The Trip follows two couples, Saskia and Theo and Holly and Lucas, who go on holiday together to Thailand. As the holiday progresses it is clear there are secrets from their past that have not gone away and not everyone is who they seem. The tension is maintained throughout and it is an easy storyline to follow.
Fans of psychological thrillers will enjoy this book but I found it to be quite slow paced and overly descriptive with too many red herrings.

3.5 stars for me
Well maybe I was in the wrong mood for this book but to be honest I had some trouble connecting with these two couples who go on a Thailand-trip together. For me they more felt like they were behaving like teenagers than grown up persons. However the story was gripping but a bit too predictable. So this makes a light beach read in my humble opinion!

Thabj you #NetGalley #HarperCollins UK Audio for this audiobook

The Trip by Phoebe Morgan; Sid Sagar
Narrated by Sofia Engstrand; Jess Nesling

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and HQ and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

The perfect holiday. The perfect crime.

Four friends on the holiday of a lifetime. Until a vicious murder shatters their paradise.

Four friends who'd do anything for each other, until now.

Only one of them committed a crime.

But all four know how to keep a secret.

And they're all guilty of something…

My Opinion

I am not sure what I expected from this book - but The Trip exceeded my expectations. I planned on slowly working my way through this book listening to a few chapters at a time - however I just couldn't stop listening. The Trip is going to make for a great holiday read.

Rating 4/5

Great beach read. Spot-on narration. Highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley aan the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have enjoyed previous books by Phoebe Morgan so I had high hopes when I signed up to read The Trip with Netgalley. The premise of four friends holidaying in Thailand was appealing as was the promise of a twisty thriller. Unfortunately, I found the friendships unbelievable. First, one of the couples had invited the other on their honeymoon, but then they all spent most of the time treading on eggshells with each other regarding financial worries and conversations that they didn't feel comfortable broaching. Also some characters were very cyber vulnerable when past experiences would surely have made them want to keep a low profile. Finally, backstory of one character was just too far fetched for me to buy into.

Other novels by this author have been great, so do seek them out. Sadly, this one just wasn't for me.

The Trip by Phoebe Morgan; Sid Sagar
(Narrated by Sofia Engstrand; Jess Nesling)

A perfect summer read and I love the story setting! A fast-paced book which made me sweat while ai was reading. The secrets that in this group were just overwhelming. I enjoyed the audiobook, as the narrators chose the right tone and speed. These all made the characters alive. The twisty ending was a shock!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for my copy.

Pub date: May 9, 2024

Thriller set in BANGKOK and on KO SAMET

The novel opens with 2 couples – Saskia and Theo Sanderson, and their freinds Holly and Lucas – meeting up in Terminal 5 for their planned week-long holiday, first a couple of days in Bangkok and then just a short time on Ko Samet. There is wealth imbalance and the newlywed Sandersons don’t give a second thought to spending. Lucas, from the outset, is on a loop working out the sums in his head and he knows that his girlfriend is budgeting on money that is no longer available, as he is still in his teaching job but the hours he works have been severely curtailed. Holly knows nothing about this and therefore he carries the stress of his. However, he is not the only one in the party with a deep secret and someone has a much darker history that will come to haunt the party as the novel progresses.

The girls go off to look for coffee, happily swerving Wetherspoons () and they chat through their hopes for the holiday. One young woman just wants to relax on a beach, the other wants see the sights. Strange they haven’t worked out their vacation goals before they set off but it does nicely set the scene for the ensuing story.

They arrive at their swish hotel – the Omni Tower in Sukhumvit Nana – only to find their booking hasn’t processed. The hotel is full, they have to find alternative accommodation for their first night, so they set off round the corner with warnings of being careful in the city, from both their taxi driver and the hotel staff, ringing in their ears…. Danger seemingly lurks everywhere.

After a tricky first night they return to the Omni and sink into the luxury of their base, as they start to explore the city. Wat Po is on the agenda, they explore the Erawan Waterfall outside the city and then it’s off on the ferry to Ko Samet, where time on the beach calls. Their longed-for downtime on the beach materialises for only a short while before everything starts to unravel.

I listened to this novel as an audiobook and I really enjoyed the crisp storytelling and literary tourism. It kept me hooked until the end and it is a really good example of a #destinationthriller. It might have you thinking twice about heading for Bangkok, but remember, the circumstances of the couples’ trip is unique!

Really enjoyed this audio book. Perfect summer read. Loved the narration, good characters and nice plot I’d highly recommend this perfect summer holiday read.

This is a perfect holiday read. Four friends go to Thailand on holiday. Sun, sand and suspense! Perfect book for lazing round the pool with a cocktail.
This book centres around 2 couples, one rich the other not so. They all have secrets, some more deadly than others. Follow the four friends as their secrets threaten their relationships.

I actually thoroughly enjoyed this book.
This was my first book by phoebe morgan and I would definitely read her work again.
I loved how in depth it was with all the descriptions I felt as though I was there in Thailand too.
I loved all the twists and turns from thus book and where I didn't know where it would go.
Without spoilers I would recommend this book it you like lots of plot twists.
I would have gave this 5 stars but I feel it started to get a little stale right before the end but the ending definitely mafe up for it.
Thank you netgalley for giving me this book in exchange for a honest review.

A good story although some parts were pretty unbelievable, I liked how the story was written from different characters pov. The characters were not very deep and could have been explored more to make them more relatable. But was an easy listen and I was intrigued to see how it ended

The whole way through this novel I felt like I was in Thailand. The atmosphere was so well crafted, the Bangkok scenes especially. The dynamic between the four protagonists also felt very realistic. The midpoint twist really took me by surprise too, and I loved the shift in the narrative that came after it, and how it made me view the characters differently. Specifically in terms of the audio, it was very nicely done, with the narrators voice really adding another depth to each of the characters.

Not only was this a gripping psychological thriller, it also helps transport the reader to a luxurious vacay in exotic Thailand! It has to be said the characters in this book haven't exactly had the holidays of their dreams but I certainly enjoyed living vicariously in sunnier climes!

Saskia and Theo are a recently married couple enjoying their best life with Theo's affluent lifestyle (paid for by 'family money'), they invite friends Holly and Lucas (also a couple) to holiday with them, For Holly and Lucas this stretches their finances to breaking point, and causes them some strain during the holiday.

Early in their holiday they have a chance encounter with Caleb, a fellow Brit who is travelling. While initially they welcome Caleb, he soon outstays his welcome in the friendship group. We soon learn that Caleb is there with ill intent, and his back story interplaying with one of the characters is thoroughly gripping!

This is a wonderfully exotic read, with all the twists and turns we have come to expect from this talented author who utterly excels in deliciously dark psychological fiction!

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

Narrated by Sofia Engstrand; Jess Nesling ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Narrators where fantastic. Great soothing voice for the ears.

Story by Phoebe Morgan ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Honestly I'm a little torn with this book. The writing was interesting enough for me to what to continue listening but the plot was very unoriginal and has been done so many times before, so at no point was I wowed by the story.

This is my first time trying this author, I liked her writing style so I would read/listen to another book by her if it was available from the library but not sure I would purchase a book.

4 friends go on the holiday of a lifetime to Thailand but a secret from the past refuses to let go of one of the group and someone ends up dead.

I was disappointed by this book the first two thirds of the book keeps dangling carrots but nothing happens, it feels like padding. Everything is crammed into the last few chapters. The author tries to heighten the tension but sees foreboding in everything from an empty room to the colour of the lighting and it comes across as overused and trite. Who goes on holidays without paying in advance when you’re staying in hotels or at least know how much you need to have to pay? It’s set in a great location and the author does a good job of describing the holiday but I didn’t think that as a whole this was well executed. The “twist” at the end was disappointing, I saw it coming a mile off. If however you was a very light beach read then go for it. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

Four friends on a ‘holiday of a lifetime’ for one of the couples quickly turns into a dark thriller when they realise not only that they have a stalker. Then there’s Caleb who makes his initial appearance as the hero finding the missing bag and passports, as a thank you they invite him to eat with them but he soon becomes an unwanted hanger on, joining them wherever they go. And it becomes clear there’s a more sinister connection between him and one member of the party. Who will make it out alive?

This was completely different to what I was expecting based on the blurb - it is more of a slow burn domestic thriller working on the relationships. It was a good read just completely different from what I was expecting.

I however really struggled with plot points - drinking the water and getting to Koh Samui, especially after recently coming back from Thailand.

The narrators really added to the story and I so enjoyed listening to them.

Three stars from me means that this is a good book, but that I personally didn’t fall in love with it.

For me, the problem was the premise that Holly and Lucas were nice, average people. I’m not very materialistic, so I found it unfathomable why they wanted to go on holiday with Saskia and Theo when they couldn’t stop banging on about Theo’s family money. And I couldn’t understand why Theo didn’t see how jealous they were of him.

Basically, the emotional satisfaction at the end of the novel derives entirely from seeing Holly and Lucas as “people like me” and then being either thrilled or shocked by the way in which they go beyond the average.

Holly and Lucas are nothing like me. I don’t like them, and I avoid people like them, so there was nobody in this novel with whom I could empathise. Theo was a possibility, but his behaviour was so entitled that he was out too. And do not get me started on Saskia.

In short, I’d say read the first few chapters and if you like Holly and Lucas (and I think a lot of people will like them), then you’ll probably enjoy this novel. It’s well-written and well-paced and set in a beach location. And it’s as OTT as you could wish in a beach read. 🏖

Three word review: blackmail is inevitable.

I have read all of Phoebe Morgan's novels so when I got the opportunity to get an audio version of The Trip I flew at the chance.

The Trip did not disappoint, the narration was great and the storyline was spot on.

We meet 30-something couples Lucas and Holly and Theo and Saskia. They are opposites in one couple struggle more money wise than the other but nonetheless they are firm couple friends.

We meet them as they are going away together to Thailand. On arrival the couples learn that their booking at a very expensive and luxurious hotel has actually not been booked at all so they end up in a hostel, which is questionable. The first night the couples end up in a bar and the women feel like they are being watched.

The couples then go off to their villa and things really start going a bit weird. I loved the characters and the narration in The Trip and always feel like Phoebe Morgan's writing style is interesting and easy to follow.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for allowing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

If you’re new to thrillers or If you love a popcorn thriller.. the type that’s on KU.. Quick and easy with very little brain power needed to read it then this one’s for you. It would be perfect as an easy summer beach read round the pool. I enjoyed it enough to finish it but as seasoned thriller reader I found it a bit basic. The audio performance was fab and really brought the characters to life.