I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Resort by Sarah GoodwinPublished by Avon Publishing on January 5, 2023
ISBN: 9780008591557
Genres: Fiction, Thrillers, Psychological, Suspense, Domestic, Crime, Action & Adventure, Mystery & Detective, General
Pages: 379
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: NetGalley, Publisher
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‘Wow! This just got under my skin from the start and I couldn't put it down... The creepy atmosphere and tension are built so gradually and so well that it literally has you looking over your shoulder the whole time!... I flew through it in a day and loved every second’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Mila and her husband Ethan are on their way to her sister’s wedding at a luxurious ski resort. As they drive through the mountains, surrounded by snow covered forests, Mila feels like everything is finally going to plan.
When the car engine suddenly stops and won’t start again.
Stranded, with night closing in, they make their way on foot back to where they saw a sign for some cabins.
When they finally reach them, they find the windows boarded up and the buildings in disrepair. They have the eerie sense they shouldn’t be there.
With snow falling more heavily, they have no choice but to break into one to spend the night.
In the morning when Mila wakes, Ethan is gone.
Now she is all alone.
Or is she?
A totally gripping and spine-tingling psychological thriller with twists and turns that will leave you breathless. Fans of The Sanatorium, The Hunting Party and The Castaways will be completely hooked from the very first page until the final, shocking conclusion.
Readers are totally gripped by The Resort:
‘This gripping, thrill-packed book was difficult to put down... Stayed up late last night reading because I just couldn't stop... A twisty and addictive, page-turning locked room mystery that will take your breath away!’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘A twisty and crazy ride that will have you at the edge of your seat the whole time. A definite must read’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Wow what a read – full of suspense... Creepy, look behind you stuff. Not to be read at home alone’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘There are many twists and turns and a surprising conclusion that you won’t see coming. 5 stars’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘A full out creepy novel of mystery and intrigue... Red herrings abound... It is a page turner... Do not start this at night...’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I was excited to read The Resort mainly because I love the idea of characters being stranded in the remote wilderness. I don’t think there’s anything much more threatening than blizzards and snowstorms keeping you stuck in one place. The cold seeping into your bones, the lack of visibility, the body’s senses being assaulted, and the subsequent confusion setting in. You begin to wonder if you’ve seen that shadow and question if you’ll ever see the blue of the sky again. I liked the main protagonist and her story of a torn childhood, but I couldn’t fully invest myself in the story for multiple reasons.
Mila and her husband Ethan are travelling to Bavaria for her sister’s wedding. It’s quite the lavish affair and she’s determined to get there on time. Unfortunately, she has the habit of arriving late for everything, I think she’d even be late for her own funeral if it was up to her. Her sister, Jess has paid for everything except their flights. Mila is determined that everything is going to go without a hitch. They’ve not had the best relationship growing up and things were left very fragile on their last meeting – at their mother’s wake.
The couple is hit with a catalogue of disasters on their way to the luxurious ski resort. First of all, the sat nav goes dark and they have no way to truly find their way to the resort. They didn’t think to bring maps with them, I mean why should they? Then the car won’t restart, and they are forced to hike to the nearest village which turns out to be completely deserted. There are a few cabins, but all have been abandoned. They chose the most intact cabin to spend the night out of the storm but when Mila awakes the next morning Ethan has disappeared into thin air.
The main problem I had with The Resort was its believability of it. Now, I know with reading fiction you have to suspend belief a bit, but I felt this was pushing it a bit too far. I think I would have questioned more about the situation I had found myself in whereas I felt Mila got taken away by the wind a little.
I enjoyed the way the author described the brutal weather, I myself could almost feel the chill and the wet clothing seeping into my blood. I felt sorry for her and her situation and could feel her desperation seeping through the pages. It was a solid read and I’ll definitely check out her other novels.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sarah Goodwin is a novelist who grew up in rural Hertfordshire. She was raised on ‘The Good Life’ ‘Anne of Green Gables’ and ‘Little House on the Prairie’ by her parents, who turned a blind eye to her dabbling in herbal medicine, feminism, eco-warrior ideals and witchcraft. They were understandably unsurprised when she developed the lifetime ambition of building a hut in the woods and living there like a soothsayer. However, after being terrified by a large beetle on a camping holiday, she decided to become a writer and just imagine the wilderness instead. Survival, grim reality and occult mystery continued to intrigue her and she began to make up stories. There isn’t much else to do in rural Hertfordshire but write and go for long walks. At Bath Spa University Sarah studied for a BA in Creative Writing and self-published many novels across various genres, including YA magical realism, contemporary women’s fiction, romance and horror. Sarah graduated in 2014 with an MA in Creative Writing from Bath Spa University. After writing several historical novels, she decided to return to her roots and write instead about the wild, the darkness and survival, which led to her coming up with the idea for ‘Stranded’ which would become her first professionally published novel.
