We’re thrilled that Susi Holliday will be joining us for our December panel on Monday 7th December at 7.30pm GMT along with A.K. Turner, Sam Carrington and Deborah Masson. We’ll be live streaming to our Facebook page. Before I share my review, here’s the blurb.

The Blurb

Seven strangers. Seven secrets. One perfect crime.

When Amelia is invited to an all-expenses-paid retreat on a private island, the mysterious offer is too good to refuse. Along with six other strangers, she’s told they’re here to test a brand-new product for Timeo Technologies. But the guests’ excitement soon turns to terror when the real reason for their summons becomes clear.

Each guest has a guilty secret. And when they’re all forced to wear a memory-tracking device that reveals their dark and shameful deeds to their fellow guests, there’s no hiding from the past. This is no luxury retreat—it’s a trap they can’t get out of.

As the clock counts down to the lavish end-of-day party they’ve been promised, injuries and in-fighting split the group. But with no escape from the island—or the other guests’ most shocking secrets—Amelia begins to suspect that her only hope for survival is to be the last one standing. Can she confront her own dark past to uncover the truth—before it’s too late to get out?

My Review

There are many reality TV programmes now featuring people (famous and non-famous) going to islands for challenges, adventures and if they’re lucky, a bit of luxury. So if you were to receive an invitation saying you’d be chosen to scout out a new resort with a twist, it might seem plausible, especially if the invite plays to your skillset, your job or just your ego.

Amelia is a caring and compassionate young woman. She’s an aid worker and has dedicated her life to helping others. She’s not entirely sure why she’s been invited to try out this new resort but suspects it may have something to do with having a cool head in the middle of a crisis. The others on the trip seem more likely candidates to Amelia. Brenda is a hedge fund manager, Lucy a journalist, Scott a health advisor, James a photographer, Giles a gamer and his girlfriend Tiggy, a social media influencer. A very unlikely bunch of people but they all have skills and influence that would benefit the resort. But if they’re going to survive they’ll have to work together. Because this isn’t a luxury resort but a place of fear.

I’ve read all of Susi Holliday’s books and what impresses me most is her versatility. She’s gone from a police detective to ghost stories to a killer train journey. In The Last Resort, she focuses on technology. If this book had been written thirty years ago it might have been considered sci-fi. Technology has moved on so fast now that this story feels like the very near future. It’s a tense read as the tech does it’s best to split the group as they endure the terrors of the island.

As well as the fascinating insight into technology, we find out more about the guests, their greatest fears and the secrets they’re hiding. I’m not going to say what those things are but it’s interesting to see how Susi’s characters justify their actions to assuage their own guilt.

The Last Resort takes place in one day. It’s an intense, dramatic countdown to the evening where the participants will receive their just deserts for taking part. And I don’t mean eclairs. I was gripped from the beginning and had literally no idea how it was going to end. I wasn’t disappointed. So if you’re invited to attend a luxury resort that involves testing some new technology, unless it’s The Gadget Show, run for the hills!

You can buy The Last Resort here.

 

The Author

Susi (S.J.I.) Holliday grew up in East Lothian, Scotland. A life-long fan of crime and horror, her short stories have been published in various places, and she was shortlisted for the inaugural CWA Margery Allingham prize. She lives in London (except when she’s in Edinburgh) and she loves to travel the world.

Her serial killer thriller “The Deaths of December”, featuring Detective Sergeant Eddie Carmine and Detective Constable Becky Greene was a festive hit in 2017.

Her next two releases, “The Last Resort” and “Substitute” are due out from Thomas & Mercer late 2020 and summer 2021 – both of these books are suspense thrillers with a technological element (a blend of Black Mirror, Tales of the Unexpected and The Twilight Zone).

Writing as SJI Holliday, she also has three crime novels set in the fictional Scottish town of Banktoun, which are a mix of police procedural and psychological thriller. They are: “Black Wood”, “Willow Walk” and “The Damselfly” – all featuring the much loved character, Sergeant Davie Gray.

Also as SJI Holliday, her spooky mystery “The Lingering” was released in September 2018, followed by “Violet” – a psychological thriller set on the Trans-Siberian Express – in September 2019. “Violet” has been optioned for film.

You can find out more at her website: http://www.sjiholliday.com and on Facebook and Twitter @SJIHolliday. Sign-up for updates and giveaways here: http://eepurl.com/beHpez