Her Last Holiday: from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Strangers and Sleep comes the most addictive crime thriller of 2021

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Now the blurb for Her Last Holiday is somewhat misleading. 'Determined to find out the truth, Fran books herself onto his upcoming retreat...' Fran did not book herself onto this retreat. Geraldine, her mother, was booked to go but had an accident and couldn't. She bullied Fran into going in her place.

I think people who haven’t read much in this genre might still enjoy this, and feel free to make up your own mind, but I know I’m not alone on this one, with several of my reviewer friends panning it. I did however finish it because I wanted to know what happened and whether I was right about the mystery (I was), and I did like the ending. 2.5 rounded down for the present tense. Note: do not let this put you off from reading “Sleep” or “Strangers” by this author, both are fantastic reads. My last holiday was a five-day trip to Tbilisi the capital of Georgia. It was my first real holiday for last several years, usually I continue to work in my trips, but in this time I decided to not. Jenna Fitzgerald disappeared from a mindfulness retreat on the island of Gozo in Malta 3 years ago. Two other people died at the retreat. It all came to a head on the night of the sweat lodge rebirthing ceremony. The ‘wellness guru’, Tom Wade spent 18 months in jail for, presumably, negligence over the deaths. They were certainly accidental deaths. Jenna’s disappearance was ruled a suicide by the local police after some bloodstains and her flip flops were found at the top of a steep cliff. The body was never recovered.During the holiday, I met some of my Spanish colleagues and they invited us to visit their house which is located in a nice village in the city suburb. Really, I liked this place for the large landscape, calmness, and the kind people who live in. On the fifth day of our holiday, we walked around the city and saw the old city which has been built above the mountain. So, you can see the whole city from above it. Despite the enjoyment that we have got, the negative thing about that holiday was that we spent so much money and also many friends need to buy some things from there, so I bought some souvenirs and I hope that I can keep one for myself to remind of that divine place. Fran Fitzgerald is a teacher with attitude and Tom Wade from SoulShrink was the last person to see her much younger sister Jenna alive! Jenna went missing at a SoulShrink retreat that took place in Gozo, Malta. This is my first book by this author, but I will certainly read her other books. I recommend this story, especially to those who like discovering family secrets from years ago and complicated family relations. I liked Fran and found her to be a realistic character- she was trying to investigate what happened to Jenna but is not a detective, thus she makes a lot of mistakes. There is also personal growth throughout the book, as she explores her relationship with Jenna and the rest of her family, as well as reflects on her current lifestyle. Some reviewers said there were plot lines left unresolved, but I actually think that was done purposely, allowing the reader to make their own decisions about the true motivations of some of the characters. The ending was tied up maybe a bit too cleanly, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Two years ago, at a Soul Shrink retreat in Gozo, two guests died, and one guest went missing, presumed dead. THE AUTHOR: Cally Taylor was born in Worcester and spent her early years living in various army camps in the UK and Germany. She studied Psychology at the University of Northumbria and went on forge a career in instructional design and e-Learning before leaving to write full time in 2014. She lives in Bristol with her partner and son. two years ago, during a wellness retreat, her sister Jenna died under suspicious circumstances. It was labeled suicide but Fran needs answers so she's attending the latest retreat by the same self-help guru as Jenna did. The movie was filmed on location and in the hotel, so audiences are treated to the beautiful ceilings-that, thanks to Queenie's suggestion, will make you want to cry-and the beautiful ski slopes and outdoor markets. There's nothing so glamorous as snow, and since this movie takes place over Christmas, it's even more gorgeous. As Queenie says when she looks at the view from her hotel window, "What world was I living in?" Also, since what remains of her life coincides with the end of the year, there's a poetic beauty about the scenery. Yes, it's the end of December, but everything's bright, beautiful, and full of life.As her HMO plan does not cover the high cost of an operation, Georgia resigns herself to having only a few weeks to live. She quits her job, liquidates her assets, and sets off on a dream vacation at the deluxe Grandhotel Pupp in the Czech Republic's spa city of Karlovy Vary. Two other accidents took place on that retreat leaving Tom in prison for manslaughter. However, he will be released soon. The dangerous rafting experience was something no upstanding retreat would ever engage in with inexperienced people. They don't even know if these people can swim. I enjoyed this book and found it to be very engaging. It centers primarily on Fran, who joins a wellness retreat to try to figure out what happened to her sister Jenna, who disappeared on a similar trip over 2 years prior. You also get chapters from Jenna's perspective before her disappearance, and from Kate, the wife and business partner of Tom, who runs the retreats. I am a fan of alternating perspectives throughout a book and thought that it was interesting to see how various situations were seen from the different POVs.

At the resort, she doesn't bat an eyelash about expenses. After all, she figures, she'd better pamper herself. Georgia realizes she must update her wardrobe as well and transforms herself into a beautiful creature. The party of Americans staying at the hotel include the senator from her home state of Louisiana and the rich man who owned the store where she worked in New Orleans. Georgia is an instant hit because she is herself all the time. She makes everyone at the hotel like her because they see in Georgia a genuine person. EXCERPT: As Caroline continues to rant, Fran stares at her in awe. It's been a while since she met someone with such fervour and passion, such a powerful drive to vanquish injustice and reveal the truth. It's really quite inspiring, despite Caroline's dubious taste in knitwear.I got to the 60% point of this book and can no longer waste my time on this book. The people are ridiculous, the entire book is ridiculous. Why would a mother send her other daughter, actually why would said daughter agree, to go to a retreat where her sister Jenna was possibly murdered????? Compelled by her grieving mother, teacher Fran books onto it in the hope of uncovering who was responsible for her sister’s death.

Tom Wade and his wife Kate used to run wellness retreats under the name SoulShrink, for people unhappy with some aspect of their lives. Although with no training in psychology, Tom is the charismatic and gentle listener that people would come to hear while Kate managed the running of the retreats. However, after a retreat on the Maltese island of Gozo ended disastrously with the deaths of two participants and the presumed suicide of a third, Tom was sentenced to two years jail. After his release his cash strapped wife goads him into holding another retreat again, this time in Wales. Juliet is a former journalist for the Guardian newspaper, now the founding director of Bright Star Content Marketing. Georgia impresses the hotel's staff, with the exception of the cantankerous guest services manager Ms. Gunther, with her naive manner and forthright kindness. She also mingles with some of the other guests, including Matthew Kragen, an arrogant self-help guru and the owner of the department store where she worked; Kragen's assistant/mistress Ms. Burns; and Louisiana power brokers Senator Dillings and Congressman Stewart. Kragen is wary of Georgia and suspects her of trying to sabotage his business, but the rest are charmed by her free spirit.

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Truthfully, the synopsis of this one never really grabbed me, I only requested it because CL Taylor’s name was on it, and I was convinced it was going to be better than it sounded. And I was worried when I struggled to make it through the first half due to the slow, boring pace that I had made the wrong choice. Thankfully, the last half was better, and I did quite like the ending. It wasn’t amazing, but I would place it in the above average category. Okay, so maybe the plot was a bit outlandish, but at least I didn’t guess it! The only thing I could’ve done without was the huge info dump in the second to last chapter. The downfall, for me, was the denouement. It all went a bit pear-shaped and OTT. I was disappointed. I can't say more than that for fear of giving something away.