I really enjoyed the premise of this book as I love island thrillers. The writing was good, albeit long winded. It probably could have used an additional 10% edited out. I found that things were discussed multiple times which was unnecessary and made the story drag at ties. While other things were handled very well, just given a brief description/moment and my mind was intrigued more so than if it was overly done as in other areas. The characters were well drawn out and I felt pulled into their world. The ending is a great twist, although who the killer is was not a shock to me. But how it was handled was very well done. I do kind of wish for another epilogue from another point of view as it would have been more rewarding to see a slightly different ending, although I don't want to spoil it for anyone. But I liked it enough. Well done book overall!

Emma didn't anticipate spending her weekend in paradise when she asked for a promotion, but when her boss offers her a chance for a luxurious holiday, she'd be foolish to decline. Especially considering her plan to write an expose article revealing the secrets of the elite guests. However, Emma soon discovers that the wealthy and famous aren't as they appear in the media. As she delves into her mission to expose them, she encounters old friends and affairs, only to find that the excitement is far from over. A suspicious death marks just the beginning of the nightmare that unfolds over the weekend.

Upon discovering the book, which seemed reminiscent of works like "And Then There Were None" by Christie and "The Guest List" by Foley, I was immediately intrigued. I'm drawn to locked-room mysteries, and the initial setup, resembling an introduction to a gripping podcast, was incredibly promising. Emma initially appears determined in her intentions, but her focus quickly wavers once she meets the other guests.

Since this book is best experienced without prior knowledge of its plot twists, I won't reveal any more details. However, I must admit that the ending took me by surprise. While it left me yearning for more explanations or clues, it was an interesting conclusion nonetheless.


Thank you NetGalley, BooksGoSocial and SM Thomas for an arc :)

WOW. I received an advance copy of Long Weekend through NetGalley and the publisher.

I was RIVETED throughout this whole book. It starts out with a letter advising the reader that you’ll be reading the journal entries of the title character and that it may get grisly as we follow her through the long weekend at a luxury resort for the rich and famous.

The characters were thought out so well, and the dynamics were perfect. I was reminded of the game Clue as we were presented with who could it be?

I’m definitely adding this author to my watch list and hope to see more thrillers from them soon!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC for free.
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Long Weekend by S.M Thomas is a vacation gone wrong thriller that also throws a little spice and romance in there as well as the classic ‘whodunnit’.

What was meant to be a luxurious stay at an island resort turns into a nightmare for main character Emma Jones, a personal assistant who jumps at the chance when offered tickets for a short vacation, intending to write an article whilst there.
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I found this a very easy to read, fast paced thriller. I will admit the only character I did get on with was Emma, the FMC.

I did have to deduct a star for the really awkward spice thrown in there that I was not expecting. Some people may like this I just personally found it a little off putting to read. Especially the mention of a three way?

I give this book 3,5 stars! From the first page this book drew me in. It is on the shorter side but for some reason I couldn’t read through it really fast. I think the writing style was a bit off for me and that’s why it wasn’t smooth reading. But the mystery of it all made me want to keep reading! I liked the twist but the mystery dragged on a bit. I almost wanted to skip pages to get to the end (if you know what I mean) and that’s just a shame because this is such a good story! I think it’s because there was only 1 big twist/answer. Maybe if there were smaller twists along the way that would ease my curiosity a bit!

So in the end I do really like the book and I would recommend it to others!

3.5

A lot shorter than I thought it would be but still really enjoyable nonetheless! I honestly thought there wouldn't be an actual conclusion and was getting worried. I've never been so happy to see a book have an epilogue.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advanced copy :)

so, this book is a bit on the short side, but quite a bingable and easy read. The book keeps the truth hidden till the epilogue, so it kept me guessing till the end. All in all I really enjoyed the ending and the big reveal was done nicely (though some of the killers motives and decisions revealed in the epilogue felt strange to me).

Some of the characters felt a bit too shallow to me and the main character was a bit annoying. Especially weird was the fact that she is supposed to be a journalist or at least wants to become a good one in the near future but she just makes the strangest decisions. When being asked by a famous influencer to help him find dirt on one of the fellow vacationers she just refuses for no apparent reason and when she later finds a torn up diary containing clues she decides not to read it even after someone had just died mysteriously. Why not? I expected her to be more of a detective, but oh well.

Still, I quite enjoyed this book, a goof fast-paced and atmospheric vacation-gone-wrong which will keep you on your toes till the end.

This had so much promise for me. I love a thriller that takes place on a rich people trip. But alas, only 3 stars.

This started so slow for me.
The first 30% is just Emma (the main character) trying to figure out if she likes Fiona or Robert more. It doesn’t feel like a thriller.

Then it picks up. The writing still isn’t great, but at least the action is keeping me interested and I genuinely want to know who is behind the chaos.

I didn’t know who the mastermind would be or how it would end exactly, but it still only gets 3 stars.

Also, Emma is not bright. The staff keep looking at her and saying you shouldn’t be here and she’s just like yeah I know. She doesn’t even wonder what they mean??

They’re in the middle of trying to scape a murder plot, and she just keeps being like maybe they really do want to be my friend after all this is over. Maybe they really want to explore a relationship?

Long Weekend by SM Thomas begins when Emma receives a gift- a trip of a lifetime from her boss, Rebecca. Feeling out of place among the rich and famous, Emma concocts a story of winning the lottery to prove she belongs. The much anticipated weekend turns into a nightmare for Emma as visitors to the island disappear one by one. She struggles to trust anyone in this thriller.

Holy Moly.

What. The. Actual. Hell.

I don't think there is an official category for what type of thriller this is, but wow.

It did keep me guessing the whole way, that is for sure.

Even the ending, what the hell. Truly a page turning, gripping novel.

Thank you NetGalley for my E-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a great book which i will be recommending to everyone!
The story grabs you from the beginning and sets you up for a smart thriller.
There are so many twists and turns pulling the reader one way and then the other,
with many surprises which the reader wont see coming.
A glorious book!

Thank you to Netgalley for my ARC of this book. Publish date April 16, 2024.

The Long Weekend is a “vacation gone wrong” / “locked door” thriller, which are always fun tropes. It was a fast paced thriller, with a lot going on from the first evening the guests arrive on the island. I loved that not much is given away in terms of who is responsible for everything taking place. I had some guesses, but every time something new happened I thought, “Well, there goes that theory.” It truly left me guessing the entire time. I couldn’t put it down. Every free minute I had was spent reading this book. Thomas’ writing style was easy to follow. Her writing allowed the reader to visualize the scenery and carnage, without being over done and drawn out.

While the book was fast paced, I felt it was missing something in terms of smaller twists, if that makes sense. Many thrillers consist of smaller twists with the big reveal at the end. The Long Weekend didn’t really have that. For me, it was more of who the killer isn’t rather than hinting at who it could be. Everything was up in the air for me until the epilogue. That leads me to the big reveal. The twist didn’t leave me blown away. The plot leading up to it was entertaining and suspenseful. Unfortunately, I felt a little underwhelmed. The “who” part was a bit surprising and I honestly didn’t really suspect it. But the “why” felt a bit meh, like a woe-is-me reason. But maybe that’s what’s supposed to make it shocking.

Despite the ending being less than ideal for me, The Long Weekend was still a good book. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience reading it. If you like books like “And Then There Were None”, then give this one a go.

4.5- This is a genuinely thrilling thriller- a mystery with elements of conspiracy and horror.

Long Weekend is written as a series of diary entries from Emma, a young assistant whose boss sends her on a luxury vacation rather than giving her a raise. Sensing an opportunity, Emma keeps a journal in hopes of writing a tell-all article about the disparity in wealth between people in her income bracket and the one percenters she’ll be joining on vacation. After a series of suspicious deaths, however, the entire island seems to be under siege, and Emma’s journal entries become a tale of survival… And figuring out who she can trust.

I really enjoyed the way this book kept me guessing! I had some theories along the way, but never fully figured out the final plot twist. The characters were interesting and the plot moved at a quick pace. The author builds tension really well! In a few places, the characters acted in ways that really didn’t make sense and/or felt inauthentic- this can be chalked up to being in a panic situation, but I still found it a little distracting. Besides that, I found it to be one of the more interesting and suspenseful books, I’ve read in a while! Thank you to the author, publishers, and NetGalley, for allowing me to read this ARC.

Emma takes her bosses’ place on a weekend getaway with 5 other celebrities at a remote island resort. But, Emma is a nobody compared to them, but she is determined to have a good time.

That plan quickly comes to an end as people in her party are one by one found dead. There is tension from the beginning, and I could not turn the pages fast enough to see who was going to be the next one dead.

The end was a little bit of a bummer, only because the twist didn’t go the way I wanted it to. LOL.

I could not put this one down. Literally. I walked around my house doing chores reading off my kindle!

Thank you #NetGalley for a complimentary copy of #LongWeekend in exchange for an honest review.

Nothing like being deserted at a resort with deplorable characters! It's a twist on the "locked room" trope. This story has a good plot with lots of entertainment. I feel this would make a great movie. There was lots of action and drama. I didn't like any of the characters, except for the main character, Emma.

This was a fast read that had me actively listening and trying to figure out the plot twist, which was not at all what I was expecting. I enjoyed following the story and trying to predict who the villain(s) were. The epilogue by the murderer was *chef's kiss*!

Thank you to the author for this ALC in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love that this is a book inside a book and keeps you guessing the whole time and even at the end I feel like I was still guessing if the person was actually the killer. I feel this would make a good movie as well.

Fast paced thriller! Good spring break or summer read, highly recommend! Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy.

Nothing like being deserted at a resort with deplorable characters! It's a twist on the "locked room" trope. This story has a good plot with lots of entertainment. I feel this would make a great movie. There was lots of action and drama. I didn't like any of the characters, except for the main character, Emma.

This was a fast read that had me actively listening and trying to figure out the plot twist, which was not at all what I was expecting. I enjoyed following the story and trying to predict who the villain(s) were. The epilogue by the murderer was *chef's kiss*!

Thank you to the author for this ALC in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I’m slightly torn here.

I liked our main character and enjoyed most of our book.

The mystery was compelling and I was so very curious as to the who and why of everything.

And I did not enjoy the truth of everything. I found the reason behind everything to be a little ho hum and the who behind everything even more so. I was just kind of…nonplussed. Like…that’s it?

I would try the author again and I really did love our not-at-all rich woman living the life of the 1%, but the book just left me a little cold in the end.

• ARC via Publisher

This book had me intrigued by the lovely location, a tropical island and a personal assistant being gifted the weekend that her boss was supposed to be on. The book started out fairly slow while we were learning about all the characters that were headed to the island and I thought maybe I should just be done with it.. As shocking things started happening I have to say I was intrigued by the turns and twists that were popping up. For me it was a medium paced book that did have me trying to figure out who the culprit was. The thing that sucked me in at the ending was how it is unexpectedly told from someone else's point of view. I've never read a book that ended like that. I found myself thinking this was a way to setup for a sequel.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC.