Sarah Bonner’s How to Slay on Holiday follows Chloe Cooper, an heiress to an illicit family empire with a bit of a marital problem: she’s spent months meticulously planning to murder her husband, Scott. Of course, she’s going to need a rock-hard alibi to ensure she’s never suspected, and what better way to craft it than by hauling their families to Greece for the perfect, week-long getaway? As Chloe works overtime to portray her marriage as the loving and fulfilling union their families believe it to be, tensions bubble amid sister-in-law Tori’s growing suspicions, and the increasingly enigmatic behavior of the villa concierge, Grace. Set against the sun-drenched backdrop of the Greek island, Mykonos, this book promises a thrilling mix of drama and intrigue, with twists at every corner.

I found the premise of this novel to be compelling, and thought Bonner created a vivid setting in her imagery of the Bougainvillea. Paired with detailed descriptions of Greek cuisine and culture, I felt immersed in the luxurious holiday atmosphere and found myself eagerly flipping pages to uncover the novel’s twists. There was clear effort in making the narrative feel fast-paced and engaging, which paid off in the sense that I finished the book rather quickly in one night.

Still, the execution of the plot left much to be desired. Chloe’s characterization felt inconsistent. Beginning as irritable and cold, Chloe grew more relatable and rational as the problems in her marriage were laid out, only to be reverted to a disappointingly bratty, shallow conclusion by the final page. Supporting characters like Tori and Grace had more potential, but their development felt incomplete. For example, Tori’s discovery of Chloe’s plan was never explained, and Grace’s professional persona often clashed with her juvenile dialogue, niche references, and a lack of distinct voice between the other character POVs.

The overuse of pop culture references was another drawback. While they at times added humor and relatability, they ultimately felt excessive, making the novel read as dated and out of place — especially during high-stakes moments where the characters should be focused on the weight of covering up a crime scene, not how they were sort of, kind of dressed as Walt and Jesse from Breaking Bad.

I also felt that, structurally, this book suffered from a rushed pace and lack of depth. Scenes that could have added emotional weight, established character dynamics, or built tension were glossed over in favor of repetitive internal monologues. I would have liked the story to include moments like the flight to Mykonos, or carrying the body out of the villa, or even more detail in how the family handled the finale. The abrupt ending simply didn’t do justice to the layered plot, leaving far too many questions unanswered and, in my opinion, character arcs unresolved.

All that being said, the story’s bones were solid enough for the story to be enjoyable. With stronger characterization, more descriptive scenes, and a bit tighter editing, this could have been a truly entertaining thriller. While How to Slay on Holiday didn’t quite hit the mark for me, I appreciate the author’s effort in delivering a fresh take on the vacation-gone-wrong trope, and I’m curious to see how her work evolves in the future.

This is a brilliantly clever mystery. The author writes in a really engaging way and creates characters who you won’t like, but whose fate you will want to know. The complex history and links between many characters emerges slowly and adds layers to the plot, while the clever and funny dialogue often makes for some ridiculous scenarios.

I loved this book it was extremely witty, dark and suspenseful! It made me laugh out loud many times whilst reading it!

I loved the character Chloe I thought she was scheming and all round hilarious! I wasn’t a fan of Scott for many reasons! This book was so good I devoured it in a day it was a real page- turner!

The twist wow it was so unexpected I thought I had worked it out but I was so wrong; it was a spectacular ending! 😊

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 stars