𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙫𝙖𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙗𝙮 𝙅𝙤𝙝𝙣 𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙨

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, John Marrs is my auto-buy author and I’ve loved all his books so I was super excited to have this title granted. In typical Marrs fashion, there was a lot going on in this book and a LOT of characters (plus it’s a pretty long book at 496 pages) which could have been confusing but it was so wonderfully written— everything tied together and all of the characters had such a strong, unique voice and storyline that I found it easy to keep track of who’s who.

I LOVE the short snappy chapters in all of Marr’s books— these were particularly easy to follow as each chapter was a character’s present then an extract from their past. I found the concept engaging and well executed— having done the backpacker experience in Australia and New Zealand, I really related to the hostel based storyline and the setting was realistic and entertaining. This was an adrenaline-fueled, absorbing and disturbing ride of unexpected twists and I really liked the clever, accidental mixing of paths to link all of the characters.

I didn’t realize this was one of Marr’s earlier releases republished and I’ll be honest, for me it didn’t compare to his more recent work which I’ve just adored— however I did really enjoy the book and think it showcased his talent; if you’re already a fan of Marrs this probably won’t absolutely WOW you but if you’ve just discovered him as an author this is a great indicator for what’s to come with his later works of art. P.S my top recommendations are WHAT LIES BETWEEN US and THE PASSENGERS— both five (ten) stars from me!

𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (4/5)

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫 + 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐞𝐀𝐑𝐂!

Several misfits, all with secrets, find their way (at the same time, conveniently!) to a rundown hostel in Venice Beach, LA. The chapters are short and snappy with “today” and “some time back” as each one’s personal story is told. Some are intermingled too. Some characters are totally unnecessary and bring nothing to the book. It takes a while to get used to the irritating format. This was an ok read, nothing too taxing but not one of my favourites as it was too disjointed and there wasn’t anyone to be invested in nor did I like any of the numerous people very much. I would’ve preferred more of a plot and less characters!

The Vacation John Marrs
Formally know as Welcome To Wherever You Are. This is the only John Marrs book that I haven't read, so thought it was time to put that right!
It's no secret that I am a huge fan of this authors work, and I really enjoyed this book too.
There are a good few characters to follow, but because the chapters are short, its easy to keep track.
As this was John's debut, its no surprise to me that he has become a best selling author. If you love John's books, and haven't read this one yet, then go and buy it.

This is a book that feels a little overwhelming at first, but it is definitely one that is worth sticking with. You can’t help immediately judging the ten characters and trying to figure out how they will all collide, but it definitely unfolds in a way you won’t expect. The setting also definitely pulled me into this one and it quickly be amended quite atmospheric.

There are two really well developed sides to this story: the characters and their back story, followed by more fast paced action in the second half. John Marrs balances both beautifully to create a really exciting, original book which showcases his individual style.

The timeline and structure is complex and sophisticated, so this isn’t really an easy read but it’s definitely worth it! There are the classic psychological fiction themes of identity, manipulation and deception, but the book definitely has a fresh, different feel to it.

Overall, a great introduction to John’s books and I’d definitely like to read more! This is a great choice for fans of T J Emerson, Shalini Boland and T M Logan.

If you are a John Marrs fan you will already know that his books take you on a wild ride - if you haven’t read any of his books before, then buckle in and prepare yourself, because The Vacation is another twisty thriller that will keep you on your toes and keep you guessing. Less dark than some of his other books, it is still another gripping read.

We meet eight individuals, all staying at the Venice Beach International Hostel - and as we get to know them and hear more of their back stories it becomes clear that they are all running from something. All very different, we gradually learn more about them and what has brought them to this point. and their stories begin to intertwine.

The cast of characters is large and with a story told in multiple timelines and from multiple points of view, so it does take a little while to get to grips with it all. But Marrs does a difficult job well as he artfully weaves the stories together and ties them all up into a very satisfying conclusion - overall making for a fast paced and fun read. I will read anything Marrs writes and whilst this is not my favourite of his, it is certainly an entertaining read and one I would recommend to anyone looking for an engaging read this summer. And hopefully it will encourage you to pick up more of Marrs’ books, all of which you should read!

If you have not come across author John Marrs yet, then you are in for a special treat.
John writes crime/psychological thrillers and has a number of books under his belt already.
The Vacation was previously printed as Welcome to Wherever You Are.
In The Vacation, John takes us to Venice Beach, Los Angeles, to a beachfront hostel where we are suddenly ensconced into the lives of the different residents.
Strangers coming from all different parts of the world, each bringing with them their own story.
Quite a character driven read I felt. It took me a time to become involved in their lives and their back story. At times I even felt they were all connected in some way but I couldn’t see how as I read along.
The pace at which the story unfolds, I enjoyed immensely, the twists & turns kept me engrossed.
A backpacking lifestyle where everyone is your friend and when one person moves on, another arrives.
Close your eyes and you could imagine yourself there in the sun with not a care in the world.
Quite an atmospheric read too that comes together in the latter stages...
John writes so well giving you the time to get to know his characters.
Nothing felt too rushed with his story.
I quite enjoyed how it was told, "the now and then" gives a great insight into what lead each character to the hostel..
Well worth your time.

I've been meaning to pick up a book by this author so took the read this re-edited version of a book he'd published under the name "Welcome to Wherever You Are" back in 2015. At the time, it was his second book and was self-published.

John Marrs is very popular in a bookish Facebook group I'm in, THE Book Club (TBC) so he's been on my radar for a while.

This book is set in a run down hostel in Los Angeles. One of the first things that struck me was that this is a GREAT setting for a book! I stayed in a fairly run down hostel in Hollywood in Los Angeles many moons ago. There were people there from all over the world and from different walks of life. As with the book, the majority of people there were on the younger side, at that interesting time in life between childhood and adulthood, often having a first real taste of freedom and of the larger world. It was a manic, busy place in a less than salubrious part of town, and definitely the kind of place that could be mined for some good stories.

There are eight key characters in the book, all finding themselves at the hostel for very different reasons. The chapters cycle through these characters, in the present day, as well as regularly giving us glimpses into their past, so we can see how they got to where they are now and what has happened to them - some bloody awful stuff for most of them! The first part of the book is mostly us getting to know them all, before we progress and see some action.

There are quite a lot of characters to keep track off but it wasn't too difficult to keep track and this gets easier as the story progresses. I really liked the almost mystical character of Peyk - he intrigued me and I was itching to know a bit more but I think mystery is part of his charm.

The book is pacey, the chapters are short which keeps you reading, and there is plenty going on with bit by bit reveals to keep things compelling. There a few elements of the plot that stretch the realms of what I was willing to believe, but it was entertaining enough a read for me to buy into it.

I would have liked a liiiiittle more insight into the ultimate fate of some of the characters and I did have a few questions at the end but thought it resolved itself in a predominantly satisfactory way, in some ways heart-breaking but with hope for some of the characters.

I can't make any comparisons with other books written by the author as this is the first I've read, but many reviews I've seen suggest that some of his other works improve on this one. Given that this one is such a page-turner, I'll look forward to picking them up in the future.

This would be a perfect holiday read, though it won't last you long as its a pretty compelling read so take some more books too!

My friends know I am a HUGE fan of John Marrs and will now buy/download any of his books without even reading the blurb. I still have to make my way through some of his older books, so was happy to get invited to the blog tour for The Vacation so I could push it up my TBR!
So I couldn't wait to dive in!
This is not as dark as some of Marrs' books, but still a very gripping and engaging read. There were several characters to keep track of, and as this is something I do find difficult, it took me some time to fully distinguish them all. The plot does jump around with time frames and POVs which also felt jarring.
All that said, I loved the ending and Marrs does a superb job of typing up all the stories to a strong conclusion. Not my favourite of Marrs' books, as his later books are much more my kind of books, but this is still one I would recommend! All of Marrs' books are easily recommendable.

I really enjoyed this book and whizzed through it.
I really like when authors deep dive into the characters and they are complex and messy!. And this book lived up to that completely, it is full of loose ends as you start to read the book but it comes together amazingly in the final few chapters.

This book was great - I demolished it in one weekend. Great characters and a great plot. I was concerned if a few occasions that it would end with a few loose ends, but John tied everything up at the end. Fab read!

I love John Marrs books so I was really, really looking forward to reading this one but sadly this one just wasn’t for me.
His other books have been original concepts but this one is more of a generic crime novel.
It’s good. Just not as good as his other books.
Sorry 😞

As I haven’t read the original manuscript, I was intrigued by the story and had my full attention from the first page.
Interesting mix of characters that we get to know throughout the chapters and they really make up for an intriguing story. Twist after twist, the story grabs you with an iron hand and never lets you go. At least until the unbearable conclusion. That was much more than unexpected, it was shocking.

Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy

The Vacation is a re-publication of Welcome to Wherever You Are. This is only one of two books written by John Marrs that I’ve yet to read and after having finished it,the main question I have is why didn’t I read it sooner?

It had everything I love about his novels. The prologue opened up the story with an action packed scene introducing us to a promising book.

It has intriguing characters who you need to follow, to find out their journeyand see where it ends. Those fabulous twists you know you’ll get with a Marrs novel. It had the familiarity to his writing as ‘The One’ with past and present chapters for the individual stories of the characters.

A great novel and as always everything is finally tied up with their interconnecting stories. I loved that the book was inspired by his own personal experiences of backpacking in the USA.

Brilliant storyline, brilliant characters, totally unable to put this down. Where do I go next. I need more by this author please.

I found the story to be a very slow burn with a whole lot of back story that didn’t seem entirely necessary to me. I stuck with it in the hopes it would pick up, but sadly it just wasn’t for me.

I listened to the audiobook of this and I feel like a large part of what I didn’t like was the narrator - the accents were terrible and really cringey to listen to! Perhaps I would’ve enjoyed more had I read rather than listened to it!

I felt there were a few really weird plot points thrown in that were entirely unnecessary and made me feel a bit uncomfortable listening to!!

Sadly not for me, but I won’t let it put me off trying more of this author’s works.

Another cracking book by John Marrs! Another exciting plot, which is fast paced.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

Another (albeit older re-republished under another name) by John Marrs.

A solid thriller with a clever idea which was well executed.
Set at a back packing hostel in LA there are a number of different characters that end up at the hostel.
As such it takes a while to settle into the plot as we get to know each character and how they were linked together... However, as the plot progresses all becomes clear leading to a satisfying conclusion.

Although slightly different to the authors later books which focus on technology (similar to Black Mirror) this was still a well put together story with a good ending.

As ever, a super fast-paced thriller alternating between 8 main characters to keep the pages turning to figure out what happened in each of their past, to understand their present, and what is going to happen to them in the future.

Enjoyable, quick and absolutely crazy, definitely took turns I wasn't expecting!

3.75 rounded up.

Thanks to NetGalley, Pan Macmillan and John Marrs for an eArc copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

One of my favourite thrillers is by John Marrs, What Lies Between Us so when I saw that this was being released I knew I had to nab it up!

This novel follows eight strangers running away from their past. They all end up on a beach in LA. But why are they running away? What secrets from the past are they trying to escape from?

First of all, the character development in this book is great. We spend so much time getting to know the characters which gives us plenty of time to try and work out what they're trying to escape from. The detailed telling on their lives before running away is extremely important in this book as it makes the revelations of their secrets much more thrilling.

As always, cannot fault the writing style at all. In fact, I think it gets better with every book John Marrs writes! Sadly this does not take over my favourite Marrs book but it is definitely a thriller I would recommend!

Thank you so much to NetGallet and Pan Macmillan for a copy of this in exchange for an honest review!

Full review to come on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy.