John Marrs never disappoints! This story was chaotic but in the best way! Following backpackers traveling through Venice Beach was exciting and Marrs painted the perfect picture with the setting.

I loved how there was so many characters and you kept guessing and wondering if they would connect and then all of a sudden, everything comes together in the most twisty way.

This one had me staying up way too late!

Rated 3.5 staIf there's one thing John Marrs can do, it's write a crazy story full of the craziest characters. 'm a huge fan of short, fast paced chapters in books. At the beginning it took me a bit to get into the story because I had a hard time keeping up with the characters & their storylines but once I got familiar with all of them this became so much more enjoyable. Around 70% it was so chaotic but in the best way. Every characters story line was so intense to read about, I did not want to stop reading. I will always recommend any John Marrs book to anyone looking for a good thriller! Thank you to Netgalley & Harlequin Trade Publishing for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review!

Eight lonely strangers cross paths in a dilapidated hostel located in Venice Beach in California. Everyone comes with a past that unravels with flashbacks, differing view points and perspectives via the short chapters. It's a very different style of writing, and often left me feeling like I needed to double back to truly understand what was happening. It also just felt SO long. With that said, I didn't "love" this read, but I wouldn't completely write it off either. Plus, John Marrs is such an incredible writer that maybe it was simply the topic and style that left me wanting something a bit more compelling.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Slowly working my way through John Marrs's work, and I can say that I've been enjoying myself. "The Vacation" was a well-paced, quick thriller with enough intrigue to keep me hooked all the way through, I would definitely be recommending this, as a great beach read.

Escape to Venice Beach, Los Angeles, unfolds a riveting tale where paradise meets suspense. In this beach-front hostel, eight strangers grapple with hidden pasts, weaving a gripping narrative of secrets, mysteries, and the lengths one would go to outrun their history. A thrilling escapade that keeps you on the edge, questioning how far one can truly run from their past.

I have only read a couple of John Marrs books but I quickly become a big fan of his. I did not realize that this is a re-release of one of his older novels but I have wanted to explore his past catalogue so this was a good opportunity to do so. There is a very big cast of characters and it took me awhile to get them all in my mind. The chapters are short and quick but also contribute to the difficulties of keeping track of the characters. Although it took some time to get into the main action, there are lots of twists and turns when it finally gets going. I did enjoy the read but it was not a good as his previous books that I read. I do recommend this read especially for fans of twisty thrillers. Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan for an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!

The vacation follows 8 different characters who are all staying at the same hostel in Los Angeles. Their lives intersect but we also get to see what brought each of them there as they’re all running away from something! Most of the chapters end with some type of cliffhanger which really keeps you going waiting to see what happens next!

Get ready to take a vacation to sunny Los Angeles, California. Looking for a place to stay? The hostel on Venice Beach is the perfect place for you. With free parties on the weekend and new people from all over the world, this is the perfect place for any traveller to go and hide from their past. Buckle up and get ready for the trip of a lifetime. See just how far the travellers are willing to go to hide their secrets from their past.

This book was incredibly well written. I am a John Marrs fan and am always in awe and how incredible his books are.

This was a snooze fest. I struggled to get into the story and once I did I just never connected to the characters. I was so sure this would’ve been a great thriller but it just didn’t work for me.

The cast of characters was distinctive and entertaining which only added to the plotting and mystery surrounding that group. The hostel was such a unique setting to throw these characters into and it adds to the atmosphere because there's always a sense of unease when you're thrown into a living situation like this one where you don't know or trust the people you're forced to cohabit with.

This is my first book from this author, almost DNF, it took a long time for me to finish, but I pushed through and overall it's okay for me. Will try this author other books though, I enjoy the writing.

What I like:
- It wrapped up nicely.
- 8 POV and 8 plots, so yeah this is intriguing. It brings a lot of questions. Are these people connected? Is there any connection? Is this character a bad person?
- Surprises and Twists here and there, this one is the reason I didn't DNF, when I got bored and want to DNF, there's always something that makes me want to read more, I need to know where this is all going to end.
- Back and forth between present and the past.
- Diverse problems for each characters.
- Interesting setting. At Los Angeles backpacking hostel, love the vibe, strangers with various past and secrets.

What I don't like:
- the pace, it's too slow for me, 60% in and there's no suspense, tempted to DNF but John Marrs got me keep going with those twists here and there.
- Unanswered questions, like for example how Peyk know everything? How's Savannah? How about Jake? Yeah I wished I know more in the end.
- A bit predictable.

Recommended: If you're looking a mystery read with lots of POV, try this one.

It’s hard to get into right from the beginning because it felt like it was all over the place. The plot is good but hard to keep up with especially because you can’t really connect with the characters. It felt rushed in some part but overall it’s a good book.

The Vacation is an exciting read with a lot going on. What’s not to love about a Venice Beach hostel? While the story started off slow, with a lot of characters to follow, once John Marrs hit his stride it all came together brilliantly.

This was my first John Marrs book, and it won't be my last! It started off a bit small, but once I was introduced to all of the various characters things got interesting. This book is full of vacation vibes, secrets, twists and turns throughout the story. You won't be able to put it down!

Eight strangers are living at a Venice Beach hostel, and all eight have their own set of secrets. The novel is told with each character's perspective, with both past and present timelines. So it took me a while to be able to keep each person straight. There was just a multitude of information and it was a little overwhelming at the beginning. Thankfully the characters are pretty unique so it didn't take too long. The character's stories end up intertwining and the book is full of twists and turns. It was fast-paced after I got into it and I recommend to anyone who loves thrillers with a large cast of eclectic characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, Hanover Square Press for providing me a digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

The Vacation by John Marrs
ISBN: 9781335006042
Publush Date: December 19, 2023

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this digital ebook ARC of The Vacation by John Marrs in exchange for an honest review.

How far would you run to escape your past? For eight strangers in a Los Angeles backpacking hostel, even the other side of the world isn't far enough. The craving for a new identity and the chance to start again is something they have in common. But the search for a fresh start isn't as easy as they'd imagined. And they soon discover that it doesn't matter where you are or who you are - if you can't lay the past to rest, coincidence, fate and deception have a way of catching up with you when you least expect it.

This was my first book that I read by John Marrs. At first I found that it was a lot to get into having to get to know 8 different characters and I found it slow and it took me a while to read.
Once I actually got into the book, and figured out who everyone was, I could not put this book down. There was twists and turns and it was a really well written book. I will definitely be reading more of John Marrs.

I give this book a rating of 4.5 stars

In The Vacation, strangers flock to a hostel on Venice Beach as they try to escape their past.
We are introduced to eight characters, following their stories in the past and present as we figure out who or what they are running from.

I was a bit confused in the beginning. There is a full cast and lots to keep up with, but by the end John Mars does as excellent job at weaving everything together. Full of twists and turns throughout the novel, I was kept on the edge of my seat the entire time!

Read if you want:
•Excellent character development
•Eerie setting
•Psychological thriller

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

Thank you to MacMillan (Main Market Edition) and Netgalley for the ARC of The Vacation. John Marrs' latest book immerses you directly into the setting, well done John Marrs! I felt like I was dropped right in the middle of the Venice Beach hostel that is the main setting for this tale of life, dreams, and the roller coaster of character-driven suspense. The first few chapters which are used mostly to establish character and setting are more than worth the rest of the ride that John Marrs' The Vacation takes us on!

John Marrs' writing style is taut and compelling. This multi-POV story is set in Venice Beach; the setting is vivid, almost like a character in and of itself. Though at the beginning you're not sure how all the characters and their various secrets are going to connect, slowly, Marrs brings the storylines together. Expect twists!! The chapters are short, so it's great "candy" for short attention spans! Makes the book feel like it's flying.

While It started a little slow and there were so many characters to follow, once it got going The Vacation was an engaging, exciting read about a group of travelers making a Venice Beach hostel their temporary home.