Sophie Hannah as done it again, penned a plot that is different and keeps you transfixed right up to the unforeseeable ending.

This is an intriguing read, the characters drawn you into the well paced dramatic storyline and treat you to some out of the ordinary twists.

Thank you to Netgalley, Sophie Hannah, Hodder and Stoughton for allowing me to read and review this book.

Did you see Melody is a fabulous read .I was gripped from the first chapter .The story is set in Arizona in a luxury spa when Cara from the UK decides to get away from her Family to think things over and gets involved in the mystery of a young girl who has disappeared presumed murdered 7 years ago .The story twists and turns bringing in many other characters with their own story to tell .I absolutely loved the ending so unexpected and clever .If I could give this book 10 stars I would .

Did You See Melody? has a convincing start with Cara arriving at a luxury resort in Arizona exhausted and emotional. After she is allocated a room that is already occupied she is upgraded to a fantastic suite that she feels will go along way to helping her relax and make decisions about her future. But when she starts to listen to other guests she starts to question what she did see in the room.
Cara starts to look at the internet to find out about what happened to Melody, her parents trial and the media frenzy that surrounded the investigation. Along with another guest in the hotel, Tarin, she is convinced that Melody is still alive and somewhere on the complex.
I loved the cynical approach that Sophie Hannah showed with regards to the hotel, where guests could not be relied on to have a good holiday without their intrusion and towards the chat show ‘trial’. I am so thankful that our chat shows are not as bad as the one shown in this novel.
I was slightly unconvinced by some of the characters, but my favourite was Tarin who refused to be bullied by the police or the team who worked on the chat show. I would have liked to have more information at times, a few threads felt unfinished but I still enjoyed the novel.
I had to read the ending twice. I’m still not sure that I’ve understood it correctly but I liked it more on the second read. For this reason, Did You See Melody? would make a great book club read, there would be a lot to discuss.

When Cara Burrows arrives at the luxury Five Star spa resort in Phoenix, Arizona that she can ill afford, she is bone tired and just wants to sink into what is bound to be the most comfortable bed that she's ever slept in.

Sadly, the receptionist gives her the key to the wrong room, one that's already occupied. Mortified at having disturbed its residents, swiftly apologised to and upgraded to superior accommodation, Cara thinks nothing of it until the following day when she goes to ask the receptionist a question.

She is distracted by an older lady, acting a little crazy and asking 'Did You See Melody?'.

Cara has no idea who Melody is, until through overhearing snippets of conversations and befriending others in the resort, she realises she knows exactly who Melody is. The teenage girl sharing the room of the man she disturbed on her first night in Arizona.

But it's an impossibility. Because Melody Chapa is dead, murdered by her own parents in a case that shocked America. Cara realises that she should forget what she saw. But she can't, and becomes obsessed with the Melody Chapa case, researching old youtube videos, newspaper articles; basically anything she can get her hands on online.

Cara had come away to escape her family life, but finds herself drawn into another. A world of suspicion, paranoia and frustration - as she desperately tries to discover the truth. But at what cost?

Did You See Melody? is a clever novel, as Sophie Hannah's so often are. I can't say too much more without giving anything away, but I will say that it didn't see the ending coming. Pretty much all of the suspicions I had, were way off! In a literary world so full of psychological thrillers, this novel is a breath of fresh air.

Did You See Melody is available now via Amazon online and all good book shops.

I do appreciate a story with a few hard facts or home-truths.The only downside is that I tend to want to go on about it when an author makes a particularly valid point.

We live in an era where the majority of media outlets is no longer focused on reporting the truth or any semblance of it. Instead fiction becomes fact, fame and notoriety are more important than reporting what really happened. Everyone wants their 15 minutes of celebrity.

The 21st century has seen the rise of TV showmen and women, as opposed to the revered journalists of the 20th century. Nancy Grace is a great example of this gaudy and dangerous phenomenon, and one that is mentioned in the story.

The character of Bonnie Juno is based on the Nancy Grace types of sensationalistic journalism. The facts are twisted to suit the narrative of whomever they have picked to be the target of the day. Interviews become as twisted as twizzlers and as sticky as a fly trap.

In this scenario the guilty party is discovered and proven guilty by trial via public opinion. In the end it doesn’t matter whether there isn’t enough evidence to prove they did it, because the TV viewers have already been told they are guilty. This anything but objective opinion continues on through to the courtroom.

Cara has decided to escape reality and the uncomfortable stress at home by treating herself to a few days in a five star spa hotel in the US. The tired and upset Cara accidentally stumbles upon a man and young girl, only to find out the next day that the young girl in question has been dead for quite a few years. Did she imagine it, is someone having a laugh or is it just a case of mistaken identity? Did she see Melody?

What emerges from this one simple question is a myriad of crimes and even more unanswered questions. Guilt isn’t a clear concept in this story. Would you commit a crime to prevent another? Do you believe the court of public opinion instead of checking all the available facts? Do two wrongs make a right?

I’m sure this story will make readers wonder about the choices they would make if confronted with the same situation. Begs the question whether, in a world full of police states and dictatorships, some of us have to be strong enough to be vigilantes, because the justice systems fails victims on a regular basis.

It’s a read that gives plenty of food for thought.

I am not really certain what to make of this book. It is a fast-paced thriller, that had certain compelling facets that really grabbed your attention and made you really want to solve the mystery and find out what exactly was going on. The basic story-line (and the various twists and turns) was very well conceived. There were strong characters to love (Tarin and Zellie) and detest (Bonnie), and I really got to like Cara a lot eventually, as she developed near the end of the story. The book ended with a real, unpredictable though believable, cliff-hanger. But somehow, for me, it did not all hang together.
For about the first quarter of the book, I did wonder if it was going to be about women having mental breakdowns, or about mental illness in general. There was so much indecision, combined with obsessive behaviour – women acting in ways that could not be normal for the characters you thought they were supposed to be.
The writing was confusing. It may have just been my pre-publication copy, but there was frequently no change of chapter, paragraph or font when the narrator or viewpoint changed – though there was sometimes when the narrator remained the same.
Cara is upset and confused about what direction her life should take – so it is possible that the author was writing the way she did, to convey that confusion. It certainly worked, but I would have been happier if it was less subtle.
There is a lot to recommend this novel, but I found it a bit too contrived in places to be a great thriller.

This is jaw-droppingly good! It’s been playing over and over in my head since closing my kindle and I have to say I am completely in awe of Sophie Hannah for coming up with such an astounding psychological suspense thriller.

Cara Burrows has a dilemma and the support from her family which she so desperately craves isn’t forthcoming, so she does something she has never done before and raids their savings to take two weeks away at a resort spa in Arizona – a far cry from her home life in Hertford, UK. At this point in the book, you are lulled into a false sense of security and find yourself craving to find out more about this luxury resort – you know, just in case your lotto numbers come up! Things soon take a different turn though and the ensuing events will have you reading faster than you ever thought possible!

Well written doesn’t even begin to cover this novel. It is intricate in detail, long in ‘what if’s’ and has the most outstanding outcome I have ever read in any book. Wow. I expect this one will soar to the top of the bestselling charts, and it deserves to stay there for a long time.

I received an arc via NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

I received a copy of this for my independent honest review. Sorry I couldn't get into this book and decided to discontinue reading it

Oh don't we all wish that we can just hop on a flight to Paradise to get away from life... I know I do, often! Well, this is exactly what Cara Burrows has done. She's abandoned her husband and kids and jumped ship, booking herself into a pretty decent spa resort. She arrives quite late, books in and heads off to her room. When she opens up, she's a bit shocked to find it already occupied by a man and a teenage girl. The receptionist is mortified by her mistake and upgrades Cara to the most fabulous alternative accommodation so she is quite easily forgiven. Cara settles down to start her holiday proper but it soon transpires that the girl in her room bears a big resemblance to Melody, a girl who is dead, her parents currently serving life for her murder. Could she be mistaken, after all she was quite tired that night, but there's something nagging at her and, not being listened to by the authorities, she takes in upon herself to try and get to the bottom of things. But then things go bad, real quick, and as she finds herself more embroiled in a rather tricky situation. Far, far reserved from the idyllic holiday she had planned.
This book was a bit of a game of two halves. The beginning, especially the description of the resort (jealous, much!) and the initial character introductions and scene setting were quite light and much slower paced compared with what followed later when things got a bit out of control. Cara's motivation for running away was understandable and I did feel for her but I think she did somewhat over react especially with regard to the family's financial situation and I wasn't completely convinced by it, but as it was the reason she was where she was, and I couldn't think of any other credible way that the author could have put her there, especially with what happened later, so I swallowed my niggle and went along for the ride.
What I did love about the book was Cara's research into Melody's case using all the power of the internet and social media to glean the information she was looking for. It appeared to be a trial by media in some respects. These clips and transcripts and social media commentary really enhanced the narrative, complementing plot and adding so much background to the eventual reveal, when we found out what was really going on. And when we did eventually get to the truth it really was quite shocking the way it was all so carefully worked out and executed by the characters involved. I'd love to go further into this but I can't for fear of spoilers.
Other characters that really stood out for me were mother and daughter Tarin and Zellie. As well as adding to the story, they also injected some really great humour into the mix. On the flip side, I really didn't like TV host Bonnie Juno and the way she she tried to manipulate things. Living in the UK I can't imagine trials like this playing out in the media as much as they obviously do in the US. Sometimes quite shockingly so. Very scary times.
All in all, it was a mostly satisfying read that kept my attention nicely when it eventually got going after the relatively slow start. Well worth persevering with and I am glad that I did.

My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Yikes. This was bad, really bad. This started off as a buddy read with my reading pal Nick @ The Secret Library, but she couldn't even finish this one... and I don't blame her!

Prepare yourselves for a very harsh review.

First off, let's talk characters. Cara, our main character, has run away from home for a pathetically trivial reason, and not only that, has spent 1/3 of her families life savings to get away. She was an irritating, whingy character who talked to herself too much. Enough said.

Next, Tarin Fry. Biggest bitch in the world, and not in a sassy way... she was just a bitch. She didn't speak her mind, she just spewed abuse at / about people. 

Who next? How about Bonnie Juno. Awful name for an awful character. Another abuse spewer. In another life, Bonnie's character could have been a strong female character who would have been likeable and someone to root for, but she isn't. Not in the slightest.

Then we have a whole mash of random characters who were only half relevant in my mind. Riyonna Briggs, annoyingly happy and needy. Orson (was that his name?) Priddey, whingy and weak-willed, for a cop. Heidi whatever-her-name-was, waste of ink.

As for the story, I have mixed opinions. Firstly, if you are going to put yourself through this, skip the first 30% of it. It one long description of a 5 star hotel and spa. I'm not even kidding. Then the story picks up a little bit and there is some mystery to the story (finally!) but then thing get weird and we begin reading tedious interviews surrounding Melody's case rather than present day stuff. Towards the end, things just got really ridiculous and unbelievable that I began skim reading the story, just to get the important "twisty" bits.

Although the book began badly, things did start picking up nearer the middle of the book, and for a while I thought I was actually enjoying it. The story of Melody was an interesting one and I liked following the theories on who killed her. But then, as I said before, things got ridiculous.

For example, the people discussing the case, and trying to solve the thing, consisted of Bonnie Juno, her assistant, 2 police detectives, Tarin Fry and the hotel manager. AS IF the police would just let civilians sit around the table with them to discuss a case, and more to the point, let a random member of the public (Tarin Fry) basically run the entire show by bossing everyone around. This then happens again at the end where things are coming together and really important police stuff is happening, even the FBI are involved at this point. They just let these random people sit in on the conversation like it's not a hugely important case to find a girl who's been believed dead for years and years.

The twist(s?) in this story were dulled down by the time they came around. I just wasn't interested anymore and they didn't do enough to bring me back to liking the book. I had guessed a couple of the reveals, but not all of them, but even that didn't entertain me.

Writing? Well, it was nothing special. Not bad, but not great. At some points it felt like Hannah was talking down to us, repeating very simple things like the reader didn't get it the first time... and I mean very simple things... like "the door was unlocked. That meant he had forgot to lock the door before he left". Yeah, no shit.

This book was a huge fail for me and I wish I had given it up early on like Nicki did!

You might be thinking "but why give it 2 stars if you hated it so much? why not one star?"... well, I don't really get 1 star book reviews... if you hated it that much would you not just have put it down? I didn't put this one down so something about it kept me going. My two star rating is practically a one star rating.

Thanks to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

I was expecting this to be a gripping, tense and intriguing mystery. But I became increasingly disappointed as I read pages and pages of description of the five-star Swallowtail Resort and Spa in the foothills of Camelback Mountain, Arizona at the beginning of the book. I like description but this was far too much even for me. It’s like reading a promotional article for the resort. It picked up pace a bit when the subject of Melody was introduced. She was seven when she disappeared and although her body had not been discovered her parents were tried and found guilty of murdering her.

Cara has left her husband and two children at home in Hertford in England without telling them where she was going, but leaving them a note saying she’d be back on 24 October. She’d booked herself into the Swallowtail and arrives, exhausted from her journey only to find that her room is already occupied by a man and a young teenage girl. However, the receptionist is extremely apologetic and settles her into a casita with her own private infinity pool at no extra charge.

The first hint about what had happened to Melody comes the next morning when one of the guests announces that she’s seen Melody and eventually Cara’s curiosity is aroused and she discovers the tragic story of Melody’s murder. Cara wonders if the girl she’d seen the previous night was Melody. At first Cara’s reason for leaving home as she did is not explained and when it was I was less than impressed and I didn’t really warm to her character.

From that point my own interest in the story picked up as the details of what had happened to Melody are gradually revealed as Cara talks to Tarin, a fellow guest, reads accounts on the internet and excerpts from the TV talk show, Justice With Bonnie, hosted by the truly terrible Bonnie Juno. Bonnie is described as a legal commentator and I really disliked her and her interference in the case.

There is quite a lot of hyperbole and contrasting depictions of both the American and British characters, which made me wonder if this is a spoof, as really, most of the story just beggars belief. It’s far-fetched, contrived and over complicated. But once I’d got past the lengthy opening section I did want to know what happened next and it is in the last few pages of the book that I found something that really did send a little shiver down my spine – and left me wondering just what had really happened to Melody, and what would happen next.

My thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton, the publishers for a review copy.

Once again Sophie Hannah shows that she is one of the best plotters around! The story was very well set up and the twists continued to the very last page. The descriptions of the spa resort were very evocative (and envy-inducing!) and I did like the characters, particularly Tarin. As with all the Sophie Hannah books I've read to date, the devil is in the detail and the revelations are revealed slowly like dealing a pack of cards and you can't guess the twists, because you don't know to start with what you should even be trying to figure out!

For all its pros, though, there are a few cons: it is pretty slow to get going to the mystery; Cara's own personal demons are a bit of a damp squib; and there were one or two plot points that you felt should go somewhere but didn't. Despite these minor quibbles, overall this is another engrossing read and I'm still thinking about the ending!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC of Did You See Melody?

Did You See Melody? is an odd book. I found the first half quite slow going and contemplated whether or not to give up but I'm glad I stuck with it as the second half was infinitely better.

Cara has abandoned her family and run away to a five star resort she can't really afford. She needed to get away and spend some time by herself and it appears this is the place to do it.

After arriving late at night exhausted and desperate for sleep, she lets herself into her room only to find it's already occupied by a man and his daughter. A simple mistake by the receptionist she assumes but as time goes on, she realises the girl can't have been who she thought. She was murdered years ago and her parents are both serving life sentences. Had she really seen Melody Chapa? She's afraid and wondering if she did really see her and will she risk her life to find out the truth?

I did enjoy this book in the end, but I wish it had gripped me from the start. I would give this book 3.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hodder & Stoughton and the author for the chance to review.

This is the first of Sophie Hannah's books I have read, but it definitely won't be the last.

This is not your typical thriller. Set in a luxury spa resort, we first get to know the main character Cara and her issues. We are then introduced to a brilliant supporting cast of vastly different people staying/working at the spa. The mystery of Melody, a girl who went missing and presumed dead, is fascinating and I loved the way it developed.

A brilliant and unique psychological thriller which I would recommend to everyone.

With a possible murder and a definitely dangerous secret at the heart of it, Did You See Melody? walks an interesting line in terms of tone. Hannah balances the suspense filled plot with unexpected humour, which at times had me snorting in front of my eReader. It's an enjoyable novel, certainly, with plenty of twists and turns to keep you hooked from almost the very beginning. We don't begin with the mystery straight away but first take a little while to set up Cara's reasons for leaving her family to travel alone to America (something that maybe feels a bit of an overreaction as things become clearer), but once Cara begins her investigation into the famous murder of Melody Chapa the novel really gets its legs.

Cara, not being a local, doesn't know anything about the Melody Chapa case so the reader gets to discover the specifics slowly, as Cara does, through articles and TV transcripts. Some readers may find these intrusive to the story but I felt they came in at the right moments, telling Melody's story - at least, the version everyone knows of it - alongside Cara's. The only problem is that at times I began to feel as though Cara was little more than a device intended to react to Melody's story and nothing more. Until about midway through the novel anyway.

Then we begin the twists and turns that I suppose make this a psychological thriller. Personally, I didn't find much of it particularly thrilling. In my opinion the strength of this novel lies not necessarily with Cara's story, or even with Melody's, but with those of the surrounding characters: the outspoken hotel guest who involves herself in the mystery, determined to find the truth, and the famous criminal commentator who single-handedly twisted the whole of America to her way of thinking with her TV show during Melody's original murder trail. Did You See Melody? is an enjoyable read and as a funny and over-the-top take down of 'trial by media' it works. I'm just not entirely sold on the thriller part.

I was ecstatic to receive a proof of Did You See Melody, as the cover is really pretty and combined with the synopsis, it sounded like my ideal summer read! From the very first page, I was completely gripped and I knew that I was in for a great story. It had me up way past my bedtime and I just couldn't put it down!
This standalone from Sophie Hannah is truly chilling and suspenseful and I can't believe I've never read anything by her before!
The characters are original and Cara is funny and relatable. I really enjoyed her narration and her inner thoughts about 'typical britishness' particularly made me smile.
The dialogue between her and the other characters felt realistic and kept up the pace of the novel which moved along smoothly.
I liked learning about the Melody Chapa case at the same time as Cara did through the articles and interviews, and I think it added an extra element of suspense.
I was kept on edge for the whole of the book and I'd never have guessed the ending.
Overall I'd give Did You See Melody 4.5 out of 5. It was chilling, gripping and packed with suspense. I thoroughly enjoyed it from beginning to end and I'd definitely recommend adding it to your summer reading list.

"If I could turn and run, I would. Run back home, however long it took."

Did You See Melody was one of those books that I was really immersed in when I was reading, but once I put it down the story left me quickly and I wasn't particularly inclined to pick the book up again. Some books are like that; intriguing but not memorable.

This is a novel by an author famous for writing 'sequels' to a well known detective series. Sophie Hannah has written Closed Casket and The Monogram Murders, follow-ons to Agatha Christie's Poirot novels. I'm not really sure how I feel about these sequels, but I have wanted to read them for a while as a big Christie fan. However, now I'm not so sure. While Did You See Melody is a twisty thriller with an unexpected ending, I didn't enjoy the writing style. It was a bit, and I don't like using this phrase much as it's been invented by men for anything that even vaguely focuses on 'women's issues', Chick-Lit.
The beginning of Did You See Melody read a little like a Katie Fforde novel about a woman going on holiday to find herself, fine if you like that sort of thing but it's not really my style.
I also wasn't particularly drawn to Cara's story, I didn't connect with her very much; there was a lot of her inner dialogue yet it all seemed a bit shallow.

I don't like writing nasty reviews; this isn't a bad book I just think the writing style isn't for me.

I did however, find the plot, while slightly ridiculous at times, intriguing and full of twists. Hannah also explores how the media reacts to a high profile missing child case and the conspiracy theories, accusations and high emotions that can surround it. I found these aspects fascinating.

As I said, when I was reading Did You See Melody I was pulled in; the setting and the story of a missing girl was one that seemed quite fresh, I just wasn't compelled to read it again once I put it down.

Kudos to Sophie Hannah for a twist ending though, I did not see that one coming.

My rating: 3/5 stars

I received a copy of Did You See Melody via NetGalley in return for an honest review, my thanks to the author and publisher.

When I saw Did You See Melody? on Netgalley, my interest was immediately piqued. I thought that the plot sounded original, and I think that there’s a great deal of potential in the idea of seeing someone who was supposedly murdered several years ago.
Pushed to breaking point, Cara Burrows abandons her home and family and escapes to a five-star spa resort she can't afford. Late at night, exhausted and desperate, she lets herself into her hotel room and is shocked to find it already occupied – by a man and a teenage girl.
A simple mistake on the part of the hotel receptionist – but Cara's fear intensifies when she works out that the girl she saw alive and well in the hotel room is someone she can't possibly have seen: the most famous murder victim in the country, Melody Chapa, whose parents are serving life sentences for her murder.
Cara doesn't know what to trust: everything she's read and heard about the case, or the evidence of her own eyes. Did she really see Melody? And is she prepared to ask herself that question and answer it honestly if it means risking her own life?
I thought that Did You See Melody? started a little slowly, but the pace soon picked up once Cara started to do a little digging into the Melody Chapa case. I really liked the use of news articles, interviews etc. that Cara finds online to familiarise herself with the case, and I love novels that contain these kinds of documents, as I think that they help to bring a story to life.
However, there were certain elements of the plot that I didn’t find at all plausible. I don’t want to spoil the novel for other readers, so I won’t go into any of the details, but there were parts where I had to suspend my disbelief. Of course, this is a work of fiction, and so there is always a certain amount of convenience involved for the plot to hang together, but there were aspects of the story that just didn’t work for me personally.
Additionally, I found that some of the characterisation was quite extreme, to the point of caricature, and I did find that some of the American stereotypes were a little jarring at times. There was also no one that I really engaged with, and whilst this isn't always a bad thing, I do think that I might have enjoyed it a little more if I'd felt at least a little bit of sympathy for Cara's situation, but she just didn't inspire that kind of emotion in me – at least partly because I felt that she was in a situation of her own making.
That said, at no point did I consider not finishing Did You See Melody? – I think that Hannah writes well, and, certain issues aside, it is quite an entertaining read. And I did want to find out what happened – as I've said, I think that the idea behind it is an original one, and there were some interesting twists in the story which I didn't see coming.
Did You See Melody? will be published on 24 August by Hodder & Stoughton. Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this ahead of its publication.

I have an admission to make… I have never read a book by Sophie Hannah before, yet she’s been on my radar as an author I thought I’d probably enjoy and I own a couple of her books already. Did You See Melody? was billed somewhat as a departure from her usual style, but with the intriguing blurb and that incredibly summery cover promising heat and tension, I was eager to read this book.

It starts with Cara, fleeing her husband and children for the luxurious spa resort in Arizona for an unknown reason, but clearly in a bit of a state. When she arrives in the middle of the night, exhausted, distressed and disorientated, she is sent to the wrong room. A room already occupied by a man and a strange girl. As Cara settles into the resort, she begins to hear stories of a high profile murder, a young girl called Melody who appeared to be the victim of unloving, cruel parents. But Cara begins to think she may just have seen Melody, but how can she have when Melody is supposed to be dead?

Did You See Melody? begins with a taut and attention grabbing beginning. Sophie Hannah perfectly encapsulates the panic, distress and tension felt by Cara as she flees the country. I was desperate to know what the secret was – why had she left her husband and her children. I’m going to be honest, when it was revealed it felt a bit implausible and a bit of an overreaction on Cara’s part. I’m not convinced with her reasons for being at the resort in the first place and it all felt a bit convenient.

However, the mystery surrounding Melody was fascinating. The story of her disappearance is told mainly in the form of a TV chat show transcript. I found it interesting and terrifying how the case is trialed by media, public perception on the people involved completely influenced by how the brash and slightly obsessed host, Juno, portrays them. It’s shocking, and scarily real, how susceptible we all are to suggestion and propaganda through the media and how they choose to portray someone, no matter how true or factually correct it may or may not be, directly impacts cases such as these. Mud sticks.

Hannah’s writing is undoubtedly gripping throughout, Did You See Melody? is a page turner and I read it in one day, snatching large chunks when I had a moment. It’s snappy, edgy and has a different kind of vibe to the psychological thrillers I’ve been reading recently giving it a fresh, relevant feel. However, I had a feeling of detachment from the story which made me feel conflicted. On the one hand, I couldn’t put it down and found the case of Melody Chappa interesting, while on the other I struggled to like or care for any of the characters – I found a lot of them annoying, particularly the loud and overbearing Tarin, a wealthy and over the top fellow guest who Cara teams up with to solve the mystery. Overall, while I didn’t love it – missing a more emotional involvement with the characters and story and finding some of the plot less than credible -I did like this book. It was a gripping easy read, ideal for those days on a sun lounger while soaking up the sun.

I've enjoyed Sophie Hannah's books before and this one wasn't an exception. She built up the mystery so well from the very start, not only what happened to Melody Chapa, but also what happened to Cara at home, why was she running away? There were so many different things to be intrigued by that it kept you reading, interested in what would happen next.

The Melody Chapa stuff was really interesting. Obviously as the main theme of the book, it was really prominent. It was funny to see the other characters in the book and how they were all drawn up into the mystery of whether the girl in the hotel room was Melody Chapa. I really liked the side characters in this book, possibly more than Cara herself.

The mysteries around Cara were really interesting at first, but I was unsure about the character. She seemed a bit timid and suggestible, a housewife who suddenly had the thrill of independence, booking her secret holiday and running away from her family. It was good to see her grow over the course of the novel and change into someone more secure with voicing her own opinions.