A review by kearstinreading
The Club by Ellery Lloyd

dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I find myself on a lifelong quest for a thriller that can grip my interest the way Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None" did when I first delved into it. Naturally, my hopes were set high when I picked up "The Club," but, unfortunately, it fell short of the mark.

At first glance, the concept behind the story was promising. The backdrop of Island Home, an ultra-luxurious resort exclusively frequented by the rich and famous, piqued my interest. As a fan of reality television and someone with a certain fascination for exclusive clubs like SoHo House, I was drawn to the idea of a resort so revered that people would resort to shady measures just to gain admission.

However, as the plot unfolded, it became evident that "The Club" wouldn't provide the deep dive into the world of the rich and famous that I had anticipated. The constant switching of points of view made it nearly impossible to keep up with each character's storyline, and the lack of endearing qualities in the characters left me unfazed by their fates. I found it hard to care whether they lived or died, and their slow attrition didn't stir much emotion.

In truth, I really wanted to love this book. While I did enjoy it enough to see it through to the end, I struggled through some of the convoluted details and ultimately felt that it couldn't fully satisfy my craving for a Christie-esque masterpiece.

As for the story itself, while brimming with characters, the true central character is Island Home. As the newest and most exclusive addition to the Home Group portfolio, it stands as the epitome of luxury and exclusivity. Home Group, a fictional counterpart to SoHo House, offers membership to only the wealthiest and most famous individuals, allowing them to escape the prying eyes of the public and indulge in whatever their hearts desire.

The narrative centers around the kickoff weekend of Island Home, where secrets and lies run rampant even before the rich and famous arrive. Throughout the book, the chapters oscillate between different characters on the island, each exploring the setting and encountering their own obstacles along the way.

While "The Club" offered a promising premise, it ultimately couldn't deliver the immersive thriller experience I had hoped for. It's a decent read but doesn't quite reach the heights of classic mysteries like those by Agatha Christie. My quest for the next gripping masterpiece continues.
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