This book is set in the gorgeous countryside near the Troodos Mountains in Cyprus, an area I have visited many times and I was very much looking forward to what I thought may be a holiday style mystery/thriller.

In fact this is indeed set in the beautiful area of Cyprus but is essentially a book that follows a commune or maybe a cult of people who live in the remote area and are for one reason or another living outside of society. When Sofia returns many years after living there with her mother, who died there tragically, the plot becomes dark and the community turn against one another.

Despite the promise of the book it was a little slow in getting going and some of the descriptions and stories were a bit confusing and somewhat unbelievable. Some great descriptions of the area and a few interesting surprises towards the end but not what I was expecting.

Many thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Last Resort was a gripping and fast paced read that I thoroughly enjoyed. It was full of twists and turns and interesting characters. It was a lot darker than I was expecting but still very enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for my ARC.

The Last Resort is a sinister journey with a dark vibe and few twists throughout the story. It’s told through more than one timeline and has such great characters, making it so intriguing and a great psychological thriller.

I could feel the tension growing while the secrets and lies came to light, and I wonder how far our characters would go to keep their lives intact. This has a great plot that flows through a great pace, making it hard to stop reading. The characters are realistically described, and it was easy to connect with them.

Overall, this was an atmospheric read, and I could feel the tension growing and the twists kept me hooked. The insight we got into human nature was well done and the ending was full of surprises that I wasn’t expecting. This was my first book by this author, but it won’t be my last.

Thank you, NetGalley & the publisher, for approving me to read this arc and write this review.

The Last Resort by T. J. Emerson was a good psychological thriller, with lots of twists and turns throughout, with great characters. The beautiful book cover caught my eye and I am so glad it did.........Now, I just want to dive into this pool, get some sun rays on my skin, open my kindle and then let this book take me away on holiday......especially as it is raining outside my window here.

A great book for a holiday........I recommend this book

Big Thank you to Boldwood Books and Net Galley for an advance e-copy of this book.

Gripping, twisty, and dark! That's how I like my psychological thrillers. The Last Resort is a story that takes the reader on a sinister journey. Told through varying timelines and by various characters, this made it an intriguing read.

The setting of a commune under pressure builds the tension so well. Each character is far from perfect and begs the question, how far will anyone go to keep their home? The fact that the short chapters kept me hooked. Every time I thought I would put the book down, I came to another chapter! This is a book that I needed to keep turning the pages of.

A well paced story with enough secrets, lies, and twists to satisfy the most ardent psychological thriller reader! I know I loved it!
Thanks to Rachel's Random Resources, Boldwood Books. and NetGalley for the gifted ebook.

The Last Resort is the second book I've read by Emerson. I went into it blind without recalling what the blurb said and found it highly enjoyable.

Told in dual timeline, the plot is well crafted and flows at a moderate pace. While the characters are interesting and their behaviour odd, I found myself casting aspersions on each of them throughout the book.

There are secrets and lies aplenty, several twists and dark undertones

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'The Last Resort' by T.J. Emerson.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for T.J. Emerson, Book And Tonic, Boldwood Books and Rachel's Random resources Tours.

Publication date 18th March 2024

This may be the first I have read by this author but it definitely wont be my last!

This novel consists of a prologue and 82 chapters set over 5 parts. The chapters are short in length so easy to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

WHAT did I just read!!!! WOW!!! I mean seriously Wow!! I was NOT expecting that lot fairplay!!! This has GOT to start with a MASSIVE WELL DONE T.J. Emerson!!!! Ooops sorry, yes, needed a minute to get over that but I've just left you hanging there... Sorry.... Let me tell you more...

Firstly let's start off with the writing style, etc!! Yet another extremely well written book by this amazing author which had me hook line and sinker!!! It is so smoothly and beautifully written with vivid evocative descriptions I completely forgot I was even reading a book a few times. The blurb, title and cover really fit the storyline.

As you can tell I LOVED this unique storyline. I found it to be realistic, very fast paced and I read it in a day. I loved the setting and atmosphere and just well... Everything!!! Twists after shocks after turns!!! Arggghhh... Its so hard to NOT say anything about them as it will give too much away and spoilt it for future readers but it definitely left me speechless over and over!!! I have read hundreds of psychological books and I really do think this one is definitely in the top 10 when it comes to dropping bombshells. I am, in fact still shell shocked!! Just brilliant fairplay and all links in and wraps up perfectly!!! I cannot remember the last time I flew through a book so quickly. Each and every time I went to put it down to do something my fingers were itching to pick it back up as I just HAD to know what happened next!! Emerson's evocative writing skills ensures you are dragged deep into the storyline seeing everything that is happening and feeling the tension and suspense that the characters are feeling. This absolutely gripping, addictive, dark and suspense packed crime thriller. In this book we meet the spiritual community in Cyprus who is known as Pure Heart. They live a simple life and have common goals. When the money has dwindled and the hotel is falling apart they discover that a woman called Sofia who had previously left wishes to return. Sofia is extremely rich and the community hopes she will return and help them financially. However when Sofia does return she comes back with two armed bodyguards, countless luggage and it isn't long before deaths and secrets are involved. The story is extremely well written over multiple parts, first and third perspectives and with multiple protagonists over multiple timelines. It is written in a way that the reader gets an in depth sight into what is going on but not enough to give too much away without Emerson wanting too. It is absolutely ram packed with suspense, tension, death, secrets, community and absolutely everything you could ask for in an absolutely gripping and tense psychological thriller!!! I absolutely loved the unique storyline, the mystery and just absolutely everything about this book. I can't say more than that as I don't want to spoil it for future readers so if you want to know you'll have to grab yourself a copy!! You won't regret it!! Clear your schedules and get ready to go on a gritty, dark and addictive journey with Emerson!! Just like with the storyline the characters come to life with Emerson's evocative writing skills. They are well rounded, realistic and strong making them all the more believable. All the characters may have been realistic but they were not all likeable and this is one of those addictive books where you have no idea which characters are telling the truth or who you can and cannot trust. I was completely invested in the storyline and was determined to uncover the secrets the characters were hiding. It is one of those fantastic books that I really cannot risk saying any more about the characters without risking giving any of the storyline away but grab your copy today and discover them for yourselves!! Emerson has done an amazing job constructing an addictive and explosive psychological thriller that you just won't be able to put down. Regardless whether you love or hate the characters each of them comes to life and had a part to play, which they did perfectly!!

Congratulations T.J. Emerson on an explosive success!!! This is why I would like to welcome you to my favourite psychological thriller authors list. Here's to many more successes 🥂!!!

Clear your schedules before picking this up as you will not be able to put it down!!!

Make sure you read to the very end of the book to read the first two chapters of Emerson's 'Mother's Day' which looks to be just as addictive as this page turner and I cannot wait to read myself!!

Overall an absolutely page turning, addictive, gripping and dark must read that will leave you hooked throughout and shocked!!!

403 pages

This book is just 99p to purchase on kindle, free with kindle unlimited and £12.99 in paperback at time of review via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

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I read the synopsis of 'The Last Resort' and it certainly sounded intriguing and just my kind of read. I couldn't wait to dive in and so without further ado, I grabbed a cup of tea, grabbed my Kindle and settled down for what proved to be an interesting few hours of reading. Overall I did enjoy reading 'The Last Resort' but more about that in a bit.

I have to be honest and say that it took me a little while to get into 'The Last Resort'. Part of the problem was the fact that I was tired when I started reading and finding it hard to concentrate. I also found it hard to warm to the main characters as there was something about them all that set little alarm bells ringing in my head. After a couple of chapters, I eventually got into the story and found it rather difficult to put the book down for any length of time. I had developed my own suspicions as to how the story was going to pan out so I had to keep reading to see if I was on the right track or if I had wandered off the opposite direction. The more of the book that I read, the more I wanted to read and the quicker the pages seemed to turn. I was so wrapped up in the story and in the lives of the different characters that I lost all track of time and just how quickly I was getting through the book. All too quickly I reached the end of 'The Last Resort'. I found 'The Last Resort' to be a gripping and tense read which certainly kept me guessing.

'The Last Resort' is well written. T. J. Emerson certainly knows how to grab the reader's attention and draw them into what proves to be one hell of a story and then some. For me this was more of a slow burner type of story. As the story continues, the tension levels rise and the pace of the story gathers momentum leading to a tense and dramatic conclusion. The characters in this story are so realistically and vividly described that they seem just as real as you and I. There were several twists and turns to this story- some of which I spotted and others that I didn't see coming. I love the way in which the author makes the reader feel as though they are part of the story and at the heart of the action. That's how I felt anyway.

In short and overall, I did enjoy reading 'The Last Resort' and I would recommend it to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of T.J. Emerson's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 4* out of 5*.

The Last Resort is about a community called Pure Hearts they have isolated themselves from everything and live in there little bubble. When a tragedy strikes there little bubble may be about to pop. I did enjoy this book but I felt like it dragged in places particularly when describing settings. Although it did give a good sense of what it was like living in the Pure Heart community. The ending blew my mind! It was a real corker! The author did a brilliant job of explaining the past and how it affected the present. The characters are presented so that you get a feel of each individual personality. A enjoyable thriller with a cast of peculiar characters.

This book is pretty outside of my usual read and I'll be honest I mostly chose it for the cover! however, I found it gripping and it kept me guessing throughout trying to piece together bits of information. I loved how the story kept a good pace and had just the right balance of description and backstory compared to action and plot points. I will definitely be sure to check out more books similar to this!

his book took a different turn to what I was expecting, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. Like the authors previous books, she creates interesting characters and this with the short chapters, kept me rushing through the book.

I loved the different timelines as, alongside Sofia we learn what has happened. It amazed me how some characters were just interested in Sofia for how she could help them, like some sort of cash cow! 🙄

The ending was so good and to me, came as a complete surprise.

I picked up this book purely on the cover and the author. I briefly read the back cover but already knew I was going to read it. This story transports you to a beautiful holistic resort with a dark side. It is a fun book to read and try to guess if the resort group will follow one of the members demands. A fun read that will keep you guessing.

A creepy psychological thriller the book looks at what it means to achieve the American dream. It also looks at what it is like to stare down the barrel of economic despair. It becomes a question of morality to determine just how far a person will go to hang on to their dream.

A financially troubled spiritual community with a cult like atmosphere houses a dysfunctional group of people who are hiding away for a variety of reasons. When one of their own comes back to avenge her mother who died within their walls, she makes an incredible offer to solve their financial troubles but it comes with a death warrant attached. While it’s not a bad story, it was very, very slow going and not as entertaining as I thought it might be. I thank Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

The Last Resort by T. J. Emerson is a great thriller with intriguing characters.
Even though I found this to story move slowly, it was a solid read.
The twists are so masterfully plotted out and executed.
I liked the plot and the characters were a lot of fun.
Emerson’s atmospheric storytelling and nuanced character portrayals make the book a compelling read for fans of the genre.

Thank You NetGalley and Boldwood Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

The Last Resort by T.J. Emerson

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

As soon as you first see the House in the Hills, an old hotel in a picturesque enclave of the Cypriot hills, you know it's the perfect home for you – with breath-taking views, a refreshing pool, and peace and quiet, away the rest of the world. A place to recover and grow.

But paradise isn’t cheap, and as the debts mount, you could lose everything you've worked so hard for.

Until someone makes you an offer: to keep your home, you have to take a life.

But you could never do that… could you?

You’d die for a stay here. But would you kill for it?

My Opinion

The Last Resort has a stunning cover, but the paradise shown is far from the truth. With short chapters, this book was easily one of those where you could just keep reading when you should be doing something else. I didn't completely go into this book without knowing what it was about but it still managed to take me by surprise.

Each character seems to have their own secrets that they are determined to keep. T.J. Emerson has done a great job of writing about the community. In places, this was a bit of a slow read but I felt it was needed after some of the drama.

Rating 4/5

I was really looking forward to reading this book but it fell a little bit flat for me kinda half way through and was very predictable….

I really enjoyed this book! The characters were very complex and the setting was gorgeous. I loved the little details, to me they really make the story. I would definitely recommend!

Like many other reviewers, when I read the blurb to The Last Resort, I too thought it would be a friends reunion on holiday gone horribly wrong. However, instead, the book began with twelve year old Sofia talking to her mother, Eva. They both live at the Pure Heart community, a former hotel on the island of Cyprus that has been transformed into a spiritual and wellness centre. Wealthy benefactor Charles provides the funds to enable Pure Heart to run while Quinn manages the centre. Eva suffers from depression, but no one, including Sofia is aware of what she plans. An event that will see Sofia leaving Cyprus and returning to Russia.
Ten years later, Sofia is coming back to Pure Heart. The years have changed everything about the resort. Charles has died and the money Quinn thought would support them, is not there. Instead there are debts, and the former hotel has been purchased and they are now paying rent. Quinn believes Sofia’s return will mean financial rescue, but instead her return is for an entirely different reason. Yes there is money involved, but there is a catch.
It's a slow starter, but becomes gripping and twisty as secrets and lies surface. One of the great parts of the story is the way the author immerses the reader in the atmosphere and sights of Cyprus and life in this commune. It’s also an insight into human nature, with an ending full of surprises. A great read and difficult to put down.

I would like to thank Boldwood, the author and Netgalley for an ARC of The Last Resort in exchange for an honest review.

A great edge-of-your-seat thriller that will have you guessing until the end. Great prose and the character development was spot-on.

Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.