Thanks to #NetGalley and #KnopfPantheonAndAnchor for the book #OurLastResort by #ClémenceMichallon. This book is just brilliant and I could not put it down. Frida and Gabriel met and grew up in a Commune. They have always considered each other brother and sister. They have just reunited after many years of being apart and are staying in a resort in Utah. It’s very secluded and expensive. And young woman turns up dead and they are once again in the spotlight and it’s assumed they had something to do with her death. Can they clear their names before they end up in jail?

3.5 stars

There’s something undeniably compelling about the setup here: a secluded Utah resort, a dead woman, and two “siblings” with a cultish shared past that refuses to stay buried. I was pulled in quickly, and the chapters move at a pace that makes this an easy, absorbing read. The shifting timelines—between the present-day investigation and the trauma-soaked memories of childhood—add a steady drip of dread that kept me turning pages.

But while I was intrigued the whole way through, I never fully felt it. The emotional payoff didn’t quite land, even as the story took some dark and interesting turns. The final revelations were strong on paper but a little soft in impact—like I could see what the book wanted me to feel, but didn’t quite get there.

Still, fans of Michallon’s The Quiet Tenant may appreciate this for the psychological tension and morally murky terrain. It’s a story about loyalty, guilt, and what happens when you tether your identity to someone else’s survival. Even if it didn’t totally click for me, I’m glad I read it—and curious to see what she does next. Thank you Knopf for the gifted book.

I was really looking forward to this book, but the beginning felt quite slow. Fortunately, the pace picked up later on, and it wrapped up with a satisfying ending. While I was expecting more of a thriller and it didn’t fully meet those expectations, it was still an enjoyable read overall.

I got to see Clemence Michallon in a speaking engagement with Lisa Jewell earlier this year, where she previewed her new novel, so I was excited to receive an ARC for Our Last Resort. I had not previously read her first novel, but heard great things about her writing.

This novel follow two “siblings” ,Gabriel and Frida, who had previously escaped a cult that they grew up in. They are on vacation at a resort where one of the guests is found murdered. They must confront their pasts when the police arrive and suspicion quickly falls on Gabriel. The story is told between two timelines: one in the present and the other during the time they grew up in the cult and after their escape.

This novel fell very flat for me. The premise was interesting, but the story moved very slow and it made the mystery seem uninteresting at times. The writing overall was good, but this story just didn’t pull me in like other mysteries.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf publishing for the ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest thoughts.

3.5⭐️ While this has very much been the year for debuts and contemporary and lit fiction, it’s very much not been the year for thrillers. After absolutely devouring Michallon’s debut, The Quiet Tenant, I was crazy excited to dive into her newest, Our Last Resort. And although still enjoyable, I did not feel the same connection to the characters, nor feel as immersed in the story as I had hoped to.

Let me preface this by saying, cultist thrillers are not my favorite sub-genre. Cults have never really interested me and have generally been overdone, and all in an almost cookie-cutter fashion. I cannot say the same about the cult featured in this story. Feeling quasi true to life especially considering current events, à la Epstein and his island, the cult, while important, is only a small fraction of this story. And yet it did set the tone of the story to me, whether fair or not.

The story was also insanely slow burn. With such an action-backed beginning, it surprised me just how much the pace of the story slowed until we neared the end. In a sense, this is good— it allows for more character exploration. However, I still struggled to see these characters as fully three-dimensional. It felt as though they kept slipping through my fingers; their story not as meaningful to me as I had envisioned it would be going into it. By the time I reached the end, I felt more disconnected than enmeshed, leaving me feeling a little disappointed.

Is this bingy? Yes. Is it atmospheric, fairly. Can it be enjoyed, especially on audio narrated by Saskia Maarleveld, one of the best in the business? For sure. That said, for me, though not bad, this one missed the mark.

Read if you like:
▪️domestic suspense
▪️cultish vibes
▪️resort setting
▪️slow burn
▪️complex “family” dynamics
▪️dual timelines

Thank you Knopf for the advanced copy.

This was a mix of a slow burn psychological thriller with a cult underlying theme that I found to be intriguing. The novel centers around several mysteries, which are laid out within the flashback of multiple timelines. Secrets slowly evolved into reveals which didn’t totally take me by surprise. As such, this one did not have the same punch as Michallon’s debut, The Quiet Tenant.
Frida is meeting her estranged brother, Gabriel at a luxury resort in Utah’s desert. When a guest mysteriously dies, the suspicion falls on Gabriel whose wife previously died under suspicious circumstances but whom no one was charged. As the story unfold, details of Frida and Gabriel’s upbringing within a cult where they forged a tight bond and how it became broken are revealed.

This book's cover is all about summer thrillers! The book for me was just okay, but it is on me the reader not the author. Overall I just don't really like cult thrillers even though I keep trying more books with that element. I would recommend it for some summer thrills and chills reading for others

"Our Last Resort" by Clemence Michallon is a suspenseful novel that delves into the unsettling atmosphere of a remote, luxurious resort where secrets and past traumas lurk beneath the surface. It's a book that aims for a slow-burn tension, and while it succeeds in creating a palpable sense of dread, it occasionally sacrifices momentum for atmosphere.

The premise is intriguing: a group of individuals, each with their own baggage, gathers at a secluded resort, and as the narrative unfolds, the layers of their lives and the resort's history are peeled back. Michallon excels at crafting a pervasive sense of unease. The isolation of the setting, coupled with the characters' guarded natures, creates an environment ripe for psychological suspense. The writing is often sharp and evocative, drawing the reader into the characters' anxieties and the ominous feeling of the resort itself.

However, the pacing can be a double-edged sword. While the slow build contributes to the overall tension, there were moments where I found myself wishing for a quicker unraveling of the mysteries. Some readers might find the deliberate pace a bit too drawn out, leading to periods where the plot feels stagnant rather than simmering. Additionally, while the characters are complex, their motivations and backstories, at times, felt slightly obscured, making it challenging to fully connect with their plights. The ending, while impactful, might leave some readers wanting a bit more clarity or resolution.

Overall, "Our Last Resort" is a well-crafted suspense novel that shines in its ability to build a chilling atmosphere and explore the darker aspects of human nature. It's a strong choice for those who appreciate psychological thrillers that prioritize mood and internal tension over rapid-fire plot twists, though be prepared for a journey that takes its time to reach its destination.

Clemence Michallon’s first novel “The Quiet Tenant” was one of my favorite novels of 2024. Their writing was superb, the plotting so well done, and the characters really stuck with me. I was so excited to get this NetGalley!

I made it about halfway before giving up. The writing wasn’t as enthralling and the plot was downright boring. I hope this is an earlier novel that is being published now. I don’t want to believe this author took that much of a step back.

Wow! What a ride this was!
I liked this story, there are cult vibes, a mysterious death (or two), and a fancy resort in the desert.

The story is told in multi timelines with flashbacks to when the characters were in a cult in their youth. I liked these chapters as they gave a backstory and some substance to the characters. It allowed the reader to see why they are who they are as well as motivations for their actions.

The current timeline is told while the characters are at a resort in the Utah desert. The setting and scenery were described beautifully.

I liked the main characters enough. I could see why they behaved they way they did because of the chapters told during the time they were in the cult. I love a good cult story so this one brought all the right vibes in that aspect.

There is an older mystery woven into the character's lives and then a new mystery when a guest at the resort is discovered dead one morning. The unraveling of the two mysteries and the investigation happened at a good pace. The story gets resolved well, even if it left me with a feeling of unease.

4.5 stars! I read and loved Clémence Michallon's debut, The Quiet Tenant, and her new murder mystery, Our Last Resort, is equally good!

Our Last Resort is a multi-timeline thriller, with present day set in a luxury desert resort. Guests Frida and Gabriel, who consider themselves siblings because they grew up together in an intense and isolating cult that they escaped from as young adults, are vacationing together at the resort to reconnect. Shortly into their trip, the much younger wife of a media mogul is discovered dead on the property, so a police investigation ensues. Unfortunately this does not look good for Gabriel, as a few years back his wife disappeared and was later found dead.

This is a slow-burn mystery and character study in which the past timelines follow Frida and Gabriel from their unconventional and traumatic childhood in the cult to their early days trying to survive "in the real world" as young adults. We see how their childhood trauma and relationship with each other has shaped them into the complex individuals they have become in present day. I was blown away by the ending and could not put this one down!

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

was really looking forward to this one, especially after enjoying The Quiet Tenant. The writing is undeniably strong, with vivid descriptions from the characters time in the cult to the present day murder investigation.

The writing is solid, and the flashbacks to the cult were the most engaging parts. I could sense something was building, but the story moved slower than I expected and didn’t fully hold my attention.

This will likely work better for readers who enjoy quiet, psychological stories more than twisty thrillers. It wasn’t a bad read, just not the right fit for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Cult book? Sign me up! I love books that have to do with that topic!! I only wished more of the cult back story in the plot.

We have Gabriel and Frida in the desert in Utah at a fancy resort. A trophy wife is found murdered. The police zero in on Gabriel as the culprit.

I wanted to like this one as much as I did The Quiet Tenant, but it didn’t quite do it for me. Needless to say, it was enjoyable, but not a binger.

3.5 stars

Thank you to Knopf for the review copy! Our Last Resort proves once again that Clémence Michallon is a master of the literary thriller. Like The Quiet Tenant, this isn’t a popcorn thriller—it’s a slow-burn suspense story that rewards patience with a deeply satisfying payoff. What stood out most to me was the contrast between themes of family and the dangerous allure of found families within cult dynamics. The novel explores trauma, survival, and the complexity of unconditional love while weaving in an atmospheric sense of tension that lingers on every page. Michallon’s writing is sharp, immersive, and emotionally layered, with realistic characters and vivid settings that feel alive. My only wish? More of the cult storyline—I was fascinated by Frida and Gabriel’s backstory. I listened to the audiobook, narrated by the always-excellent Saskia Maarleveld, and highly recommend this format. A compelling, moody thriller perfect for fans of thoughtful suspense.

This was an enjoyable read. The characters, the setting, and the story was unique. I really appreciated all of the dynamics at play. However, it was not as thrilling as I would have liked. The story, although interesting, was not suspenseful and slowly unveiled the secrets so the reader was able to catch on at each turn. Overall, I would definitely consider reading from this author again and would recommend this to a friend if they were looking for an interesting crime story.

A culty book always hooks me in!
15 years after escaping a cult, Frida and her brother Gabriel check into a resort hoping to reconnect. But when a guest is found dead, secrets start to come out and their time isn’t as peaceful as they hoped.
I love a locked room feel in a thriller and this one definitely delivered. There is a dual time line of their time in the cult leading up to the end which really was done well. It’s not just a mystery/ thriller it is also emotionally layered with trauma, trust and healing.

I was pretty excited to get an early copy of this book because I love this author‘s last book so much.
Unfortunately, this one was just OK.
I never really liked these characters or cared about what they were going through. There were three different timelines and yet I didn’t really feel that interested in any of them.… They almost seemed random and an excuse to justify what shady characters they were.

The book is divided into two sections: cult days and present days, and it moves at a very slow pace. It was difficult to connect with Frida and Gabriel. I wish more details about the cult had been introduced to the story. The plot is effortless, the writing is average, and I easily guess the ending. There’s nothing surprising about this story.

My review is voluntary and all comments and opinions are my own.

I love it when stories intertwine, but this one was trying to do *too* much of it and somehow did it without necessarily connecting them gracefully. Multiple murders + a cult background + an odd non-sibling/sibling relationship borne from the cult made for an odd read. Didn’t love.

I am obsessed with a good cult book, and this one was loaded with twists and reveals.

The dual timeline gives great insight and backstory into their lives in a cult, how they were brought up, how they bonded together and ultimately, how they broke free.

But the time spent there directly affects the rest of their lives, their work and most importantly, their relationships with others.

This book was addicting, so many times I thought I might know what was going to happen and then was surprised by new information. Would definitely recommend to anyone who likes a good thriller!

Thank you to NetGalley and Knof, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for providing me with a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.