How far would you go for your dream role? When Ellie is handed the opportunity of a lifetime—stepping into a friend’s shoes, quite literally—she jumps at the chance. A blockbuster film, a career-defining moment. But on the flight to Abu Dhabi, she overhears something chilling: two people plotting a murder. She convinces herself it’s nothing… until the first body drops. And the lies start closing in.

Sun Trap is a slick, sun-drenched thriller that gripped me from the first page. Tension crackles through every chapter, and just when I thought I had it figured out—another twist sent me reeling. Ellie is a compelling protagonist, caught in a dangerous web of ambition, deception, and survival, where the price of success might just be her life.

Cinematic, addictive, and impossible to put down, Sun Trap is the perfect summer thriller. If you love psychological suspense with a touch of Hollywood glamour, this one’s for you!

Would you risk it all for a shot at fame?

A huge thank you to @NetGalley and Aria & Aries (Head of Zeus) for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

#SunTrap #RachelWolf #ThrillerReads #MysteryAndThrillers #Bookstagram #SuspenseBooks #NetGalleyReview #AdvanceReaderCopy #AriaAndAries #HeadOfZeus

There was literally twist after twist after twist in this destination thriller. With a cast of highly unlikable characters and set in the desert on a film set, you reel from one dramatic incident to each murder, right back into intrigue. It's 100% a beach or poolside read! If you like thrillers, you like unlikable characters, and you want to be whisked away to the sun, this book is for you. Thanks to the author, Aria, Aries (the publisher), and NetGalley for the chance to read this advanced copy!

With a cast of unlikeable characters you love to hate this is a punchy, tense thriller to get stuck into.
I was enveloped by the heat, the velvety darkness, the sand and the deaths; there are a few unlucky cast members in this one! I felt on edge and didn’t feel I could trust anyone. There are some fantastic plot twists to keep you guessing too, a really addictive read!

I really wanted to love this book as it sounded intriguing but it was only ok. I liked the exotic setting and the couple of twists in the middle got me! However towards the end there were almost too many twists (never thought I would say that!) and it all got a bit much.

Overall you really do have to suspend belief to enjoy this book, otherwise there would be a lot of plot holes. But if you enjoy a destination thriller where things get really crazy with twists every five minutes you might enjoy this one! Just wasn’t my favourite type of thriller sadly.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Enjoyed this book and although I did have to suspend my disbelief a little I was soon into it and read it quickly. It was pacey and thrilling and would make a great beach read.

What a disappointing book - it was so far fetched that I could barely finish. Novels may need a bit of coincidence and misdirection but this was ridiculous, there was nothing even remotely believable, not least that she was thought of in positive terms at the end.
Sorry, no redeeming features.

Wow, wow, wow what a page turner. Gripping in every way with a twist you do not see coming. Murder, impersonation, revenge, friendships and fear. When Ellie manages to get a role in a major new film being made in Abu Dhabi she is overwhelmed by the cast and location. After someone dies she soon realises that no-one is safe but who can she trust?
Rachel Wolf never fails to deliver and Sun Trap is a must read.

Gripping, Thrilling, and Unpredictable – A Five-Star Page-Turner!

Sun Trap by Rachel Wolf is an absolute rollercoaster of suspense, intrigue, and tension from start to finish. From the very first page, I was hooked, and the story didn’t let me go until the final twist. This is the kind of thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat, desperate to know what happens next, but also hesitant to turn the page because you know things are about to get even more intense.

Ellie is an incredibly relatable protagonist, someone who’s chasing her dream of becoming an actress, and I could feel her excitement and fear as she embarked on her big break in Abu Dhabi. The setting itself—an exotic film location—adds so much to the atmosphere, and you can almost feel the heat of the desert as Ellie navigates the world of high-stakes film-making.

But everything takes a dark turn when Ellie overhears a conversation that sets off a chain of events she could never have predicted. The tension builds slowly but surely as the story unfolds, and Rachel Wolf does a fantastic job of keeping you guessing. Is Ellie just paranoid, or is there something more sinister at play? And then, as one of the crew members turns up dead, I was left constantly wondering who to trust—and whether Ellie herself might be hiding something.

What really stood out to me in this thriller was how well-paced the story was. It constantly keeps you guessing, never allowing you to settle into a comfortable rhythm. Ellie’s struggle to balance her career, her safety, and her own secrets is so well done, and I couldn’t help but root for her, even as she made questionable choices. The suspense never lets up, and just when you think you have it all figured out, another twist turns everything on its head.

The writing is sharp, and the setting is immersive. Abu Dhabi is described in such vivid detail that I almost felt as if I were there with Ellie, experiencing the heat and danger of the location right alongside her. The characters, too, are well-rounded and believable, each one adding another layer of complexity to the mystery.

This is one of those books that makes you think you know what’s coming, only to surprise you with a new revelation. It kept me up late, unable to stop reading, and when I finally reached the conclusion, I was left breathless. The ending is so satisfying, but also leaves you reflecting on everything that has led up to it.

Sun Trap is a must-read for anyone who loves a twisty, fast-paced thriller. Rachel Wolf has crafted a story that is as clever as it is thrilling, with a protagonist you can’t help but root for and a plot that will keep you guessing until the very last page. A solid five-star read, and I’m already looking forward to more from this talented author!

This book is great! Phoebe convinces her lookalike, Ellie, to trade places with her and go to Abu Dhab to film. On the way, some things happen. Is the universe trying to punish Ellie for doing this? As the book continues, the different actors have secrets that comes out; people end up dead. Who is trying to kill everyone and why? As time goes on, Ellie realizes she is in more danger than she thought....and the reason why is def a shock!

*I would cut the entire epilogue out. It's very all over the place, drug out, and honestly makes the ending confusing. Seems like there should be a much simpler way to wrap it all up without the confusion and drug out chapter.

SUN TRAP BY RACHEL WOLF.
Release date set for the 2nd of September 2025.
This is my first book by this author.
Sun Trap was a crazy wild ride.
There's a bit of everything in this book.
Manipulation, lies, secrets and suspicious characters.
Loved the premise.
I will 100% read another book by this author.
Thank you to Netgalley and Aria & Aries for this early ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book.

Ellie is heading to Abu Dabai for her first film role. On the plane she overhears others planning a murder. When things start going wrong Ellie tries to work out who is to blame. But Ellie isn’t telling the whole truth she has a secret!

Oh this was good! The characters were great. I loved the slow build up as we found out more about them all. The flashbacks to New York were informative, they don’t start until you’re we’ll into the book, so when they start revealing things it’s a massive shock, as you have a picture of Ellie built up. The twists and turns had me hooked and I was gutted to finish as I’m sure there’s more to be told!
Highly recommend.

After closing the book for the final time, I instantly added all of Rachel Wolf's books to my ever growing TBR. Set in Abu Dhabi, this thriller was suspenseful and had me on the edge of my seat. I would highly recommend this book.

Oh my goodness, this was the twistiest of twisty thrillers with all the glamour of a desert film set, the threat of an unknown killer and a landscape that only offered more danger. It was an emotional rollercoaster with excitement, grief, fear, trauma, dopplegangers and a plot that led me down so many wrong paths and still surprised me at the end.

Ellie and her best friend Phoebe look almost exactly alike. So when Phoebe falls ill, she asks Ellie to take her place in her first major film. A few days later Ellie' is on a plane on the way to Abu Dhabi, putting on an American accent and trying not to be too obvious about her obsession with the lead actor. But when she hears two people plotting murder, everything is thrown into disarray.

The plot was fabulous, but it was the characters who really made this for me. With lots of big, film star egos, they had charisma in spades but personal connection was by no means lost. Ellie was able to get close to many of them throughout the book, taking us deep into the layers of history, trauma and loyalties that led them all to the desert and this particular film set.

I loved Sun Trap and absolutely raced through it. Ellie is a fabulous character and her story kept taking me by surprise. I thought I knew where the book was going so many times, but I was wrong right up to the end.

The location was so dramatic, and the cast was full of so many complex and charismatic characters, this book kept me turning the pages all the way through.

Pure Escapism..
Who to believe in this pacy and glamorous destination novel of suspense come murder mystery set in exotic climes and where nothing is as it first appears.. Ellie has always wanted to star on the big screen so when an offer of a film in Abu Dhabi materialises she grabs the opportunity. Overhearing a murderous conversation on the plane, Ellie finds herself in an untenable position when the murderous plan appears to materialise - but Ellie has too much to hide herself to make it known. Pure escapism, compelling, immersive and quite impossible to put down.

Tense, atmospheric and a strong conclusion.

I loved the location, I found the characters fairly good but this book nearly lost me in the first half. Pacing is a touch slow and while the plot really comes in to its own after 50% the first part did feel like a slog.

It does redeem itself and would be the most perfect beach read.

Sun Trap is a fast-paced, suspenseful thriller that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. Ellie’s dream of landing a role in a blockbuster film quickly turns into a nightmare when she overhears a conversation about a murder on her flight to Abu Dhabi. What starts as a gripping mystery soon escalates into a tense game of survival, where trust is scarce and nothing is as it seems. The author masterfully builds tension, creating a chilling atmosphere where every character could be hiding something. With twists and turns that make you second-guess every move, this book delivers an intriguing mix of suspense and drama. Perfect for fans of psychological thrillers, Sun Trap is a page-turner that will keep you hooked until the very end.

Bit of a slow start but got much better. I liked the writing style and found it easy and engaging to read.
Ellie was a very deceptive character as we see as the story unfolds but she was kept very likeable. There were lots of little sub plots giving the reader different options as to who the murderer was.
Quite sad that Ellie was looking for her father and had a fixation.

The first thing I did after reading the book was add Rachel Wolf to my Goodreads shelf. A killer in paradise with a setup of a movie shoot? Count me in!

I knew this was going to be great 20 percent into the story. And just when I thought I knew what was going on things took a 360 degree turn. A couple of times. There are some major twists and the narration is brilliant. I loved the destination thriller as it mixes the elements of mystery and a light vacation. Only it isn't light or a vacation. I loved the setting and premise and the characters are all equally suspicious, filled with red herrings. Going to recommend this one for sure.

Thank you Aria & Aries, Head of Zeus and NetGalley for this e-arc in exchange of my unbiased review.

*The Swap* follows Ellie, an aspiring actress in NYC who agrees to swap places with her doppelgänger Phoebe for a movie role in Dubai. What starts as a luxury adventure quickly unravels as Ellie overhears a murder plot and faces a series of chaotic events, from plane storms to car crashes to a sandstorm. While the premise is intriguing, the story feels overly complicated with too many twists and not enough tension. The single perspective from Ellie makes the narrative drag, and the lack of other viewpoints or script excerpts left me feeling detached. I liked the premise but felt it missed the mark for me!

A sunshine suspense story that revolves around a typical premise for this type of thriller. Fans of the genre will love it.
With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.
On publication, I will post the blurb and my review on my blog.