The Weekend Away, by Sarah Alderson
Publication: Avon Books, UK; July 23, 2020
About:
Two friends go on holiday. Only one comes back.
If you loved The Holiday, get ready for your new obsession…
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 Review**
Welcome to my review of the upcoming thriller by author Sarah Alderson, The Weekend Away! This was my first time reading anything from this author and when I saw the blurb I thought it sounded like the perfect escape for the day. As the blurb states, two longtime friends are on a weekend away to Lisbon. Kate is going through a divorce and Orla is a new mother, leaving her baby at home with her husband Rob for the first time. I will say that a great deal of the beginning dragged as Orla whined about leaking breasts and not having the same hot body as Kate. But soon the big annoying elephant in the room wasn’t just about Orla but about both of them. I truly feel that this friendship had run its course years ago because these women had absolutely nothing in common except for a shared history of drinking, clubbing, and hooking up with people. Oh and there was also their annual trip, although this is the first trip they’ve taken in 3 or 4 years.
After their first night in Lisbon where Kate chose to party like a rock star and Orla was just wanting to go to bed, Orla wakes up to find Kate gone. Not only is Kate gone, Orla has an epic hangover, she’s struggling to remember the events from the previous night, and has no idea how to piece everything together with the mess she finds in their apartment. Of course the police won’t help for 24 hours, thus bringing us to the beginning of Orla’s own investigation with the help of their Uber driver, Konstandin.
This book was written from Orla’s point of view and it doesn’t take long to realize how unreliable a narrator is. I didn’t completely dislike Orla, but I wasn’t a huge fan either. However, none of the characters are really likable, except Konstandin. Everyone else was self-absorbed, sketchy, and dishonest. And I mean everyone.
Although this novel was long, parts of it absolutely flew by and at times, it was quite a page-turner. I remained interested in the outcome the entire time, but couldn’t help but think that things were dragging quite a few times. For awhile, I just knew that I had this one all figured out regarding “whodunit” but I was pleasantly surprised towards the end when the author threw in another player and another detail discounting all of my theories and predictions. Nothing makes me happier than an ending (or almost ending) that is completely unlike what I was thinking, so bravo for that! But then came the actual, final ending that I am assuming is meant to open up the possibility for a second book. I not so gracefully closed down my iPad, tossed into onto the night stand and was completely annoyed and frustrated. Don’t worry this isn’t a cliffhanger in that sense, I guess just a little tease about what could be. And I wasn’t a fan.
Nevertheless, this is a good suspense thriller that I think many readers will enjoy. There were some frustrating moments and some things that just didn’t work for me, but if you’re looking for a suspenseful mystery/thriller with plenty of twists and turns, then I think this is one you will enjoy!
*Thanks to NetGalley and Avon UK for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!
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