The Weekend Getaway

by Taylor Gray

No one leaves paradise alive…

Seven former classmates. One private Caribbean island. A weekend that will end in blood.

When Alex Ashton, a partner at a struggling law firm, and his wife Mia arrange a luxurious weekend getaway, they claim it's to reconnect with old friends. But as their former classmates arrive at the secluded villa, old wounds reopen, and deadly intentions surface.

As tropical paradise transforms into a nightmare, guests begin disappearing. Bodies are discovered. Accusations fly. And when severed heads start appearing, the survivors must confront the horrifying someone knows what really happened that night fifteen years ago, and they're systematically eliminating everyone who kept the secret.

With each shocking revelation, trust crumbles, and paranoia rises. In this isolated paradise, the past and present collide in a twisted game where guilt, obsession, and vengeance will determine who lives and who dies.

Perfect for fans of Frieda McFadden, Ruth Ware, and Lucy Foley, THE WEEKEND GETAWAY delivers shocking twists, complex psychological suspense, and a haunting exploration of how our darkest moments can define us forever.

Genres: Thriller

322 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 25, 2025

Reviews

[Celeste Velocci (bookrecs_by_celeste) · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not like any of these characters and had zero connection to them and what was happening. It had potential and the premise was interesting but overall it was a miss for me.

[Jennifer Wright · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yikes. This book was made up of about ten sentences rewritten over and over again. Also was full of typos.

[Mari Johnston · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oof. It’s impossible to tell any of these characters apart. They keep talking about how horrible each other is but they don’t really explain why. There isn’t really any explanation as to why they all met up on this getaway, their motivations are impossible to understand, and what is explained in the backstory is just completely and utterly ridiculous.

[Kathryn Widdowson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved that there wasn’t a single character who was the ‘good guy’. But was able to predict the killer quite early on.

[Gillian · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this book. All the characters were awful with no substance. It was repetitive and silly.

[Donna Mallery · Rating 3 out of 5]

This convoluted story will keep you on your toes. This “getaway” is not for pleasure, and the organizer is evil in many ways. But who ends up dead? Or “How many end up dead?” is the appropriate question!
I like how it’s told in multiple POVs. This is a quick, enjoyable read.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

brilliant, the best 99p I think I've ever spent!!!

[LeeTheGirlReads (Lee Holmes) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Poorly written. Repetitive and silly. I couldn’t care less about a single character. I love a location thriller but we didn’t even get any decent location descriptions.

[Karen Cino · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a quick read. The characters who were all friends are reunited on this weekend getaway where one by one they disappear. Book was drawn out and the story could have been told in a hundred less pages.

[Nika · Rating 2 out of 5]

Six former friends. One remote island. A glamorous reunion with hidden agendas—what could possibly go wrong? Well… everything. One minute they’re clinking glasses, the next someone’s missing, and before you can say “plot twist,” bodies start piling up like a bad game of Clue.

On paper, this has all the makings of a gripping thriller. In reality? More of a scenic tour through Predictability Island. The characters? Less “intriguing personalities,” more “cardboard cutouts with questionable decision-making skills.” The suspense? About as thrilling as watching someone fold laundry. And the grand reveal? Let’s just say, if you’ve ever watched a mystery movie, you probably saw it coming five chapters ago.

If you're looking for an easy afternoon read that won't keep you up at night—this might be it. But if you're craving an edge-of-your-seat experience, where the plot grips you and won’t let go, you might want to keep searching. This getaway isn’t one you’ll be desperate to revisit.

[Emma Cope · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had the potential to be so good but I just found it disappointing. There could have been more character backstories, I just found myself not liking any of the characters without really knowing why they were like that. The book started off well, middle was a bit "meh" and the ending was OK with a few twists and turns along the way that were alright but quite predictable.
So many typos that just put me off (if any editors fancy taking me on as freelance to edit some of these books before they get published, let me know!) ;)

[Carrie Nellis Crisp · Rating 4 out of 5]

You know I always dreamed about a weekend getaway on a private island with a few of my closest friends.....After reading this ,I changed my mind 🤣 and plan to stick to my usual travels ! If your into partying with friends on a private island and finding severed heads this book is definitely for you. And there's quite a twist at the end I didn't expect and neither did Phil and Sarah .

[Sophie Bristow Harris · Rating 2 out of 5]

The best thing about The Weekend Getaway by Taylor Gray is the cover.
Trigger warnings of sexual assault and murder. The murders weren’t very original as they all happened the same way.
Poorly written, lots of errors and waffling.
Sorry but I didn’t think much of this book and don’t recommend it to others. It’s a YA teen slasher read gone wrong.

[Jools Brooksbank · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant

Great book. Was up all night reading it. I loved the characters & the storyline. I totally recommend reading this book straight away, the secrets and lies are fab. Definitely 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Cheryl Landmark · Rating 2 out of 5]

Horrible, extremely unlikeable characters. Way too much repetitive character descriptions and dialogue. Lots of foreshadowing of the killer and motive. Not really well-written, in my humble opinion.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book!!

As soon as I started reading was hooked! I read as fast as I could! So easy to read and I could visualize the characters and the scenes as I read! I will read more books by this author because this one was so good!!

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

**those of a politically correct disposition may find this book offensive**

[Marlee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not too sure how to comment on this one, not great, not terrible. Weird, dark and far fetched …

[Sharon Vogel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Weekend Getaway

Gave 5 stars because I loved this book. This thriller had so many twists and turns! I will check out her books again m

[JoyLynn Jordan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terrible. No story. Don’t recommend.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book gave cheesy 90’s slasher film vibes. This may be one of those where the movie is better. The author went way overboard with the fat-shaming.

[Marley Cornett Drawdy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I kept guessing what had happened.

[Rita Samuelson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Decapitated

Awful book with lots of heads cut off. Unbelievable plot. Writing like someone who is in high school. Not worth the time.

[Cynthia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Long story that went on forever.

[Kathryn Laplante · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terrible. Lots of poorly described characters and a lot of back-and-forth between past and present making it confusing at times. The plot was weak. I really disliked this book. Not worth the read.

[Rebecca Rogers · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book fell flat for me. I don’t hate it, but I definitely didn’t like it. Repetitive and confusing statements, mixing names up, and just all around boring. No action. The characters all sucked and so unbelievable. Nobody acts like that. Alex and Mia were the worst. The fat shaming in the book was over the top! We get it, she is fat! How many more ways can you dehumanize a character because of her weight. If the point was to make the readers hate the characters, good job. But I also don’t give two shits what happened to them as well.

The weekend getaway is a good book to read if you want to read something quick and mundane and poorly written.

[Krista · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yikes