A holiday at a luxury eco-resort in the Maldives and a chance for a family of 3 to time spend together, to enjoy each other's company and to reconcile. The main protagonists, the husband, famous for his eco-credentials and his environmental investments, but having an affair with his company's finance director; his wife, former air hostess but full time mother since the birth of the third family member, their daughter. The other key characters, Devi, the butler for their luxury lodge, Skye an instagrammer/eco-warrier and Marc, the manager of the resort. Each chapter provides a countdown, but it's not clear to what exactly (although the prologue suggests that someone has been murdered). Almost as soon as the holiday begins, things start to unravel, and each of the family members is revealed to be flawed and generally not very nice people ... the question at the back of the reader's mind (or mine at least) is thus who has been murdered and by whom. This is a story which was the perfect holiday read - despite the many not very pleasant characters, this was a story I wanted to read to its conclusion, to find out what happened ... a few unanswered questions at the end, and the lingering sense that the family's problems are still far from resolved but that did not in itself spoil the book.

Don't holiday here!

Another fast paced read from Nikki Smith.

An idyllic island resort, but people have troubles.....( relationship, parental, environmental) and they will find you out....

This novel is like a ticking time bomb!

The book was good - with a variety of short and longer chapters.
I read it within a day so it caught my attention for sure.

I felt like some of the characters were slightly unnecessary, it felt a bit like a game of who done it with a murder mystery house vibe - just set on a luxury island.

I liked the pace and story development - the topic of climate change and eco tourism was handled well and was thought provoking too.

I found the ending a bit lacklustre, it could be because it was 2am and I'd spent 2 hours reading but at the end - it felt very abrupt. Is it a series? Is it just an open ending or was that considered closed? I felt like I had missed a chapter and actually went back to check.

Giving the book a 4 for tone, pace and topics covered. I am glad I read it - would I reread it? Probably not just due to the twists carrying the plot.

Good for readers who like a bit of mystery with judgy characters :)

The ultimate beach read! This book has the most amazing setting and some fantastic characters! Certainly a book that has rich, priviledged characters, yet I really enjoyed all the different individuals and their realtionships. The whole eco-friendly aspect was also fascinating and felt very relevant. Some scenes in this book that will be forever 'emblazoned' in my memories. Highly recommend! 4.5 stars for me! Thanks to Netgalley for a copy in return for an honest review

The plot, setting and twists were good struggled too relate or like any of the characters whixh made it hard at times

A thriller set on a luxurious tourist island in the Maldives. I liked the setting as the twists and turns but all the characters were dislikeable. However, an enjoyable piece of fast paced escapism. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

Cara and Zach Hamilton have embarked on a luxury family holiday to the Maldives with their teenage daughter, Alexa. The resort is beautiful, the weather glorious and the other guests are friendly and welcoming. However, it soon becomes apparent that this level of perfection only resides on the surface. Cara and Alexa are recovering from the trauma of a violent break-in back in the UK. Zach feels guilty about not being there to protect his family. Is this all he feels guilty about? Or are there even darker secrets to unearth?

Nikki Smith’s novel is a great page-turner. There are several unexpected twists and none of the characters are quite what they seem. I thoroughly enjoyed reading her previous novel ‘The Beach Party’ and ‘The Guests’ also delivers.

I really enjoyed this book. Zach and Cara Hamilton have just arrived at a luxury resort in the Maldives, along with their 16 year old daughter Alexa. It is clear that they are recovering from some kind of traumatic event but we don't yet know what. In this beautiful, tropical paradise all is not what it seems, and everyone has their secrets! This is a real page turner with lots of twists and turns that will keep you guessing to the end.
Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.

Asana Fushi is a stunning resort in the Maldives, the guests every whim is catered for, nothing it too much trouble.
A luxury holiday turns fatal in this dark and twisty thriller with a cast of not so likeable characters.
This was a one sitting read for me, I love Nikki Smith's books, they have a touch of the great Agatha Christie to them and the locked room element seal the deal for me.
A corker of a read.

I was lucky enough to receive a Widget for this book on Net Galley, which is amazing as I loved Nikki's other books.

This book is about a family; Cara, her husband Zach and teenage daughter, Alexa, who begin a dream holiday in The Maldives. At first, everything appears wonderful at the luxury resort with its stunning beaches, amazing food and their own butler service. But as they begin to learn more about the other guests and staff, it appears that they all have something to hide. And someone is willing to kill to keep their secrets hidden.

I loved this story. Nikki has this wonderfully descriptive way of writing that so perfectly sets the tone and mood of the place. Each of the characters felt true and, while some were definitely more likeable than others, all felt real. As the story progresses, the author cleverly drops in more details of the background of each of the holiday makers and resort staff until you don't know who to believe or trust.

The tension and suspense builds throughout, but the book gripped me from Page 1 and kept me zipping through the pages! This would be next summer's perfect holiday read, highly recommended.

Big thanks to Nikki Smith, publishers Penguin General UK and Net Galley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book is set in a luxury resort in the glorious Maldives. Zach and Cara take their troubled teenage daughter, Alexa on a family holiday after a period of stress for all, feeling that a break to recharge is just what is required. On this vacation we meet a series of guests, all have secrets, some of a distinctly sinister variety!! Definite Agatha Christie vibes to this read!! I won't say more for risk of giving spoilers, but I will say, an interesting read that leads me to ask if a sequels is in the offing?!

My thanks to NetGalley, author and publisher for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an advance copy.

I did like the overall plot of this book, however, I felt that it was a little bit rushed at times. I found that it was missing some tension-building up to the climax. I though that some of the characters we were introduced to would be integral to the ending, but they weren't relevant. For example Ryan and Cindy, especially Cindy when she interacts with Cara.

It was a good story line, but not necessarily a gripping read for me.

I received a copy of this book via Netgalley in return for an unbiased and honest review.

A great book and the setting draws you in while the characters are less than desirable. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book.

Nikki Smith does it again and I can guarantee that this is going to be another summer bestseller for her. Twisty, deceitful and in the most gorgeous setting, I’m definitely going to have to reread this on my next summer holiday. The characters are all awful but I loved how it sprinkled little bits of information throughout the story without giving too much away.

This book definitely had me hooked instantly but I would have enjoyed the book more if I cared about the characters, they didn't have many likeable qualities between them.

I really enjoyed this book despite it being packed to the brim with horrible people! The location for the setting was idyllic and this is the perfect holiday read. Good story and well paced.

This started well, I was immediately pulled in. The book goes back in time and moves forward on a countdown to something.

There’s a lot going on in this book. Some awful characters that really aren’t likeable. Some characters that seem to have no purpose. Everyone has their own agenda and there’s a lot of suspense throughout. I expected some big climax with the countdown. When the end came I actually thought I was missing some pages. I can only think there’s going to be a sequel to finish telling the story.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for my honest and unbiased opinion.

Pure enjoyable unbelievable escapism set in a beautiful exotic location. Due to be published June 2024 so this one will be flying off the shelves at the airport- perfect easy holiday read!
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the review copy.

Loved this easy, mysterious and Thrilling read!

Set in the Maldives on the luxurious island of Asana Fushi - family of three Zach, Cara and their daughter Alexa are hoping to relax after troubling events at home. Also on the Island is Skye who is a famous YouTuber and an advocate for all things global warming related.

Every character in this book is hiding a secret and these all begin to snowball and entwine while they should all be enjoying paradise. Secrets never stay hidden

This book gave me “white lotus” vibes too. Thank you to NetGalley , the publisher and the author for my ARC

This book rides on a wave of anxiety both for the cast of characters but also the reader! I found myself frantically reading to try and find some peace of mind with one character somewhere but with a cast of secret keepers, some darker than others, the pace is relentless and the twists keep on coming.
Don't start this in the evening or you will read through the night!