By: Daniel Hurst
Narrators: Zoe Mills, Richard Burnip ISBN: 9781803149424
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: 03/01/2023
Format: e-book & audiobook
My Rating: 3.5 Stars (ARC)
The perfect holiday or the perfect nightmare…
I sit sipping champagne in the warm water, bubbles frothing around me as I admire the breath-taking view of gorgeous blue skies and mountains. I can’t believe I’m here, at this stunning holiday home. It’s to die for…
My best friend and her husband have invited me and my family to their lakeside property for the weekend, to experience their luxury lifestyle. I’m not envious of their wealth, although I know my husband Ryan is. All I want is to escape from our recent troubles and get my marriage back on track.
Then I overhear Ryan having a whispered conversation late one evening, and he says something that sends a shiver down my spine. In this beautiful paradise my whole world is turned upside down.
Just when I think things can’t get any worse, I discover a second secret. The truth is even more shocking than I imagine, and now I have no idea who to trust.
This was meant to be the perfect holiday, but someone isn’t going to survive it…
A twist-filled psychological thriller that will keep your heart pounding until the very last page. If you love Behind Closed Doors, Gone Girl and The Housemaid, you’ll be gripped by The Holiday Home.
My Review
Daniel Hurst returns following The Doctors Wife and The New Year's Eve Party with his latest domestic suspense/family drama, THE HOLIDAY HOME —two marriages of lies, dark secrets, deception, and betrayal unravel during a holiday getaway that turns into murder.
A long weekend in a luxury log cabin in the Scottish Highlands sounds like a dream come true. Intended to be a fun and relaxing holiday getaway sipping champagne in a hot tub, a cracking fire, good food, and wine, all surrounded by the secluded mountains at a luxury getaway with friends, is anything but.
Meet Kim and Lewis, the owners of this luxurious vacation second home. Also going along is their fifteen-year-old son, Cole. What teen wants to hang out with their parents?
Nicola and Kim are best friends, and she has invited Nicola and hubby Ryan along for a long weekend.
Even though Kim and Nicola are friends, Ryan and Lewis are not. Ryan & Nicola do not have this kind of money and cannot afford a vacation like this, so Nicola is just thrilled to be going along with her hubby and 11-year-old daughter, Emily.
Ryan resents Lewis' money. Nicola also is jealous and resents all the money things can buy, and how Kim flirts and showcases her body.
The weekend is a disaster waiting to happen. Unfortunately, there will be someone not leaving the holiday home alive.
Told from multiple POVs:
NICOLA
KIM
RYAN
LEWIS
COLE
Infidelity, betrayal, cheaters, lies, jealousy, and secrets are exposed. Tempers explode. There are also financial troubles. An overheard conversation in the hot tub, a text, a teen boy, and secrets turn into an explosive showdown. Loads of DRAMA!
Who will protect whom, who will lie, who is the murderer, and who will DIE?
Of course, there is a dead battery, an eerie Forest, lousy weather, no cell service, and more to make this setting claustrophobic. But the dreamy weekend is about to turn into a nightmare.
Another BIG secret is kept under wraps that the author pulls out at the end, bumping the rating to 3.5 Stars. Who is the LIAR that gets away?
I have read many Daniel Hurst books and love his style and am a fan, but this was my least favorite. Being a successful writer cranking out numerous books yearly, each cannot be a 5-star winner.
I listened to the audiobook performed by Zoe Mills and Richard Burnip and read the e-book, as well. The narration was OK, but not my favorite. A little dull.
I was not wowed, blown away, or cared for any of the characters in the novel, and not invested in them. The dark humor was missing. It was more of a family drama and domestic suspense and would not qualify as a psychological thriller.
You really could care less which character was murdered. I did like the teen son, which was a victim of circumstance. Key elements to keep the tension, suspense, and plot moving were missing. However, the last unexpected twist (his signature) was wicked and wrapped up nicely.
If you are new to Hurst, I recommend starting with The Couple in the Cabin, which was one of my favorites by Daniel. I am still a big fan and look forward to his next book. I also enjoy his newsletters interacting with readers.
Thanks to Bookouture for a gifted ALC and ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Blog Review posted @
www.JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: March 1, 2023
My Rating: 3.5 Stars
About the Author
Daniel Hurst is the author of several bestselling psychological thrillers including 'The Passenger', 'We Used To Live Here' and 'Til Death Do Us Part'. His books have been the #1 Psychological Thrillers in the UK and Australia and regularly feature in the Amazon Top 100 charts.
He is also the creator of The 20 Minute Series, the series of psychological books which readers have called “original” and “addictive” and 'like a soap opera in book form."
You can visit him at www.danielhurstbooks.com, where you can also download a copy of his FREE thriller 'Just One Second.'
