Take a photo of a barcode or cover
To start, my mind is absolutely blown that this is a debut novel. I was sucked right in from the first page and found it so hard to put down. I thought it was a perfectly paced, crazy ride full of tension, drama and shocking twists. I loved the setting and descriptions, it made me feel as though I was there and in the story. The cover is also gorgeous as well as the cover for the UK version, The Dive. I was absolutely shocked by the epilogue and did not see that twist coming at all! I’m hoping there will be more books to come by this author and can’t wait to read more.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for my early digital copy for my honest thoughts and review!
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for my early digital copy for my honest thoughts and review!
3.5 stars
Everyone has secrets on the island of Koh Sang.
For Cass, those secrets are the story of the day her younger sister and father died in their shared hotel room. Fleeing the states to escape her public persona as the Hudson Massacre Killer, she's found a family and a career on the small Thai island of Koh Sang. But, when letters show up on her doorstep threatening to reveal her past, she begins to spiral.
For Brooke, it's that her life as a glamorous travel influencer is a means to escape her rough upbringing in Kentucky and her crash out of college years prior. Brooke lands on Koh Sang shortly after the death of another traveler and within days of her arrival, another resort guest is dead. With a dream of once being a journalist rising to the surface, she's sure she can track down who was responsible for both deaths.
But with everyone having a secret, everyone also has a motive to keep the quiet resort running and the guests arriving. That drive will put both Cass and Brooke in danger.
Ochs' debut suspense/thriller trades POVs between Cass and Brooke, who are both trying to uncover what happened to the resort guests. The action is fast-paced, and there are enough twists to keep you guessing. Once you think the murders have been solved, another motive, another secret, and another dark past is revealed. The book races towards a conclusion and it feels like the story wraps up quickly and cleanly...until it doesn't.
It's that conclusion, which I won't spoil here, that feels a bit unsatisfying. Ultimately, it dropped my enjoyment of the book down a few notches, but I think readers of Rachel Hawkins and Mary Kubica will enjoy it.
* Thank you to SOURCEBOOKS Landmark and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review. *
Everyone has secrets on the island of Koh Sang.
For Cass, those secrets are the story of the day her younger sister and father died in their shared hotel room. Fleeing the states to escape her public persona as the Hudson Massacre Killer, she's found a family and a career on the small Thai island of Koh Sang. But, when letters show up on her doorstep threatening to reveal her past, she begins to spiral.
For Brooke, it's that her life as a glamorous travel influencer is a means to escape her rough upbringing in Kentucky and her crash out of college years prior. Brooke lands on Koh Sang shortly after the death of another traveler and within days of her arrival, another resort guest is dead. With a dream of once being a journalist rising to the surface, she's sure she can track down who was responsible for both deaths.
But with everyone having a secret, everyone also has a motive to keep the quiet resort running and the guests arriving. That drive will put both Cass and Brooke in danger.
Ochs' debut suspense/thriller trades POVs between Cass and Brooke, who are both trying to uncover what happened to the resort guests. The action is fast-paced, and there are enough twists to keep you guessing. Once you think the murders have been solved, another motive, another secret, and another dark past is revealed. The book races towards a conclusion and it feels like the story wraps up quickly and cleanly...until it doesn't.
It's that conclusion, which I won't spoil here, that feels a bit unsatisfying. Ultimately, it dropped my enjoyment of the book down a few notches, but I think readers of Rachel Hawkins and Mary Kubica will enjoy it.
* Thank you to SOURCEBOOKS Landmark and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review. *
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Thank you to Netgalley and the author for the gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review!
A fun summery thriller from debut author Sara Ochs!
This wasn’t anything special but was an overall good time. I received an ALC and ARC from Netgalley and the publisher but ultimately I read this purely from audio.
I think the narration was well done! We had two different female narrators for our two main characters, Brooke and Cas. Plus a few other one-off narrations! I’ve seen some reviews mention one narrator being a bit all over the place but I think that was an intentional and smart choice!
Plot wise, I found some of this predictable but that wasn’t a bad thing! There are a lot of reveals in the third quarter that felt a little unnecessary though when we get to the ultimate conclusion. I think a lot of these characters you’re supposed to dislike to varying degrees and the few characters I was completely behind and rooting for, kept making stupid choices that frustrated me.
Ultimately I had a fun enough time with this and I look forward to what comes next from Sara Ochs!
dark
mysterious
tense
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A debut, dual POV novel set on a beautiful Thailand island that promises paradise but gives something else entirely. Cass, a scuba diver instructor with a secret, ends up with a dead diver and another injured. Brooke, a social media influenster, who seems to be running from her past. Both characters are well developed, and its a slow start of the book. I was grateful I really enjoyed the setting of the novel to push through because the twist in the epilogue got me good! This novel game me big Reckless Girls vibe with a bit more mystery if that was your cup of tea.
Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to advance read this novel! Look forward to seeing others reading it when it releases Feb. 13th, 2024.
Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to advance read this novel! Look forward to seeing others reading it when it releases Feb. 13th, 2024.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes