The Holiday by TM Logan
RICHARD & JUDY SUMMER BOOK CLUB READ
Published by Zaffre
Publication Date: 25th July 2019
Genre: Psychological Thriller
496 pages
Book Description:
Seven days. Three families. One killer.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.
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.
One of these women is willing to sacrifice years of friendship and destroy her family. But which one? As Kate closes in on the truth in the stifling Mediterranean heat, she realises too late that the stakes are far higher than she ever imagined.
Because someone in the villa is prepared to kill to keep their secret hidden.
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.
One of these women is willing to sacrifice years of friendship and destroy her family. But which one? As Kate closes in on the truth in the stifling Mediterranean heat, she realises too late that the stakes are far higher than she ever imagined.
Because someone in the villa is prepared to kill to keep their secret hidden.
My Review:
The thing I love most about this book is the pacing of the story. Based on the title, you obviously know it's about a holiday and the book starts with the inevitable fusion of the stresses of a long journey mixed with the anticipation of some downtime and relaxation in the sun. But already there's an awkward undercurrent between Kate and Sean on the long journey from England to the continent. With the kids in the back of the car and the fact that they have only just started their vacation, Kate is reluctant to cause an argument but her suspicions are tying her in knots and will continue to do so over the coming days.
Theirs is not the only strained relationship, their friends Rowan and Russ are at odds regarding precocious 5 year old daughter Odette's behaviour. Meanwhile Jennifer and Alistair and their teenagers Ethan and Jake are having a completely different set of issues, with Jake in particular testing the boundaries of parental tolerance. It's a real pressure cooker of emotions simmering away gently under the heat of the Mediterranean sun; add in a hearty dose of alcohol and it's just a matter of time before something's going to blow. But who is going to break first, and how?
As the tension builds between the various adults in the group, the kids are dealing with demons of their own: bullying, teenage relationship issues, jealousy, sibling rivalry to name just a few. But their parents are too wrapped up in their in-fighting to even notice. Kate's son Daniel seemed particularly tormented on the holiday, being too young to be part of the teenagers' gang - other than to be singled out for teasing - yet too old to want to be around spoiled Odette all the time. My heart went out to him as he sought solace in his book alone in the privacy of his room.
The pace of the novel steps up in the last quarter with conclusions jumped to, accusations made and the friendship group is in danger of imploding in the final days of the holiday. It's only when tragedy strikes and the truth finally comes out regarding Kate's initial suspicions that the group realises how trivial some of their spats have been in comparison.
This is a great study of how different personalities deal with the trials life sets for us all and what the consequences of impulsive behaviour can be. A great read for by the pool in the sunshine.
The thing I love most about this book is the pacing of the story. Based on the title, you obviously know it's about a holiday and the book starts with the inevitable fusion of the stresses of a long journey mixed with the anticipation of some downtime and relaxation in the sun. But already there's an awkward undercurrent between Kate and Sean on the long journey from England to the continent. With the kids in the back of the car and the fact that they have only just started their vacation, Kate is reluctant to cause an argument but her suspicions are tying her in knots and will continue to do so over the coming days.
Theirs is not the only strained relationship, their friends Rowan and Russ are at odds regarding precocious 5 year old daughter Odette's behaviour. Meanwhile Jennifer and Alistair and their teenagers Ethan and Jake are having a completely different set of issues, with Jake in particular testing the boundaries of parental tolerance. It's a real pressure cooker of emotions simmering away gently under the heat of the Mediterranean sun; add in a hearty dose of alcohol and it's just a matter of time before something's going to blow. But who is going to break first, and how?
As the tension builds between the various adults in the group, the kids are dealing with demons of their own: bullying, teenage relationship issues, jealousy, sibling rivalry to name just a few. But their parents are too wrapped up in their in-fighting to even notice. Kate's son Daniel seemed particularly tormented on the holiday, being too young to be part of the teenagers' gang - other than to be singled out for teasing - yet too old to want to be around spoiled Odette all the time. My heart went out to him as he sought solace in his book alone in the privacy of his room.
The pace of the novel steps up in the last quarter with conclusions jumped to, accusations made and the friendship group is in danger of imploding in the final days of the holiday. It's only when tragedy strikes and the truth finally comes out regarding Kate's initial suspicions that the group realises how trivial some of their spats have been in comparison.
This is a great study of how different personalities deal with the trials life sets for us all and what the consequences of impulsive behaviour can be. A great read for by the pool in the sunshine.
About the Author:
Bestselling author TM Logan was a national newspaper journalist before turning to novel-writing full time. His debut thriller LIES was one of Amazon UK's biggest ebooks of 2017, selling 350,000 copies and gathering more than 1,400 5-star reviews.
Together with his second standalone thriller, 29 Seconds (2018), his books are now published in 14 countries around the world including the USA, South Korea, Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, Poland, Hungary, Serbia, Romania and the Netherlands.
His latest thriller, The Holiday, is a Richard & Judy Book Club pick for summer 2019. It takes place over a sweltering summer week in the south of France, as four best friends see the holiday of a lifetime turn into a nightmare of suspicion, betrayal and murder…
Tim lives in Nottinghamshire with his wife and two children, and writes in a cabin at the bottom of his garden.
Together with his second standalone thriller, 29 Seconds (2018), his books are now published in 14 countries around the world including the USA, South Korea, Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, Poland, Hungary, Serbia, Romania and the Netherlands.
His latest thriller, The Holiday, is a Richard & Judy Book Club pick for summer 2019. It takes place over a sweltering summer week in the south of France, as four best friends see the holiday of a lifetime turn into a nightmare of suspicion, betrayal and murder…
Tim lives in Nottinghamshire with his wife and two children, and writes in a cabin at the bottom of his garden.
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