I loved The Beach Party by this author; I have been to Majorca on numerous occasions & could imagine myself in the setting. Moving on to this new book, I have always wanted to go to the Maldives, not so much now. The Hamilton family take a break to an exclusive resort in the Maldives following a traumatising break-in at their family home. Husband Zach, promises not to work whilst he’s away but that idea swiftly evaporates when he sees an Instagram influencer on the island & espies a golden business opportunity. He continually disappears & his wife starts to be concerned about what is going on, especially as he returns later & later. A twisting thriller which is an ideal holiday read.

The Guests was the type of sizzling mystery that makes you long for summer – it was scorching, full of secrets and had some breath-taking twists. I love a good thriller and it’s even better when it sheds light on somethign i find fascinating. The Guests aims at the luxurious holidays of the uber rich, in far off destinations. It peels back the mystique of the rich and their ‘perfect holiday’ to instead show a grimy, gritty story full of deceit and despicable acts. In particular, I liked how Smith used the theme of corruption over various acts – showing how it corroded people’s ethics, motivations and actions beyond the pale. It is all about power – having it and maintaining it. This manifests through money and status but also influence over the actions of others. Smith exemplifies this through the issue of climate change – something supposedly near to these people’s hearts and a selling point of the resort. Nothing is really as it seems and that ideal is soon torn down in favour of more self-serving purposes. Smith excells with the use of multiple narratives. We get to see everything play out and eventually learn the different motivations behind it all. There are so many layers to this twisted tale, each darker and more surprising than the last. It is also such a satifying experience to see the pieces fall into place as you finally start to work out precisely what happened when. You are set up with a grisly opening and stay guessing as to exactly what is behind it throughout. There is even one final flourish to close out the book. I love when a book sits in morally murky territory and The Guests is firmly there. It is ambiguous and follows a cast of majorly flawed characters, each pursuing their own goals no matter the cost. No one here is really that good. The Guests is an excellent summer mystery, tinged with sun and secrets. Let Smith transport you to paradise, but beware what may await you there. TW: death, murder, infidelity, gaslighting, manipulation, PTSD, traumatic flashbacks

I was so excited to read this, as I loved Nikki's other books. This book is about a family; Cara, her husband Zach and teenage daughter, Alexa, who begin a dream holiday in The Maldives. At first, everything appears wonderful at the luxury resort with its stunning beaches, amazing food and their own butler service. But as they begin to learn more about the other guests and staff, it appears that they all have something to hide. And someone is willing to kill to keep their secrets hidden. I loved this story. Nikki has this wonderfully descriptive way of writing that so perfectly sets the tone and mood of the place. Each of the characters felt true and, while some were definitely more likeable than others, all felt real. As the story progresses, the author cleverly drops in more details of the background of each of the holiday makers and resort staff until you don't know who to believe or trust.

Are you ready to go to paradise? The Hamiltons are off to the pristine shores of the idyllic Maldives and a luxury resort. Snorkelling in the serene blue sea, enjoying champagne picnics on the powder-white sand with moonlit walks under the stars all sounds perfect, but what secrets and lies are lurking under the glamorous luxury? Every single one of the resorts guests is keeping a secret, whatever causes a once-in-a-lifetime trip to turn into the holiday from hell? I love that it’s holiday book season and wow, this is one you can’t miss out on, I devoured this in one sitting over the Bank Holiday, I just couldn’t put it down! It’s safe to say that none of the characters are particularly likeable but they’re not supposed to be, they’re all just trying to outdo the other and it’s a lot of fun trying to figure out why! The countdown element gave each chapter a timeframe guide to the final reveal, a little snippet of information in each chapter keeping you reading and figuring things out until the time runs out - quite literally for some in the book! A fast-paced adventure with a twisty turning plot in a beautiful, well-described location, the author’s detailed writing style a stand out element of this title. I have no doubt that this is a book cover you will see adorning the sun loungers around the pool this summer (although maybe not the best pick if you’re going to the Maldives!

4.25* I needed some glamour in my life so I knew as soon as I read the synopsis that I needed to read The Guests and it didn't disappoint - I devoured this exotic thriller in one day. This, to sum up from the start, is a proper holiday read thriller with the massive bonus that it's well written too. Set in the Maldives, we follow a group of guests including the Hamilton family as they try to get away from the stresses of everyday life to relax and enjoy the beauty of their luxury resort. Unfortunately, as is often the case, their secrets and lies aren't quite so easy to leave behind. This book was glamourous and trashy in all the best ways. The characters all fit classic thriller tropes but feel human and flawed - and incredibly annoying at times. Despite these flaws I didn't get to the point of not caring about them. I enjoyed the glamourous setting that also managed to feel seedy and dark. There's also plenty of hidden information that is drip fed to us as the story unfolds and I kept reading to see what would come next as the lives of the characters unravelled before my eyes. This book is all about the sun, sea, sand and secrets. There's lies, deceit and plenty of twists which makes for a fun and compelling read that you need to pick up to read by the pool when you get away this summer.