The Resort Sara Ochs Book Review | A Thriller Novel

Have you ever wanted to visit Thailand? I have. And by picking up a book like The Resort by Sara Ochs I get to dive right into the scene and see what life is all about.

Well, not really. I’m sure there’s less murder in real life than on this remote Thai island. Haha. But overall I got fun travel vibes from the story and felt like this was a fun thriller to get into.

Keep reading for my full review of The Resort by Sara Ochs. And if you’re interested in reading more thriller book discussions, click here.

What is the story of the resort Sara Ochs?

“A deadly, dangerous, beautiful nightmare.” — Chris Whitaker, New York Times bestselling author of We Begin at the End

For readers of Rachel Hawkins and We Were Never Here comes a searing vacation thriller set on a remote island in Thailand following two mysterious women, a charismatic group of expats, and the one murder poised to bring their paradise crashing down.

Welcome to paradise. We hope you survive your stay…

There are three rules to follow during a vacation at the famous Koh Sang Resort

1 – Leave the past behind.

When Cass sets foot on the coast of Thailand’s world-famous party island, she’s searching for an escape. With dark secrets following her every move, Koh Sang becomes the perfect place to hide.

2 – Always be careful of who you trust.

Now, years later, Cass is a local dive instructor alongside the Permanents, a group of expats who have claimed the island as their own. The Permanents don’t linger on who they were before the island. Simply because, like Cass, they all have something to outrun.

3 – If someone discovers who you really are, run.

But suddenly, a dive student is found dead and paradise comes crashing down. Because this isn’t the first mysterious death on the island, and it won’t be the last. Someone knows who Cass is and they’re ready to make sure justice is finally served. (from Amazon.com)

My Initial Thoughts

The Resort is a complicated novel filled with mystery and intrigue. It focuses on Cass, a local dive instructor and her life on the island. She’s recently engaged and has a great group of expat friends. Not only that, but she just made a new friend in travel blogger and influencer, Brooke.

So when she starts receiving mysterious notes reminding her about her past, it seems strange. What is she hiding? Or a better question is, what is she running from?

I enjoyed the two perspectives of this story. Although she clearly has PTSD from something in her past, Cass seems sweet. And I enjoyed Brooke’s perspective. Like I said in the beginning, I’ve never been overseas. So the idea of traveling to a Thai island and experiencing all that island life has to offer sounds really fun.

This story is filled with quite a lot of twists. Some might say too many twists. It gets really while once you get to the last third of the novel. So if you’re going to read this book, go into it with an open mind.

Would I Recommend The Resort?

Yes, I really enjoyed this book for a variety of reasons. I loved the travel aspect. I loved the scenes of island life like when we got to read about Cass teaching her diving class or when Brooke was hanging out at the restaurant, drinking coffee and working on her blog.

It all seemed pretty ideal until a body turned up and suddenly everyone because a suspect. The mystery does get a little convoluted at the end but what it lacks in clarity it makes up for in originality.

In Conclusion

If you enjoy exciting thriller novels about travel and secrets and hiding from the past, this book will be right up your alley. These characters are not quite what they seem. Sometimes they seem sweet and other times the seem jealous. There are many unknowns. And as Cass’s personal history is revealed, it becomes clear that no one is ever exactly as they seem.

If you’re an avid traveler, I’m sure you will enjoy the scenery and the depiction of the parties on the island. I feel like Sara Ochs must have experience with traveling or living abroad to write such a seemingly authentic story.

The first couple of chapters sucked me in and kept me flipping the pages frantically for the entire book. This story is one that you will not be able to put down until you’ve finished.