. However, worst of all - and probably the biggest sin a mystery writer can be guilty of - is to start pulling rabbits out of the hat. That is simply unforgivable!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.

When an old college friend is killed on his annual boys' ski trip, meteorologist Ivy accompanies his distraught wife to France to help her with the arrangements, reluctantly leaving her baby son with her anxious mother. An able but thrill seeking skier, his death is quickly deemed to be a tragic accident, but his friends seem to be acting suspiciously and there is an unexpected addition to their usual ski-ing group. Chance comments by the chalet girl and the local funeral director leave Ivy unconvinced, especially when all the characters seem to have something to hide, including Ivy herself....
An exciting page turner set in the Alps with the weather closing in, against a background of past tragedy, broken friendships and changing relationships, this is a thoroughly engrossing and enjoyable read.

Friends Rob, Julian and Tom – head to the French Alps on their annual boys’ ski trip, this time inviting Harry, an old friend, along, too. Soon after they hit the slopes, experienced skier Tom has a fatal accident on an easy ski run. Zoe, Tom’s wife, and Ivy, Zoe’s friend, make the journey to France to bring home Tom’s body. Once they arrive, it quickly becomes clear that there is more to Tom’s death than they thought.

A pacy, chilling, claustrophobic thriller with an unreliable narrator, revenge, suspense, tension and some completely unexpected twists thrown in for après ski – all set against the beautiful backdrop of the French Alps. I devoured it!
Fans of Catherine Cooper and Allie Reynolds will love this!

Four friends go to the Alps on a boys’ skiing holiday. But their trip is cut short when one of them, Tom, falls to his death accidentally. Maybe things are not what they seem?
The grieving widow Zoe cajoles her longtime friend Ivy to travel to France with her to collect the body and offer moral support. Ivy is suspicious of circumstances and it turns out everyone had a motive for killing Tom.
Chaos ensues.
This book was a very quick read and the plot moved along at a brisk pace. There were a couple of good (but far-fetched) twists at the end. I would give this book 3.25 stars overall. A decent ski-resort thriller.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for the ARC.

The Ski Trip
Ivy, hearing of the passing her old friend Zoe’s husband in a skiing accident, decides to travel to the French Alps with Zoe to collect her husband, Tom’s, body. As the trip progresses, Ivy begins to question how easily everyone has dismissed Tom’s death as an accident. How could such an experienced skier veer off an easy run and fall to his death off a cliff? As the story progresses, Ivy begins to unravel the truth about Tom’s death and whether she can really trust her friends after all.

Clarke’s “The Ski Trip” earns its praise with an interesting story with quite a few twists at the end. While the pace of the book is strong, the story is well told, and the twist at the end was unexpected, Clarke missed a real opportunity to pain a better picture with the setting. Set is what is supposed to be a beautiful ski chalet in the French Alps, the setting is never really explored. A missed opportunity to really make this a great book - 3/5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher HQ for an ARC of this thriller.
Zoe reaches out to her University friend Ivy to go collect her husband’s body after he is killed in a skiing accident. Ivy is not convinced that it was an accident.
The story is told on multiple timelines with different points of view. Although, the changing timelines and point of view are labeled, it does become a little confusing. The plot was well developed, with a couple of good twists along the way. The ending was not predictable, which is something that I really liked.

When I read the premise and saw the cover of this one I couldn’t wait to read it. It’s a thrilling novel full of tension and suspense and each character appears to be a suspect so it keeps you guessing to the end. It’s told both in the present and has flashbacks which work well and add to the plot. Some great twists add to the drama. Thank you to NetGalley, HQ and the author for the chance to review.

I love more than anything unreliable narration, multiple POVs and timelines and lots of twists and turns so this book was perfect and this authors writing style is very refreshing, i really have a wonderful time with this one and would highly recommend.

5 stars

Prepare yourself for a journey into the depths of darkness as you delve into this multi-layered and riveting plot, filled with tantalizing questions of "who knew what when?" The intricate strands of the narrative skillfully converge, leaving no loose ends as the finer details are meticulously filled in. This book is an absolute masterpiece of mystery and suspense, offering an enthralling and compelling reading experience that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Few authors possess the ability to craft such deeply involving psychological drama of the highest quality, and this writer is undoubtedly among those gifted few. The story grips you from the very beginning, and you'll find it hard to put down as you're consumed by its enigmatic allure.

On the downside, the E-Book version could use some improvements to enhance the reader's experience. It would be more user-friendly with links to the chapters for easier navigation, and it would benefit from correcting any significant gaps between words. Additionally, having an eye-catching cover would elevate the overall presentation, drawing readers' attention in a bookstore setting. These issues deduct a star from an otherwise exceptional work.

Despite the minor formatting flaws, this novel is an excellent introduction to the author's talent, leaving readers eager to explore more of their compelling work. The book cover, with its eye-catching and appealing design, would undoubtedly pique curiosity on the shelves of a bookstore.

Finally, a special note of gratitude to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for providing the advanced reader copy (ARC) that allowed us to embark on this gripping literary adventure.#TheSkiTrip #NetGalley

“The brutal, unforgiving side of nature. Not the orchestrator of his death, but soon to be his executioner.”

The thrill ride ride starts from the very first page! I loved the short chapters as before I knew I had finished the book! I had to keep reading to know where is the story going next.

I also loved that we got chapters from Tom’s perspective too.

I read this in two sittings! I enjoyed the beautiful but deadly setting, the pacey plot, and the dynamics between the dysfunctional friendship group. The back and forth between timeframes worked well, developing the intrigue, and showing the impact the loss of a parent had on two on the main characters. The tension was ratcheted up brilliantly, especially in the scene on the frozen lake. I look forward to reading more by this author!

I love a good snowy setting! I had a little trouble with the connections between the past and present. But overall a solid, easy read. I’ll be checking out this author’s other books. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This was a fast paced thriller that kept me guessing right til the end! I thought I had it figured out but I didn’t stand a chance.

I enjoyed this thriller! The setting was great and I really liked the characters. It had a chilling, almost claustrophobic feel to it. I would definitely recommend this book!

From the synopsis of this book I couldn’t wait to read it. It’s a thrilling novel full of tension and suspense and each character appears to be a suspect so it keeps you guessing to the end. It’s told both in the present and has flashbacks which work well and add to the plot. Some great twists add to the drama. Thank you to NetGalley, HQ and the author for the chance to review.

I like reading Sarah Clarke's books and this one doesn't disappoint! It involves a ski trip with revenge in the process! A great thriller!
Thank you net galley for allowing me to read this book!

Four friends go to the Alps on a skiing trip. One of them falls to his death an a run that apparently was safe.

Ivy and Zoe were college friends, until Zoe accused Ivy of killing her father. Then Zoe made a surprise reappearance in Ivy's life.

Ivy travels to France with Zoe to collect her husband's body, but not all is as it seems.

A tense and gripping novel with a couple of very good twists. All the characters were suspects in the death of Tom, and I would not have guessed which character was the killer.
Very enjoyable, especially for those that ski, as there are skiing terms that I was not conversant with, and those that have a knowledge of meteorology.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

The plot is as deep and dark as it gets, multi-layered with 'who knew what when?' as the strands come together and the finer details get filled in. This is an absolutely compelling, gripping book full of mystery and suspense. Only a few authors can write deeply involving psychological drama of the very highest quality.

The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, no significant gaps between words and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book. A star has been deducted because of this.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.