Cara, Zach and their daughter Alexa escape to the Maldives on a 5 star eco resort on a picture book island. Despite the surroundings, the family find it hard to leave the trauma of the last few months behind them and they slowly begin to unravel. I’d really enjoyed The Beach Party, Nikki’s last book and was looking forward to this. The book starts with the end and works backwards. Each chapter is titled with a count down which really helps ramp up the impending sense of danger for the family. Fans of The White Lotus will enjoy this, it reminded me very much of the tv show with the island setting. A quick and enjoyable read. It would make a great summer/ beach read. Thanks to netgalley for the advanced copy.

@addictedtobks A holiday of a lifetime in the Maldives.. or is it!? Tampered with diving equipment. Unusual accidents. Are they being targeted? Setup? This edgy thriller will make your heart race! Perfect for those who enjoy: - Destination thrillers - Countdown timeline chapters - Fiction that gets your heart racing - Can they all return home fiction!? - Bribery stories

First - I want to go to that holiday resort!! Well, perhaps if I win the lottery. This entertaining book proved to be an easy and very interesting read. The characters, and location helped drive the development of the plot. I could definitely see this as a film or tv series. The topical plot had a huge focus on the importance of ecological development. This scenario can also be seen as a business opportunity. The ability to make lots of money would undoubtedly attract a variety of interesting characters! Nikki Smith creatively produced a book that showed that to be true. I was however disappointed (very, very slightly) with the ending - too many loose ends for me. My guess - book two will appear to fill any gaps. I look forward to reading it!

A gripping start, with the discovery of a recently buried skull on a private beach of an exclusive luxury island resort in the Maldives. The story then reverts to a series of events starting four weeks earlier concerning Zach, Cara and their teenage daughter Alexa. Their family holiday was intended to provide them with a relaxing environment in which to overcome some relationship issues. There are chance meetings with former colleagues and it appears that everyone has secrets and not all are who they claim to be. The short chapters are well written and provide good momentum with growing suspense. There are numerous candidates for the body and even more motives. The descriptions of the resort and various activities are nicely detailed and there is a real sense of an idyllic island resort on the surface but with deep undercurrents of deception and exploitation beneath the surface. The ending though was a little weak with some unlikely scenarios. Overall an enjoyable read.

I read an eARC of this book so thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley. This is a gripping thriller that I couldn’t put down. We follow a family on a trip to The Maldives, right from the start we get hints that something isn’t right. The daughter has a mysterious injury, the mother is dealing with something traumatic that’s causing anxiety and the father keeps getting mysterious messages. The pacing for the reveals was excellent and there was just enough hook to keep it interesting without being overdone. The setting was fantastic, the juxtaposition of the beautiful island paradise with the ecological concerns, the inequality seen, the characters’ inability to relax thanks to their own secrets. It was so well done and The Maldives was a fantastic location to explore the book’s narrative around climate change and green washing. The family meet an eco-influencer while at the resort who seems to already be familiar with the father. Although she is thoroughly investigating the resort to check they are as eco-friendly as they seen, she has her own ambitions and it looking for an explosive story. The book makes some observations around selfishness and inequality. The way the butler is treated by some of the guests, a glaring lack of courtesy, unreasonable demands and an expectation that he will be available immediately 24/7. There’s commentary on how little the staff are paid in contrast to the extravagant wealth of the guests. Also the callous treatment by senior management and the precariousness of staff positions. The family’s own selfishness and callousness to each other, keeping secrets and lies. This alongside the eco commentary made for some really interesting parts to this story. I really enjoyed this, I wasn’t sure about the ending but I would definitely read more from this author.