Joined in 2023 
82 
63 About this deal
Kate and her 3 close friends from university have met up, once a year, to re-bond and stay in touch, however work and family life have occupied most of their time recently so they haven't seen each other in a while. With their 40th birthdays fast approaching they have all made the effort and along with their partners and children, are meeting up in a luxurious villa in France, for a weeks holiday in the glorious Mediterranean sunshine. Or single, childless Isabel/Izzy, who actually seems pretty normal, but is a bit of a peripheral character and has a tragic past.
Initially it looks as if this is a story about an affair and a breakdown between a couple, but the longer the group spend together, the more we learn about the the other characters. Soon it's clear that they are all flawed, all suffering and all trying to maintain a façade to protect themselves or their children. Each of the four friends is well crafted, with snapshots from some of the husbands to help show further insight or observations about what is happening at the villa. I loved how curious I was to find out more about each of the women, their relationships with each other, their motivations, fears and dilemmas. There are some powerful scenes, some emotive issues raised and basically, well, it's just a fabulous read with a cast of fantastic characters and such a dramatic finale that nothing - not even a crisp, cool glass of wine - will be able to distract you from finishing it! I loved the way he uses more than one character to explain the same scene. Allowing us to read two completely different views of a moment. This was particularly well done in a scene with Kate overlooking one of the other husbands as he sits by the pool.
Recommended For You
Another great read from T.M. Logan. I loved the intrigue - it makes you think twice about going on holiday with friends, B A Paris
I read this book in 2018. But I recently re-read the book. The next book in the series, Moonflower Murders, will release in August 2020. He has a choice of Rowan, with her brattish five year old in tow, and her vapid parenting tactics (“please sit down, darling”, while the said five year old runs amok in a restaurant). This was quite an interesting question; Sean was relatively normal and I couldn’t really see him wanting to get it on with any of the other women. The characters weren’t particularly likeable, but I think this almost added to the story and made everyone a suspect. This also helped the book being completely unpredictable and even at the end I was left like - what just happened?!An intriguing, fast-paced plot, short chapters and a number of twists and turns kept me interested in the story. Towards the end, the plot took a surprising turn I wasn't really expecting, however, in my opinion, the author tried to hurriedly tie up all loose ends in one final chapter and that to me felt a bit far-fetched. T.M. Logan’s chilling solution to The Holiday’s mystery revealed that Lucy had been cruelly humiliated by a boy at her school, Alex Bayley, who’d taken a video of her without her consent. Distraught, she’d told Jake about this and unintentionally inspired him to murder the boy when she said, “I wish he’d just f****** die!” Four best friends, and their families, head to Provence to spend a week together to celebrate turning forty. Four friends who share a history, share memories and with whom they share all their secrets. Or do they? What happens when you go away with a group of people you think you know, only too find you don’t know them at all?
However, on the first day, Kate finds messages on her husband (Sean’s), mobile indicating he is having an affair. Not only that, but with one of her friends at the villa, but which one? The Sunday Times bestselling Richard and Judy Book Club breakout thriller. Now a major TV drama on NETFLIX starring Jill Halfpenny The plot at the beginning seems very simple, but as the books develop and all the characters stories play out - it gets messy. There’s a constant mystery surrounding everything and it makes you need to know what’ll happen next - which I loved.
Who is in the cast of The Holiday?
On arriving at the villa, Kate finds some messages on her husbands phone cementing her idea that he is having an affair but to make the discovery even more heartbreaking the messages read as if from another member of the holiday group. One of her old friends. She is devastated. Which one of them could do this to her?
This one’s been on my TBR so long, saw the TV series was coming out so I figured I’d better get it read before I start seeing spoilers. I’m so glad I did, really shouldn’t have left it this long. What I will say is, the TV series didn’t compare - as usual, let down by an adaptation and shouldn’t even be surprised by it 🤣 But I’d definitely recommend the book! I also thought the way he describes the children was very well done. Some very likeable, some not! He captures the teenagers particularly well, including the role their mobile phones play in their everyday life. In fact the mobile phone features in nearly every one of the character be it for work or personal reasons and its use is considered quite deeply within the novel. The impact it has on conversation, the distance it can put between parent and child and even it's use within modern day parenting. It also adds to the tension in Kate's idea of her cheating husbands and I enjoyed the moments where she steals a look at it at every available opportunity.It was supposed to be the perfect holiday, dreamed up by Kate as the ideal way to turn 40: four best friends and their husbands and children in a luxurious villa under the blazing sunshine of Provence. Taking her literally (and having filmed their conversation) Jake set out in his parents’ car and ran Alex over. Only it wasn’t long before Jenny discovered the truth and after learning Sean had spotted her son that night, she manipulated Kate’s husband into covering it up or risk Lucy being seen as the instigator. He was struggling to keep this to himself ahead of the holiday to Malta, exchanging messages with Jenny about it. For fans of Harlan Coben and Shari Lapena, and from the bestselling author of LIES, comes the Sunday Times bestselling Richard and Judy Book Club thriller. Take a holiday you won't forget . . . But there is trouble in paradise. Kate suspects that her husband is having an affair, and that the other woman is one of her best friends. Outstanding and very well-written debut psychological thriller. So gripping I genuinely found it difficult to put down, K. L. Slater, on LIES
Great Deal 
New Comment