Title: The Vacation by T.M. Logan
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Genre: Contemporary, Domestic Mystery
Length: 367 pages
Book Rating: B+
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
In The Vacation, a captivating thriller from T. M. Logan, the bestselling author of Lies and 29 Seconds, four best friends on a dream vacation come face-to-face with an explosive secret.
It was supposed to be the perfect getaway: Kate and her three best friends, spending a week with their families in a luxurious villa in the south of France. Through the decades they’ve stayed closer than ever, and seven days of drinking crisp French wine and laying out under the dazzling Mediterranean sun is the perfect celebration of their friendship. But soon after arriving, Kate discovers an incriminating text on her husband’s cell phone.
A text revealing that he’s having an affair.
And that the other woman is one of her best friends.
But which one?
Trapped in paradise with no one to trust, Kate is determined to find out who has put her marriage—and a lifelong friendship—in jeopardy. But as she closes in on the truth, she realizes that the stakes are higher than she ever imagined. Everyone on the trip has secrets…and someone may be prepared to kill to keep theirs hidden.
Review:
The Vacation by T.M. Logan is an intriguing domestic mystery with an idyllic setting.
Kate, her husband Sean and their kids, sixteen year old Lucy and nine year old Daniel, set off for a vacation with old friends. Kate’s friend Rowan secured their lavish holiday home and she is accompanied by her husband Russ and their five year old daughter Odette. Jennifer, her husband Alistair, and their teenage sons Ethan and Jake are also part of the holiday makers. Sean’s childhood friend Izzy rounds out the group of friends who are hoping to reconnect as they escape their regular lives. But as Kate soon discovers, her problems have accompanied them and she soon views her friends with a very suspicious eye.
Kate works as a criminal analyst with the Metropolitan Police and she harbors suspicions that Sean is having an affair. All of the signs are there and after snooping in his phone, Kate is dismayed to discover that his mistress is one of her friends. Throughout their stay, she casts an eye on each of them as she tries to figure out the person who has betrayed her.
Rowan is a successful business owner with a lucrative deal in the making. While she is busy keeping on top of the merger, Russ spends the most of his time drinking heavily. Odette is annoying as she vies for her parents’ attention. Kate wonders if Rowan could be who Sean is seeing due to his dissatisfaction with their social standing.
Kate has always viewed Jennifer and Russ as mismatched but they seem happy enough. Jennifer also works at her sons’ school and she is very involved in their lives. So Kate initially discounts her as a possibility. But once she catches a surprising glimpse of them together, she cannot help but transfer her suspicions her way.
Izzy might be Sean’s childhood friend, but she is open and forthcoming so Kate really does not believe she would cheat with another woman’s husband. But at the announcement she is giving up working out of the country, Kate cannot help but wonder why. After Izzy reveals she is in a relationship then remains cagey about the person’s identity, Kate believes she could be Sean’s mystery woman.
Meanwhile, Kate realizes something is amiss with Lucy. But like all teenagers, Lucy is not exactly open to confiding in her mother. But Kate cannot help but notice her daughter is clearly upset about something but she becomes preoccupied with her own troubles. Jennifer’s sons are up to mischief right from the start and young Daniel gets caught up in their shenanigans throughout their stay. Odette remains a bit of a thorn is everyone’s sides with her whining and everyone is generally miserable while in her company.
The Vacation is an engrossing domestic mystery with a creative storyline and plenty of secrets. The characters are well-developed with distinct personalities and some are more likable than others. With the tension ratcheting higher with each chapter, T.M. Logan brings this mesmerizing domestic mystery to a twist-filled, shocking conclusion. A brilliant mystery that I enjoyed and recommend to fans of the genre.
