A twisty take about a seemingly harmless community of misfits in Cyprus - but is all what it seems?

Told in slightly different timelines and by different narrators, as well as being interspersed with additional information about the characters, this book will keep you guessing.

Just what did happen to Eva and why is Sofia, her daughter, back at Pure Heart decades later? What secrets have Quinn and other members of the commune been keeping? And just who will survive their time together after a substantial offer is made, in return for a murderous revenge?

This book kept me guessing.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read and review.

This book did not go in the direction I thought it would! I thought it would be a vacation gone wrong type of book but was surprised that it wasn't! I think the blurb is a bit misleading though.

However, the writing in the book is good, but the book itself was a bit underwhelming. I was not entertained as much as I thought I would be which was disappointment.

The story felt very slow, maybe it was just not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This is my first book by this author and this is always a bit more exiting. I don't know the writing style and so I don't know if this will pull me in or push me away.

First of all I would like to say something about the cover. I don't know if it has something to do with my star sign (I am an aquarius ) but I love water. This does not mean I like to swim, but I love view or picture featuring water. A river, a waterfall, the sea or an ocean, a lake... and of course a swimming pool. So I fell in love with the cover.

The book is a bit slow paced. You constantly feel the atmosphere in the story is building up to something sinister, the author really made me wait for it. 

But once it's picking up the pace, you feel dragged away by it. Loyalty is a beautiful thing, but once something else presents itself, people can be challenged to make a u-turn. The big question is will the scale tip to the right side...?

An enjoyable book taking you to sunny Cyprus where the peaceful existence of a small group of people is uprooted. 4 stars

Thank you

The past does not exist.

Thank you to netgalley, the author and the publisher for the advance copy to read.

This is my first book by T J Emerson. I really liked the idea for this book but I found that it was slow paced. I didn't particularly like any of the characters and found it quite hard to pick up to read.

The actual writing was good, just the story didn't deliver for me. The setting was beautiful and I can imagine some people would find this to be a perfect summer read.

3 stars

Okay, for starters, this book had a very misleading blurb. It came across sounding like the standard "holiday trip gone horrible wrong" trope that is fodder for so many thrillers.

As it turned out this book is actually about a self-styled spiritual commune which is actually a hideout for people seeking to escape past events in their lives. The motto of the place reflects that too: "The past does not exist"!

Anyway, as it turns out, over the course of a *very* slowly unfolding story, we find out the past has just returned to bite this group of people in the bum. After facing some financial issues with their set up in Cyprus, the group has been looking for financing.

This now appears to be forthcoming from someone who grew up at the commune and has since made a life elsewhere. But as it turns out, Sofia's motives for returning to Cyprus have far more to do with revenge than spiritual reawakening...

The pacing of the story definitely felt a bit off, and a large part of the first half was unnecessarily slow. But some aspects of the story were interesting, and the descriptions of the location were very atmospheric. So the book is a somewhat mixed offering, but has something to offer, especially as the story deepens.

Going into “the last resort” I definitely though I’d be reading about regular vacationers who end up at some deadly resort where people mysteriously drop dead, but the plot is miles away from my best guess going into this blind.

To start with the cover is captivating and enticing and gives you that summer vacay gone wrong feel.

The plot follows an “intentional community” (or should we just call a cult a cult), made up of people who are trying to hide from their past, go to a resort of sorts with the promises of safety within a non judgemental community.

The motto is “the past does not exist” (convenient), however to someone, the past is still very much relevant and they are their seeking vengeance and revenge.

This plot is a little too slow burn for my tastes but overall there was potential in the premise.

The warm sunny setting of Cyprus is a stark contrast to the dark undertones of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, T J Emerson and Boldwood books for an advanced copy

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

The premise of this book is really interesting (I found the blurb a bit misleading) - a spiritual retreat (cult?) with a dark past where folks who are seeking to escape their former lives go to hide. A former resident returns to the rundown premises, surprisingly seeking revenge and not solace as had been expected. People's ideas of past truths are challenged, and an offer is made that might save the resort but will require taking a life.

This was a bit of a slow burn for me - the story is an interesting one, but the pace is a bit slow. It took me a while to get into, but the middle part of the story was a page-turner. Toward the end, though, it felt like it was dragging a little with too much detail. The characters are interesting (not super likeable though!) and well developed - but the pace is very slow. An excellent beach read (or long-haul flight choice!).

3.5 stars

A spiritual retreat, where people with something to hide in their past hide away from the world.
A death in the past, and a child, who is grown, wants revenge.
No wonder the chant is "The past does not exist"



I was underwhelmed by this book.
The writing is good, but the story was achingly slow.
I kept waiting for something to happen.
I like to think that people draw comfort from esoteric practices, rather than straight religion.
There are chants and affirmations and singing bowls, belief in 'signs' from the Universe.
However, the characters in this book use the spiritual to hide.

There was a lot that was easily predicted. Just shows one what money can buy, and what people who don't have money will do to obtain it.

Thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read this book.

This is another great thriller by T.J Emerson. The plot is dark, atmospheric and unique. I felt like I was transported to Cyprus throughout the book.
It’s a really good beach read and one that I’d recommend.

For some reason it took me a very long time to get into this book, but once I did I thought it was very good. The blurb doesn't really reflect the story very well in my opinion, so it took me a while to recalibrate my expectations for the plot.

I liked the short chapters, and thought most of the characters were well developed (especially Quinn). I also liked the descriptions of Pure Hearts. I still have some questions following the ending, but I think it is probably meant to be a bit open-ended.

Overall this was not my favourite book by the author, but I did enjoy it. 3.5 stars rounded up.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC.

The books description sounded incredible and I was so excited to be provided an ARC. Unfortunately, this book wasn’t for me. I found it slow to get into and predictable.

This drew me in from the first page and kept me gripped throughout. It was a tense thriller which I really enjoyed and will definitely be recommending. This was my first book I have read from this author and it certainly won’t be my last will be looking out for other books by T.J Emerson. Thanks to netgallery and the publisher for my advanced copy.

This begins telling of a commune type group who were on the brink of financial collapse in Cyprus a few years ago. The members are awaiting the arrival of a young woman Sofia, now extremely wealthy, who left but was brought up within the community. Sofia has a gift for the group, however it comes with a condition, one of justice for her mothers death. Eva, her mother, committed suicide however Sofia believes one of the group was responsible for her demise and wants the balance restored. It turns out each of the group have secrets one way or another, some from their past , others from time on the island. When Sofia places her ultimatum things are brought to light.

This is a very descriptive read which puts the reader in the heart of the drama and of the scenery of beautiful Cyprus. It's chilling at times and shows the varying facets of human nature and how things can turn rather quickly. A brilliant premise and one executed incredibly well. More twists and turns than you can shake a stick at, and a clever ending make this a read to keep the reader interested until the very end. Clever, twisty, nicely done!
For more reviews please follow me on Twitter or Threads @nickisbookblog
-----------------------------------------

Dilemma…
Secrets abound whilst moral, ethical and spiritual dilemmas mount along with a spiral of tension in this dark psychological suspense with a tropical backdrop. A beautiful home, once a hotel, in a stunning location, the Cypriot mountains. It is desirable and it is also everything that one could want- but what cost will it come at? After all, money is not everything, it is certainly replaceable - but you can not replace a life. A dark and twisting storyline set against a well imagined and beautiful backdrop and with an almost surreal narrative in places, this is a delve into the human psyche and how far one person would go to satisfy their own, possibly selfish, ends.

Unfortunately I couldn’t get into this book. I have tried with other books by this author and had the same thing. The writing seemed weird. Kind of all over the place. Weird cultish type thing. And then random chapters all over the place in my opinion. I have up about 15% in.

I could not get into this book. It seemed almost cultish to me in the beginning and I quickly lost interest.

Firstly I felt like I was there in Cyprus such is the quality of the writing! Rich and immersive I forgot I was reading a thriller at times! As a thriller, it’s a good one, a new author for me, and I will look up more!

I love every book I read by T.J. Emerson, this book was full of tense moments that built up at a good pace and kept me hooked.

I grabbed this book thinking it was a vacation-gone-wrong sort of story. Boy was I wrong!!!
I was happily surprised to be immersed in a complex and exciting story of a group of people who have formed a real community.
When a young woman who left the community as a child returns, there is hope that she is bringing a solution to their current financial troubles.
The solution however, is not what the group ever dreamed of or bargained for.
How far would you go to save your home and your idyllic community?
Highly recommend this twisty story filled with multiple POV's and peppered with police reports.
#thelastresort #tjemerson
#boldwoodbooks

The Last Resort draws you in from the very first page with its inviting portrayal of a secluded Cyprus getaway – the perfect escape for the protagonist to retreat to. However, this paradise comes at a high cost, and the financial pressures mount up, leaving you wondering how far the character will go to hold onto this dream home.

When all seems lost, a shocking offer presents a moral dilemma: murder to keep the house. This unexpected twist ramps up the stakes and suspense very masterfully. As a reader, you can’t help but devour the pages to discover whether desperation wins out over the conscience.

While I won’t spoil the ending, the author provides a thrilling trajectory toward the finale with many hair-raising moments. The tension-filled premise and the high-risk decisions maintain the momentum and will keep thriller fans rapidly turning pages.

With its serene setting belying darker secrets and the riveting suspense, The Last Resort delivers an addictive psychological thriller with moral complexity. It’s a 4-star escape into a twisted paradise that stays with you for long after the final page. I highly recommend this to all you thriller fans.

Thank you to Boldwood Books, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.