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The Weekend Away
Miles from home. Trust no one. Suspect everyone.
Orla and Kate have been best friends forever. Together they’ve faced it all – be it Orla’s struggles as a new mother or Kate’s messy divorce. And whatever else happens in their lives, they can always look forward to their annual weekend away.
This year, they’re off to Lisbon: the perfect flat, the perfect view, the perfect itinerary. And what better way to kick things off in style than with the perfect night out?
But when Orla wakes up the next morning, Kate is gone. Brushed off by the police and with only a fuzzy memory of the night’s events, Orla is her friend’s only hope. As she frantically retraces their steps, Orla makes a series of shattering discoveries that threaten everything she holds dear. Because while Lisbon holds the secret of what happened that night, the truth may lie closer to home…
Orla and Kate have been best friends forever. Together they’ve faced it all – be it Orla’s struggles as a new mother or Kate’s messy divorce. And whatever else happens in their lives, they can always look forward to their annual weekend away.
This year, they’re off to Lisbon: the perfect flat, the perfect view, the perfect itinerary. And what better way to kick things off in style than with the perfect night out?
But when Orla wakes up the next morning, Kate is gone. Brushed off by the police and with only a fuzzy memory of the night’s events, Orla is her friend’s only hope. As she frantically retraces their steps, Orla makes a series of shattering discoveries that threaten everything she holds dear. Because while Lisbon holds the secret of what happened that night, the truth may lie closer to home…
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 23, 2020
1555 people are currently reading
22915 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Alderson
28 books2,768 followersHaving spent most of her life in London, Sarah quit her job in the non profit sector in 2009 and took off on a round the world trip with her husband and princess-obsessed daughter on a mission to find a new place to call home. After several months in India, Singapore, Australia and the US, they settled in Bali where they lived for five years.
She finished her first novel, Hunting Lila (winner of the Kingston Book Award), just before they left the UK, wrote the sequel on the beach in India and had signed a two book deal with Simon & Schuster by the time they had reached Bali.
A third book, Fated, about a teenage demon slayer, was published in January 2012.
The Sound, a thriller romance set in Nantucket, was published in August 2013 and this was followed by the critically acclaimed Out of Control in May 2014.
Her first non-fiction book - CAN WE LIVE HERE? - based on her blog of the same name, was published in August 2015 by Blink.
She also writes New Adult romance for Pan Macmillan (UK) / Simon & Schuster (US) under the pen name Mila Gray.
You can find Sarah on facebook and at www.sarahalderson.com or follow her blog at www.canwelivhere.com
She finished her first novel, Hunting Lila (winner of the Kingston Book Award), just before they left the UK, wrote the sequel on the beach in India and had signed a two book deal with Simon & Schuster by the time they had reached Bali.
A third book, Fated, about a teenage demon slayer, was published in January 2012.
The Sound, a thriller romance set in Nantucket, was published in August 2013 and this was followed by the critically acclaimed Out of Control in May 2014.
Her first non-fiction book - CAN WE LIVE HERE? - based on her blog of the same name, was published in August 2015 by Blink.
She also writes New Adult romance for Pan Macmillan (UK) / Simon & Schuster (US) under the pen name Mila Gray.
You can find Sarah on facebook and at www.sarahalderson.com or follow her blog at www.canwelivhere.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,824 reviews
August 12, 2020
EXCERPT: I stagger backwards a few steps, sucking in air, my hands on my hips , bent over like an old lady climbing stairs. It's suddenly occurred to me that if Kate hasn't her phone on her, or her wallet or any ID, she can't have gone anywhere. The police thought she'd maybe got on a plane or a train or hired a car, that she'd decided to leave - never mind the fact she left behind all her clothes. I hadn't really thought they were right but I guess I was clinging to the hope that maybe, just maybe, they were and she was off doing her own thing. But without her wallet, without cash or credit cards, passport, or her phone, where would she go? What could she possibly be doing? There's only one answer. And I have been trying my hardest to stay positive and not think it, except for last night when my imagination ran wild, but now I need to accept it. Something very bad has happened to Kate.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: Two friends go on holiday. Only one comes back.
Orla and Kate have been best friends forever. Together they’ve faced it all – be it Orla’s struggles as a new mother or Kate’s messy divorce. And whatever else happens in their lives, they can always look forward to their annual weekend away.
This year, they’re off to Lisbon: the perfect flat, the perfect view, the perfect itinerary. And what better way to kick things off in style than with the perfect night out?
But when Orla wakes up the next morning, Kate is gone. Brushed off by the police and with only a fuzzy memory of the night’s events, Orla is her friend’s only hope. As she frantically retraces their steps, Orla makes a series of shattering discoveries that threaten everything she holds dear. Because while Lisbon holds the secret of what happened that night, the truth may lie closer to home…
MY THOUGHTS: If you have ever been lost in a maze, you will get a similar experience in reading The Weekend Away by Sarah Alderson. The author will lead you down blind alleys, through wrong turns and into dead ends before finally spitting you out at the end. And what an ending! Despite forming two theories early on in the book, one of which was right, knowing the who and the why, I still did not see that ending coming! Sneaky, Ms Alderson.
The characters are a disparate and interesting assortment. Some dodgy police; a creepy landlord; a naive first time mum facing 40, feeling guilty for not enjoying motherhood as much as she should after her desperate and financially ruinous attempts to conceive; her best friend, a super-wealthy newly divorced good time girl who is funding this girl's weekend away; the husbands or, in Kate's case, the ex-husband; and Konstandin, Uber driver and possibly Russian mafia, who seems to turn up at the most opportune moments. The question must be asked - is he a good guy? Or a bad guy?
While this may be a quick and easy read, (overnight for me), it is no less gripping for being so. It certainly didn't feel like 400 pages. I could easily imagine The Weekend Away being made into a movie. Plenty of action and intrigue.
😍😍😍.8
THE AUTHOR: Having spent most of her life in London, Sarah quit her job in the non profit sector in 2009 and took off on a round the world trip with her husband and princess-obsessed daughter on a mission to find a new place to call home. After several months in India, Singapore, Australia and the US, they settled in Bali where they lived for five years.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Avon Books UK via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Weekend Away by Sarah Alderson for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
ABOUT THIS BOOK: Two friends go on holiday. Only one comes back.
Orla and Kate have been best friends forever. Together they’ve faced it all – be it Orla’s struggles as a new mother or Kate’s messy divorce. And whatever else happens in their lives, they can always look forward to their annual weekend away.
This year, they’re off to Lisbon: the perfect flat, the perfect view, the perfect itinerary. And what better way to kick things off in style than with the perfect night out?
But when Orla wakes up the next morning, Kate is gone. Brushed off by the police and with only a fuzzy memory of the night’s events, Orla is her friend’s only hope. As she frantically retraces their steps, Orla makes a series of shattering discoveries that threaten everything she holds dear. Because while Lisbon holds the secret of what happened that night, the truth may lie closer to home…
MY THOUGHTS: If you have ever been lost in a maze, you will get a similar experience in reading The Weekend Away by Sarah Alderson. The author will lead you down blind alleys, through wrong turns and into dead ends before finally spitting you out at the end. And what an ending! Despite forming two theories early on in the book, one of which was right, knowing the who and the why, I still did not see that ending coming! Sneaky, Ms Alderson.
The characters are a disparate and interesting assortment. Some dodgy police; a creepy landlord; a naive first time mum facing 40, feeling guilty for not enjoying motherhood as much as she should after her desperate and financially ruinous attempts to conceive; her best friend, a super-wealthy newly divorced good time girl who is funding this girl's weekend away; the husbands or, in Kate's case, the ex-husband; and Konstandin, Uber driver and possibly Russian mafia, who seems to turn up at the most opportune moments. The question must be asked - is he a good guy? Or a bad guy?
While this may be a quick and easy read, (overnight for me), it is no less gripping for being so. It certainly didn't feel like 400 pages. I could easily imagine The Weekend Away being made into a movie. Plenty of action and intrigue.
😍😍😍.8
THE AUTHOR: Having spent most of her life in London, Sarah quit her job in the non profit sector in 2009 and took off on a round the world trip with her husband and princess-obsessed daughter on a mission to find a new place to call home. After several months in India, Singapore, Australia and the US, they settled in Bali where they lived for five years.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Avon Books UK via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Weekend Away by Sarah Alderson for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
June 25, 2020
The Weekend Away was a pleasant surprise.
While it didn't bring anything new to the table, it was very well written, the characters were beautifully fleshed out, the misdirection was well done, and the Lisbon setting added a nice ambiance to the story.
Narrated entirely by Orla, a wife and mother who reluctantly left her family for a weekend getaway with her long-time best friend, Kate...I believe Sarah Alderson nailed the voice of the brand new mom who wanted nothing more than to get back to her baby, as the world in Lisbon crashed down around her.
All the little twists and turns kept me reading through the night to see where they led, and I didn't shut off my Kindle until I finished the novel at 4:45 AM. Admittedly, the conclusion was a bit mundane and predictable, though I will say, I didn't get it all right.
And while the cover of the book is beautiful, it really has very little relation to the story.
Overall, this is a decent little thriller and a perfect beach read. 3.5 stars, which I opted to round up because I was so compelled to keep reading.
Available for purchase July 23, 2020.
**My sincere thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for my review copy.
While it didn't bring anything new to the table, it was very well written, the characters were beautifully fleshed out, the misdirection was well done, and the Lisbon setting added a nice ambiance to the story.
Narrated entirely by Orla, a wife and mother who reluctantly left her family for a weekend getaway with her long-time best friend, Kate...I believe Sarah Alderson nailed the voice of the brand new mom who wanted nothing more than to get back to her baby, as the world in Lisbon crashed down around her.
All the little twists and turns kept me reading through the night to see where they led, and I didn't shut off my Kindle until I finished the novel at 4:45 AM. Admittedly, the conclusion was a bit mundane and predictable, though I will say, I didn't get it all right.
And while the cover of the book is beautiful, it really has very little relation to the story.
Overall, this is a decent little thriller and a perfect beach read. 3.5 stars, which I opted to round up because I was so compelled to keep reading.
Available for purchase July 23, 2020.
**My sincere thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for my review copy.
September 15, 2020
Orla, a new mother, and her best friend and good time gal, Kate, have decided to spend the weekend in Lisbon. Orla would like nothing more than to go back home to her baby but Kate wants to party and go clubbing. While out they meet two men that Kate insists come back to their place to continue the fun.
Orla wakes up in the morning with no memory of the night before. After searching the apartment she comes to the realization that Kate is missing. What happened to Kate?
This book, for me, was just okay. I read a lot of psych thrillers so something really needs to stand out to wow me and sadly nothing here really stood out as original and unique. This story has been told many times before making this rather predictable. I truly had this one figured out very early on so the later reveal was completely unsurprising. This book could have easily been 100 pages less. So, yeah, this one didn't work out so well for me but I did manage to finish it withOUT skimming which does say a lot. I think anyone that is newer to this genre will delight in the twist and turns Alderson throws their way but for this reader it's a ride all too familiar. 3 stars!
Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Orla wakes up in the morning with no memory of the night before. After searching the apartment she comes to the realization that Kate is missing. What happened to Kate?
This book, for me, was just okay. I read a lot of psych thrillers so something really needs to stand out to wow me and sadly nothing here really stood out as original and unique. This story has been told many times before making this rather predictable. I truly had this one figured out very early on so the later reveal was completely unsurprising. This book could have easily been 100 pages less. So, yeah, this one didn't work out so well for me but I did manage to finish it withOUT skimming which does say a lot. I think anyone that is newer to this genre will delight in the twist and turns Alderson throws their way but for this reader it's a ride all too familiar. 3 stars!
Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
April 6, 2021
3.5 stars
Orla and Kate have been best friends for a long time. They have also been going away for a girl’s weekend for years but stopped when Orla was going through IVF and when she gave birth to her daughter. But now the time is right, and they are off to Lisbon (not a tropical local like the cover would have you believe)! What could go wrong???
To celebrate, they go out for a fancy dinner and to a club for a night of fun! But the next morning, Orla wakes up and Kate is missing. What is worse is that Orla can barely remember the night before. Trying to find her friend, Orla decides to retrace their steps the night before and, in the process, learns some hard truths. Some very, very, very hard truths.
Add this to the how-well-do-you-know-the-people-in-your-life category. It can also be added to the suspend some belief category. Either way, I found this to be a fast entertaining read which had me guessing and then questioning my suspect list.
I found this to be a fast, captivating read which did not disappoint! If you want a weekend escape, give this book a read!
Thank you to Avon Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own!
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
Orla and Kate have been best friends for a long time. They have also been going away for a girl’s weekend for years but stopped when Orla was going through IVF and when she gave birth to her daughter. But now the time is right, and they are off to Lisbon (not a tropical local like the cover would have you believe)! What could go wrong???
To celebrate, they go out for a fancy dinner and to a club for a night of fun! But the next morning, Orla wakes up and Kate is missing. What is worse is that Orla can barely remember the night before. Trying to find her friend, Orla decides to retrace their steps the night before and, in the process, learns some hard truths. Some very, very, very hard truths.
Add this to the how-well-do-you-know-the-people-in-your-life category. It can also be added to the suspend some belief category. Either way, I found this to be a fast entertaining read which had me guessing and then questioning my suspect list.
I found this to be a fast, captivating read which did not disappoint! If you want a weekend escape, give this book a read!
Thank you to Avon Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own!
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
March 6, 2022
3.5 stars I was definitely captivated by this fast-paced mystery.
Best friends Orla and Kate take a girls' weekend getaway to Portugal. This is the first time they've been able to go away together since Orla's difficult time getting pregnant and having her young daughter Marlow. Things start to go downhill quickly when newly separated Kate wants to party--including drinking, drugs, and picking up men. Kate passes out and when Orla wakes up in the morning, Kate is gone. The police don't take her seriously and she is desperate to find her friend. As she starts to go back through their movements the night before, she begins to uncover some disturbing secrets.
There are a bunch of really good twists in this story that elevated it beyond just the regular psychological thriller. That said, as with many books in this genre, the author didn't quite know how to leave well enough alone at the ending and just had to throw in one last twist at the end that I just didn't feel was necessary. It kind of devolved into the absurd for me at that point. Also, there were a few decisions that Orla makes that made me scratch my head in confusion--why on earth would she agree to stay in the landlord's apartment, why would she not just check into a hotel at that point? The armchair detective-work is pretty heavy here (which is not a favorite trope for me) but it actually *kind of* makes sense for this story because no one takes her seriously, especially the police.
All in all, this is a really worthwhile read because things did fit together and I didn't roll my eyes at plot holes every other page like I do in some books. It's a great spring/summer read.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
Best friends Orla and Kate take a girls' weekend getaway to Portugal. This is the first time they've been able to go away together since Orla's difficult time getting pregnant and having her young daughter Marlow. Things start to go downhill quickly when newly separated Kate wants to party--including drinking, drugs, and picking up men. Kate passes out and when Orla wakes up in the morning, Kate is gone. The police don't take her seriously and she is desperate to find her friend. As she starts to go back through their movements the night before, she begins to uncover some disturbing secrets.
There are a bunch of really good twists in this story that elevated it beyond just the regular psychological thriller. That said, as with many books in this genre, the author didn't quite know how to leave well enough alone at the ending and just had to throw in one last twist at the end that I just didn't feel was necessary. It kind of devolved into the absurd for me at that point. Also, there were a few decisions that Orla makes that made me scratch my head in confusion--why on earth would she agree to stay in the landlord's apartment, why would she not just check into a hotel at that point? The armchair detective-work is pretty heavy here (which is not a favorite trope for me) but it actually *kind of* makes sense for this story because no one takes her seriously, especially the police.
All in all, this is a really worthwhile read because things did fit together and I didn't roll my eyes at plot holes every other page like I do in some books. It's a great spring/summer read.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
July 16, 2020
THE WEEKEND AWAY is a gripping, surprisingly strong thriller that I was NOT expecting.
Orla and Kate are best friends who decide to spend a weekend in Lisbon. This is the first time Orla will be away from her infant daughter, but she knows it will be good for her. Kate is going through a tough divorce, so it should be the perfect getaway for both of them. After a night of drinking and clubbing, Orla wakes up the next morning...only to find that Kate is gone. Her clothes are still at their Airbnb, and there’s also a suspicious stain in Kate’s bedroom that could either be wine or blood. With Orla’s recollection of the night before pretty hazy, she has to retrace their steps to try and put the pieces together in a city where she knows no one and has no idea who she can trust.
Author Sarah Alderson really has a way with words. The story is very atmospheric, and the characters are fully dimensional. I was completely hooked and engaged as one piece of the puzzle connected to another. I also really enjoyed the unexpected cohort that joins Orla in trying to track down what happened the night Kate disappeared. While there was nothing earth-shattering, I found myself surprised quite a few times, and was thrilled that this wasn’t the derivative thriller I initially thought it was going to be. 3.5 stars rounded up!
Thank you to Avon Books UK, Sarah Alderson, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Orla and Kate are best friends who decide to spend a weekend in Lisbon. This is the first time Orla will be away from her infant daughter, but she knows it will be good for her. Kate is going through a tough divorce, so it should be the perfect getaway for both of them. After a night of drinking and clubbing, Orla wakes up the next morning...only to find that Kate is gone. Her clothes are still at their Airbnb, and there’s also a suspicious stain in Kate’s bedroom that could either be wine or blood. With Orla’s recollection of the night before pretty hazy, she has to retrace their steps to try and put the pieces together in a city where she knows no one and has no idea who she can trust.
Author Sarah Alderson really has a way with words. The story is very atmospheric, and the characters are fully dimensional. I was completely hooked and engaged as one piece of the puzzle connected to another. I also really enjoyed the unexpected cohort that joins Orla in trying to track down what happened the night Kate disappeared. While there was nothing earth-shattering, I found myself surprised quite a few times, and was thrilled that this wasn’t the derivative thriller I initially thought it was going to be. 3.5 stars rounded up!
Thank you to Avon Books UK, Sarah Alderson, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 19, 2020
Two friends of twenty or so years go for a girls weekend away to Lisbon but one does not come home. That’s the premise of this easy to read and intriguing novel. Kate is childless and recently split from wealthy husband Toby and Orla is married to Rob and they have a baby daughter.
The moral of this tale is how well do you really know your friends as Orla discovers the hard way. The novel is well written, it has a lot of twists some of which you don’t see coming and the ending is excellent. I like the setting of Lisbon which makes a good backdrop for the dramatic events. The night where it all goes wrong is captured really well and the difference between what the two women want and expect from their weekend away become crystal clear. The characters are good, though some are definitely not likeable they are interesting. Orla is way too trusting, so naive you want to be a cautionary voice in her ear though her instincts with Uber driver Konstandin prove correct. His backstory in Kosovo is very sobering and adds an additional element to the storytelling. It’s a novel of betrayal, lies and deception which makes for entertaining escapist reading.
Overall, a really good thriller with plenty of surprises.
With thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books for the ARC.
The moral of this tale is how well do you really know your friends as Orla discovers the hard way. The novel is well written, it has a lot of twists some of which you don’t see coming and the ending is excellent. I like the setting of Lisbon which makes a good backdrop for the dramatic events. The night where it all goes wrong is captured really well and the difference between what the two women want and expect from their weekend away become crystal clear. The characters are good, though some are definitely not likeable they are interesting. Orla is way too trusting, so naive you want to be a cautionary voice in her ear though her instincts with Uber driver Konstandin prove correct. His backstory in Kosovo is very sobering and adds an additional element to the storytelling. It’s a novel of betrayal, lies and deception which makes for entertaining escapist reading.
Overall, a really good thriller with plenty of surprises.
With thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books for the ARC.
March 22, 2022
“ ‘You’re my best friend,’ she says. She says it forcefully, as though I might contest it. ‘You’re mine too,’ I say laughing. ‘Never forget that,’ she says, looking into my eyes in such a strange way that my laughter dies.”
Maybe I loved this better than most and I’m not ashamed! It captured me and I couldn’t stop turning the pages. Orla and Kate, two best friends for many years, create a tradition of flying to exotic destinations together, but with Orla having a newborn, Marlow, amongst a slew of other things, including emotional challenges and setbacks, their trips have been in short supply in recent years. But this year, that’s about to change as they decide to visit Lisbon, Portugal, together.
“I’ve always been so good at reading people but now I feel like I can’t trust myself or my instincts. Everything’s off kilter.”
However, what starts off as an innocent journey ends as anything but. Kate goes missing and Orla has to retrace in her mind everything about that night, every action and step taken, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant. Without leaving out the words hurled in moments of burning, impassioned anger, in order to figure out where she has gone, which becomes increasingly difficult to do on account of the fact that Orla has been suffering gaps in memory due to overconsumption of alcohol and potentially drugs that night.
“I’m a whirlpool dragging everyone who comes close to me towards an unfortunate end.”
At the beginning, though, before the drama comes to a head, Orla and Kate are almost foils of each other: Orla being the practical, no-nonsense mom whose partying days are seemingly long behind her and Kate, the vivacious woman who sets any room alight with her resplendent charm, but also has cunningly mastered the art of manipulation and deception.
And I thought, throughout, that the cracks in the façade of their friendship were thoroughly examined as nothing was as it seemed for even a second. Both were, at their core, sad and yearned for something stronger to keep them tied to the present moment, in different, but equally fascinating, yet despairing, ways. I could feel their emotions viscerally and unsettlingly, as layers of their characters were beautifully peeled back before moments of reveal. And I also could intuit deeply the strength build in Orla, in the most empowering of ways, to fight back and continue persevering on her journey to find her friend, even when she winds up finding out that she knew next to nothing real or honest about her. Someone you thought was so close to you, in this case like an adopted, fun sister, can actually be so far, so removed from what you believed to be true and trust, as well as additionally be hiding secrets that could just take a turn for the deadly.
“For a moment, it felt as though the truth was lit up bright as the sun, but now a shadow has passed in front of it and everything is murky once more.”
This book took me like a whirlwind and entranced me until the very end where just enough is left to ponder what will happen next in this world and to these characters. I won’t forget them nor will I forget what brought them hopefully together and tore them more tragically apart.
Maybe I loved this better than most and I’m not ashamed! It captured me and I couldn’t stop turning the pages. Orla and Kate, two best friends for many years, create a tradition of flying to exotic destinations together, but with Orla having a newborn, Marlow, amongst a slew of other things, including emotional challenges and setbacks, their trips have been in short supply in recent years. But this year, that’s about to change as they decide to visit Lisbon, Portugal, together.
“I’ve always been so good at reading people but now I feel like I can’t trust myself or my instincts. Everything’s off kilter.”
However, what starts off as an innocent journey ends as anything but. Kate goes missing and Orla has to retrace in her mind everything about that night, every action and step taken, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant. Without leaving out the words hurled in moments of burning, impassioned anger, in order to figure out where she has gone, which becomes increasingly difficult to do on account of the fact that Orla has been suffering gaps in memory due to overconsumption of alcohol and potentially drugs that night.
“I’m a whirlpool dragging everyone who comes close to me towards an unfortunate end.”
At the beginning, though, before the drama comes to a head, Orla and Kate are almost foils of each other: Orla being the practical, no-nonsense mom whose partying days are seemingly long behind her and Kate, the vivacious woman who sets any room alight with her resplendent charm, but also has cunningly mastered the art of manipulation and deception.
And I thought, throughout, that the cracks in the façade of their friendship were thoroughly examined as nothing was as it seemed for even a second. Both were, at their core, sad and yearned for something stronger to keep them tied to the present moment, in different, but equally fascinating, yet despairing, ways. I could feel their emotions viscerally and unsettlingly, as layers of their characters were beautifully peeled back before moments of reveal. And I also could intuit deeply the strength build in Orla, in the most empowering of ways, to fight back and continue persevering on her journey to find her friend, even when she winds up finding out that she knew next to nothing real or honest about her. Someone you thought was so close to you, in this case like an adopted, fun sister, can actually be so far, so removed from what you believed to be true and trust, as well as additionally be hiding secrets that could just take a turn for the deadly.
“For a moment, it felt as though the truth was lit up bright as the sun, but now a shadow has passed in front of it and everything is murky once more.”
This book took me like a whirlwind and entranced me until the very end where just enough is left to ponder what will happen next in this world and to these characters. I won’t forget them nor will I forget what brought them hopefully together and tore them more tragically apart.
July 18, 2020
Loved this mystery about Orla and her missing friend Kate. Twisty, scary, smart and thrilling! I must thank my Goodreads friend Michael for his great review, which led me to pick it up.
Orla has just had a baby when her best friend Kate suggests a girls’ trip to Lisbon. After a strange evening out, Orla awakens to find Kate gone from their Airbnb, without a trace.
From there a seriously great series of twists unfolds. I won’t spoil any of them, but the mystery itself was perfect, with just the right amount of twists and red herrings, plus some great characters, including Konstantin the Uber driver with a shadowy past, Sebastian the creepy Airbnb owner, and the two gorgeous guys who were at the house when Kate went missing.
Like its title, “The Weekend Away” is the perfect summer thriller to escape into for a weekend. A serious page-turner and a great mystery. Mysteries and betrayals at every turn. And that last twist, tho! Perfection.
4.5 stars from me - this thriller is written much more skillfully than most. I’ll definitely jump to pick up Sarah Alderson’s next thriller!
Thanks to NetGalley, Avon Books UK and Sarah Anderson for the ARC. Loved this completely gripping and thrilling vacation noir!
Orla has just had a baby when her best friend Kate suggests a girls’ trip to Lisbon. After a strange evening out, Orla awakens to find Kate gone from their Airbnb, without a trace.
From there a seriously great series of twists unfolds. I won’t spoil any of them, but the mystery itself was perfect, with just the right amount of twists and red herrings, plus some great characters, including Konstantin the Uber driver with a shadowy past, Sebastian the creepy Airbnb owner, and the two gorgeous guys who were at the house when Kate went missing.
Like its title, “The Weekend Away” is the perfect summer thriller to escape into for a weekend. A serious page-turner and a great mystery. Mysteries and betrayals at every turn. And that last twist, tho! Perfection.
4.5 stars from me - this thriller is written much more skillfully than most. I’ll definitely jump to pick up Sarah Alderson’s next thriller!
Thanks to NetGalley, Avon Books UK and Sarah Anderson for the ARC. Loved this completely gripping and thrilling vacation noir!
August 14, 2022
A how-to manual for going from mom to murder suspect in a handful of unwise decisions. Mmm. Mmm. Mmm. The choices we make. Orla leaves baby Marlow with her husband Rob for a weekend getaway with best friend Kate. It all starts off well in Lisbon and their gorgeous Air BNB flat, but it doesn't take long for the entire trip to implode. After a night of dinner and clubbing, there is only one friend left in the flat. Orla is desperate to find Kate, certain there has been foul play. Why do so many of the people around her seem to disregard her worries? Why does Orla feel like she is swimming upstream? This was a page-turner and I was often surprised by the twists and turns of the plot. What surprised me most is the fact that Orla never once consulted a lawyer and/or the British embassy for assistance. She ran around in circles quite a bit -- not always her own fault to be sure. I also thought this book really made the police in Lisbon look terribly incompetent. Fair or not fair? I have never been there, but I would like to give them the benefit of a doubt since I have a husband and son in law enforcement. So, a hearty four read-this-on-vacation stars for this new thriller. Perfect for fans of T.M. Logan ('The Vacation') and Alex Berenson ('The Power Couple').
Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
June 24, 2020
Orla and Kate are best friends, they have been through everything together and now Orla is married with a baby, Kate still living the busy career/single life, they decided to do something they have done many times previous and go away for a weekend and so off they go to Portugal, a few days to relax, unwind, take stock and enjoy each others company again without the hassles of men, babies and/ or work
They go on a night out in Lisbon which ends with Orla waking with a terrible hangover the next day, Kate, though is not so lucky....she doesn’t wake up, she is dead....and now Orla is being thrown into a roulette of mystery that ultimately intends for her to be charged with her murder
This story is feisty and exciting, there are so many layers to it and offshoots that it keeps you enthralled the whole way through, the hi energy intrigue coupled with outstanding ‘wordy but good wordy’ descriptive writing means every sentence builds and builds the tension and darkness that is enveloping Orla
The ending to the book is excellent, I read a lot and not many end with me so outfoxed as this one did, it was one of those ‘NOOOOOOO....but I love it’ endings!
Loved the atmosphere of the book, the characters were varied in my intensity of love and hate but all fabulously played and the Lisbon vibe throughout was
Every element of a great read is here and I honestly didnt want the book to end
10/10
5 Stars
They go on a night out in Lisbon which ends with Orla waking with a terrible hangover the next day, Kate, though is not so lucky....she doesn’t wake up, she is dead....and now Orla is being thrown into a roulette of mystery that ultimately intends for her to be charged with her murder
This story is feisty and exciting, there are so many layers to it and offshoots that it keeps you enthralled the whole way through, the hi energy intrigue coupled with outstanding ‘wordy but good wordy’ descriptive writing means every sentence builds and builds the tension and darkness that is enveloping Orla
The ending to the book is excellent, I read a lot and not many end with me so outfoxed as this one did, it was one of those ‘NOOOOOOO....but I love it’ endings!
Loved the atmosphere of the book, the characters were varied in my intensity of love and hate but all fabulously played and the Lisbon vibe throughout was
Every element of a great read is here and I honestly didnt want the book to end
10/10
5 Stars
August 19, 2020
An unputdownable mystery thriller that kept me hooked, this is my second read from Alderson and I havent been disappointed yet!
Friends Orla and Kate reprise their former yearly tradition of a weekend break away by visiting the Portuguese capital Lisbon.
It's been a fewyears since they last had a trip away together owing to Orla's IVF treatments and subsequent birth of a child.
It's quite striking how different the friends are now that Orla has become a parent.
With her baby now 9 months old, the author really captures the tiredness and frumpy feel of a new mum.
Whilst Kate wants to party hard, Orla is quite content to go for dinner and have a much earned early night.
Kate eventually wins and the pair end up in a club which soon spells trouble...
Orla wakes the next day having blacked out and no sign of her best friend.
She's sure that they both came back together, so what could have happened to her.
With plenty of twists during Orla's own investigation starts to unravel even more mysteries surrounding her friend.
As more clues are shown, the more involved I'd become with the story.
The helplessness of being in a foreign country really adds to Orla's desperation to find the answers.
This is a good one to start with if you've not previously read this author.
Friends Orla and Kate reprise their former yearly tradition of a weekend break away by visiting the Portuguese capital Lisbon.
It's been a fewyears since they last had a trip away together owing to Orla's IVF treatments and subsequent birth of a child.
It's quite striking how different the friends are now that Orla has become a parent.
With her baby now 9 months old, the author really captures the tiredness and frumpy feel of a new mum.
Whilst Kate wants to party hard, Orla is quite content to go for dinner and have a much earned early night.
Kate eventually wins and the pair end up in a club which soon spells trouble...
Orla wakes the next day having blacked out and no sign of her best friend.
She's sure that they both came back together, so what could have happened to her.
With plenty of twists during Orla's own investigation starts to unravel even more mysteries surrounding her friend.
As more clues are shown, the more involved I'd become with the story.
The helplessness of being in a foreign country really adds to Orla's desperation to find the answers.
This is a good one to start with if you've not previously read this author.
March 3, 2022
Update 3/3/22:
THIS IS NOW A NETFLIX MOVIE!!!!
What a wonderful, unexpected surprise this novel was! Up until the point I saw this at my library, I had never heard of Ms. Alderson, however the cover and premise of this book stood out to me. Who doesn't want to read a snappy book about a vacation between two friends that goes to HELL?!
As we begin reading, Orla and Kate have been best friends forever, and as it sometimes happens in life, have drifted apart and lost touch some. Now that Orla has finally had her child and her life has started settling down, and Kate has gone through a messy divorce, they both decide a vacation to Lisbon is just what the Doctor ordered! Almost immediately I picked up on the fact that something wasn't quite right with Kate, as she seemed bothered by something and a bit withdrawn. Orla notices, but quickly dismisses it as the stress from the divorce. After a night of debauchery out in the Lisbon nightlife both ladies go back to their AirBNB rental and get some much needed rest. The next morning Orla notices a few things seem....well, let's just say they seem abnormal however she can't seem to remember very much of what transpired the prior evening, and Kate is nowhere to be found! Did Kate disappear on her own accord? That's certainly what the police are saying, as well as it seems everyone else, but Orla knows something horrible has happened to her. With the help of a friendly refugee Uber driver named Konstantine, Orla discovers and tracks down the clues of what happened the evening before. But as the hours fly by, will she be too late? Is Kate gone for good? Sometimes people disappear willingly after all, but why would Kate?? Then, A body is suddenly discovered and Orla is called to the police station...what will the police tell her??
I really ate this one up! It sucked me right in and I just couldn't seem to stop reading it once I picked it up. I quickly connected with our protagonist Orla, and had my suspicions of Kate and company, keeping me completely engaged through what felt like a very quick read! The pacing, plot twists, red herrings, everything about this mystery/thriller really had me enthralled and captivated, and boy was this one a wild ride! So many horrible things can happen when vacationing in a foreign land, and this book perfectly portrayed what might be many traveler's worst nightmare! That being said, I am definitely going to go back and read ALL of Alderson's previous work, and I recommend anyone looking for a twisty beach read go out and immediately get this one! If you can't tell, I'm incredibly excited to continue with reading and reviewing this wonderful author! On to the next great '21 Read!!!
THIS IS NOW A NETFLIX MOVIE!!!!
What a wonderful, unexpected surprise this novel was! Up until the point I saw this at my library, I had never heard of Ms. Alderson, however the cover and premise of this book stood out to me. Who doesn't want to read a snappy book about a vacation between two friends that goes to HELL?!
As we begin reading, Orla and Kate have been best friends forever, and as it sometimes happens in life, have drifted apart and lost touch some. Now that Orla has finally had her child and her life has started settling down, and Kate has gone through a messy divorce, they both decide a vacation to Lisbon is just what the Doctor ordered! Almost immediately I picked up on the fact that something wasn't quite right with Kate, as she seemed bothered by something and a bit withdrawn. Orla notices, but quickly dismisses it as the stress from the divorce. After a night of debauchery out in the Lisbon nightlife both ladies go back to their AirBNB rental and get some much needed rest. The next morning Orla notices a few things seem....well, let's just say they seem abnormal however she can't seem to remember very much of what transpired the prior evening, and Kate is nowhere to be found! Did Kate disappear on her own accord? That's certainly what the police are saying, as well as it seems everyone else, but Orla knows something horrible has happened to her. With the help of a friendly refugee Uber driver named Konstantine, Orla discovers and tracks down the clues of what happened the evening before. But as the hours fly by, will she be too late? Is Kate gone for good? Sometimes people disappear willingly after all, but why would Kate?? Then, A body is suddenly discovered and Orla is called to the police station...what will the police tell her??
I really ate this one up! It sucked me right in and I just couldn't seem to stop reading it once I picked it up. I quickly connected with our protagonist Orla, and had my suspicions of Kate and company, keeping me completely engaged through what felt like a very quick read! The pacing, plot twists, red herrings, everything about this mystery/thriller really had me enthralled and captivated, and boy was this one a wild ride! So many horrible things can happen when vacationing in a foreign land, and this book perfectly portrayed what might be many traveler's worst nightmare! That being said, I am definitely going to go back and read ALL of Alderson's previous work, and I recommend anyone looking for a twisty beach read go out and immediately get this one! If you can't tell, I'm incredibly excited to continue with reading and reviewing this wonderful author! On to the next great '21 Read!!!
July 22, 2020
3.5 buckets of 🍿
I REALLY wish we could award 3.5 stars!
On one hand, Sarah Alderson’s style is immediately engaging and it drew me right in...
But, on the other hand, I kept envisioning this SUSPENSE novel as a movie, and it would come across as more of a COMEDY, instead...🤭
I had Amy Adams playing Orla, an EXTREMELY naive, 40 year old, new mother, on a weekend getaway with her long time BESTIE, the glamorous Kate...
(Amy could pull off the Irish accent, right?)
When Kate goes “missing” after their first “wild night” away, their Albanian UBER driver, Konstandin-played by Austrian-American Arnold Schwarzenegger-in his Terminator days-comes to the rescue..
“I’m going to break your nose and ruin your pretty face unless you tell the truth” (actual line from the book)
What ensues is an extremely CAMPY search for Kate, and the truth, filled with a few good twists!
If you enjoy that STYLE, you can pick this up TODAY!
Thanks to Avon books for providing a digital ARC of this book in exchange for a candid review!
I REALLY wish we could award 3.5 stars!
On one hand, Sarah Alderson’s style is immediately engaging and it drew me right in...
But, on the other hand, I kept envisioning this SUSPENSE novel as a movie, and it would come across as more of a COMEDY, instead...🤭
I had Amy Adams playing Orla, an EXTREMELY naive, 40 year old, new mother, on a weekend getaway with her long time BESTIE, the glamorous Kate...
(Amy could pull off the Irish accent, right?)
When Kate goes “missing” after their first “wild night” away, their Albanian UBER driver, Konstandin-played by Austrian-American Arnold Schwarzenegger-in his Terminator days-comes to the rescue..
“I’m going to break your nose and ruin your pretty face unless you tell the truth” (actual line from the book)
What ensues is an extremely CAMPY search for Kate, and the truth, filled with a few good twists!
If you enjoy that STYLE, you can pick this up TODAY!
Thanks to Avon books for providing a digital ARC of this book in exchange for a candid review!
July 16, 2020
The Weekend Away was another book that kept me up reading late into the night. I started and finished this yesterday, unable to stop turning the pages. It is a psychological thriller that you really get caught up in quickly. Until the very last pages you will be kept guessing. Really enjoyed it.
2 best friends go away on holiday, only one comes back. Orla and Kate are looking forward to a weekend away to escape their lives for a few days. Orla Is a new mum and struggling to cope. Kate is going through a messy divorce. This girls weekend is just what they need. But when Orla wakes up feeling fuzzy headed after their first night, Kate is nowhere to be found. All she can remember Is that they went out for dinner and then dancing. She needs to find the missing pieces of the night to try to find Kate.
This was a quick and easy read for me, with a ending that I did not see coming. Thanks to Avon Books UK for my advanced copy of this book to read
2 best friends go away on holiday, only one comes back. Orla and Kate are looking forward to a weekend away to escape their lives for a few days. Orla Is a new mum and struggling to cope. Kate is going through a messy divorce. This girls weekend is just what they need. But when Orla wakes up feeling fuzzy headed after their first night, Kate is nowhere to be found. All she can remember Is that they went out for dinner and then dancing. She needs to find the missing pieces of the night to try to find Kate.
This was a quick and easy read for me, with a ending that I did not see coming. Thanks to Avon Books UK for my advanced copy of this book to read
March 10, 2023
I was about 45% into the book and thought maybe I had finally found a great thriller. Unfortunately, it didn't stay that way for long. The thing is the plotline itself was pretty mediocre and formulaic. Although none of the characters are likeable, the book could have been enjoyed for the story's sake if the second half wasn't so poorly written. And, the last chapter beat everything, ugh, ruined the whole thing for me! Just as the book began with a mystery, it ends with one. This type of ending style in any book irritates me the most. What's the point of reading a suspense novel if I don't get an answer?
Many may think I'm exaggerating; perhaps I am doing exactly that. The fact is I read for enjoyment, not to pass the time or waste it.
Anyway, in my opinion, the Netflix movie did a better job; at least they gave the story a much-needed conclusion. I have really enjoyed watching that movie. I wish I could say the same thing about the book.
Many may think I'm exaggerating; perhaps I am doing exactly that. The fact is I read for enjoyment, not to pass the time or waste it.
Anyway, in my opinion, the Netflix movie did a better job; at least they gave the story a much-needed conclusion. I have really enjoyed watching that movie. I wish I could say the same thing about the book.
October 24, 2020
“The weekend away” had not caught my attention until some of my goodreads friends (you know who you are) wrote fantastic reviews about it, so I immediately went to request it on NetGalley.
I want my mysteries/thrillers/domestic suspense stories to grab me like I grab a pizza after a long week on a diet, and “The weekend away” most certainly did! I was hooked from page one and found myself saying just one more chapter several times before I was able to put it down.
The city of Lisbon made such a nice setting and, although I think it could have been used a little bit more, it gave a certain atmosphere perfect for this story. All characters were well fleshed out. Orla was a credible character although a bit naive sometimes. I specially liked her pairing with Konstandin, and his backstory added a very interesting layer to his character.
As usual in this kind of books there are twists and red herrings galore, but unlike some times, here they all felt natural and not forced at all. I liked the resolution and how it wasn’t really solved until the last page with a final twist I didn’t see coming.
Overall, a perfect summer read that will keep you glued to the pages.
Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I want my mysteries/thrillers/domestic suspense stories to grab me like I grab a pizza after a long week on a diet, and “The weekend away” most certainly did! I was hooked from page one and found myself saying just one more chapter several times before I was able to put it down.
The city of Lisbon made such a nice setting and, although I think it could have been used a little bit more, it gave a certain atmosphere perfect for this story. All characters were well fleshed out. Orla was a credible character although a bit naive sometimes. I specially liked her pairing with Konstandin, and his backstory added a very interesting layer to his character.
As usual in this kind of books there are twists and red herrings galore, but unlike some times, here they all felt natural and not forced at all. I liked the resolution and how it wasn’t really solved until the last page with a final twist I didn’t see coming.
Overall, a perfect summer read that will keep you glued to the pages.
Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
October 1, 2020
"'Did you ever stop to wonder whether any of it was true?’"
Two best friends go to Lisbon for a weekend away, Orla leaving behind the stresses of being a new mom and Kate escaping the troubles of her messy divorce. After an alcohol and drug fueled night out, Kate goes missing. Told exclusively from Orla's point of view, "The Weekend Away" follows the search to figure out what happened to Kate. The circumstances leading up to Kate's disappearance proved to trace an interesting series of events but ultimately wasn't overly thrilling or suspenseful. Red herrings were placed throughout yet I had figured out several of the twists early and waited for Orla to catch up. I've seen the familiar themes in this book too many times recently so maybe that took away some of the surprise. There's the dependable and responsible friend's envy of her wild and carefree bestie who seemed to get whatever she wanted on demand, a protagonist with selective memory loss, an affair or the suspicion of infidelity and a narrator who is oftentimes too naive and trusting, getting in her own way of discovering the truth.
Other aspects of the book were much more enjoyable though. I loved Orla's dynamic with Konstandin, the Uber driver from the night in question. He helps Orla search for clues about Kate's disappearance for reasons of his own, his backstory adding the perfect element to the story. I thought Konstandin was a great character and found myself wishing I could just hang out with him and let him drive me around Lisbon all day.
"But I will tell you this: in my experience humans are more capable of deception than we give them credit for. Everyone lies all the time. The question would be why though?" - Konstandin
Unfortunately, the ending didn't fully answer that question for me. Even though I knew both the cause of Kate's disappearance learned by the other characters as well as the final twist in advance, I didn't feel satisfied with the why of the latter.
Fans of the genre may still want to give this a try even though it was nothing special for me. I liked the author's writing style, descriptive without being overly so, immersing the reader into the story, thereby compensating for some of my issues with the book. Her depiction of Lisbon created the perfect setting although I would have liked to see it included more as the story progressed.
"It’s quite beautiful and I’m rapt by the magical feel of it, with its steep staircases, waterfalls of flowering pink bougainvillea and colourful brickwork. It’s like stepping back in time or into the pages of a fantasy novel."
"I close my eyes as I hang up and let the words bounce off me, meaningless as sleet blowing against a cold pane of glass."
"The darkness descends like a velvet cowl, wrapping me completely in its warmth and softness."
Two best friends go to Lisbon for a weekend away, Orla leaving behind the stresses of being a new mom and Kate escaping the troubles of her messy divorce. After an alcohol and drug fueled night out, Kate goes missing. Told exclusively from Orla's point of view, "The Weekend Away" follows the search to figure out what happened to Kate. The circumstances leading up to Kate's disappearance proved to trace an interesting series of events but ultimately wasn't overly thrilling or suspenseful. Red herrings were placed throughout yet I had figured out several of the twists early and waited for Orla to catch up. I've seen the familiar themes in this book too many times recently so maybe that took away some of the surprise. There's the dependable and responsible friend's envy of her wild and carefree bestie who seemed to get whatever she wanted on demand, a protagonist with selective memory loss, an affair or the suspicion of infidelity and a narrator who is oftentimes too naive and trusting, getting in her own way of discovering the truth.
Other aspects of the book were much more enjoyable though. I loved Orla's dynamic with Konstandin, the Uber driver from the night in question. He helps Orla search for clues about Kate's disappearance for reasons of his own, his backstory adding the perfect element to the story. I thought Konstandin was a great character and found myself wishing I could just hang out with him and let him drive me around Lisbon all day.
"But I will tell you this: in my experience humans are more capable of deception than we give them credit for. Everyone lies all the time. The question would be why though?" - Konstandin
Unfortunately, the ending didn't fully answer that question for me. Even though I knew both the cause of Kate's disappearance learned by the other characters as well as the final twist in advance, I didn't feel satisfied with the why of the latter.
Fans of the genre may still want to give this a try even though it was nothing special for me. I liked the author's writing style, descriptive without being overly so, immersing the reader into the story, thereby compensating for some of my issues with the book. Her depiction of Lisbon created the perfect setting although I would have liked to see it included more as the story progressed.
"It’s quite beautiful and I’m rapt by the magical feel of it, with its steep staircases, waterfalls of flowering pink bougainvillea and colourful brickwork. It’s like stepping back in time or into the pages of a fantasy novel."
"I close my eyes as I hang up and let the words bounce off me, meaningless as sleet blowing against a cold pane of glass."
"The darkness descends like a velvet cowl, wrapping me completely in its warmth and softness."
April 13, 2022
The author worked very hard to give us lots of suspects, but at the cost of creating one unlikely scenario after another.
July 28, 2021
An excellent read, this book was full of twists! Orla and Kate had been friends for a long time and they liked to go on a getaway every once in awhile. Recent years they haven’t gone anywhere because Orla had undergone a few IVF treatments since she wanted to have a baby. Now they have finally gone to one and it’s not what Orla was expecting. I have been loving books written by UK writers a lot recently. Many stories took place in London, but this story, the main character traveled to Lisbon. The main language spoken there was Portuguese. It’s interesting how Orla can tell what country people are from by their accent. Even though police were able to speak English, Orla was lucky that she got help from the Uber driver enough to figure out a lot of what had happened.
This book started with a prologue as Orla said goodbye to her husband Rob and baby Marlow. She’s leaving for a three-day weekend getaway with her best friend Kate whom she hasn’t seen in 4 years. Then the story began continued with Orla’s point of view, as she and Kate checked into an Airbnb and was excited at the fancy rental. They went out to a fancy restaurant and then to a bar. Eventually they brought two guys they met from the bar home with them, insisted by Kate. At this point they were both drunk. The next morning Orla woke up and only remembered pieces of the night before. Kate was not in her room and Orla had no idea where she went. Orla tried to search for Kate everywhere and even went to the police station to report Kate missing.
The Weekend Away was well written and a fast paced read! Reading many stories reminded me that many people are so well “put together that you sometimes don’t spot the cracks hiding beneath the wallpaper.” The ending of this book felt like there should be a sequel but it’s probably left to reader’s interpretation. Knowing how capable Orla was, she will know what to do with her revelation. I’m looking forward to watching the Netflix movie. This story felt like cat and mouse at times, chasing one clue which lead to another. I liked how each character had a role to play and it was hard to guess who the killer was. I enjoyed the ending a lot. I highly recommend everyone to read this book!
xoxo, Jasmine at www.howusefulitis.wordpress.com for more details
Many thanks to HarperCollins 360 for the opportunity to read and review. Please be assured that my opinions are honest.
This book started with a prologue as Orla said goodbye to her husband Rob and baby Marlow. She’s leaving for a three-day weekend getaway with her best friend Kate whom she hasn’t seen in 4 years. Then the story began continued with Orla’s point of view, as she and Kate checked into an Airbnb and was excited at the fancy rental. They went out to a fancy restaurant and then to a bar. Eventually they brought two guys they met from the bar home with them, insisted by Kate. At this point they were both drunk. The next morning Orla woke up and only remembered pieces of the night before. Kate was not in her room and Orla had no idea where she went. Orla tried to search for Kate everywhere and even went to the police station to report Kate missing.
The Weekend Away was well written and a fast paced read! Reading many stories reminded me that many people are so well “put together that you sometimes don’t spot the cracks hiding beneath the wallpaper.” The ending of this book felt like there should be a sequel but it’s probably left to reader’s interpretation. Knowing how capable Orla was, she will know what to do with her revelation. I’m looking forward to watching the Netflix movie. This story felt like cat and mouse at times, chasing one clue which lead to another. I liked how each character had a role to play and it was hard to guess who the killer was. I enjoyed the ending a lot. I highly recommend everyone to read this book!
xoxo, Jasmine at www.howusefulitis.wordpress.com for more details
Many thanks to HarperCollins 360 for the opportunity to read and review. Please be assured that my opinions are honest.
August 1, 2020
*Many thanks to NetGalley, Avon Books UK, and Sarah Alderson for this ARC! Now available as of 7/23!*
Striking, suspenseful, and thoroughly enjoyable! Orla has been living the ‘mom life’ for a while and dealing with a strained relationship with her husband Rob, so when her glamorous best friend Kate proposes a weekend girls getaway to Portugal, she is only too eager to say yes! When the friends arrive, Kate whisks Orla away to a fancy club where they meet two handsome and mysterious men...and quickly end up back in their subsequent hotel rooms. When Orla wakes up the next morning to no sign of Kate, mysterious crimson stains on the carpet in Kate's room, all of Kate's luggage still remaining, and only fuzzy memories of the night before, she begins to panic. Can Orla rely on the police and her few contacts in the unfamiliar country to help find and save her friend...or is her dream vacation spiraling into a deadly nightmare?
Alderson takes a somewhat basic premise and makes it anything but ordinary due to her fantastic group of characters! All of them genuinely felt like potential suspects at one point or another, leaving the reader with several red herrings to keep the suspense rising after each new reveal. I thought I had the ending figured out several times, but was so excited to be just slightly off every time because it made the conclusion all the more exciting! Portugal was also a perfect setting for this story, and helped give the story an air of dramatic intrigue throughout with a bit of tropical flair. This was a vacation read for me, and it definitely fit the bill! Grab your sunglasses if you're reading this one by the pool or on the beach: you won't be getting up for a while! 4 ⭐️
Striking, suspenseful, and thoroughly enjoyable! Orla has been living the ‘mom life’ for a while and dealing with a strained relationship with her husband Rob, so when her glamorous best friend Kate proposes a weekend girls getaway to Portugal, she is only too eager to say yes! When the friends arrive, Kate whisks Orla away to a fancy club where they meet two handsome and mysterious men...and quickly end up back in their subsequent hotel rooms. When Orla wakes up the next morning to no sign of Kate, mysterious crimson stains on the carpet in Kate's room, all of Kate's luggage still remaining, and only fuzzy memories of the night before, she begins to panic. Can Orla rely on the police and her few contacts in the unfamiliar country to help find and save her friend...or is her dream vacation spiraling into a deadly nightmare?
Alderson takes a somewhat basic premise and makes it anything but ordinary due to her fantastic group of characters! All of them genuinely felt like potential suspects at one point or another, leaving the reader with several red herrings to keep the suspense rising after each new reveal. I thought I had the ending figured out several times, but was so excited to be just slightly off every time because it made the conclusion all the more exciting! Portugal was also a perfect setting for this story, and helped give the story an air of dramatic intrigue throughout with a bit of tropical flair. This was a vacation read for me, and it definitely fit the bill! Grab your sunglasses if you're reading this one by the pool or on the beach: you won't be getting up for a while! 4 ⭐️
August 7, 2020
The Weekend Away is Gone Girl's lacking little sister. With quite a few plot holes and inconsistencies and with a shockingly dumb main protagonist, it still manages to grip the reader's interest and keeps you turning pages, marveling at both the stupidity of Orla and the twists of the story.
Orla and Kate are long life friends going on a long awaited weekend break. Inseparable since their twenties, life has gotten in the way and they don't keep in touch as they used to. A weekend away in Lisbon is the perfect break from their busy lives, a chance to reconnect and be like they used to. But after a boozy night out in the city, Orla wakes up with little recollection of the night before and Kate is nowhere to be found. With no answers or memories to help her, Orla embarks into an investigation full of twists and unraveling that will change her life.
This book is a tricky one for me. The beginning was a struggle, Orla is such a dislikable character with seemingly no redeeming qualities. She doesn't get any better throughout the book, but the mystery picks up. Towards the last third, things get interesting and some twists land, but it just made me realise the amount of potential the whole book would have with a good polish.
There are a couple plot holes that particularly annoyed me, because they allowed the plot to move in ways it shouldn't have. Basically, without those impossibilities, the plot wouldn't have been able to go where the author led it. But also, it's a shame because they had very easy fixes. Spoilers ahead.
Apart from this plot holes, the thing that annoyed me the most was Orla's stupidity. Her assuming Kate was safe because "she had her bag with her" was dumb. How she approached the whole thing was dumb. Basically, the whole plot wouldn't have worked with a person with half a brain. But I can accept some people are dumb and this could happen in real life. It was just quite laughable. Things were so obvious and predictable, and she kept being oblivious. And also her internal monologue was super repetitive. She kept saying "I hadn't thought of suspecting.... but now that I thought about it" and it's like, mate, you've already suspected this person, this is not news.
However, towards the end, the mystery unravelled into a gripping finish. Some turns and twists were long predicted (Pigeonhole readers are quite the detectives), and some parts of the plot were a bit ridiculous (), but the ending was developed in a mostly satisfactory way with a double twist that landed almost solidly.
The author seemed to use all the plots she could find, maximising the suspicion on all character a bit too much (), but it somehow finished with a nice touch.
All in all, an entertaining summer read where you have to make a little extra effort on your suspension of belief, but end quite satisfied. It brings quite a few non-intended laughs, and could have done with a polish to smooth the edges of the plot.
Orla and Kate are long life friends going on a long awaited weekend break. Inseparable since their twenties, life has gotten in the way and they don't keep in touch as they used to. A weekend away in Lisbon is the perfect break from their busy lives, a chance to reconnect and be like they used to. But after a boozy night out in the city, Orla wakes up with little recollection of the night before and Kate is nowhere to be found. With no answers or memories to help her, Orla embarks into an investigation full of twists and unraveling that will change her life.
This book is a tricky one for me. The beginning was a struggle, Orla is such a dislikable character with seemingly no redeeming qualities. She doesn't get any better throughout the book, but the mystery picks up. Towards the last third, things get interesting and some twists land, but it just made me realise the amount of potential the whole book would have with a good polish.
There are a couple plot holes that particularly annoyed me, because they allowed the plot to move in ways it shouldn't have. Basically, without those impossibilities, the plot wouldn't have been able to go where the author led it. But also, it's a shame because they had very easy fixes. Spoilers ahead.
Apart from this plot holes, the thing that annoyed me the most was Orla's stupidity. Her assuming Kate was safe because "she had her bag with her" was dumb. How she approached the whole thing was dumb. Basically, the whole plot wouldn't have worked with a person with half a brain. But I can accept some people are dumb and this could happen in real life. It was just quite laughable. Things were so obvious and predictable, and she kept being oblivious. And also her internal monologue was super repetitive. She kept saying "I hadn't thought of suspecting.... but now that I thought about it" and it's like, mate, you've already suspected this person, this is not news.
However, towards the end, the mystery unravelled into a gripping finish. Some turns and twists were long predicted (Pigeonhole readers are quite the detectives), and some parts of the plot were a bit ridiculous (), but the ending was developed in a mostly satisfactory way with a double twist that landed almost solidly.
The author seemed to use all the plots she could find, maximising the suspicion on all character a bit too much (), but it somehow finished with a nice touch.
All in all, an entertaining summer read where you have to make a little extra effort on your suspension of belief, but end quite satisfied. It brings quite a few non-intended laughs, and could have done with a polish to smooth the edges of the plot.
June 9, 2020
Thank You to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for this ARC!!
"Two friends go on holiday. Only one comes back"
I was attracted to this book by its cover and description!!
Orla and Kate have been best friends forever. And whatever else happens in their lives, they can always look forward to their annual weekend away..This year, they’re off to Lisbon. After a wild night of partying Orla wakes up the next morning only to find Kate missing and no recollection of the night before.
It was such a brilliantly written book and I just couldn't wait to reach the end. Apart from the main characters, Kate and Orla, I even loved the character of Konstandin.
I loved that it was fast paced, full of mystery and twists. And the final twist was so unexpected!!
Highly Recommended!
"Two friends go on holiday. Only one comes back"
I was attracted to this book by its cover and description!!
Orla and Kate have been best friends forever. And whatever else happens in their lives, they can always look forward to their annual weekend away..This year, they’re off to Lisbon. After a wild night of partying Orla wakes up the next morning only to find Kate missing and no recollection of the night before.
It was such a brilliantly written book and I just couldn't wait to reach the end. Apart from the main characters, Kate and Orla, I even loved the character of Konstandin.
I loved that it was fast paced, full of mystery and twists. And the final twist was so unexpected!!
Highly Recommended!
July 31, 2020
I started this book with high hopes that it was going to be exciting and twisty. Yes, it was twisty but, the character Orla really grated on me. Considering she was a grown women, married, with a baby and held down a job, she was a very irresponsible, irritating person who didn’t seem to have a lot of good sense when it came to people and men in particular. She seemed quite happy to get into cabs, move into a monks apartment and generally left herself wide open to rape and drugs.
It’s a shame the story held promise but, unfortunately it just annoyed me I the end.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.
It’s a shame the story held promise but, unfortunately it just annoyed me I the end.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.
July 23, 2020
Well, remind me to never go on holiday with Kate or Orla. What a nightmare! There is trouble around every corner, deceit down every street as Orla tries to fathom what has happened to her best friend. I appreciated the intrigue, was entertained by the plot twists and misdirection, but was uncomfortable by some of the subject matter.
Firstly, I found Orla’s character a little frustrating. However, I think that is more to do with the fact that I have watched many, many True Crime documentaries! Discovering that Kate has disappeared after an alcohol-fuelled evening, I was frustrated with Orla rummaging around the holiday apartment, trying to find clues about what happened the night before. She is reluctant to go to the police straight away, (which I understand, given the background we are provided about Kate’s character and the general rules about a missing person,) yet I wanted Orla to leave everything alone in case there were vital clues. She comes across as rather naive and blindly befriends anyone that will lend her a sympathetic ear. In all, Orla seems too trusting and unaware of the bigger picture.
In addition to this, some of the details included in the plot were a little far-fetched. Orla’s inability to remember the names of the men she met with in the club are suddenly dropped into the narrative – despite the previous lines showing Orla’s confusion about their identity. This was a shame: an editing error that could have been avoided. Secondly, when Orla comes to restore a phone to factory settings, she is able to do this with a quick tap of a few buttons. Given phone security these days and the lengths Orla has gone to to unlock the device, I found this part of the plot far-fetched.
The topic of date-rape drugs and subsequent memory loss dominates the narrative. Orla cannot remember what happened the last night she was with Kate. Initially she suspects it is down to excessive alcohol, but then the writer introduces the idea of being deliberately drugged. I found this quite uncomfortable to read about, especially when Orla comes across concrete evidence. I guess I wanted her to get to the police sooner rather than later, instead of taking matters into her own hands.
Despite these criticisms, I did enjoy this entertaining read. I had plenty of conspiracy theories as Orla tried to uncover her friend’s fate – none of them proved true! This is evidence of how well Alderson has created the plot. Whilst it did not feel ground-breaking, the twists were plenty to keep me intrigued. Indeed, setting the story in Lisbon adds to the panic in the story – successfully reflected in Orla and her running around the city. The setting felt alien to me and this added to the whole theme of disorientation throughout the narrative. Furthermore, although Orla comes across as a bit of a weak doormat to begin with, I enjoyed watching her grow in strength and determination; she grows into her own independence who is desperate to fight for her innocence and discover the truth.
This was a pretty good read and one I would recommend for the suitcase! Even if you are not on holiday this year, you are transported to the streets of Lisbon and the quest for the truth: what really happened to Kate after that eventual evening?
With thanks to Avon books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Firstly, I found Orla’s character a little frustrating. However, I think that is more to do with the fact that I have watched many, many True Crime documentaries! Discovering that Kate has disappeared after an alcohol-fuelled evening, I was frustrated with Orla rummaging around the holiday apartment, trying to find clues about what happened the night before. She is reluctant to go to the police straight away, (which I understand, given the background we are provided about Kate’s character and the general rules about a missing person,) yet I wanted Orla to leave everything alone in case there were vital clues. She comes across as rather naive and blindly befriends anyone that will lend her a sympathetic ear. In all, Orla seems too trusting and unaware of the bigger picture.
In addition to this, some of the details included in the plot were a little far-fetched. Orla’s inability to remember the names of the men she met with in the club are suddenly dropped into the narrative – despite the previous lines showing Orla’s confusion about their identity. This was a shame: an editing error that could have been avoided. Secondly, when Orla comes to restore a phone to factory settings, she is able to do this with a quick tap of a few buttons. Given phone security these days and the lengths Orla has gone to to unlock the device, I found this part of the plot far-fetched.
The topic of date-rape drugs and subsequent memory loss dominates the narrative. Orla cannot remember what happened the last night she was with Kate. Initially she suspects it is down to excessive alcohol, but then the writer introduces the idea of being deliberately drugged. I found this quite uncomfortable to read about, especially when Orla comes across concrete evidence. I guess I wanted her to get to the police sooner rather than later, instead of taking matters into her own hands.
Despite these criticisms, I did enjoy this entertaining read. I had plenty of conspiracy theories as Orla tried to uncover her friend’s fate – none of them proved true! This is evidence of how well Alderson has created the plot. Whilst it did not feel ground-breaking, the twists were plenty to keep me intrigued. Indeed, setting the story in Lisbon adds to the panic in the story – successfully reflected in Orla and her running around the city. The setting felt alien to me and this added to the whole theme of disorientation throughout the narrative. Furthermore, although Orla comes across as a bit of a weak doormat to begin with, I enjoyed watching her grow in strength and determination; she grows into her own independence who is desperate to fight for her innocence and discover the truth.
This was a pretty good read and one I would recommend for the suitcase! Even if you are not on holiday this year, you are transported to the streets of Lisbon and the quest for the truth: what really happened to Kate after that eventual evening?
With thanks to Avon books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
July 26, 2020
HOLY MOLY!! I SWEAR ON EVERYTHING HOLY this was the best thriller read on a Sunday afternoon. Author Sarah Alderson blew me away with this thrilling ride of a book.
Kate and Orla, best friends forever, go to Lisbon for a weekend together. A night of drinks and dancing and Kate vanished. It was now up to Orla to get to the truth of what happened to her friend.
My first book by this author, I was stumped with the way the story flowed, with each circumstance creating a hurdle for Orla. How was she to search for a woman in an unknown city. The pace was fast and I was barely keeping up.
The characters were genuine with Orla being a new mother away from her child for the first time. Alone and wary was done well. Twists were revealed every few chapters, and the author knew how to keep me hopping with joy.
The ending was exactly as I thought it should be. The last line was a blast. I lived how the author lived up to each of my expectations of how a thriller should be. The story might seem familiar, but after a while, I got so deep into it that nothing mattered.
My pulse skittered almost throughout the book, and I enjoyed it completely.
Kate and Orla, best friends forever, go to Lisbon for a weekend together. A night of drinks and dancing and Kate vanished. It was now up to Orla to get to the truth of what happened to her friend.
My first book by this author, I was stumped with the way the story flowed, with each circumstance creating a hurdle for Orla. How was she to search for a woman in an unknown city. The pace was fast and I was barely keeping up.
The characters were genuine with Orla being a new mother away from her child for the first time. Alone and wary was done well. Twists were revealed every few chapters, and the author knew how to keep me hopping with joy.
The ending was exactly as I thought it should be. The last line was a blast. I lived how the author lived up to each of my expectations of how a thriller should be. The story might seem familiar, but after a while, I got so deep into it that nothing mattered.
My pulse skittered almost throughout the book, and I enjoyed it completely.
August 18, 2020
The Weekend Away is standard psychological thriller fare that focuses on the tried and tested question of how well you can ever know those closest to you and although a mediocre read with the usual proviso of being rather far-fetched it is briskly paced with an eclectic cast of secondary characters and makes for easy entertainment.
Orla and Kate have been best-friends for nearly twenty years and regularly made time for their annual weekend abroad but life has got in the way for both of them with forty-year-old Orla and her husband, Rob, parents to a nine-month-old baby, and Kate in the midst of a divorce from her wealthy husband, Toby. When Kate proposes a city break in Lisbon to celebrate her imminent divorce Orla agrees despite the worry of being parted from her baby for the first time but it doesn’t take long to realise the two women have very different agendas. Narrated in the first person by trusting Orla who is hoping for early nights and shopping it becomes clear that Kate is a bit of a goer with a healthy stash of narcotics on hand to ‘enhance’ the much wilder weekend she has planned. On their first night in Lisbon Kate is behaving erratically and drags Orla off to a bar with the obvious intention of getting drunk and hooking up with the two men they soon meet...
Next morning Orla wakes up with a very fuzzy head and no idea where Kate is. Her memory of the previous night is patchy, the police seem disinterested when she reports her friend missing and and the creepy landlord of the apartment keeps hanging about complaining about the noise the pair made returning home the night before. Loyal Orla knows she is Kate’s only hope and with the rather random assistance of Kosovan Uber driver, Konstandin, she throws herself into unpicking the web surrounding her friends mysterious disappearance.
There are a few continuity errors and plot holes along the way and this is definitely a novel that benefits from not being thought about too deeply! Not everything adds up and the likelihood of mismatched pair, Orla and Kate, being best-friends for decades doesn’t ring true at all. Orla lacks common sense and is gullible, Kate is a loose cannon and all the men they meet in Lisbon are rather shadily characterised, not making for the most convincing of storylines but things move quickly with a decent twist into the close that surprised me. With a considered back-story and intimidating outward persona it was Konstandin rather than dreary Orla who kept me invested in this story.
Orla and Kate have been best-friends for nearly twenty years and regularly made time for their annual weekend abroad but life has got in the way for both of them with forty-year-old Orla and her husband, Rob, parents to a nine-month-old baby, and Kate in the midst of a divorce from her wealthy husband, Toby. When Kate proposes a city break in Lisbon to celebrate her imminent divorce Orla agrees despite the worry of being parted from her baby for the first time but it doesn’t take long to realise the two women have very different agendas. Narrated in the first person by trusting Orla who is hoping for early nights and shopping it becomes clear that Kate is a bit of a goer with a healthy stash of narcotics on hand to ‘enhance’ the much wilder weekend she has planned. On their first night in Lisbon Kate is behaving erratically and drags Orla off to a bar with the obvious intention of getting drunk and hooking up with the two men they soon meet...
Next morning Orla wakes up with a very fuzzy head and no idea where Kate is. Her memory of the previous night is patchy, the police seem disinterested when she reports her friend missing and and the creepy landlord of the apartment keeps hanging about complaining about the noise the pair made returning home the night before. Loyal Orla knows she is Kate’s only hope and with the rather random assistance of Kosovan Uber driver, Konstandin, she throws herself into unpicking the web surrounding her friends mysterious disappearance.
There are a few continuity errors and plot holes along the way and this is definitely a novel that benefits from not being thought about too deeply! Not everything adds up and the likelihood of mismatched pair, Orla and Kate, being best-friends for decades doesn’t ring true at all. Orla lacks common sense and is gullible, Kate is a loose cannon and all the men they meet in Lisbon are rather shadily characterised, not making for the most convincing of storylines but things move quickly with a decent twist into the close that surprised me. With a considered back-story and intimidating outward persona it was Konstandin rather than dreary Orla who kept me invested in this story.
Want to read
March 4, 2022leighton meester is playing the main character in the movie adaptation, you know i have to read it 🙇♀️
April 3, 2020
I have just finished this one today and I was completely blown away! Loved it.
Orla and Kate have been best friends for years and each year they go away together to catch up. But with Orla's struggles to have a child and now having a small child, their catch up's have been missed. Finally, here they are together again in Lisbon, for a girls weekend. Kate is going through a messy divorce and Orla is struggling as a new mum, so their weekend away is the perfect break for them both. They head out for dinner and dancing, but the next morning Orla wakes and Kate is gone. To make matters worse, Orla can't recall the events of the evening very well. As the story goes along, Orla try to recount the evenings events and piece together her time with Kate.
This was the perfect mystery, as you can't be sure if Kate has just run off with some man, as it seems that may be her style, or if it's something more serious. There are a bunch of questionable characters involved and the foreign location just adds to the mystery and intrigue. This was twisted and suspenseful and I actually love that it may well be set up for a sequel.
Thank you to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for this advance review copy.
Orla and Kate have been best friends for years and each year they go away together to catch up. But with Orla's struggles to have a child and now having a small child, their catch up's have been missed. Finally, here they are together again in Lisbon, for a girls weekend. Kate is going through a messy divorce and Orla is struggling as a new mum, so their weekend away is the perfect break for them both. They head out for dinner and dancing, but the next morning Orla wakes and Kate is gone. To make matters worse, Orla can't recall the events of the evening very well. As the story goes along, Orla try to recount the evenings events and piece together her time with Kate.
This was the perfect mystery, as you can't be sure if Kate has just run off with some man, as it seems that may be her style, or if it's something more serious. There are a bunch of questionable characters involved and the foreign location just adds to the mystery and intrigue. This was twisted and suspenseful and I actually love that it may well be set up for a sequel.
Thank you to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for this advance review copy.
October 6, 2020
Set in Lisbon, The Weekend Away by Sarah Alderson is the story of two friends who go on a weekend trip to the capital city of Portugal, where one of them goes missing. With the help of a local Uber driver, the other friend then embarks on the journey of finding her friend and the perpetrator of the crime.
The twists in the fast-paced story are interesting, but the ending is as predictable as it can get. A lot of red herrings were added to build the smokescreen around the actual culprit and add some much needed twists to an otherwise simple and most expected conclusion.
Thanks to the author and the publisher for the ARC.
Verdict: One time read.
The twists in the fast-paced story are interesting, but the ending is as predictable as it can get. A lot of red herrings were added to build the smokescreen around the actual culprit and add some much needed twists to an otherwise simple and most expected conclusion.
Thanks to the author and the publisher for the ARC.
Verdict: One time read.
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