The start was great and then this room forever to go anywhere. At some point the author decided to quickly (poorly) force a LGBT story in to it and that’s when I lost my ability to care anymore.

Underdeveloped and poor.

This review contains SPOILERS, BEWARE.

I don’t really know what to say about this one. There were the makings of a really good thriller here, but it’s a bit of a mess. Bad Tourists is Caro Carver’s first novel in this genre, but she’s an established writer of supernatural thrillers as CJ Cooke. This follows three long-term friends in their forties, Kate, Darcy and Camilla, as they jet off for a luxurious holiday on a resort in the Maldives to celebrate Darcy’s divorce. And… This is the point in thriller reviews where I’d usually write something like, ‘Soon after they arrive, it all goes wrong…’, but that just wouldn’t be true in this case, as almost nothing happens until the midpoint. I started to wonder if I’d accidentally picked up a piece of women’s fiction instead, as the friends chat about the menopause, men and their children, and meet a younger woman, Jade, who’s in an abusive relationship. The only hint that something darker is at play here is the arresting opening of the novel, which is brilliant, but seems pretty much irrelevant until we’re about halfway through, when we also finally get the ‘body on the beach’ mentioned in the blurb.

The second half of the novel, in contrast, accelerates, and we see how Carver was planting clues from the start… but I still don’t think that explains why the first half is so slow. I’d have preferred the breakneck action of the second half to have been more gradually developed across the course of the story, as by the time things started happening, I’d pretty much zoned out. I also very much did not enjoy the old ‘unreliable narrator’ trick with Darcy, which I always think is cheap, and the sudden tacked-on diversity when Kate ends up with a woman, when there’s been no hint that she’s gay or bi before – OK, great, but does this not affect her sense of self in any way? When will writers learn that this isn’t good representation? Having said that, this is well-written, the three women feel like individuals, I liked the contrast between their learned assertiveness and Jade’s tentativeness, and the central incident from the past is compelling, if under-explored. I wonder if I’d do better picking up one of Carver/Cooke’s speculative novels.

Thanks PRH & NetGalley for the early copy. A very enjoyable thriller about a group of friends connected by a dark event in their past. They go on the holiday of a life time but everything comes crashing back. It's twisty with a solid plot that kept me hooked through out. I thought all the characters were great and well developed, and I really enjoyed the ending and some of the finer details that were very nicely placed. Overall is action packed and a very good thriller that's perfect for summer reads!

Knives Are Out..
Darcy, Camilla, Kate. The trip of a lifetime to the Maldives. Each has their own personal reason behind the trip - but is each being wholly transparent? In fact, nothing is as it seems. Secrets and lies abound in this sun drenched suspense with twists and turns aplenty, a deftly drawn and credible cast and a propulsive and immersive plot. Compelling and entertaining. The Sapphire Island Resort is calling….

I have been looking forward to this book for a while and for me it lived up to the hype and had me on edge throughout,

Darcy, Camilla & Kate fly to a luxury resort in the Maldives to help Darcy get over her divorce and also to be together as the anniversary of one of the worst serial killings that England has ever seen looms.
Darcy’s boyfriend and Camillas brother were amongst those slaughtered and Kate was the only one left alive.
Ended up really enjoying this so I’d recommend grabbing a copy and lying out in the sunshine reading it. Watch your back though as you never know who might be out to kill you.
Thank you Net Galley & Caro Carver for an advanced copy of this

What a great read and I had no idea where it was going to go at the end. Well done! Three women go on holiday to the Maldives and all, supposedly, have a common and traumatic bond that they share. But it all starts to unravel and things go very wrong. A brilliant book, which will make an excellent summer read and probably a good film!

Wow never vacation in the Maldives! Seems to be a popular vacation spot for UK authors. Three women go on vacation to celebrate a divorce. They befriend a young woman being abused by her husband. The girls become friends. People are murdered but holy cow this did not end at all how
I thought. Amazing book!

Well I wasn’t expecting that! I was thinking that there must be something about to turn things around, but not that! When I look back though, the signs were clearly there. Anyway, the setting was perfect, the plot building fantastic and the characters all complemented each other perfectly. It’s definitely going to be a summer blockbuster.