Paul Gitsham
  • Welcome!
  • News
  • Books
  • Blogs
    • Writing Tips
    • Recommended
  • Newsletter

Recommended Reads Blog

Newsletter
#RecommendedReads
Picture
​Breaking News!
DCI Warren Jones 9, Web Of Lies, Out Now!
​Click Here To Visit My Writing Page (opens in a new window).
Free Download!
Papering Over The Cracks - A DCI Warren Jones short story
(Includes a sneak preview of Web of Lies)
​
Picture

The Last Resort

9/12/2020

0 Comments

 

The Last Resort
Susi Holliday

Picture
Buy From Amazon.
Buy a physical copy from Bookshop.org and support independent sellers.
I raced through The Last Resort in just three sittings, it was that good!
I've known Susi for a few years, and we both had short stories in the CWA Mystery Tour Anthology, but this is the first time I've read a full-length novel of hers. 
It seems that I've been missing out! I will be sure to read her other books, including those penned under SJI Holliday. As always though, the book is a recommended read because I really enjoyed it, not because I know the author.

The book is a great blending of a modern, hi-tech thriller with some futuristic technology, and a traditional 'strangers trapped on an island together' mystery.
The basic premise is that seven people agree to travel to a 'luxury resort'. They've all been summonsed individually, and aside from one couple, are unknown to one another. The way that the whole thing has been organised is sketchy from the outset, but as is common with these stories, the protagonists all have their own reasons for accepting the invite. You, the reader, are already shouting "run away, you fools, it's a trap"... I love that sort of set-up.

It gives nothing away to tell you that each of the guests have their own hidden pasts, and the pleasure is trying to guess what secret each person harbours that they would rather nobody else knew. As the book progresses, things start to go horribly wrong...

The book is told in short chapters, and although it is 3rd person narration, each chapter is told from the perspective of one of the seven characters. This allows the reader a privileged glimpse into the mind of that chapter's subject, even as they strive to maintain their own facade. It's a technique that works really well, avoiding the need for extensive exposition from an omniscient narrator. 

Interspersed between the chapters is a shocking event that happened long ago in the summer of 2000. Which character is hiding this secret and how will it feed into the modern day narrative?

As I said at the start, I raced through this in three sittings, and it was only heavy eyes that stopped me from reading 'just one more chapter' in bed. Definitely a page-turner, and definitely a recommended read.
0 Comments

    Paul's Recommended Reads.

    Welcome to my reccomendations page.

    Here you will only find reviews of books that I have enjoyed, and think others will also.

    If a story doesn't grab me, it won't feature on here.

    The books featured will be a mixture of new releases, old favourites and books that have sat on the 'Too Be Read' pile for longer than they should have.

    I hope you see something that you enjoy, so please do feel free to comment on here or on social media.

    Disclosure: I regard some of the authors featured here as friends. I promise that I only include a book if I genuinely liked it, not because I know the writer!

    All content copyright Paul Gitsham 2020-23

    RSS Feed

    All the books featured on this page can be bought from my
    Amazon list page here:

    If you are buying a paperback or hardback copy, why not consider my online shop at
    Bookshop.org,
    which supports independent booksellers?


    Disclosure: I am a member of both the Amazon and Bookshop.org affiliates programs, meaning that I get a small commission every time a book is purchased using links from my site.

    Archives

    February 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    August 2022
    May 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    November 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020

    Categories

    All
    AIDE Locke
    Aidian McKinty
    Alex North
    Aloysius Archer
    Artificial Intelligence
    Blood Runs Cold
    Courtroom
    Craig Robertson
    Crime Fiction
    Cut To The Bone
    Darkly
    Dark Memories
    Dark Objects
    David Baldacci
    Dead Ground
    Deeply
    DI Kelly Porter
    DI Rachel Narey
    DS Max Craigie
    In Cold Blood
    Investigative Reporter
    Jack McEvoy
    Jack Reacher
    Jane Bettany
    Jo Callaghan
    Karin Nordin
    Kat Frank
    Kidnap
    Kjeld Nygaard
    Lee Child
    Legal Thriller
    Linwood Barclay
    Liz Mistry
    Look Both Ways
    Louise Mangos
    Michael Connelly
    M.W. Craven
    National Crime Readers Month
    Neil Lancaster
    Nikki Parekh
    One Good Deed
    Paranormal
    Police Procedural
    Psychological
    Rachel Lynch
    #RecommendedReads
    Renee Ballard
    Richard Osman
    Roz Watkins
    S.A. Crosby
    Scandinavian
    ScandiNoir
    Series Review
    Simon Toyne
    Stand Alone
    Steve Cavanagh
    Susi Holliday
    The Beaten Track
    The Blood Tide
    The Botanist
    The Chain
    The Curator
    The Last Resort
    The Late Show
    The Night Watch
    The Photographer
    Thriller
    Thursday Murder Club
    Tilly Bradshaw
    Truly
    Victoria Selman
    Washington Poe
    Will Dean

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Welcome!
  • News
  • Books
  • Blogs
    • Writing Tips
    • Recommended
  • Newsletter