The Weekend Away

Enjoyable read, some of the twists were a bit predictable but still a good overall psychological thriller that I wanted to keep reading - 'working from home' makes this much more tempting when you get to a good point! I think I would not give this book 5 stars due to the predictability and perhaps it could have been nice to hear more from Kate to understand her character a bit more but overall I would recommend.

Wow, what a book! I absolutely loved this book with all its twists & turns, keeping me hanging on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next. Absolutely fabulous, a most worthy 5* star read. Many thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A really great read that I devoured very quickly. I loved the Lisbon détail as well as a plot line that made me what the know the outcome as soon as possible. I definitely recommend !

I really enjoyed this book, started off a bit slowly but once it got going I couldn’t put it down. Plenty of twists and a shocking ending.

The Weekend Away is a great mystery/thriller that doesn’t disappoint! You’ll love it!
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Orla must be the unluckiest person in the world of psychological thrillers. In the space of two days her world falls apart on a girls getaway weekend in Lisbon. Orla, a comfy clothes and sensible shoes kinda woman and her best friend, Kate, over the top red carpet ready at all times, go out for dinner and drinks the first night and Kate disappears. With as many twists and turns as the Lisbon streets, Orla needs to find Kate and unravel what happened. Instead, she unravels her life and that of everyone around them. Loved Friends Like These and this was a great read too. I just had to keep going as I couldn’t wait to discover who was responsible in this enjoyable cast of characters.

2 friends go on a weekend holiday to Lisbon. Only one comes back.
A really good book with the right amount of description at the beginning to scene set to get the imagination going of the location and characters.
It’s been a while since I didn’t want to put a book down but at the end of every chapter I wanted to read just one more which turned into one more .... plot twists, intriguing, a proper page turner of a book. Give it a go.

Wow, I absolutely positively love this author! I think this was a great, chilling, and often times heart wrenching book. I do need a follow up though, as it’s that good! Twisted for sure, chilling as heck, and shocking! Preorder today, ALDERSON is an author to watch!
Will make sure I buzz it up on the different platforms!

I loved this novel, with its wonderful cast of characters and gorgeous prose. The storyline was engaging and flowed seamlessly.
Highly recommended!

ohhhh twisty! I love the mysteries when people go away on trips...IT NEVER ENDS WELL!
well written and full of mystery !

Two friends, the trip of a lifetime, and an ocean of secrets....When Olga and Kate leave behind their daily routines behind for a jet-setting adventure, they expect to spend their days reconnecting and relaxing. Both women have stressor back home that they are more than happy to escape. They plan a night out but only one returns.. What happened to Kate? Could the truth be found in daily lives?

Best friend Orla and Kate have both been through the wringer, babies, divorces, you name they’ve been through it. But they always have their annual girls weekend to look forward to. This year’s trip is in Lisbon and they kick off their holiday with a night on the town. The next day when Orla wakes up, Kate is missing and Orla’s memories of the night before are fuzzy to say the least. The police refuse to take Kate’s disappearance seriously, so Orla goes on the offensive, trying to remember what happened, revisiting the places the two women have visited the night Kate disappeared. What Orls uncovers will shake the very foundations of her life and all that she believed to be true

Thank you to Net Galley and Avon UK for an e-ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review. Orlas and Kate initially reminded me of my best friend. I'm the more introverted one, and she's the life of the party. So, initially I saw us, and when I'd wonder why in the world Orlas would choose to spend time with Kate, I'd have to remember my BFF. Orlas gets a weekend away with her friend, a bit of a break from being a new mom. Only one of the women will come home. The book has twists and turns I didn't expect, and even when I uncovered one piece, there would be another twist lying just beyond that. I really enjoyed this book so much. The only thing that detracted from 5 starts is that the ending seems to be a set up for a series. I'd like a series from this, but I wish I'd realized there wouldn't be a clear end to the plot. Again: I still recommend the book, but just realize that, and you won't wonder where the end went.

Twisty but sadly no real sense that they were in Lisbon. They’re definitely somewhere strange with a different language though. And if this book is not a lesson to never go on a girls weekend again, then I don’t know what is. Or at least do a CRB check haha.

Twisty so you never really know what’s going on which is good. It’s the sort of novel you ask yourself what you would do in this situation.

A good beach read! .

I really enjoyed this one! A long overdue weekend getaway for best friends Orla and Kate in Lisbon starts out great but soon becomes tragic, as Kate disappears. To make matters worse, Orla can't remember most of what happened the evening before. She passed out soon after returning to their lodging following a night on the town and now she's in a strange country alone and searching for her best friend. Thank goodness she gains the assistance of the helpful Uber driver from the night before, but can she trust him? And as she soon discovers, can she trust anyone?

This was a fun story and the author did a great job characterizing the paranoia and fear that such a situation would bring. Not only does Orla have no idea where to look for her friend, but she doesn't speak the language and knows no one, making it seem impossible to find answers. She also has a husband baby girl back home whom she misses terribly and it puts her in such a bad position, as she wants to return home but just can't do it without Kate. There are surprising discoveries regarding those closest to her that makes it that much harder for Orla to solve this mystery. But the question becomes, does she really want to know the truth?

This is a fun read that you will find hard to put down until you, too, find all of the answers!

A great read. I was finding it hard to concentrate and focus on anything other than the Corona virus and thus book grabbed my attention and kept me focused, I loved the main character Orla. This is a thrilling exciting and fantastic read,

I'm a Sarah Alderson fan and this book continued her trend of making me read her books in one sitting.

While there were some overly predictable elements and certain things I felt were a tad convenient, I still couldn't put the book down. I loved the set up of the story and was immediately drawn in by the complicated friendship dynamic of new mom Orla and wild card Kate on vacation in Lisbon.

When Kate disappears I liked how resourceful Orla was, and it never felt like the clues were coming from out of the blue and the investigation followed a logical progression. And even though I guessed some of the twists, I also liked how breadcrumbs were left to guess at these twists instead of having revelations come out of the blue. I do love to be surprised in a thriller, but I also really love it when I can guess at secrets because of well-placed hints and clues.

However, I did think it was a bit convenient that one somewhat random character decided to help Orla hunt down Kate. While this character's backstory was interesting, I thought his big secret was over the top. It seemed like the character could have been as useful as he was without the ultra convenient details of certain aspects of his job. I don't know want to say too much and spoil it though, so this is a bit vague! But I felt like this character could've used a touch more finesse to fit more artfully into the story.

And while I wasn't surprised by a most of the main twists and turns, I still loved the ride. I also the thought the final twist was a nice touch.

A story of two friends on a weekend away , which goes wrong. The girls are in Porto for a hard drinking weekend, staying in an air B&B. They end up at a club, taking two men back to their appartment. One of them then disappears . The story was Ok, though peppered with references to brands (handbags etc ) which I have found do not stand the test of time and details about the copious amounts of alcohol (and drugs) consumed.
Once Orla has discovered that her friend has disappeared, she goes to the police station where she is not really taken seriously . She then runs around Porto in a search, helped by an Uber driver and lots of coincidences There are lots of twists to this tale, some believable some stretching the realms of possibility. It is quite fast moving and suspenseful . In my opinion Orla seems quite naive and shallow, making on the spot decisions about who to trust based on very little evidence and snap decisions about what to do .
One glaring fault was that she couldn't remember the names of the men picked up in the bar/club. In the next paragraph both names are mentioned ....
I would read more by this author
Thanks to net galley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Oh... my... word. This was wild, I tell you, absolutely wild. Utterly captivated from the first page to last, The Weekend by Sarah Alderson had me devoted to reaching the final conclusion of this absorbing novel, leaving me restless and curious until I had done so. I'd be lying if I was to say that the cover hadn't helped in the persuasion of me wanting to read this book. It looked and sounded exactly like the sort of novel I was hoping to lose myself within, and boy, did it achieve that goal. Only a handful of pages was all it took for my surroundings to completely fade away, and for me to become fully-immersed in Orla and Kate's story as their weekend away in Lisbon, Portugal, began.
After reading the blurb for this novel, I'm sure it will provide you with a brief enough idea of the premise for Orla and Kate's story. After settling into their sleek and shiny apartment once in Lisbon, they head straight out to a classy restaurant for dinner, and from there, events begin to take a swift turn for the worst. Waking up the next morning, Orla realises that she's now alone. Kate, her best friend, has vanished. And in a strange, unknown city, it falls to Orla to try and find her, and use the shattered pieces of her foggy memory to try and piece together what exactly happened the night before.
Let's talk about Alderson's characters. Orla and Kate were exceptionally believable and well-constructed, and were the sorts of friends who were the complete opposite to each other. Orla, having recently become a mother, is not really on the same wave-length as Kate anymore, although she once had been. More prone to afternoon naps and a nice cup of tea, Orla is astonished when Kate mentions heading to a nightclub on their first evening in the city, emphasising just how much has changed since she gave birth to her daughter. Kate, glitzy and glamorous and bursting with energy, is used to an entirely different side of life. Champagne, expensive handbags and clothes, and luxurious holidays are more Kate's style, and this contrast between the two women only becomes more and more prominent the further the plot progresses. I loved the conversations between these two, and how smoothly the prose flowed throughout. It was clear to me that, despite whatever differences there may have been in Orla and Kate's lifestyles, they were still incredibly close friends. Alderson writes with such a confidence, it was simply effortless, the way my imagination picked up the words and turned them into an image in my own mind. As well as Orla and Kate, there were so many other characters to be introduced to, each of them important in their very own ways. From Rob, Orla's husband, to Toby, Kate's ever-furious ex, to the rest of the people Orla meets in her quest to find Kate, I utterly adored meeting all of them and figuring out what role they would eventually come to play in the unfolding mystery which lay ahead. But let me tell you now, not one of the people you will meet in this novel are what they first appear to be.
As for the plot, blimey, it absolutely blew me away. With every page turn, my pulse would race with suspicion, with questions, and an insane need for answers. There was always something new waiting just around the corner, and twists around every bend that I just couldn't get enough of. I loved the mystery of this novel, the complete absence of any sort of reliable or honest answer to the questions Orla was always trying to ask, which only spurred me on more in my quest for something real to explain all that had happened on their first fateful night in Lisbon.
When finally, all was revealed, I just couldn't believe it, but it made sense. There was a calm that settled within me once Orla finally discovered the truth, but when I reached the final page and read the author's parting words, I was hit again, a double-whammy of an ending, if you will, and actually let out a little scream of frustration. It was wild. I felt like I'd been right there beside Orla, every single step of the way, and I was willing her to be able to head home to her daughter, for some peace and serenity at last. It was just such an enjoyable novel to lose myself within. I absolutely loved it and really hope there is more to come from Sarah Alderson in the near future. This novel was utterly perfect for me, and I would highly-recommend it to anyone who loves a twisted, suspicion-driven story about friends, and poses the question, 'Just how well do you truly know the people you love?'
The Book Babe is giving The Weekend Away by Sarah Alderson a rating of five out of five. I'd like to thank Avon Books and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reading copy of this book. You can pre-order your copy here.

Orla heads off to Lisbon with her best friend Kate and looks forward to a relaxing break from being a mum for the weekend. Kate seems to have other ideas and wants to go partying. Orla wakes up the next day to find Kate missing, and realises that it is up to her to try to find out what happened to her friend. Is she away partying still, or has something bad happened to her? It soon becomes clear that not everyone can be trusted, but who can be? Orla relies on those willing to help her while hoping she is placing her trust in the right people. It soon becomes clear that there are many secrets and shocks that may just explain what really happened...

This was the first book by Sarah Alderson that I have read, and it's one of my favourite reads in a while. The plot is brilliant, the characters well developed and interesting, and the story is full of twists and turns - I couldn't stop reading until I had finished it! At one point or another you end up suspecting everyone and it really does keep you guessing until the shocking ending. It really is a fantastic, thrilling read and I can't recommend it enough. I'll definitely be reading Sarah's other books now!

Thanks so much to the publisher, author and NetGalley for an advance copy of the book in return for my honest feedback.

This one was crazy good!!!! I will be recommending this one to all my friends who love an amazing thriller. The writing was great, the story was exciting.

The Weekend Away is a great who did it thriller with a very good ending.Orla and best friend Kate are in Lisbon for a weekend away staying in an apartment whose landlord Sebastian is just one of the strange characters to emerge in the book.When Kate goes missing on their first night the weekend takes a terrifying turn for Orla as she discovers that Kate wasn't really the best friend Orla thought she was.The lies Kate has woven bring Orla to the conclusion that she didn't really know Kate at all,the book is well written and keeps you guessing until the final chapter.A great book which will keep you engrossed in these difficult times,a 5 star read from me..

Thank you #Netgalley for the advanced copy!

So many twists and turns that kept you guessing until that last few pages! Orla goes for a weekend away with her best friend Kate, leaving behind her baby for the first time with her husband. The trip starts our great at a beautiful airbnb following by going out for dinner and drinks, After that its full of guessing as to what actually happened the rest of the night and where Kate disappeared too.

This was a really exciting book that was hard to put down. It centers on new mom Orla, who goes on a weekend trip with her best friend Kate, only to wake up the next morning and find Kate missing. The rest of the book digs into their relationship, which is not exactly as it seemed, as well as Orla's mission to find out what happened.

The story was fast paced from the very beginning and had a few surprises that I did not see coming. There were a few things that Orla did that seemed out of scope for her character and what a normal person would do, but for the most part, I was able to empathize with both her decisions and her feelings around them.

The ending did not tie up everything cleanly, but added to the overall feeling of tension throughout the rest of the book, and I thought it worked.

Overall, I'd recommend this book for those who like fast paced mysteries, with a little bit of opportunity to suspend your disbelief. I am looking forward to reading other books by this author.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"A Weekend Away" is a great, thrilling read that will leave anyone breathless long after the ending!

Alderson does an incredible job in this book - A strong narrator tells the story of a night out gone wrong; and all the twists that follow are simply brilliant!

I can't say much more without ruining the book - but I highly recommend this fast paced thriller! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to take this wild ride!

I devoured this book in one evening! Then it kept me up all night! The Weekend Away is precisely that, a weekend away, but it’s the worst weekend away you can possibly imagine.

Thanks to NetGalley, publisher and author, for letting me have a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. WOW THIS BOOK! What a fantastic story and narration style. This book kept me glued so bad from beginning to end. There were moments I forgot to breathe. If you call yourself a thriller fan you NEED to read this book and get lost in it. I give it 5 big fat stars. FANTASTIC!

So happy and grateful to receive an advance copy of The Weekend Away by Sarah Alderson via NetGalley.

A belter of a thriller with enough twists and turns to keep me guessing until the very very end!

What starts out as a girly city break between best friends turns into an increasingly dark race through Lisbon with main protagonist Orla. A likeable character with so many relatable traits her naivety had me almost shouting through the pages at her at times and wanting to hug her at others.

Orla’s naivety contrasts excellently with the motley crew of characters we are introduced to along the way, each one as untrustworthy as the next and I found myself wishing Orla had never left home and baby Marlow at all.

An unputdownable book, full of all the shocks, twists and turns fans of the mystery/ thriller genre enjoy so much.

A compelling and absorbing read.

First book of this authors that I have read. I really enjoyed it and all the twists in the storyline. Will be reading more by this author

Orla and Kate go away for the weekend to Lisbon. Best friends for many years, but their lives are different now. Kate is going through a divorce and Oral has a new baby. Orla hoped for a relaxing weekend to spend with her friend, Kate wants to party. When Orla wakes up after the first night and Kate is no where to be seen, her hunt for answers begins.
The plot is involved with plenty of characters making up the story, and each playing a part. It's written very well and despite being a fast paced book it's a gripping read with plenty of twists and turns until the end.

Fun fast thriller of a book! From the first page, you will keep turning until the very end. Lots of twists and turns to keep you interested. Highly recommend!
Thank you to netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Brilliant book, it kept me guessing the whole way through. I couldnt wait to get to the end to find out who had killed Kate. And nor would i have gotten it right. What an ending and so unexpected!!!

I am a huge fan of Sarah Alderson and this is another brilliant read.

Orla and Kate, best friends for a long time, have ventured away on trips together on numerous occasions even since Orla has been married to Rob and Kate married to Toby. It used to be an annual trip but has not happened for a while. However, this trip is different. Kate is leaving her daughter with husband Rob and Kate is going through a divorce.

They visit Lisbon and the flat they are staying in is beautiful and Kate tells Orla that her soon to be ex-husband, Toby, will be paying for it. The first night they go out for a meal and Kate insists they go clubbing which Orla, now a mother, isn’t keen on. As soon as the pair arrive in the club Kate makes a bee-line for two men who are good looking and well dressed and decides she is taking them back to the flat, despite Orla’s objections.

Orla wakes up the next morning with a thumping headache and little recollection of the previous night. To add to her woes Kate is missing along with her handbag and mobile phone. She tries calling but it goes straight to voicemail and she begins to worry so takes it upon herself to try and find her friend as the police do not seem too interested. She seeks the help of Konstandin, the driver of the Uber which took them to the club. He was probably my favourite character but Orla suspected everyone at various times.

The plot twists and turns and was a thoroughly enjoyable rollercoaster ride. The ending was brilliant; just my sort of final chapter.

Thanks to NetGalley, Avon Books and Sarah Alderson for my ARC in return from my honest review.

Excellent novel. Highly recommended.

I requested this book because I absolutely love psychological thrillers which are set abroad, and this one certainly did not disappoint.

From the very beginning I was sucked in to Orla and Kate's story. The characters felt like real people and I like that the author included enough backstory of the friendship without detracting from the current events of the story. I loved the character of Konstandin. Yes, maybe it was a bit convenient and unlikely that he would step in and help Orla as he did, but he was a lovely character and the romantic in me was hoping they would get together at the end.

I really can't think of anything negative to say about the book, I suppose parts of the plot were a little predictable but I really enjoyed the ride so I don't think it mattered.

I got invited to read the weekend away and I've enjoyed every twist and turn in the book.

With orla and Kate weekend away and Rob and Toby and all the secrets they have.

Two friends go away on a friends holiday but only one comes down. What a way to grab you. I loved all the twists and turns and couldn’t read it fast enough to find out what happened. A perfect summer read!

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books UK for the advanced e-arc of this book. This was my first Sarah Alderson novel and I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish. I love novels with an unreliable narrator and a mystery to solve. This one checks both of those boxes and does both of them well. It had me guessing until the very end. A fast-paced read with a good premise that is executed well.

This was my first Sarah Alderson book and I was hooked from the very beginning! I found Orla to be an interesting but trustworthy character - the complete opposite of Kate. I loved the crazy twists and turns that actually kept me guessing as to who did it...and how it would end.

I highly recommend for anyone searching for a good mystery, with a very fast paced-need-to-finishit-now pace!

This book got off to a slow start and I wasn't sure if I was really going to enjoy it. But I'm glad I stuck with it, because it really did improve

This book, has a really simple premise. You follow two women Orla and Kate, who have been best friends for years, they decide to go on a weekend away, what could possibly go wrong? But something does go terribly wrong. Orla wakes up and finds Kate missing and has to frantically retrace her steps, to try and find her best friend.

I thought this book started off pretty slow. There was also a couple of comments about weight and mental health, which I didn't like.

However, once the story got going, I was really hooked. There was a lot of action and it was very fast paced. It definitely kept me hooked to the end.

Overall, I think it was well written. There was a few common thriller tropes in this book, which it probably could have done without.

I think if you are looking for a summer read, this year, I think it would be perfect. It's a dark, engaging thriller set on holiday, what more could you want?

I was hooked to the very end. I was making lots of guesses throughout the book, as I was reading as to whodunit but I didn't guess correctly. The ending was definitely surprising

Overall, a really fun and engaging thriller which will be perfect for the summer reading season

TW: murder, violence and discussions of rape

Where to start?! I found the story absolutely fascinating and I raced through the pages as I couldn't wait to delve deeper. The characters were intriguing and well written. I would recommend this book to anyone.

I just knew by the title that this was going to be a creepy one! I am so excited I was able to read it because I loved it. Definitely a must read!

FANTASTIC BOOK!!!! I VERY rarely say I can't put a book down..but i had to know what really happened to Kate!!!!
Each time I though I had it there was another twist and I was so wrong!!!
This keeps you turning pages...in my case all through the night!!!!
The ONLY problem I had was the ending..there definitely was one but the book left you knowing there was going to be another one following at some point .
Definitely get this book if you can..only downside is you'll be up all night till you finish it!!!!!

Wow, I didn't see the twist at the end I thought i had it all figured out so I was pleasantly surprised when I realized I was so wrong. Totally a page turner, written exceptionally well, and will have you wanting more after the last page of this book. I will be looking for more from this author!

When Orla wakes up after a wild night with few memories she finds Kate missing. Orla frantically tries to retrace their steps of the previous night to put the pieces of the puzzle together. July 23 2020.

A lovely mystery/thriller filled with twists until the very end. I will say it is predictable in some ways, but it still had me convinced I knew who the killer was at the very end only to be wrong. The beginning of the book made me wish I was taking my tote bag down to a foreign beach on a holiday with my best friend haha! This is my first read from Sarah Alderson but I will definitely be looking into her other works! Be sure to look for this stunning cover in July!

It has been a while since i was completely blown away by a thriller.
Orla and Kate have been best friends for many years and each year they always take a vacation together. They go on the getaway to catch up and basically hand out. So here they are in Lisbon. Kate going through a really messy divorce and Orla is coming to terms being a new mom so both are really excited and needed this break. So one night Orla and Kate went out for a night. They went to dinner and then off to dancing. The next morning when Orla wakes up Kate is no where in sight. To make things worse Orla has an issue trying to remember all the events that happened the previous night.
Did Kate take off on her own or did something more sinister happen?
This is the first novel by Sarah Alderson, and it definitely wont be my last. The novel is well written and the ending i never saw coming and was alarmed on what happened and how betrayed Orla was. I loved the diverse characters, and the good mystery on finding out what happened. Definitely reccommend!

This is the 3rd book I’ve read by this author and my my this book has taken it up a gear! I just could not put it down. I really liked the characters Orla and Kate - I thought you could really relate to them and also their friendship. The Book was in a linear format and flowed really well through Orla narration. I enjoyed how the author managed to cast suspicion in areas then completely change course and get you thinking of the situations in another way. I only guessed one part otherwise it kept you swapping and changing your mind about who had done what like a yo-yo! This authors books are the easiest books to read, they do what they set out to do and are thoroughly enjoyable!

Wow!! What a page turner this book was. I read it in a day and late into the night because I just had to know what happened to Kate. This is the first book I have ever read by this author and it most definitely will not be the last. The story line was amazing, the characters I instantly felt like I was friends with. Just when you think you have it all figured out bam you don’t up until the very last page. I would give this book 5 out of 5 stars and would recommend to everyone!!! This is my top book of 2020 so far and I can’t wait to share my love for this book with friends. Thank you so much netgalley and publisher for the advanced copy.

What a fun read! I've heard nothing but good things about this author and I'm happy to say she doesn't disappoint! While the ending is a bit predictable, I enjoyed every little piece of the puzzle as it was unraveled. The characters were likeable and Kate was a nice mix of likablenand unlikable. I like that the author didn't spend a whole lot of time describing Lisbon, but gave us just enough to picture it. It was a fast read and I finished it in about a 24 hour period. Once I got to about 40%, I didn't want to put it down because it was so enjoyable and so easy to read without the writing being juvenile. I will definately be picking up more from this author!

*Review copy recieved thanks to Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

This was a fun read! I had taken a bit of a break from thrillers as I had read a few that were a little too formulaic, and it was nice to step back into the genre with this book. Sarah Alderson has penned a gristly, twisty story about two friends on holiday in picturesque Lisbon with Orla waking up to a terrible scene: where’s Kate, and what happened last night?

An engaging, suspenseful read that readers are sure to devour in one go.

Many thanks to NetGalleyUK and Avon Books UK for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I didn’t get much sleep last night and haven’t moved off the sofa today thanks to this book. I enjoy a book with characters that I can identify with - a couple of best friends who have known each other since their twenties making different life choices, (one with a baby and still getting her head around the monumental life change) but still whenever they get together it’s like it’s been no time at all. A lovely relaxing weekend away - ha!!!!!! The author keeps the pace going all the way through with twists and turns.. Until the last few pages - and even then you are left with a question - or is it a question?. (Although my kindle had a wobble glitching and not letting me read the last bit one page so have had to download the novel again so I can double check).

I’m hoping this isn’t the last I read about Orla and Marlow.

I enjoyed the fact that this book was set in a different country ,and it grabbed me from the get go.The characters were well drawn and believable ,there were twists I didn't see coming.No spoilers but I found I had to give up on guessing who did what I couldn't work it out.Good book,I liked it.

Another cracking read - I stayed into the late hours trying to read this one.
This is the story of great friends Orla and Kate - they have been friends forlike ever! Every year they go away for a short break together - however over the last couple of years it just hasn't happened. So when Kate suggests a trip to Lisbon she finally agrees. The 2 head off for a weekend of memory making. After the girls go out for a night out, Orla wakes up the next morning with little memory of going to bed - she walks into Kates room and finds her missing - maybe she has gone out for breakfast - but Kate doesn't return - what on earth has happened to her, where can she be. I totally had no idea what was going on and didn't didn't guess what was happening. Really great read.

Another home run for Sarah Alderson! Had similar vibes to Friends Like These, a very good thing indeed. I flew through this--reading up to the 60% mark and past 2 in the morning on the first night I read it. Took all my strength to stop.

It is funny though because the setting of the book is nothing like I expected based on the cover! It's a smart cover b/c it tells you it's a fast-paced, beachy read... yes! But not a literal beach read. I assumed the girl's trip would be to a sunny, beachy place, but they're in Lisbon, so it has a "bad shit goes down in old European city" feel instead. Orla and Kate rent an Airbnb for the weekend, the first girls getaway in four years. It's Orla's first weekend away from husband and baby, and Kate is her party girl friend who immediately throws them into a wild night. When Orla wakes up the next day, severely hungover from who knows what, Kate is gone. The police think she's overreacting--Kate probably left, hooked up with someone, and is with them--so Orla searches on her own. Well, with the help of the Uber driver who dropped them off at the bar the night before--he acts as her unofficial translator and driver as she zigzags across the city to find clues.

Similar to Friends Like These, The Weekend Away plays off of messy women, complicated friendships, and new stages of life vs. old. A huge amount of conflict is derived from how much Orla has grown up--and Kate hasn't. A ton of the conflict, both for Orla and the reader, comes from Kate being SO frustratingly selfish and over the top. You do wonder why Orla would ever have been friends with such a tornado of a person. But it's good conflict--this is one of those books where you find out secrets about the missing person and it changes everything. (Because of course Kate has secrets)

I was turning pages and making guesses and everything culminated in one of my favorite things--the gut punch ending! Highly recommend.

Hooked from the very first page to the very last. Brilliant premise where two friends go away for a fun weekend but only one of them returns alive. Full of unexpected twists, loved it!

I really enjoyed this deep dark thriller of a story of two old friends who go away for the weekend together but during the trip Orla wakes up and finds her friend Kate missing. Stuck in a foreign country alone Orla must try and work out where Kate has gone and as secrets and lies start to unravel Orla questions how much she knows about her best friend. This kept me guessing till the very end and was a great read.

As soon as I started reading this one, I could not put it down and ended up finishing it within the space of four hours. The book got in to the nitty gritty story line quite quickly and within the blink of an eye, I was on the hunt to find out what happened to Kate, alongside Orla. There were so many people you could pin-point in having an involvement in Kate's disappearance, some of them just being super sick people, some of them being genuine people you can trust.

When all was revealed, I kind of felt dissatisfied that I was reading a thriller that wouldn't end in closure and would always leave us hanging... well, was I wrong... Sarah did leave us on one heck of a cliffhanger but I wasn't expecting it AT ALL. The twist came so unexpectedly, when I had finished it, I wanted to throw my phone across the room - I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED NEXT!!!!

Please, Sarah, we need another book on Orla and Marlowe!

Wow! Loved this book! A twisty tense engaging psychological thriller that keeps you guessing from start to finish!
Kate and orla go to Lisbon for a girlie weekend they are childhood best friends who have been away together lots of times!
The weekend away doesn’t go as planned! A mix of drugs, male escorts, scorned partners,and a disappearance make for a thrilling read, as Kate battles to find the truth in a foreign country but in doing so puts herself at great risk! Lots of twists and turns that keep you enthralled as the mystery deepens, you just can’t wait to hear the next development and see where the story goes! A surprising conclusion, would be fantastic to read a sequel to this book!
Thank you net galley for this early read.

The Weekend Away had it all! A triumph for Sarah Alderson.

When 2 friends go away for a girls weekend as they have so many times before. Both are looking forward to getting away from it all. But getting away has very different meanings for them both. And when one goes missing it’s another kind of trip entirely.

With amazing suspense, characters you’ll love and hate, drama on steroids and the a-ha moment coming when you should have worked it out but haven’t, you’ll wish this weekend would never end. A must read.

Special thanks to netgalley and Avon Books for this fantastic read! 4.5 stars. No, 5!

A great book! I read this in 2 nights while in lockdown and thoroughly enjoyed it. The characters are complex and interesting and it’s full of twists and turns. I’d definitely recommend it

So many twists and turns that it was hard to put this one down. I hate being left hanging at the end though, I like everything wrapped up at the end. Such a great read!

The Weekend Away by Sarah Alderson hooked me from the very first page. This one is compulsively readable, and I recommend it to anyone in need of a virtual escape.

Orla and Kate are best friends on a girls weekend in Lisbon. Orla has, somewhat reluctantly, left her husband and infant daughter at home, while party girl Kate is in the mood for fun as she is in the process of divorcing her husband. It immediately becomes apparent that the two women have very different expectations for their time away. After a night out, the pair return to their accommodation with two local men, and when Orla awakens the next morning with only a hazy memory of the previous hours, she is shocked to discover that Kate is missing. So begins a frantic search of a foreign city for a friend who has vanished, seemingly without a trace.

This one ticks all of the boxes for me. Ms Alderson deftly weaves a mystery that will have you racing to the finish line in a desperate bid to discover what has transpired. Recommended.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the opportunity to read this ARC.

The Weekend Away is a great thriller! I was hooked from page one and there were so many twists... including one final one at the very end that I did not see coming!

Solid read right here! Kept me engaged from start to finish, always on the lookout for who was responsible for Kate's disappearance. I trusted no one, and had maybe 1000 different guesses as to who the culprit was. Well-written, suspenseful, and filled with more twists and turns than ever! I look forward to reading more titles by this author, bravo!!

Absolutely loved the book! Hated the ending! I had absolutely no idea that it was going and with basically to be continued! I hate having to wait for a part 2 or 3, etc . That being said, I can't wait for the next book!!!

Absolutely loved this book! The way it was written, the plot, the anticipation. It kept me glued to the book and I could not put it down. I had no idea what was going to happen till the final page and it left me god smacked.

I will definitely be looking at reading other books by this author as I loved it.

Thank-you very much for letting me read this book. 5***** from me.

Firstly a big thank you to Avon for accepting my request to read on netgalley. This is a new author for me and she didnt dissapoint .

This is a brilliant read and one that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Completely unpredictable and exciting. The story keeps unravelling one chapter at a time with secrets galore.

What starts as a ideal dream getaway quickly becomes a nightmare with Orla just wanting to go home.

I will definitely be checking out her other books .

Published 23rd July

I really enjoyed this book. There were twists and turns in every chapter that had me guessing until the very end. Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book.

First of, the ending!!! Why😭 safe to say it left me wanting more! It had me imagining different scenarios throughout the whole book including the ending! Safe to say it didn't end how I thought it would! It kept my attention the whole time! Fantastic read! An author who's books I will pick up and read again!

It took me a little while to get into (probably because of the situation in the world rather than the book!), but I am so glad I did.
Well written thriller about a friend who goes missing on holiday. The fear seeped through the words and made me feel uneasy. Great book. Great twists. And a great distraction from real life.
Thank you to Sarah Alderson and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review.

I was new to reading from the author Sarah Alderson, but the book cover and title had me reading the synopsis, which turned out to be exactly what I was looking for!.

So at first I found the storyline very hard to get into, I found that for what looked like an easy going summer read, there were a lot of big words being used that just had no place in the book, an example of this was 'Laudable
I was thinking by this point what? And just why?!
But never one to be put off by
"sesquipedalian" (yes I googled a big word myself to describe the start of this book!).... I carried on, and I'm really glad I did because as the storyline progressed and I got to know the characters the use of big words faded and it became the storyline I was expecting.
Towards the end it kind of felt rushed all of a sudden and came to a close, this in hand led to another 2 chapters where the story ended where I kind of guessed it was going to go.

Not bad for my first experience of this author and I would definitely go on to read another book by Sarah Alderson. That being said I will have my dictionary open beside me if I do!!

Thank you for the advanced copy from Avon & Netgalley. I did enjoy this book and would give it a strong 4 stars ****

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I LOVED this book. I devoured it over 2 days. Considering we are in lockdown, this book was a great escape, and I could picture the streets of Lisbon so vividly. I loved that about it. The mystery throughout the book is great, some fantastic twists, and fun to unravel. A great summer read for fans of thriller/mystery.

This was an easy to read thriller that kept my attention all the way through! Lots of twists and surprises I didn't see coming. Very good, would recommend....interesting ending

4 🌟 Two friends go away for a weekend - only one comes back. Best friends Orla and Kate go to Lisbon for a girly weekend but after their first night out Orla wakes up to find Kate missing. This was a great read. I loved that it’s set in Lisbon so reminded me of a lovely holiday there with my hubby a few years ago ❤️ it’s well written, engaging, past paced and you won’t want to stop reading til you find out whats happened!due for release in July. Thanks netgalley and Sarah Alderson for the preview

Kate and Orla always take a vacation together each year to catch each other up and be together. Orla is a new mom and Kate is getting divorced. One night they went out and when Orla got up Kate was gone. Orla can't remember anything. She doesn't know if Kate left on her own or if something else happened that night.


Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the advance ecopy.

Whoa! What a ride this was! Sarah Alderson's "The Weekend Away" kept me up way into the early morning hours. Do we really know the people we love? Suspenseful, well developed characters and might there be a sequel? I loved it.

I loved this book! Beyond thrilling and kept me on the edge of my seat. Travel thrillers are one of my favorite genres to read. What’s more thrilling than being in a country you don’t know, with a language barrier that hinders you from speaking to most of the citizens, and your best friend goes missing without a trace? Who can you trust?

I loved all of the twists within the story, and not to give anything away, but the ending twist was my favorite. I truly never guessed what happened to Kate, no matter how many times I thought I knew what happened. I was totally engrossed in the story and found it easy to relate to the characters, especially Orla.

The ending was not necessarily wrapped in a tight bow, but it was satisfying enough and not to mention chilling. I would highly recommend this book to anyone and would definitely read another book by this author. As a matter of fact, I will seek out books by this author.

Hooked me in straight away two very different characters in Kate and Orla and Rob the pawn in the game; then a sinister twist escorts missing people and divided loyalties the very creepy character of Sebastian and his airb&b very plausible irritating and inept police and a compassionate hit man - what’s not to like - great book with a perfect ending l didn’t see coming 🤫

Orla and Kate have been BFFs forever! They used to spend all of their time partying, living, and traveling together before Orla got married. Now a new mother, Orla’s agrees to a girl’s get away weekend with Kate in Lisbon.

Orla wants to relax, Kate wants to party.
After a night of heavy drinking and partying, Orla wakes up in a haze and learns that Kate is missing. The police aren’t taking her seriously, she can’t speak Portuguese, and she faces other hurdles in her quest. As pieces start coming together, Kate questions how well does she really know her friend.

Wowza! This was an absolute thrill ride that leaves you baffled until the very last sentence. I really liked that everything I predicted and everyone I suspected was wrong. There were a few unrealistic and questionable decisions that Orla made, but I guess desperate times call for desperate measures. I thoroughly enjoyed this mind maze and doubt casting thriller!

Thanks to Avon Books and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Weekend Away Turns Sinister....
A weekend away each year for friends Orla and Kate is a cherished event. This year their trip to Lisbon sounds ideal and is planned to perfection. However, soon after arrival the break becomes something way more sinister. Well plotted, albeit a little too predictable in places, this is an entertaining psychological suspense for some guaranteed escapism.

Thank You to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for this ARC!!

"Two friends go on holiday. Only one comes back"

I was attracted to this book by its cover and description!!

Orla and Kate have been best friends forever. And whatever else happens in their lives, they can always look forward to their annual weekend away..This year, they’re off to Lisbon. After a wild night of partying Orla wakes up the next morning only to find Kate missing and no recollection of the night before.

It was such a brilliantly written book and I just couldn't wait to reach the end. Apart from the main characters, Kate and Orla, I even loved the character of Konstandin.

I loved that it was fast paced, full of mystery and twists. And the final twist was so unexpected!!

Highly Recommended!

I was absolutely blown away by this book - gripped from the moment I started reading and didn’t put it down. It was so easy to see the world through Orla’s eyes and go on this emotional journey with her. I was hooked from start to finish and a little bit gutted that I read it so fast as I wanted the story to go on for longer!

Orla’s character is one that is believable in that she is trusting and let down by those closest to her - I could understand every emotion that she felt by the constant twisting and turning of events. My only criticism is that the book wasn’t longer as I wanted to stay lost in the story for a little longer! Would recommend to anyone who is interested in thrillers and mysteries.

I really enjoyed this book and had read In Her Eyes, another book by the author.

I enjoyed the writing style and I was compelled by the storyline and the characters. The front cover is brilliant too!

The Weekend Away by Sarah Anderson is a rollercoaster ride. One red herring after another—-or is it?! A lot of it required suspending belief and just going with the flow. What a mess and what a tangled web. Good, fast paced storyline. It’s easy enough to relate to Orla the exhausted mum and Kate her neglected fun-loving friend. Or la’s subsequent acquiescence with drinking, going with strangers and identifying a body of a non-family member.......not so easy to swallow. Nonetheless a ripping yarn- right up to the last page....and beyond.

Plenty of twists and surprises in this book. Also some rather convenient coincidences ... an Uber driver multi-lingually fluent, and people flying into Lisbon as if they were catching a bus.

But I did enjoy the tale of Orla and Kate; 2 best friends one of whom has secrets that would surely break the friendship if uncovered. The plotting did get rather convoluted but nonetheless the story kept me interested and the final page was a real surprise!

Thank to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley, Avon Books UK and the Author Sarah Alderson for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
All I can say is WOW!!! This book was an absolute page turner.
The epitome of a cat and mouse thriller.
I couldn't read it fast enough.
My first read from this Author and certainly won't be my last.

A good story which I was compelled to read in one sitting. Although I wasn't surprised by the ending, there are lots of twists and turns, which make this a very enjoyable read.

Plot
Best friends Kate and Orla go to Lisbon for a weekend away but it is a weekend away that changes everything....

Ending – Thumbs up or meh
Thumbs up!

Book surmised in 5 words or less
Well thought out. Enthralling read.

A keep you up all night read?
Yes – definitely!

My thoughts
Thank you to Sarah Alderson, Avon Books UK and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my review.

I liked this book. It was easy to get into and hard to put down. It’s difficult to talk about the plot without giving anything away or give any spoilers but it ticked the boxes for me both in terms of readability, plot and holding my interest.

I liked the plot twists along the way which were fitting and the ending didn’t leave me feeling short changed.

Firstly, thank you to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book prior to publication.

It’s the story of two lifelong friends, Orla and Kate, who go away together for the weekend, to Portugal on this occasion. This is something they have done frequently over the years. However, this time, on the first night Kate disappears, and subsequently is found dead. The book tells the story of Orla’s efforts to get to the bottom of the disappearance. Although she reports it to the police, she is not convinced that they take her seriously, and don’t appear to make much effort to try and find out what happened to her friend. She is assisted by Konstandin, an Uber driver, who decides to help her.

The book starts off quite slow, but, however, once it gets going it’s gripping and fast paced, and you don’t want to put it down. It has a lot of twists and turns, and has a surprising ending.

I really enjoyed it, and worth reading.

I think this is going to be a big hit for the Summer. If you want a crime thriller that leads you up the garden path and then takes you off course like you would never believe, then this is the book for you. It had everything I like in a thriller plus a lot more than I could ever imagine. It is about two friends who go away for the weekend, they are complete opposites Kate likes to drink, Orla not so much but the morning after the night before, Orla finds herself alone and cannot find Kate anywhere, where is she? Orla sets out to find out what happened to her friend but discovers so much more than she could ever imagine. This book deserves a 10/10. It was absolutely brilliant.

Thank you Netgalley, Sarah Alderson and Avon Books UK for the copy of this book.

This book kept me up well into the night! I absolutely had to see how this book ended. The twists and turns had me guessing, at times I thought I knew what was going on, the next completely turned on my head. And the ending line sent shivers down my arms! Thouroughly enjoyed this book, will be purchasing once it's released.

The Weekend Away was another book that kept me up reading late into the night. I started and finished this yesterday, unable to stop turning the pages. It is a psychological thriller that you really get caught up in quickly. Until the very last pages you will be kept guessing. Really enjoyed it.

2 best friends go away on holiday, only one comes back. Orla and Kate are looking forward to a weekend away to escape their lives for a few days. Orla Is a new mum and struggling to cope. Kate is going through a messy divorce. This girls weekend is just what they need. But when Orla wakes up feeling fuzzy headed after their first night, Kate is nowhere to be found. All she can remember Is that they went out for dinner and then dancing. She needs to find the missing pieces of the night to try to find Kate.

This was a quick and easy read for me, with a ending that I did not see coming. Thanks to Avon Books UK for my advanced copy of this book to read

Such a good read! I loved it.

Two friends, Orla and Kate go on a weekend break to Lisbon. Kate is the reckless adventurer who has planned everything and intends for the friends to have a wild 2 days. Orla is a new mum, still feeling the lack of confidence and shakiness in leaving her husband and baby together for the first time.
What follows is a fabulous page turner as this light and fluffy start moves into drama and possibly murder and intrigue when Orla awakes from their first night of drunken debauchery to find Kate missing. Orla feels she has been drugged, but, what does that mean in terms of what happened? What follows is Orla trying to find her missing friend and the secrets that reveals.

It's seamlessly written with some fabulous characters, most of whom you're just not 100% sure about.
There are some irritations, mainly about Orla’s character and her actions and I definitely had a few “what”!?! moments in terms of her reactions and behaviour.

Overall, an easy to read mystery that held my attention such that I finished it in 2 sittings.

Great holiday read!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to preview.

Wow, I really enjoyed this book! Best friends Orla and Kate go to Lisbon for a girlie weekend away. Orla- married with one kid and Kate- newly divorced, couldn't be any different! The two get really drunk on a night out in Lisbon. When Orla wakes Kate is gone and she has no memory at all of what happened the night before...

Orla sets off in an attempt to find her friend in a country she is not familiar with and with police who are not too keen to help! I couldn't put it down.. I just wanted to know more... there were constant twists and turns and new findings. I literally could not have guessed who was involved in the disappearance or were Kate was gone. It left me guessing throughout. Orla is a really likable character. A great friend to Kate. She went above and beyond to see what were Kate went. A really enjoyable book that keeps you guessing.

Thank you to Net Galley, the publisher and the author for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

A really great read. Full of twists and turns l couldn’t put it down. Never read books by this author before, but will look out for others. If you like stories set abroad this is a must. Would thoroughly recommend.

Great book, easy to read. I love a plot set abroad, especially when travel is restricted in Lockdown. This book took me straight to Lisbon.

A little predictable in the middle but not to it’s detriment. Fantastic ending, would highly recommend

Thanks to Netgalley and Avon books for an ARC.
Kate and Orla have been best friends for more than 20years and decide to go away for the weekend.
Orla is married and has a young daughter.
Kate is getting divorced.
When Orla wakes up on Saturday morning she discovers Kate is missing and so begins Orla's journey to find her. She trusts no one and suspects everyone.
This is a gripping rollercoaster of a ride with plenty of twists and turns.
I have to say I wasn't too sure about the ending though.

Great book! I love psychological fiction books with all the twists. This one did not disappoint. Really was an entertaining read. Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for the early release copy. Loved it.

Two long-standing best mates take a boozy weekend break in Lisbon, one disappears, and the other gets swept up in the crime drama that ensues. Not an unusual premise, but the novel’s fast pace and many twists and turns made it hard to put down. I really enjoyed this well-written, plot-driven thriller which kept me guessing all the way to the end.

New Mum Orla and Party girl Kate have been best friends forever and so with Orla adapting to motherhood, and Kate facing a messy divorce, they decide to have a girl’s weekend away in Lisbon.

Kate has booked the perfect apartment, complete with hot tub and they kick the weekend off in style with champagne, a fancy dinner, and drinks at a trendy bar.

Returning to the apartment that evening Orla feels a bit woozy and goes to bed but the next morning, she wakes up very groggy and is convinced that her drink was spiked and she tries to piece the night back together again. When she checks on her friend, Kate is not in the apartment, and hasn’t left a note – she has simply disappeared. As Orla frantically retraces their steps she makes a series of discoveries that may change her life forever.

The main character in this book is Orla who is been married to Rob, together they have baby Marlow who they conceived with IVF. I instantly connected to her as a character, and the love that she had for her baby and husband. I could understand why the thought of a weekend away sounds, on paper, like a wonderful idea but in reality, it takes so much planning, and then when you’re away, you just want to be at home, smelling your baby’s hair after their bath and that last snuggle before bedtime is so precious, so I completely got Orla.
Kate on the other hand seemed like a little diva, and I couldn’t understand how the two of them could be best friends when they seem so different, I don’t think I would want a night out with Kate – I don’t think I could cope!!

There were elements of this book that I’d felt I’d seen in films before, however, when I was reading it was like a film of its own playing out in my head so it would be really nice to see it on the big screen in the future.

A lovely, enjoyable read and just when you get to the point in the book when you think everything has been explained, Sarah throws in a curve ball!

Fancied a quick “holiday” type read so picked up “the weekend away“ by Sarah Anderson. Expected a run of the mill girls weekend gone wrong, didn’t expect so many twists and turns for Kate and Orla in Lisbon. I suspected everyone... trusted no-one... was right on the edge of my seat as Orla was one step ahead of the police, of the culprit, or was she?

When two best friends, Kate and Orla, go away to Lisbon for a weekend, it is the perfect chance to have fun and relax... Or is it? ⠀
⠀
This is a classic whodunnit type of mystery thriller. The plot is not the most inventive or shocking but that doesn't bother me as I don't go searching for shocking plot twists or over-the-top reveals when reading thrillers. ⠀
⠀
The writing is superb and I basically read this in one sitting. It was fast-paced and attention-grabbing. Every time one piece of the puzzle was revealed, I just had to read further to find out more. The author just draws you in. ⠀
⠀
A great quick read for the weekend. If you enjoy the likes of Shari Lapena then I think this will be up your alley. ⠀

Thank you NetGalley and Avon Books for my ARC! This is definitely one of the best thrillers I’ve read in a while! Literally twist and turns in every chapter. The final twist had me breathless and in total shock! I loved Friends Like These by Sarah Alderson, so I couldn’t wait to read The Weekend Away. I was not disappointed. I definitely recommend this to anyone who loves a thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat!

The Weekend Away is a page turner for sure! Best friends Orla and Kate have an annual girls get away. Their trip to Lisbon is the first one in several years.

After a night out to kick off their trip, Orla wakes up to find Kate missing and a not so good memory of what happened the night before. Orla starts her search for Kate and starts to uncover a bunch of secrets and discoveries.

I liked this story of two friends whose lives have grown in different directions but still hold on to the nostalgia of their past. There were some unexpected twists, which I love! A great summer read or beach read. This is my first read by Sarah Alderson and I will definitely be reading more from this author.

Thank you #NetGalley and #AvonBooks for an advanced copy of #TheWeekendAway in exchange for my honest opinion.

A sincere thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for providing me with an ebook copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is not my usual genre, I’m more into romance stories and literary fiction however I wanted to take the opportunity to read something from outside my norm. And I am glad I did!! Thank you for opening up my mind to something totally different.

First of all the synopsis grabbed me straight away. This was so full of mystery and very well written. It was fast paced with a great ending. It did have frustrating moments with some of the characters , but having said that I still enjoyed it. This is definitely a book I would recommend.

This is by far the best book I’ve ever read! I started reading psychological‘s with my first one being Behind Closed Doors and this book I can’t believe I’m saying it surpassed it. OMGosh!! I was so on edge with every chapter and every character, I had no idea how it was going to turn out. Buckle up for the ride of a lifetime with this fantastic book!! Thank you Net Galley and Avon Books for an early copy.

Two friends go on holiday. Only one comes back.

A brilliant rollercoaster of writing which crescendos with a nail biting ending. Lots of twists and turns to keep you begging for more.

The story of two friends who maybe don’t know as much about each other than they first thought.

A story of discovery, expectation and definite intrigue. Was a joy to read. Devoured in hours and twisted to perfection.



A twisty holiday read for fans of The Holiday and Date Night.

Loved this book! Read it in a couple of days, two women go off for a weekend in Lisbon and one goes missing. Other goes on a hunt to try to find her, involving the police, a perverted watcher and a guy from the Albanian mafia...lots of twists, good summer book!

Kate and Orla go on a weekend away to Lisbon but only one of them will return. What happens over the course of several days will leave Kate missing and Orla left behind trying to find out what happened to her friend. As Orla gathers evidence about what happened to Kate, she will discover something that will blow her life apart.

The first book I have read by this author and it won’t be the last. A good plot with plenty of twists along the way and an ending which will keep you guessing.

The Weekend Away tells the story about Orla and Kate, two best friends who spend the weekend away in Lisbon. Orla wakes up with a fuzzy memory to discover Kate has disappeared but the police brushes her off. Can Orla trust anyone around her but most importantly, can she trust herself?

Let's start by the ending -what and ending! You will either love it or hate it, there's no middle ground. I mean, what a roller coaster this read was, I don't even know where to begin.

The characters were fun to read about, and relatable -two best friends on a weekend away in Lisbon, who hasn't gone on a weekend away with their bestie? Except that Orla's bestie may have kept a secret or two from her all this time and she may not be who she claimed to be. But then again, Orla is struggling as a new mother and she may have made a few poor choices this weekend, including maybe killing Kate in a drunken frenzy.

What a brilliant, fast paced summer read for those of us who enjoy a good roller coaster!

Disclosure: I'd like to thank the publisher for my advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

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The Weekend Getaway - This was a quick read! It would make a great movie. Two women go on a weekend trip to Lisbon; after the first night, one of the women is missing. The story started a bit abrubtly, and the first part of the book was pretty slow. The last half, however, had twist after twist after twist...I couldn't put it down!  Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book!

Thankyou for the arc, this was full of twist and turns I could not put it down! I wasn’t sure about the ending hopefully a book two? If you live thrillers this is definitely for you!

Wow! Where to start! An exciting, non-stop, thrilling, page turner!!
What starts off as a seemingly innocent plot, two friends holidaying together, soon turns into a face paced murder solving thriller.
This story twists and turns, secrets are being kept by everyone and just when you think you have a hold on what’s going on, bam! there is another plot twist!!
I don’t want to give away a single thing about the story as it is such a page turner, you will just want to keep reading and reading to see what happens next.
But I will say, the ending!!! Oh my!! I needed more, I wanted to keep reading, you will understand what I mean once you reach the last page!

Alderson is a new author to me and I will definitely be looking out for more titles from her.
This is a must read for anyone who loves a book full of plot twists and turns, to sum up, I loved it!

Thank you to Netgallery and the publishers for the chance to read this book, in exchange for an honest review.

Sarah started her writing career with an online travel blog when she moved her family to Bali and from there branched into Young Adult fiction. Her most recent books have been quite intense gut wrenching thrillers that you simply can't put down and The Weekend Away continues in this vein.

Orla and Kate have been friends forever, a friendship that has endured all sorts of struggles including Kate's very messy divorce and Orla's constant battles as a new mother. Throughout everything they have tried to organise one big girls weekend away a year. They haven't had one for a few years with everything that has been going on but this year it is in Lisbon. They've found a beautiful apartment on Air BnB and a weekend of sightseeing, drinking and having fun awaits them. The first night there they have the perfect night out planned - dinner, drinks and dancing.

Orla wakes up the following morning with a horrendous hangover and only a confused memory of the previous evenings events. Kate has vanished and no-one is taking her seriously. The police don't seem very interested in searching for a missing adult and Orla has to pull herself together to try and retrace their steps from the previous evening. The more that Orla digs the harder it gets to keep going because everything that she thought she knew is suddenly revealed to be a lie. Soon the only person she can trust is her uber driver!

This book did nothing for my sleep patterns as I found myself reading till 3.00 in the morning when I simply couldn't put it down. Alderson has become a veritable master of these twisty psychological thrillers and I really didn't expect the final outcome at all. It's a great read and the perfect holiday book because you'll just want to keep on reading the next chapter and forget all about getting up for work!

Supplied by Net Galley and Avon Books UK in exchange for an honest review .

UK Publication Date: July 23 2020.

What an amazing read!!! I absolutely devoured this book in 2 days, so many twists and turns! Quite dark but really easy to read. I just loved it

Call a sitter and have her watch your kids, toss this book in your beach bag, and be prepared to not put it down until you have finished it! This is a definite page-turner that keeps you hooked to the very end. I truly could not put it down!

Who would've thought secrets could be been kept for so many years? Orla and,Kate have been best friends for years but haven't been away together for a while, they decide to go for a weekend to Lisbon and that's when it all goes wrong. Secrets and lies begin to.unravel when Kate goes missing and can't be reached by anyone... What does Rob- Kate's husband have to do with it? And just who is the Uber driver Konstandin and why is he helping Kate when they've only just met?

Couldn't put this down just had to get to the end to see whodunit!! Will be recommending to family and friends.

I really enjoyed this one. I literally stayed up until the wee hours of the night reading- thank goodness for remote working! The story started out great and very relatable- going on vacation with a friend- enviable for sure. But then the mystery of Kate disappearing and what ensured kept me guessing. I absolutely loved how the characters developed and it all lead up to an intriguing end. I can’t help but wonder if there will be a follow up.

Two best friends, Orla and Kate take a girls trip to Lisbon where things don’t quite go to plan! Orla wakes up to find Kate has gone missing and the story follows Orla as she tries to unravel the events of the night before...with secrets she may not wish to uncover!

Even though I found it started off quite slow, by the time the mystery had begun I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was definitely a real page turner, as at the end of each chapter something new had been discovered and you just wanted to know more.

Just when you think you have it all figured out, there’s a twist to make you rethink everything! I didn’t manage to guess the ending which is always a plus! This is the perfect summer read!

A fast paced summer read. The theme is fairly well covered by other authors but this was still originally enough for me to enjoy it.

Orla and Kate are best friends, and they are living for their holiday together. Orla has a new baby, and Kate is facing a divorce, so this will be a nice escape for them both, let their hair down and relax- but when Orla wakes up the next morning, after a night on the tiles, Kate is nowhere to be found. She must now figure out what happened to her best friend.

This was an amazingly quick read - what a page turned! You will not see the end coming! :)

A very enjoyable read, this book starts off almost like a chick lit with two best friends off to Lisbon for a weekend break. That changes pretty quickly though and the story suddenly evolves into something far more sinister. Well paced and crammed with horrible people, a good summer read.

First, a thank you to Netgalley for sharing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

While I didn't like this quite as much as T.M. Logan's The Vacation, it's similar in tone and one of those 'great summer thriller reads.' I found that I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought it would, which was obviously a very nice surprise. While it's not particular unique in story line from other books of the same ilk, it has enough twists to keep you mostly guessing I wasn't particularly surprised by how it came to pass, but I wasn't entirely sure, so not so predictable as to be a disappointment. The very ending was very abrupt, which was I believe was the author's intention - mixed feelings about it, but...can't say I hated it.

This was an entertaining psychological thriller. It was filled with twists and turns. I got through this one quite quickly, and really enjoyed reading it!

I loved this book, thoroughly enjoyed. It had lots of twists and turns, which kept me guessing right to the end of the book. I didn't want to put the book down, very hard to put down. You just want to keep reading to find out more. I highly recommend this book :) Am left wondering if there will be another book to follow....

Two friends enjoy a weekend in Lisbon. Kate and Orla have been friends since university and Kate has arranged this. What could possibly go wrong?
Quite a lot does go wrong actually. Kate is missing and the police are singularly unhelpful. The only person who comes through for Orla is taxi driver Konstantin. He helps her though out the events that unfolds. When her husband Rob arrives even he acts strangely. Was he more than a friend to Kate? Orla and Konstantin work out the events that have unfolded discovering Kate was not a good friend but a manipulative jealous woman. This is a brilliant mystery and even right at the end Orla gets a huge shock.
Excellently written and I had to keep reading right to the end as soon as possible. This is a story well told and constructed so we can work it out along side Orla. This is a strongly recommended mystery.

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read this in exchange for an honest review. I absolutely loved this book definitely a top 202o read.

Orla and Kate have been best friends for years after Orla becomes a mum they decide to go on a weekend away together like the good old days. Kate is going through a divorce and Orla is letting her hair down so their evening turns a little wild and when Orla wakes the next morning Kate is gone! Orla is unable to remember much about the evening leading to the disappearance so we follow her on her journey to discover the truth. I loved the mystery and the book kept me guessing right up to the final reveal! You will not be disappointed if you read this book a well deserved 5*

It’s been a few years since I read a Sarah Anderson book and I was excited by the premise of The Weekend Away. Orla and Kate have been friends for years. Orla is a new mum whilst Kate is going through a messy divorce so they take themselves off to Lisbon for a weekend away. After a boozy night out, Orla wakes up to find Kate has gone. What follows is a frantic few days trying to find her. This book features secrets, lies and some great twists and turns. I enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it. Thank you to NetGalley, Avon Books and the author for the chance to review.

What a brilliant book this was, it got me interested from the very first page and soon became a fast paced thriller which I couldn't put down.

It was extremely well written, brilliantly addictive and I was holding my breath until the very last page. A very worthy five stars from me.

Well done Sarah, I look forward to reading more from you in the future.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books for giving me the opportunity to read this fantastic book.

Fun, fast paced and twistier than a rollercoaster. I got on well with the characters and could relate to Orla a lot as a mum to young kids.

The snappy descriptive paragraphs together with what feels like real life dialogue and a storyline that messes with your head (in a good way!) makes this a phenomenal read and leaves you wanting more...

I absolutely loved this book, kept me gripped from the start and couldn’t put the book down!

Really well written in so far that the electric feel of Lisbon came alive and you felt real empathy (and disdain) towards the main characters!

The story focuses on 2 long time friends Orla and Kate and they are taking their annual break overseas and this time it is Lisbon!
This is such a gripping story in that both get on the plane and only one will return!
After their first night out, Orla awakes with little memory of leaving a bar and Kate having dissapeared. Orla struggles to remember any events that happen and we slowly start to piece things together with her throughout the story.

This book really does have it all, just when you think you’ve figured out what’s happening, another curveball is thrown and you are left guessing again. The plot flows all the way through right to the very end.

One of the best books read so far this year!

Strong characters, intriguing plot and a great setting.

I loved The Weekend Away. It's the perfect, quick summer read. Just when you think you've figured it out, there's another twist in the road. Superb,

Sarah Alderson introduces us to the atmospheric streets of Lisbon, and sets up an intriguing mystery to follow. Kate and Orla's friendship is created well in the first few chapters so when Kate goes missing we already have a good idea of who she is as a (vibrant) character. Orla then spends the novel piecing together what happened that first night in Lisbon.

There's a litany of great characters -- creepy Sebastian and Konstandine the Kosovar Uber driver were my favourites, both for totally different reasons. Orla, the narrator, was a bit repetitive in her distress and rhetorical questions. But the other characters around her kept me reading on. That and the mystery itself.

The ending is fantastic. Twists right up until the final page, and the last line was just perfect.

This had me gripped all the way through! I felt sick for Orla thinking how I would feel if I was in a foreign country and my friend went missing - it actually gave me nightmares! There were parts of it where I had to suspend reality a little as some of Orlas choices through the whole saga were a little questionable but altogether it was a good tale! Thanks to Netgalley, the author and Avon for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This had me hooked from the very first page to the very last. A fast paced mystery thriller that had plenty of twists and turns. Set in Portugal it gave the story an extra edge as the protagonist grapples with the unfamiliar, a language barrier and different legal system. Good stuff.

An excellent physiological thriller! Kate and orla go on a weekend away to lisbon which results into kate going missing, great twists keeping me hooked wanting to keep reading the book. I feel the ending could of been better it felt as though it could of continued but other than that a good read!

I love a good psychological thriller so I was so excited to find I was accepted to review this book!
Best friends Orla and Kate take a trip way to Lisbon, but when Kate disappears this is not the getaway they are expecting.
Although slightly predictable this book was very enjoyable and had the right amount of twists and turn to entice me into reading and picking this book up again and again.
Both characters of Orla and Kate were relatable and well constructed and I enjoyed the differences between them even though they are best friends.
I was suspecting nearly every character we came across in this book, a great testament to the author that I could not guess the ending!

I really enjoyed this book - Sarah Anderson packed a lot into a novel set over a long weekend in Lisbon, and it had a very intriguing premise. The main character of Orla was three-dimensional and sympathetic, and I was rooting for her the whole way through as she tried to find out what happened to Kate, who disappears on the first night of their girlie weekend away.

The mystery of Kate’s disappearance was very well drawn out and the tension kept me hooked as Orla followed the clues with the help of Konstandin; in that aspect it would make a good film or TV series. The long-standing friendship between the two women was also complex and true to life, along with the relationship with Orla’s husband Rob.

I genuinely didn’t know who the killer was (I thought it was someone different) and liked the way the book wrapped up, but was expecting a more dramatic and less ambiguous end.

I’ll be looking out for more books by this author.

A gripping , fast paced thriller , full of twisted plots that will have you hooked from beginning to end

It’s the story of two best friends , Orla and Kate who have been friends for more than 20years decide to take time off and travel away for a weekend to Portugal
But as Kate goes missing and later found dead , Orla is suspected for her murder she struggles to clear her name and ends up unleashing some secrets from the past that will lead to her murder

This is a book I’d highly recommend to others as I enjoyed it to the fullest

Who needs enemies when you’ve got a best friend like Kate??
A weekend away in Lisbon, Portugal with best friend Kate is just what new mother Orla needs to recharge her batteries and remember that she is more than just a sleep deprived, harassed woman struggling with motherhood.
Having read a couple of books recently that feature this city, I started to think to myself this was a place I’d really love to visit but not with someone like Kate! Recently separated from her husband Toby, she is wild and carefree, totally up for splashing the cash, partying all night and indulging in class A drugs. Orla on the other hand is just looking forward to a girlie weekend away, catching up with her best friend, exploring the sights, eating good food and sleeping. All perfectly sensible plans except Kate has other ideas. On their first night out Kate is keen to experience the nightlife Lisbon has to offer so Orla reluctantly follows her into a club , a decision which she will later come to regret. That nice relaxing weekend away is just about to turn into the weekend from hell.

I truly didn’t like Kate from the beginning. Her and Orla seem unlikely friends, with little in common. Orla is married (not quite happily) to Rob and together they are parents to baby daughter Marlow, conceived via IVF whereas Kate is ready to live the single life unencumbered by either a husband or a child. These two seemed more like potential frenemys than best friends. In the first few pages I got the distinct impression of animosity between the two, that was sizzling away beneath the surface. Lacking in confidence and self esteem, I could understand Orla’s jealousy of the more glamorous drop dead gorgeous Kate since early motherhood can play havoc with your own self image and I just knew this weekend away was going to end in disaster.

After a night of partying hard, Orla awakes the next morning feeling decidedly the worse for wear, nursing what appears to be more than just a severe hangover. Recollections of the night before remain fuzzy but things are about to get a whole lot worse when she discovers Kate isn’t in the apartment. Hours later when she still hasn’t made an appearance, Orla’s fears deepen. What has happened to Kate? Where is she? And why can Orla only remember fragments of the night before?

There’s plenty going on in this thriller to keep your brain working overtime and everyone comes under suspicion. The apartment owner Sebastian immediately made my hackles rise since he is portrayed as a strange slightly creepy character and the Uber driver Konstandin, whilst helping Orla investigate Kate’s disappearance deserves also to come under scrutiny. Appearing to be on Orla’s side I had to remind myself to be wary and reserve judgement. His character as Orla’s guardian angel seemed too good to be true. Can she trust her Kosovan ally?
As I’ve already stated I didn’t trust Kate for one minute, feeling she was perhaps being economical with the truth and holding back from Orla in their conversations on their night out. True best friends tend not to do that. ‘

“Humans are more capable of deception than we give them credit for” in the words of Konstandin, which I think sums up the theme of this book succinctly. Betrayal, lies and deception are all valid potential reasons for Kate’s disappearance as Orla slowly discovers, having found herself the unfortunate and unwitting pawn in a game she didn’t know she was playing. Becoming further entrenched in a murky underworld of drugs, possible rape, prostitution, mafia and police corruption she is completely out of her depth. Even when husband Rob turns up unexpectedly, ostensibly to provide support I couldn’t help but question whether Orla could rely on him either and the police don’t appear to take Kate’s disappearance seriously which raised alarm bells. All in all the weekend away takes a sinister turn with cause for much conjecture on the part of the reader.

I binge read this book in one sitting, staying up into the early hours desperate to know what had happened to Kate, although I have to be honest and say whilst I found it enjoyable it didn’t blow me away. It’s well written and I found it easy to engage with the storyline but events became a touch on the implausible side for my liking. However there are plenty of red herrings to add to your confusion and I veered from one theory to another, never quite grasping the truth. It is a shame the storyline started to lose credibility because overall it is a great thriller, just not outstanding. The very last page provided one final unexpected twist so I still consider it worthy of a place in your TBR pile!! My rating of 4 stars reflects these slight criticisms.
My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read.

No spoilers from me! Except- ignore the cover art- this is set in Lisbon, not at the beach. Orla and Kate have been BFFs since forever but they haven't had a weekend away together for a long time. They're very different in personality and temperament, as well as in situations. Orla's a new mom and she really misses her kid while Kate's divorced and reverting, it seems, to her wild child ways. They rent an Air B&B in Lisbon and set out to have a weekend together. Unfortunately, dinner out turns into drinks and other things and well, Orla ends up with a massive hangover and Kate ends up missing. Orla goes on a hunt for her and while we can all quibble about how she did it, we need her to do these things in order to have the page turner Alderson has given us. Secrets, lies, and bad decisions all figure here. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This would be a very good beach book but as it was, I read it inside on the couch on a hot pandemic day and was happy as could be.

How many times have you wished for a weekend away? Orla and Kate had planned a weekend away. Being best friends for so long it feels like forever, they have often gone on weekends away. This time is different, Orla is leaving her 9 month old baby behind for the first time. Kate has planned a wonderful adventure in Lisbon and Orla is glad to get away. The premise of A Weekend Away by Sarah Alderson grabs you from the outset and brings you on a journey.

They go out for a wonderful dinner and then for drinks at a club. Orla is positive she wants to go home and go to bed, but Kate is insistent that they need to bring two hot men, she found in a club home with them. Then Orla begins to feel sick as well and is put to bed only to wake up the next morning alone in the apartment. No hot men, no Kate, no note or clue and a really angry landlord. Orla is beside herself - where is Kate and what is going on.

This is a great thriller. For every step forward there is another one that makes Orla look either crazy or guilty. I love Orla’s determination and persistence. The story twists and turns, creeps and then rushes and then creeps forward again. At each turn - you think you know and then you don’t. A Weekend Away by Sarah Alderson was a fascinating mysterious read.

Addictive, Awesome, Amazing! An absolute must-read this summer!

Wow! I absolutely loved this book. If I could give it six stars I would.

Best friends Orla and Kate head off for a girly weekend in Lisbon. New mum Orla has visions of sightseeing and lie-ins, but newly single Kate has other ideas! After enjoying a meal and plenty of drinks on their first night in the city, Kate drags Orla to a club determined to party the night away.

Not used to drinking, Orla wakes up the following morning with a very patchy memory of what happened the night before. She stumbles around the apartment looking for Kate, only to find that she’s not there! When she doesn’t return in time for their E-Cycle tour, Orla really begins to worry.

We follow Orla on her quest to find her friend and try to piece together the events from the night before!

Clear your diary, because once you start reading this story, you will not be able to stop! With more twists than a slinky toy, each one more shocking than the last, I highly recommend this sizzling summer thriller!

The story is ingeniously plotted and no matter how hard I tried to work things out, I didn’t! I think this is the thriller I wish I wrote.

This is the first book I’ve read by Sarah Alderson and it most definitely won’t be the last.

Thank you so much to Sarah Alderson, Avon Books UK & NetGalley for my ARC of this book.

📚 R E V I E W 📚
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The Weekend Away Sarah Alderson
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Orla and Kate have been best friends for over twenty years. They pledged to one another that they'd get away on a break together once a year. Whilst they haven't for the last couple of years, as Orla has become a mother to Marlow, they've finally managed to get away to Lisbon. In the wake of her impending divorce, Kate is ready to let her hair down, with drink, drugs and sex. She's ready to party.
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Orla is slightly more reluctant, she feels like these days are long gone but goes along with it. After a wild night partying, she wakes up the next morning, but Kate is nowhere to be seen. Where is she? And what's she hiding?
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In the words of Janice from F.R.I.E.N.D.S, 'OH. MY. GOD'. This book was BRILLIANT! Now we all know that thrillers can go one of two ways for me. I can really lose my shit if it all just gets a bit ridiculous, but this was perfect.
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It was a pacey thriller that had me gripped throughout. If I wasn't so tired it would have been one I stayed up all night with. And as for the ending. WOW!
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At points throughout, I thought I had it sussed (which is something I rarely get right), so I thought it was going to be a massive let down. But it was written in such a way it lead you right down a garden path. I took the bait and was completely wrong. You do not see this ending coming.
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The depth of character is really good too, which I find quite unusual for thrillers. I tend to find them quite superficial.
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I really liked that it only took 50% of the book before the action turned up a notch. All too often with a thriller, you spend 80% of the novel having the scene set, then a ton of drama happens in the last 20%.
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I can't really say much else without giving anything away, but in summary, it's well written, kept me right on my toes and deserves everyone to go and PRE-ORDER IT ON KINDLE FOR 99P THIS SECOND!!!!!
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It comes out on 23rd July, and for fans of thrillers, this is definitely one you don't want to miss!
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🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 / 5
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A massive thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
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#review #ARC #bookreview #thrillerbooks #thrillerfan #aweekendaway #netgalleyreads

I received a copy of this from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion. This was the first time I’ve read anything from this author and I will definitely read more from her in the future. After beginning this in the evening, I was awake until the middle of the night to finish it as it’s that suspenseful. I really enjoyed this book and the authors writing style.

THE WEEKEND AWAY is a gripping, surprisingly strong thriller that I was NOT expecting.

Orla and Kate are best friends who decide to spend a weekend in Lisbon. This is the first time Orla will be away from her infant daughter, but she knows it will be good for her. Kate is going through a tough divorce, so it should be the perfect getaway for both of them. After a night of drinking and clubbing, Orla wakes up the next morning...only to find that Kate is gone. Her clothes are still at their Airbnb, and there’s also a suspicious stain in Kate’s bedroom that could either be wine or blood. With Orla’s recollection of the night before pretty hazy, she has to retrace their steps to try and put the pieces together in a city where she knows no one and has no idea who she can trust.

Author Sarah Alderson really has a way with words. The story is very atmospheric, and the characters are fully dimensional. I was completely hooked and engaged as one piece of the puzzle connected to another. I also really enjoyed the unexpected cohort that joins Orla in trying to track down what happened the night Kate disappeared. While there was nothing earth-shattering, I found myself surprised quite a few times, and was thrilled that this wasn’t the derivative thriller I initially thought it was going to be. 3.5 stars rounded up!

Thank you to Avon Books UK, Sarah Alderson, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I couldn't put this book down, so many surprises but the end was jaw dropping. i was really good from beginning to end!

I really really enjoyed this book!!

The twists and turns and the ending 🤯🤯

I will definitely be reading this author again she’s fantastic x

Sarah Alderson’s “The Weekend Away” is another heart-racing, twisty thriller from the author, which hurtles along at break-neck speed to a shocking conclusion. It’s a captivating, exciting whodunnit that will keep you guessing from chapter to chapter...

When Orla heads to Lisbon for a long weekend with her best friend Kate, she’s all set for a few days of food, drink, sightseeing and a well earned break from looking after her young daughter. However, after a night of heavy drinking, Orla passes out at their apartment and when she awakes the next morning Kate is nowhere to be found... Orla begins a frantic search around the city, befriending Konstandin, the Uber driver who dropped them at a boutique bar the night before. She only has fragments of her memory from the night before - who were the two men Kate bought back to their apartment? Does the creepy apartment owner who lives below know anything? Is Kate’s ex-husband somehow involved? Why are the police dragging their heels with the missing persons report? And is Orla really as innocent as she insists? As things unfold over the next few days, nothing will remain as it was when Orla and Kate took to the skies...

I found “The Weekend Away” to be a highly engaging and gripping suspense thriller. There’s a distinctly Hitchcokian feel to the narrative: the element of the wrong woman being accused, the fate of Kate arguably being a MacGuffin (and not the most important aspect of the plot), the climactic twists, an ordinary woman thrust into extraordinary circumstances and the fact that none of the characters seem to be trustworthy. Alderson writes in this style with aplomb and I could easily see Hitchcock having made a cinematic version of the novel. I loved the references to Hitchcock in the story too - that knowing wink/nod from Alderson to her readers! The plot develops at a really fast pace and I found myself thrust excitedly into the lives of the characters and the situation Orla found herself in. There is plenty of mystery, drama, action and suspense, as Orla unravels what has happened to Kate. There are multiple twists and I enjoyed guessing some of them before they were revealed. Alderson is masterful when it comes to misdirection and keeping readers guessing. One of the aspects that I found refreshing about this book, is that Orla - quite believably - suspect’s practically anybody and everybody she encounters in Lisbon. By doing this, Alderson raises every possible suspect and hints at scenarios that a few pages before I found I was guessing at and wondering whether I was on to something! This made “The Weekend Away” a really fun read and despite having being convinced of the perpetrator as I approached the end of the novel, I still didn’t see the big twist coming. The concluding chapters are gasp-out-loud shocking and left me exhilarated by how much I’d enjoyed reading this.

Another aspect of the novel that I found particularly engaging was the cast of characters. Orla is a strong, determined female lead, who is both devoted mother and kick-ass amateur sleuth! She is a really enjoyable character to read the perspective from - I genuinely felt the emotions she felt and when she found herself in tense situations, I was literally holding my breath with her. She’s an excellent protagonist, who I was fully behind, even when I had my suspicions as to her role in the events. I also really loved the character of Konstandin. This dark, mysterious Uber driver who helps Orla in her predicament is perfectly written. Alderson expertly balances our suspicions of and trust in Konstandin. Does he really just want to help Orla, or is there an ulterior motive beneath the surface? The unease of mistrust permeates through their relationship and is responsible in part for the tension that unnerves Orla and us as readers. However, Konstandin also adds depth and humour to the narrative - his backstory is heartbreaking, but his actions to help Orla get to the truth are both intense and laced with black humour. I could vividly picture both of these characters and they will remain with me even though I’ve closed the final page on their story. (I’d love to read more of them though!).

I highly recommend “The Weekend Away”. It’s the perfect holiday read, but in our current times when that’s not an option for all of us, escaping into the world of Alderson’s creation is equally exciting. You won’t be disappointed!

I’d like to thank Avon Books UK and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Weekend Away’ by Sarah Alderson in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Best friends Orla and Kate are in Lisbon on a girls’ weekend away. After clubbing on their first night Orla wakes in the morning with only a limited memory of what happened after they returned to their apartment. She’s expecting to spend the day with Kate sightseeing but Kate’s disappeared and can’t be found. Orla reports her disappearance to the police but as they don’t seem interested she joins forces with Konstandin, the Uba driver who took them to the club, who helps Orla piece together what happened the previous evening and together they come up with some dramatic conclusions.

‘The Weekend Away’ is a gripping thriller that’s slow to start but then increases in tempo until it’s difficult to stop reading. It has an intriguing plot, an abundance of twists and turns, and so many suspects it’s hard to decide who’s had a hand in Kate’s disappearance, not to mention the cliff-hanger on the final page that’s taken me completely by surprise. This is a novel that’s an enjoyable and easy read and is one I can recommend.

Thank you so much to the publisher and netgalley for this digital arc !
Imagine waiting for what seems like forever to finally be able to go away with your best girlfriend and forget about all your troubles !
Sounds perfect right !? Well not so fast .... what if this little getaway weekend had one you drugged, accused of murder, left alone in a strange country AND had you discovering such ugly truths that you yourself would want to disappear.... would you still go?
Oh this was a fantastic mind blowing ride with an ending that had me like NO!!!!!!!
I loved this one - you just have to read it ! I can not wait to read more by this amazing author 💕

Hopefully, the reader will have a few hours with this read as you will not be able to put it down! Orla, a mother with a nine month old baby, is invited to join her best friend of many years, Kate, for a weekend in Lisbon, Portugal. Kate is divorcing her husband and wants to get away. So many twists and turns later, everything is upended and the reader is left gasping and voraciously reading to determine what is going to happen next. Well paced with a compelling plot, this read is addictive. Many many thanks to Sarah Anderson, Avon, and NetGalley for affording me the pleasure of reading an arc of this soon to be published thriller. Add this one to the top of your “next read” list.

Thanks to netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Orla and Kate go on a girly weekend trip to Lisbon with Orla leaving her husband and baby at home. Whilst away the go out for a meal and then onto a club., where they meet 2 men who Kate asks back to their apartment. When Orla wakes up the next morning to find that she can’t remember much about the night before and Kate missing she is terrified. She attempts to find out what happened to Kate and contacts the police. Orla starts finding out some things about Kate that she doesn’t want to believe. The police then find a body in the river, will they find out what happened to Kate or will Orla be charged with her murder.

A great book of twists and turns, thought I figured out what happened and then sometime else would come me to light . Keep me hooked from page 1.

Lots of twists and turns in this fabulous little thriller. Put 2 old friends together in a foreign country, add some booze and drugs, along with a few good looking men and you have lots of questions and mystery. I have never read a book by this author but I did enjoy her writing style. The book flowed along quickly and had a satisfying ending. I would recommend this book and I will definitely be looking for more books by this author. Enjoy this perfect beach read!

friends go on holiday. Only one comes back.

Orla and Kate have been best friends forever. Together they’ve faced it all – be it Orla’s struggles as a new mother or Kate’s messy divorce. And whatever else happens in their lives, they can always look forward to their annual weekend away.

This year, they’re off to Lisbon: the perfect flat, the perfect view, the perfect itinerary. And what better way to kick things off in style than with the perfect night out?

But when Orla wakes up the next morning, Kate is gone. Brushed off by the police and with only a fuzzy memory of the night’s events, Orla is her friend’s only hope. As she frantically retraces their steps, Orla makes a series of shattering discoveries that threaten everything she holds dear. Because while Lisbon holds the secret of what happened that night, the truth may lie closer to home…
My review
Two friends go away on a weekend break what could go wrong this book had me grip from the first page to the last page it is very fast paced and very easy to read the story gripped me you didn't really know went on that night what happened it is a very well written story and had a very interesting plot I liked all the twists and Turns in it it kept me guessing it kept you wondering what happened that night orla and Katie are very strong characters I like both of them something wasn't quite right but I can't put my finger on what until was above half then I guess you'll be shock what happen it's very good do you really know your best friends I'm not sure about that do you really know what's going on in the mines do you know what what's going on in their life or do you just go with what they tell you ? always stand up for what you believe in. A very good book it a page turner it grips you your pulled into the plot your trying to work it all put i recommend you all read 4 stars

What a fabulous read. A real page turner.
I suspected everyone right up to the last page and even then.............it still keeps you guessing & suspecting.

I was given a copy of The Weekend Away by Sarah Alderson by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
The book is about Orla who goes to Lisbon for a weekend with her old friend Kate. The Girls him out then in the morning Orla discovers Kate has disappeared. The book is well paced. Orla is likeable character. A great psychological thriller

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I actually really liked this book, it was not fantastic but enjoyable. Good storyline and good characters, give it a go other readers.

Orla goes away for the weekend with her friend who she has known since uni. Then her friend disappears. We journey with her as she scours the city looking for her. Full of twists and turns, occasionally expected but more often not this is an intriguing tale with interesting characters.

This was my first book by this author, and it did not disappoint. It was easy to get into from the start and kept me on my toes with the twist in the plot.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

Kate invites her old friend Orla to spend a weekend in Lisbon with her. It's a break from their day to day lives. After IVF treatment Orla now has baby Marlow, left behind in the care of husband Rob. Kate, meanwhile is in the throes of a contentious divorce from husband Toby.

Orla is looking forward to their stay in the Air BNB Kate has booked, and an evening of fine dining. Instead Kate seems to be on a mission. Leaving the restaurant they head to a club. The next morning when Orla wakes up she’s in her bed fully clothed with only a vague idea of what happened the night before. And Kate is missing.

This is a great read keeping you guessing all the way through. It’s an edge of your seat read with so many twists and turns, If you enjoy psychological thrillers then I can recommend this one.


Many thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for an ARC of The Weekend Away in exchange for an honest review.

Kate, single and crazy and Orla, a wife and mum of a newborn, best friends - almost sisters, decide to take a break and go on a weekend away to Lisbon. They stay in an Airbnb owned by the weirdo Sebastian. After the adventure they have on Friday night, one of them goes missing... That's all I would say.
I have never read anything from Sara Alderson before but she surely has her ways to keep you on the edge. I finished this book almost in one breath and although through dramatic irony, somethings can be worked out if you have read enough psychological thrillers, the language left me breahtless and sleepless until I finiished the book.

Thnaks #Netgalley and @AvonBooksUK and @avon_books for this book. It's a truly enjoyable read.

What a very gripping story. It had me hooked from the beginning. The story flowed so well & the characters were very likeable. The uber guy in particular was very interesting and helped make the story. I loved it. When two best friends Orla & Kate take a weekend away like they would usually have, Kate ends up going missing but there are other secrets & lies that need to unravel

Just wow!

Having not heard of Sarah Alderson (and why haven’t I?!) I saw this book on NetGalley from Avon and as I usually really enjoy anything they publish thought I’d give it a go. And I was not disappointed!

Kate and Orla have been friends for many years and spent many a weekend away together. Their latest weekend is to Lisbon although Orla has reservations about leaving her baby. Kate is going through a divorce so she felt she owed it to her best friend to make the effort. They arrive at their Airbnb apartment and meet the owner who just happens to live in the apartment downstairs. He’s a bit creepy.

After a night out they both get very drunk and meet two handsome men in a bar. Kate invites them back to their apartment even though Orla argues it is not a good idea as she is not interested in cheating on her husband.

The next morning Orla wakes up to find her friend missing. As the hours pass, and she gets no reply from her many phone calls, she gets more and more concerned. She goes to the police who are not too interested and tell her to return after 24 hours. She gets in touch with the Uber driver who took them to the bar to see if he had taken her back, and he proves to be a huge help over the coming days as Orla tries to piece together what happened that night.

Loved the setting in Lisbon, loved the way the characters were written, was totally engrossed from the beginning to the last page and now I want to know what comes next in Orla’s life!

Very happy to have found this author and happier still she has already written many more books.

Thank you to Avon Books and NetGalley for an advance copy of the book, which will be published on 23rd July.

Two friends of twenty or so years go for a girls weekend away to Lisbon but one does not come home. That’s the premise of this easy to read and intriguing novel. Kate is childless and recently split from wealthy husband Toby and Orla is married to Rob and they have a baby daughter.

The moral of this tale is how well do you really know your friends as Orla discovers the hard way. The novel is well written, it has a lot of twists some of which you don’t see coming and the ending is excellent. I like the setting of Lisbon which makes a good backdrop for the dramatic events. The night where it all goes wrong is captured really well and the difference between what the two women want and expect from their weekend away become crystal clear. The characters are good, though some are definitely not likeable they are interesting. Orla is way too trusting, so naive you want to be a cautionary voice in her ear though her instincts with Uber driver Konstandin prove correct. His backstory in Kosovo is very sobering and adds an additional element to the storytelling. It’s a novel of betrayal, lies and deception which makes for entertaining escapist reading.

Overall, a really good thriller with plenty of surprises.

With thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books for the ARC.

New mom Orla goes on a weekend away with her longtime friend Kate. Kate's single and ready to party, while Orla is anticipating a relaxing holiday away from her husband and newborn. The first night they go out for dinner then hit a bar, after which Kate decides to bring two men home with them despite Orla's objections. The next morning, Orla can't recall what exactly happened and Kate is nowhere to be found. The police aren't concerned, so Orla begins an investigation of her own.

Content Warnings (SPOILERS) below:





Possible sexual assault while passed out/drugged, plus victim blaming (Orla states her husband would have a right to be angry and blame her for it because she flirted with the potential perpetrator and didn't put her foot down strongly enough when her friend decided to bring the guys back to their place. Much later Orla makes a generalized statement about it being unfair how women are blamed for their own injuries); Racism, for example Orla (who is Irish and lives in London) thinks "I just assumed because it was a Latin country the morals were looser but I could be wrong."; Stalking via hidden cameras in bedrooms and bathrooms END SPOILERS

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions in this review are honest and my own.

Loved this mystery about Orla and her missing friend Kate. Twisty, scary, smart and thrilling! I must thank my Goodreads friend Michael for his great review, which led me to pick it up. This is a great summer thriller that I predict will make a big splash with readers. What could be more fun to read on the beach than a girls’ trip gone noir?

Orla has just had a baby when her best friend Kate suggests a girls’ trip to Lisbon. After a strange evening out, Orla awakens to find Kate gone from their Airbnb, without a trace.

From there a seriously great series of twists unfolds. I won’t spoil any of them, but the mystery itself was perfect, with just the right amount of twists and red herrings, plus some great characters, including Konstantin the Uber driver with a shadowy past, Sebastian the creepy Airbnb owner, and the two gorgeous guys who were at the house when Kate went missing.

Like its title, “The Weekend Away” is the perfect summer thriller to escape into for a weekend. A serious page-turner and a great mystery. Mysteries and betrayals at every turn. And that last twist, tho! Perfection.

4.5 stars from me, rounded up - this thriller is written much more skillfully than most. I’ll definitely jump to pick up Sarah Alderson’s next thriller!

Thanks to NetGalley, Avon Books UK and Sarah Anderson for the ARC. Loved this completely gripping and thrilling vacation noir!

Orla and Kate are two best friends who decide to take a trip to Lisbon. After a night out one of them goes missing and the other tries to track her down! I really enjoyed reading this and was surprised and which way it went. There were loads of people who could of been guilty so it kept you guessing!



Thank you to netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for a review!

Well, remind me to never go on holiday with Kate or Orla. What a nightmare! There is trouble around every corner, deceit down every street as Orla tries to fathom what has happened to her best friend. I appreciated the intrigue, was entertained by the plot twists and misdirection, but was uncomfortable by some of the subject matter.

Firstly, I found Orla’s character a little frustrating. However, I think that is more to do with the fact that I have watched many, many True Crime documentaries! Discovering that Kate has disappeared after an alcohol-fuelled evening, I was frustrated with Orla rummaging around the holiday apartment, trying to find clues about what happened the night before. She is reluctant to go to the police straight away, (which I understand, given the background we are provided about Kate’s character and the general rules about a missing person,) yet I wanted Orla to leave everything alone in case there were vital clues. She comes across as rather naive and blindly befriends anyone that will lend her a sympathetic ear. In all, Orla seems too trusting and unaware of the bigger picture.

In addition to this, some of the details included in the plot were a little far-fetched. Orla’s inability to remember the names of the men she met with in the club are suddenly dropped into the narrative – despite the previous lines showing Orla’s confusion about their identity. This was a shame: an editing error that could have been avoided. Secondly, when Orla comes to restore a phone to factory settings, she is able to do this with a quick tap of a few buttons. Given phone security these days and the lengths Orla has gone to to unlock the device, I found this part of the plot far-fetched.

The topic of date-rape drugs and subsequent memory loss dominates the narrative. Orla cannot remember what happened the last night she was with Kate. Initially she suspects it is down to excessive alcohol, but then the writer introduces the idea of being deliberately drugged. I found this quite uncomfortable to read about, especially when Orla comes across concrete evidence. I guess I wanted her to get to the police sooner rather than later, instead of taking matters into her own hands.

Despite these criticisms, I did enjoy this entertaining read. I had plenty of conspiracy theories as Orla tried to uncover her friend’s fate – none of them proved true! This is evidence of how well Alderson has created the plot. Whilst it did not feel ground-breaking, the twists were plenty to keep me intrigued. Indeed, setting the story in Lisbon adds to the panic in the story – successfully reflected in Orla and her running around the city. The setting felt alien to me and this added to the whole theme of disorientation throughout the narrative. Furthermore, although Orla comes across as a bit of a weak doormat to begin with, I enjoyed watching her grow in strength and determination; she grows into her own independence who is desperate to fight for her innocence and discover the truth.

This was a pretty good read and one I would recommend for the suitcase! Even if you are not on holiday this year, you are transported to the streets of Lisbon and the quest for the truth: what really happened to Kate after that eventual evening?

With thanks to Avon books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! Just Wow! I have just finished The Weekend Away and it is by far the most suspenseful book I have ever read. Run to your nearest library or bookstore and take this book home. You won’t be disappointed and I guarantee you’ll read it straight through as I did!

I’ll sum up quickly without spoilers. Best friends Orla and Kate have planned to spend a weekend in Lisbon together. It’s been awhile since they’ve had a girls’ time away. Orla and her husband Rob struggled to have a baby and she has been reluctant to leave her young daughter. Kate has a demanding job and is newly divorced. She’s booked them a luxurious AirBnB, planned tours and shopping. The first night, after champagne, is dinner at a Michelin starred restaurant and a visit to a club. The next morning, a very hungover Orla awakens in an empty apartment. Kate is missing. All that happens next will keep you turning the pages as fast as you can read. There are so many twists, turns and surprises and an ending that will leave you breathless.

Lisbon, with its rabbit warren of cobblestone streets, provides a perfect setting for this mystery. The supporting characters, especially Konstandin, are well described and add to the suspense.
If I could give more than 5 stars, I would.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon Books and Sarah Alderson for this ARC.

Kate and Orla are best friends they have said they would always go away together but as they got older time and families got in the way.
So they decided to go to Lisbon for the weekend. Orla leaves her baby with her husband and Kate is getting away from her soon to be ex husband.
After their first evening out Orla wakes to find Kate missing and has no recollection of the evening before.
There are plenty of twists and turns and red herrings .
Great Read
Thanks NetGalley

“The weekend away” had not caught my attention until some of my goodreads friends (you know who you are) wrote fantastic reviews about it, so I immediately went to request it on NG.

I want my mysteries/thrillers/domestic suspense stories to grab me like I grab a pizza after a long week on a diet, and “The weekend away” most certainly did! I was hooked from page one and found myself saying just one more chapter several times before I was able to put it down.

The city of Lisbon made such a nice setting and, although I think it could have been used a little bit more, it gave a certain atmosphere perfect for this story. All characters were well fleshed out. Orla was a credible character although a bit naive sometimes. I specially liked her pairing with Konstandin, and his backstory added a very interesting layer to his character.

As usual in this kind of books there are twists and red herrings galore, but unlike some times, here they all felt natural and not forced at all. I liked the resolution and how it wasn’t really solved until the last page with a final twist I didn’t see coming.

Overall, a perfect summer read that will keep you glued to the pages.

Thanks to Netgalley and Avon Books UK for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The predictability of this story's foundation makes it relatable, and when it all goes wrong so much more chilling. Orla and Kate best friends embark on a long-awaited weekend away. Orla, a new mum, is torn between rekindling her friendship and lost identity and staying home with the child she idolises. She goes and quickly gets into the weekend away vibe. Unfortunately, the next morning Kate is missing, and so is Orla's recollection of the night before.

The story follows Orla trying to find Kate and what she uncovers along the way. There are lots of twists, plenty of smokescreens and unreliable characters. Who can she trust? The suspenseful, pacy plot engenders a sense of danger.

I like the dynamic between Orla and her unlikely hero. The ending is true to the psychological thriller genre, unexpected, unexplained and unsettling.

I received a copy of this book from Avon Books UK via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

The Weekend Away is a real roller-coaster of a ride as from the very start of the novel we are thrown right into the very centre of the action when Kate goes missing on the first night of weekend away in Portugal with her best friend, Orla. The two girls have enjoyed a rather lively night out in the bars of Lisbon but when Orla wakes the following morning, with a hangover from hell, Kate is nowhere to be found. Orla only has a sketchy memory of what actually happened and from her frightening recollections it doesn't bode well.

What then follows is a tight and dramatic thriller in which Orla, with the help of an unexpected ally, sets out, despite police indifference, to discover just what has happened to her friend.

This story is the stuff of nightmares and as Orla gets drawn deeper and deeper into the mystery so the danger starts to escalate for her too. I must admit that I read the story with bated breath desperate to find out more and yet, scared of the outcome. With the tension cranked up to high I found the story difficult to put down and have to admit that I read the whole thing through in one sitting. The ending left me reeling.

If you like a tense and drama filled holiday read than The Weekend Away is great escapism but perhaps not one to read if you are heading to Portugal with your best friend, nevertheless it's definitely an exciting, edge of your seat sort of read for a lock down summer.

It's a good, engaging thriller that kept me interested all the way through.
There are lots of twists and dome truly surprised me, including the very last one.

I hope there is a sequel!

I'd like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an Arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

I was thrilled to be given an ADR in exchange for an honest review by NetGalley, I thought the tagline and cover were perfect to pull you in and I was looking forward to reading this one.

First off, the book is brilliantly written, I loved the author easy style, it is true to the modern psychological thriller with plenty of twists and turns and I definitely did not see the end coming,

Kate is childless and recently split from wealthy husband Toby and Orla is married to Rob and they have a baby daughter. No matter what is going on in their lives they can tell each other anything and they always look forward to their annual girls weekend away to escape from their everyday lives.

When Orla wakes up to find Kate missing and she has no memory of what happened we begin to explore the time old tale of "how well do you really know your friends?"

I really enjoyed the unraveling of the events of "the night" and actually the difference in the women and their expectations of the weekend away is captured really well.

The characters are well rounded and likeable and the story is expertly executed. I highly recommend this thriller as a fast paced easy read. 4/5

I didn't expect to enjoy this one as much as I did! Yes, it was predictable at times, but the characters were so well-written that the reader actually cares about finding out what happens to them next. The suspense wasn't as plentiful as I typically enjoy, but I enjoyed the plot nonetheless.

It's always so exciting for me to pick up a book from an author I've not read before and immerse myself in their work...
Will I enjoy their storyline...
Will I fall in love with their writing....
Endless thoughts and possibilities I feel and I love it 💕
Sarah Alderson is new for me...
And her latest book The Weekend Away I adored..
We meet Orla and Kate in this one....
Two lifelong friends heading off on a weekend break to Lisbon.
Orla is married to Rob and they have a young daughter Marlow.
Kate, having just recently split up from her husband Toby..
Both in need of a weekend break but for very different reasons.
Kate is looking for a wild, drug fuelled weekend whilst Orla is looking for a more sedate affair with a little sightseeing thrown into the equation.
It does all seem to go wrong though from the very first night out.....
I couldn't quite figure out how these two women were friends at all...
Something didn't feel right in their friendship for me and I couldn't put my finger on it..
Kate seemed secretive at times, upset other times..
Never quite able to share her thoughts with Orla though..
Kate wanted to embrace her new found singledom for the weekend and you feel Orla is just trying to keep up and not wanting to let her friend down...
There is quite an amount to this story, red herrings which I love and all the while keeping you engrossed enough to turn those pages..
Oh and what about Konstandin, who is this man and can he be trusted at all.
I loved the Lisbon setting to this story...
Not the usual setting for a book which made it more interesting for me....
A great read, well worth your time 💕

HOLY MOLY!! I SWEAR ON EVERYTHING HOLY this was the best thriller read on a Sunday afternoon. Author Sarah Alderson blew me away with this thrilling ride of a book.

Kate and Orla, best friends forever, go to Lisbon for a weekend together. A night of drinks and dancing and Kate vanished. It was now up to Orla to get to the truth of what happened to her friend.

My first book by this author, I was stumped with the way the story flowed, with each circumstance creating a hurdle for Orla. How was she to search for a woman in an unknown city. The pace was fast and I was barely keeping up.

The characters were genuine with Orla being a new mother away from her child for the first time. Alone and wary was done well. Twists were revealed every few chapters, and the author knew how to keep me hopping with joy.

The ending was exactly as I thought it should be. The last line was a blast. I lived how the author lived up to each of my expectations of how a thriller should be. The story might seem familiar, but after a while, I got so deep into it that nothing mattered.

My pulse skittered almost throughout the book, and I enjoyed it completely.

*Many thanks to NetGalley, Avon Books UK, and Sarah Alderson for this ARC! Now available as of 7/23!*

Striking, suspenseful, and thoroughly enjoyable! Orla has been living the mom life for a while alongside her husband Rob, so when her glamorous best friend Kate proposes a weekend girls getaway to Portugal, she is only too eager to say yes! When the friends arrive, Kate whisks Orla away to a fancy club where they meet two handsome and mysterious men...and quickly end up back in their subsequent hotel rooms. When Orla wakes up the next morning to no sign of Kate, mysterious crimson stains on the carpet in Kate's room, all of Kate's luggage still remaining, and only fuzzy memories of the night before, she begins to panic. Can Orla rely on the police and her few contacts in the unfamiliar country to help find and save her friend...or is her dream vacation spiraling into a deadly nightmare?

Alderson takes a somewhat basic premise and makes it anything but ordinary due to her fantastic group of characters! All of them genuinely felt like potential suspects at one point or another, leaving the reader with several red herrings to keep the suspense rising after each new reveal. I thought I had the ending figured out several times, but was so excited to be just slightly off every time because it made the conclusion all the more exciting! Portugal was also a perfect setting for this story, and helped give the story an air of dramatic intrigue throughout with a bit of tropical flair. This was a vacation read for me, and it definitely fit the bill! Grab your sunglasses if you're reading this one by the pool or on the beach: you won't be getting up for a while!

A great thriller with plenty of suspense and twists to keep you hooked from start to finish.

Orla and Kate have been best friends for years and have travelled to Lisbon for a weekend away. It is the first time that Orla has left her baby with her husband but she is determined to have a great time with Kate. Kate is divorcing her husband and therefore the two friends have very different views on a great night out but Orla goes along with Kate’s idea of going to a club despite her hesitations.

The next morning Orla wakes to find Kate is not in the apartment but all her clothes are still there. Orla also can’t remember what happened the night before and being unable to contact Kate she starts to worry. Where is Kate ? Could something have happened to her ?

After reporting her friend missing to the police Orla finds herself under suspicion and has no choice but to investigate and try to clear her name.

This is a great whodunnit where everyone seems to be a suspect and have a motive. There are some great characters, especially Orla and Konstandin, an unlikely but great friendship. This will keep you guessing and questioning everything. What happened to Kate ?

Thank you to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book.

I requested this based on the recommendation from several friends. I wasn’t disappointed! I loved the dynamic between the two best friends. The author nailed the setting. I felt like the motives made sense, and the story definitely made me turn the pages quickly.

I really liked this book and didn’t see the end coming, it was definitely a shocker. It had a really different plot line, I know it sound like the usual stuff but trust me...it is a little different. I was hooked from the first page. The only complaint that I have is that this book was so intriguing that I missed out on sleep a couple nights.

I love a good psychological thriller but can usually figure out the the big reveal...Not this time. I won’t say <b>all</b> the twists were a surprise, I figured out some things earlier on but the actual ending was not what I expected. You do have to suspend belief a little bit and I usually hate that but it worked here. (Hence the four stars instead of five.) I would definitely recommend this book and I will gladly watch out for more books written by Sarah Alderson. That's the best compliment I can give an author.

This is a very compelling psychological thriller. I enjoyed reading this and found it easy to keep reading to conclusion. I related to the charcters and I liked the way the author created the suspense. A very fun summer read that is perfect to take your mind off of stress and worry. I highly recommend this book for your reading enjoyment for all that enjoy reading suspense and thrillers. This has a perfect blend of personalities and suspense that readers enjoy.

Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity.

The Weekend Away was a book I didn’t think I was going to like when I started it but quickly changed my mind.
Orla and Kate have been best friends since forever and go away for a holiday every year, this year it’s Lisbon but things are different this year as Orla has a baby daughter and has had to leave her husband in charge and he’s not done this before but as it turns out her daughter is the least if her worries as after a night out Kate goes missing.
The book follows Orla’s mission to find her best friend and when I started reading this I did think I was going to get bored with it being a slow reveal but no I didn’t, it captured my attention and before I knew it I was at the end with one heck of a cliff hanger!
I would like to thank Netgalley and Avon Books UK for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

Ok this book was not what I expected at all!! Well right when you think you know who did it? It’s not that person, but there are a lot of key players in the book and it creates this crazy tangle you don’t know how it’s going to end? It’s a lot right? Imagine what happened inside my head after reading this book. Everything came full circle and the end had me thinking “wait is there a part 2 to this? Or do we already know what’s going to happen next?”

Kate and Orla go on a weekend away to Lisbon, a nice little girls trip, until something bad happens and that is the JUICE of this whole story. Imagine thinking that you have the most perfect but crazy best friend and the best marriage, to then find out that there are so many secrets! And what what happened to Kate? And, let’s not forget the amount of people involved in this mystery, I had to stop and thinking “wait what???!! NOOOO” all the time.

But honestly? What happened to Kate? Let’s just say things are not as it seems and the answer hits close to home like CRAZY!, and Orla doesn’t like it one bit.

Thanks Netgalley and the publishers for giving me this opportunity, this book was awesome.

I was fortunate to receive a copy of this ARC from NetGalley.

Orla and Kate go on a much needed weekend away to Portugal. Orla leaving her baby Marlow with husband Rob.
After a night out, Orla discovers Kate is missing and her life descends into a nightmare. I was completely taken aback by the ending, did not see it coming. Clear the diary for this one!

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5/5

Kate and Orla take a girls weekend trip to Lisbon. Kate is more of a party girl, Orla is a mother who prefers to stay in. After dinner and drinks they head home. The next morning Orla wakes with little memory of the night before. And where is Kate?? Orla enlists the help of the uber driver from the night before to help find Kate. Can she trust him? Can she trust anyone? A fascinating ride to the end and then BOOM the last chapter!!!!! I will be looking for more books by Sarah Alderson.

Thank you to netgalley, Avon books UK and Sarah Alderson for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.