By: Sara Ochs
Narrators: Miranda Raison, Dakota Blue Richards, Joe Jameso, Pema Monaghan
Recorded Books
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Publication Date: 02/13/2024
Format: Other
My Rating: 4.5 Stars (ALC)
Welcome to paradise. We hope you survive your stay...
There are three rules to survive a dive at the famous Koh Sang Resort
1 - Breathe normally if something goes wrong.
Scuba diving instructor Cass leads her students out for their first dive off the beautiful coast of Koh Sang, Thailand's world-famous party island. It's supposed to be a life-changing experience, but things quickly spiral out of control...
2 - Always dive with someone you trust.
By the time she gets back to the shore, one of her students is dead, another critically injured, and she knows that her idyllic life is about to be smashed to pieces on the rocks.
3 - Don't panic if your oxygen is running out.
Someone has discovered Cass's secret, and on an island as remote as this, accidents happen. Plenty of backpackers choose to stay here forever—but some never make it home alive...
My Review
Sara Och's smashing debut, THE RESORT, draws you in from the idyllic tropical front cover to the mysterious paradise setting in this riveting vacation thriller on a remote island in Thailand with two women, murder, and a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse.
Cass has lived on Sang, an island in Thailand, desperate to escape her dark past for the past few years. She is a scuba diver instructor. She fell in love with island and Logan fiancé, bar owner.
A woman was found dead weeks earlier, falling from a cliff path. Then, while teaching, she discovers a body. Lucy, one of her students in one of her classes.
A beautiful American influencer, Brooke, arrives on Koh Sang, escaping her past and takes an interest in the death of Cass's student.
Then Cass begins receiving notes warning her about her secret past. She works with her new friend Brooke to try and unravel the mystery of who killed Lucy and the motive.
Has her past come calling? However, nothing is as it appears when all is unraveled.
THE RESORT is told through the perspective of two unreliable narrators, Cass and Brooke, both hiding dark secrets of the past. With a mysterious island and a locked-room vibe, you know something is lurking, but you are unsure how all the pieces fit together—with many twists and turns.
AUDIOBOOK: I enjoyed the audiobook narrated by Miranda Raison, Dakota Blue Richards, Joe Jameso, and Pema Monaghan, who made the characters come alive in this tropical, chilling, remote, lush setting. Highly recommend the audiobook.
An impressive debut, I enjoyed the backstories and the author's writing. I look forward to reading more!
Thanks to Recorded Books and NetGalley for a gifted, advanced listening review copy.
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: Feb 13, 2024
My Rating: 4.5 Stars (rounded to 5)
Praise
"A deadly, dangerous, beautiful nightmare."
—Chris Whitaker, New York Times bestselling author of We Begin at the End
"A pacy and accomplished murder mystery…The Beach for a new generation – a hot contender for best travel thriller."
—Janice Hallett, internationally bestselling author of The Appeal
"A fast-paced read, jam packed with suspense. The idyllic setting, untrustworthy cast and compulsive storyline make it the perfect summer thriller."
—John Marrs, USA Today bestselling author of The One
"An escapist, up-all-night thriller that holds you under and doesn’t let you surface for air."
—Lucy Clarke, author of One of the Girls
"Propulsive and devilishly twisty…demands to be read in one breathless sitting."
—Catherine Ryan Howard, internationally bestselling author of 56 Days
"The Resort takes the delicious daydream of moving to a tropical beach resort to start fresh and turns it into a captivating, twisty nightmare. This is a thrilling vacation read that plunges you into another world where changing currents of trust, betrayal, and revenge will surprise you until the very last page."
—Lisa Brideau, author of Adrift
"The Resort is a knockout crime thriller. A stunningly written, twisting mystery which keeps you glued from first to the last page."
—Cate Quinn, author of Black Widows and The Clinic
About the Author
Sara Ochs is an author, law professor, and avid traveler. Born and raised in Upstate New York, Sara and her husband now split their time between the United States and Sweden.
When she’s not turning one of the many places she’s visited into the setting of her next thriller, she can usually be found trip planning.
Sara’s debut novel, a thriller set on a remote Thai island, will be published as THE DIVE in the UK and territories in July ‘23 and as THE RESORT in the USA in February ‘24.
You can follow along with her writing journey on Instagram @saraochsauthor and Twitter @Ochswrites. WEBSITE
