Such a good book! It starts rather confusingly actually, having been written by a man (give me a chance)! I was surprised at how the genre firstly appears as a cosy women’s literature style book. But I was not disappointed, it gradually builds upon the story evolving into a juicy mystery with many twists and turns.
Literally kept me guessing til the end. A fantastic read!

It’s a nightmare scenario, isn’t it? Being trapped on holiday for a week with people you aren’t getting on with. Even if some of those people are your lifelong best friends, once you have to share living space with them 24/7 for a week, along with their husbands, whom you may not love quite as much, and their children who may not have the same expectations in behaviour as yours do – tensions are bound to arise. Add in too much sun, too much wine, and you have a powder keg ready to explode.

Then, on top of this, imagine that you suspect your husband is having an affair, and his mistress is on elf the very same lifelong friends you are taking a holiday with, the situation will inevitably boil over before the week is out, in a very public setting.

This is the premise behind The Holiday, which was a book widely feted last year, and it certainly provides a book full of intrigue and strain with many twists and turns before its thrilling conclusion. And because it is a scenario so many of us can imagine for ourselves, or may even have experienced (although to a lesser degree, I hope!), it causes an intimate level of stress in our imaginations. ‘There too but for the grace of God, go I’ is always a powerful hook for a novel.

There is a fascinating array of characters in this novel, a lot of personality flaws explored and exposed, and some morally dubious behaviour in evidence, even from the people who are supposedly the ‘good guys.’ It begs the question, what would I do to protect my family, to protect my children from harm? How far would I be prepared to go if I found myself in this situation? Are my principles really as strong as I believe, when faced with a serious dilemma. Thinking of these things can make for an uncomfortable reading experience if you allow the book to take you there.

This book was a great, entertaining read with a fabulous rope of tension running through it and enough twists and turns and revelations to keep the reader hooked. highly recommended.

This book really surprised me. I thought it was going to be a typical chic lit/romance type of book, but there’s a great twist to it. It was a great read and I couldn’t put it down. I’ll be looking out for more books from this author.

A thoroughly enjoyable mystery that kept me guessing right to the end.

The bulk of the plot centres on one of four friends, Kate, trying to figure out which of her friends is having an affair with her husband. Her suspicions start with some text messages she sees on his phone but what is great about this book is that all is not what it seems. The things we see through Kate’s eyes are slightly skewed and with her interpretation on them.

I wasn’t as keen on the multiple narrators to begin with as we get little snapshots of their narrative but it is unstructured. For example, we will randomly get Kate’s son Daniel’s perspective. I prefer my multiple narrators given more equal footing. However, by the end, as secrets are revealed, the reason for the random narrative snippets becomes apparent as they provided clues and facts that led to the final reveal.

I did not predict the secret that many of the characters had been hiding but the book had plenty of subtle hints that meant the plot made complete sense when it unraveled.

I didn’t identify with some of the characters but they did feel authentic and believable so the whole novel came together well and was intriguing.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for this advanced copy.

I loved this book up until the end where it just fell a little flat for me. I was slightly disappointed with the outcome and found it slightly far fetched.

None of the characters were particularly likeable although I don’t think the author intended them to be.

It kept me hooked & I found myself reading it at every spare moment just so I could find out what was going to happen!

I absolutely loved this book

Four friends on holiday with their husbands and kids

So many twists and turns and dodgy characters keeps your turning the pages

excellent read

I read a very early copy of The Holiday and I chose to just wade in and let myself simply be taken where the story led without knowing anything about it. The title was enough to take the book on holiday (in France, of course!). I had no concept of the twists and turns that this apostolic last supper group of 12 would go on to experience in their glorious house in the French countryside. That was really fun and I recommend doing that sometimes!

Four female friends from Bristol University (my own Alma Mater, which made the story feel very relevant), to wit Izzy, Kate, Jennifer and Rowan – the latter three with partners and children in tow – have come together for a week in a stunning, luxury house in the Hérault (a villa not far from Béziers) in order to rekindle their friendship group. And what a rekindling that proves to be!

Almost at once Kate discovers texts on her husband’s phone that are clearly not meant for her eyes and it is pretty obvious that “CoralGirl” is one of the other members of the party. He seems to be having an affair, which would be so out of character but the evidence seems indisputable. Much of the story is written through Kate’s eyes. She starts to look for evidence of connection, little gestures, lingering touches, meaningful looks and she certainly has her work cut out as the week progresses. As the days pass new conundrums slide in, further destabilising the group dynamic.

The relationships between the adults gradually become a little fraught, as behaviours, alcohol and luxurious surroundings start to exacerbate a now more fragile friendship group. Factor in children – age ranges from 5 to later teens – and suddenly an easy-go-lucky week’s holiday becomes a heady mix of subterfuge, hormones, parental dilemmas and misunderstandings.

The author is hugely talented at keeping a subtle and persistent tension percolating throughout the story and the writing flows so well. There are twists and turns galore and I had no idea which character was going to come to harm! I read it on a sun lounger, by a pool, under the olive trees with a clear blue sky above – in France! Perfect literary wanderlust, mirroring the story! Setting is evoked well and one senses that the author is perhaps a regular visitor to this part of France.

Slight niggles: one of the couples met when they were client and therapist and started an inappropriate relationship. That was kind of thrown in and the repercussions in real life of such a relationship would have been pretty significant; simply passing the client on to another therapist wouldn’t be appropriate (it’s deemed an abusive of power if the person in power (the therapist) takes advantage of the less powerful person (the client). Being struck off would be a pretty certain outcome. Grammar, just too many “with you and I’ (it should be “with you and me”) type sentences, which is becoming common-place but is still a bit irksome. Nevertheless, I read the novel in one sitting and couldn’t wait to dive back in when I was on a break. Recommended!

A fast based family thriller more for the YA palate. It was not very sophisticated but definitely held my attention and I was eager to get to the end.

Kate is looking forward to holidaying with her old friends and their families when she discovers something that could shatter her world. Told through the eyes of most of the characters this is a cleverly spun thriller which definitely kept me guessing till the end.

It was supposed to be the perfect holiday, dreamed up by Kate as the ideal way to turn 40: four best friends and their husbands and children in a luxurious villa under the blazing sunshine of Provence. But there is trouble in paradise. Kate suspects that her husband is having an affair, and that the other woman is one of her best friends. One of these women is willing to sacrifice years of friendship and destroy her family. But which one? As Kate closes in on the truth in the stifling Mediterranean heat, she realises too late that the stakes are far higher than she ever imagined.

I think there was too much hype about this book and sadly it just could not live up to my increasingly high expectations. Not the fault of the book or author mind you. However, I was expecting an electrifying, shocking read and I found it dull and laboured. I actually struggled to get through the majority of the book, if I am honest this is more of a three star review but the ending saved the whole book and bumped my rating up.

Back to the plot, and I did like the premise, a beautiful setting, lovely characters and a suspected truth that is the ultimate betrayal. However, the execution was too long, I thought the book was a bit too long and as a result it lost the intensity and thrilling nature. For most of the book I kept thinking get on with it! Then we have the ending and what an ending it is! Suddenly in the last hundred pages or so Logan delivers all the shocks, all the intensity and all the drama. I found myself hooked by the action and unable to believe what I was reading. If only the rest of the book had been like it!

This book really is a summer to remember by the end of it. Helped along by the wonderful characters we have. I say wonderful because for the most part they are likeable and I enjoyed getting to know them. Our four central women are old friends and this came across very clearly. We learn about their shared history and how they have all ended up where they are. Despite being likeable, a lot of them are hiding terrible secrets, for me, Kate was the worst one and whilst it was entertaining, it does put a dampener on the characters. However, I did still enjoy reading about them and their families.

For me, 'The Holiday' promised so much and did not really deliver. The ending is out of this world but I would rather forget the rest of the book and this did not make for memorable reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bonnier Zaffre for an advance copy.

I do love a thriller novel that involves groups of old friends going away together and seeing how things unfold in that situation so the premise of The Holiday ticked all my boxes and I’m really happy to say that it lived up to all my expectations! Kate and her family are on holiday in a beautiful holiday home with three of her oldest friends and their husbands and children. Early on the holiday she discovers some texts on her husband’s phone that make her doubt his honesty and from there on the novel grips you as you wonder if he could be cheating with one of the other women in the villa. It turns out there are more secrets amongst this group of friends, which makes this such a fast-paced, gripping page-turner. I didn’t see where this was going so I loved being surprised by how it all turns out. I definitely recommend this book!

The Holiday is a psychological thriller. Four long term female friends have a holiday reunion in a luxurious villa in the south of France with their families. Secrets and lies complicate the atmosphere and lead to tragedy. An ideal beach read.

I have been hearing so many good things about THE HOLIDAY that I had to read it and I saw why everyone was raving about it. It’s so suspenseful and addictive… luckily I started reading it during the weekend because I devoured it in one day.

THE HOLIDAY is the story of four friends. Kate, Jennifer, Rowan, and Izzy have been best friends since college and to celebrate their fortieth birthdays they decide to spend a week in a beautiful house in the South of France along with their husbands and children, but things go wrong from the very beginning because Kate suspects her husband Sean is hiding something and her doubts are confirmed when she reads his text and she finds out that he is secretly messaging with one of her friends. Should she confront him? Or should she first find out which one of her friends betrayed her?

THE HOLIDAY is a tale of paranoia and suspicions. Like Kate, I found myself suspecting first Rowan, then Jennifer, and lastly Izzy, and then starting all over again. It wasn’t easy to figure out the truth when each woman is clearly hiding something and they are all found whispering with Sean or hugging him. Oh, and let’s not forget their children and all their drama: a 17-year-old girl clearly hiding something, two teenage boys looking for oblivion and with tendencies that border to obsession, a young boy that would do anything to please his sister and the older boys, and a spoiled 5-year-old girl who sees everything that happens among the adults. How couldn’t I be completely engrossed in this novel? The author did a great job building up the suspense and never revealing too much so that I didn’t know the truth until it was revealed.

The characters are not always likable, but they are vividly drawn and it feels like you are inside their head. Most of the story is told from Kate’s point of view and there were times when I found her annoying and I wanted to shake her and tell her to wake up and do something. Rowan was a bit snob while Jennifer was too smothering, and I seriously worried about the children’s mental health after the tragic ending of the holiday.

THE HOLIDAY is a psychologic thriller with capital letters… dark, gripping, and full of twists, it’s a must-read!

This was a brilliant thriller that kept me guessing until the end. I was hooked throughout and felt the holiday setting was a brilliant choice for the book.

Four university friends meet up every year but this year, as they are celebrating being 40 years old, they book a villa for a week in the south of France. They take along their husbands and children but things don’t turn out the way they expected. Kate is married to Sean and they have three children, one being a teenage girl. Jennifer is accompanied by her husband Alastair and two, out of control, teenage sons. Rowan is accompanied by her husband Russ and their precocious five year old daughter. Izzy is the envy of the others being single and an avid traveller. Whilst staying at the villa Kate discovers a text on Sean’s phone that points to him having an affair with one of her three friends in France. Kate then begins to wonder which one it could be and things come to a head when a body is discovered at the bottom of the cliffs and the tension builds. The book is mainly told from Kate’s point of view and gradually all the relationships become strained and lots of secrets are revealed. We get an insight into Kate’s past and how all of the three women bear grudges against Kate and could be out to seek revenge. This is a book that explores friendships, lies, betrayal and how parents will go to extreme lengths to protect their child. There are plenty of twists and turns and a surprise ending. An enjoyable read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Zaffre for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Oh this is such a good book; it kept me right on my toes from start to finish. It says on the cover that there's a killer in their midst but through T.M. Logan's twisty and enthralling writing there is no doubt that there's an ominous cloud of suspense and suspicion hanging over the characters from the very first chapter. T.M. Logan really is the master of the red herring as he pulls us in every direction and twists us around and around like a game of pin the tail on the donkey. I pinned the tail on every character at one point or another so I had no idea which direction the story was going and that is what is so brilliant about it.

Kate is a crime scene investigator and even she didn't know what was going on! The bottom drops out of Kate's world when she finds messages to another woman on her husband's phone. The message points to the other woman being in France with them so she is one of Kate's three friends: Rowan, Jennifer or Izzy. I think Kate must have always been a bit insecure about her husband as Sean has history with two of her friends before he married Kate; there's certainly a bucketful of Irish charm in the character of Sean. Ever the investigator, Kate decides to gather the evidence before confronting Sean and I really admired her ability to keep her cool. What she is about to discover might not only end her marriage but might tear the three friends apart forever.

Full of suspicion and intrigue, I absolutely raced through The Holiday and found myself thinking about it on the odd occasion I managed to put it down. There are so many twists and turns that reading it was like being on a rollercoaster and I felt totally breathless at the end. This superb fast-paced, gripping and highly addictive thriller has more red herrings than the river Tyne and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. Pack this one in your case if you're looking for THE holiday read of 2019.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

I was a lit disappointed in this book. I saw on book shelves how good this was so, I decided to read it!
I’m afraid I found it quite slow and boring. It is centred around a group of people holidaying together celebrating their 40th birthdays!! That was fine didn’t mind that but, one of the characters suspects her husband is having a affair with one of her “long-time” friends.
That is how the book went on all the the story, she keeps jumping to different conclusions whilst juggling to keep her children in check.
I know I’m not alone in my opinion as I have read other reviews.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, for giving me an opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

A compelling, gripping read that kept me turning the pages! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an advanced reading copy.

This book is full of intrigue, suspicious characters and mischievous children! A group of friends go away on holiday to the South of France with their respective families. But it quickly turns into a holiday to seek out the truth. The plot picks up almost into its first few chapters so that suspicion is instantly thrown into the storyline and keeps you guessing throughout. Excellent book and another favourites by T.M.Logan. He is quickly becoming another favourite author!

Thanks to Netgalley And Zaffre for a copy of “The Holiday “ for an honest review.

After enjoying T M Logan’s first two books I was looking forward to reading this, but I was a little disappointed.
I Enjoyed the French setting , just right for a holiday read ,but I found that
I couldn’t warm to most of the characters, .I wasn’t sold on the storyline , and I found the way that Kate’s reacted to her discoveries frustrating .I also wasn’t convinced by the ending., although I hadn’t guessed it.
An ok read but not a book that stands out for me to recommend.

Kate, Jennifer, Rowan and Izzy have been friends for years and they try to meet at least once a year – now, of course, with husbands and children. This summer they decide to have one week together in the sun of the south of France – it’s going to be the perfect holiday. However, things turn wrong right at the beginning, when Kate finds secret messages on her husband’s phone and is convinced that he’s having an affair, and not with everyone but with one of her best friends. But which one?

This book is a slow – burner, but the author really allows us to get to know the characters in the present and the dynamics between them, in both their relationships and friendship. The group of characters was really colourful. They were absolutely not likeable, uninspiring and a bit too wooden but I was intrigued to see who and why, and every chapter, every new information, made me even more confused, casting doubts on all of Kate’s friends and her as well. I liked the way the author has messed with my mind and my opinions. They all couldn’t be more different, and every one of them seemed to have a secret, something to hide.
Kate is the main narrator. She’ a forensic worker though it was really hard to say with the way she way thinking, suspecting her husband of having an affair, and mostly I just wanted to roll my eyes at her. Who wouldn’t confront their partner immediately, instead of jumping to conclusions and changing their minds constantly, not knowing what is true and what is not – but yes, without her acting that way the story wouldn’t develop like this.
We are also introduced to Kate’s husband Sean, their sixteen – year – old daughter Lucy and nine – year old son David. Then there is full – time mum Jennifer and her husband, counsellor, Alistair and their two teenage sons Jake and Ethan; highly successful Rowan, her husband Russ, who is a banker and their five – year – old very spoiled Odette; and finally, a free spirit and traveller Izzy, who comes alone. With so many characters it was really difficult to feel invested in the story and I’d love to have more background information about them, I knew nothing about their previous friendship.

There were plenty of twists and turns happening throughout the seven days but it took a long time until we arrived at the final surprise and, to be totally honest, I was a little tired with waiting for it – as it’s rather a huge book, I found it simply too late and too little. And well, it didn’t blow me as much as I hoped. Yes, I get it, it couldn’t be written differently and the six days were a slow – burning induction to the great reveal, nevertheless I think there were too many things being told and happening that a) made the things not significant or b) made the reveal not significant. The story was told mainly from Kate’s point of view but it was intertwined with different points of view as well and, honestly, I eventually wasn’t sure which and whose story is important for the development of the plot. It was truly frustrating to be given clues, tips and red herrings, yet we had Kate going in circles about something that, in comparison to what was happening, seemed so unimportant.

What I absolutely adored was the feeling of uncertainty – I had a feeling something is hanging over me all the time I was reading. The author has captured the tension and the atmosphere in the best possible way, I think I haven’t read a book like this before when this creepy feeling of something really bad going to happen was so overwhelming and giving me goose bumps. The oh so innocent mentions of the dangerous neighbourhood, the unstable moods of some of the characters, they were so strongly indicating that really something wrong is awaiting us soon, but we don’t know what it is and when it’s going to happen – I loved this aspect of this story. Altogether, “The Holiday” was a story about secrets, lies, broken promises and hopes and dysfunctional families, about how far you’d go and sacrifice yourself for your family – a great holiday read, though I wouldn’t take it with me if I were to spend it with friends, just saying.