The Beach by Sarah Linley
Genre: Thriller & Mystery
Published: February 2020, One More Chapter
Rating: 4/5
About the Book:
It was supposed to be the perfect trip. Four friends, fresh out of university, backpacking around Thailand. But among the sun, sea and sand, something went horribly wrong…
In the years since, Holly has tried hard to push memories of that terrible summer from her mind. Now a schoolteacher, she believes her life is finally coming together when she meets Tom and his adorable five-year-old son, Jack.
But then, Holly starts receiving anonymous messages, showing photos which Holly was sure she destroyed years ago. Someone clearly knows the truth about what really happened. The only question is, how far will they go to get revenge?
Swathi’s Thoughts:
Holly is now a primary school teacher, living in a secluded village cottage in the calm and quiet Yorkshire Dales. She comes from an adopted family and has an elder sister Lisa who’s pretty famous. She’s seeing Tom who is divorced with a kid. He wants to keep their relationship secret from the village and she’s tired of sneaking around.
The story takes a twist as Holly starts getting anonymous text messages and letters that threatens to unravel the one secret she’s hiding from everyone. A secret from her past. Her university days when she used to live with her then best friends. With whom she’s not in touch anymore. Something terrible happened when the friends decided to take a trip to Thailand after uni and their lives hasn’t been the same again.
Someone knows her secrets and threatens to expose her. And Holly knows it’s time to go down the memory lane to find out who!
It’s hard to believe that this book is the author’s first novel. I loved the suspense that’s building up right from the first few chapters. The atmosphere was very likeable and the recurring characters were friendlier than the main ones. In a sleepy little village where everyone knows everyone it’s hard to hide a secret. Doesn’t mean there isn’t one though. The Vacation to Thailand showed the youthful days of the friends. Drinking partying all day and night as typical holidayers. It was a quick read for me, chapters rolling by smoothly and the suspense still waiting to come out by itself. If you want a light, fast paced, atmospheric thriller set in rural England with a taste of holiday in Thailand, then this book should be yours!
Thanks to Sarah Linley and One More Chapter for my digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion. All views are solely mine.
Meet the Author:
Sarah Linley lives in Yorkshire and works as a Communications Manager for a housing charity. She spent two years backpacking around South-East Asia with her husband. Their travels inspired her debut novel, The Beach. When she is not writing, she enjoys walking in the Dales with her dad and his dog.
