The Vacation: An utterly gripping thriller packed with suspense

M.M. Chouinard

May 2021 · Bookouture

About this ebook

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “If you read one mystery/thriller this year let this be it… Had me on the edge of my seat and the twists and turns were amazing. I was captivated from the start… I could not put this down and never saw the ending coming.” Goodreads Reviewer

One of them is missing… One of them did it…

The Thanksgiving retreat was meant to be a time for them to get away from it all, miles from the secrets that threaten to tear their family apart. But they’re each hiding something:

Rose hopes the pretty house overlooking the sea is just the break her family needs. But as she gazes at the water and remembers her own childhood, she is utterly terrified.

Brandon knows his wife Rose has barely forgiven him for his affair. He’s started drinking again, a road that led him to disaster once before.

Brianna, Rose’s sister-in-law, is recovering from her fifth miscarriage, and when she looks at her adorable niece, she can’t help but see the daughter she deserves.

Then three-year-old Lily disappears from her bed in the villa. Isolated in what should have been paradise, it quickly becomes clear that one of them took her.

As one by one their secrets are uncovered, who will be destroyed next?

A completely addictive thriller about every parent’s worst nightmare that will keep you guessing into the early hours of the morning. Perfect for fans of The Guest List, One by One and The Sister-in-Law.

What readers are saying about The Vacation:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Wow!!! What did I just read!!! An intense, gripping thriller filled with suspense, twists and turns that will keep you at the edge of the seat!… Along with the fast-paced action and twists and turns, the ending was so gripping and shocking that I almost couldn’t believe it!!! What a twisted ending!!!… Will keep you up all night!” Tropical Girl Reads Books

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “WOWWWWWWWW! What a great plot, unbelievable twists… It was soooooooooo good, I couldn’t get enough and now I’m sad I finished it. I never guessed who was the culprit, and then when it was revealed, there was even more that came out.” NetGalley reviewer

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “You CANNOT miss this book. You HAVE to read it. I’m honestly telling you that I haven’t read such a good thriller in a long time… I loved the ending, it was totally unexpected! … This book made me stay up till 1:30am!… I couldn’t stop reading. It deserves all the hype. You won’t regret reading it!” Thriller Books Review

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Holy cannoli Batman… Incredible… Starts with a bang—and it doesn’t slow down for a second. The first chapter is guaranteed to hook you… There is a very unexpected, emotional twist in this book that is sure to steal your breath away… Your heart will fall out of your chest. This is what thrillers are made of, folks.” KKEC Reads

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “OMG… the story grips from the start. Nail-biting and heartbreaking. Eek—I’ll be thinking about the ending for a long time. It had everything that a brilliant mystery needs and I’d recommend it in a heartbeat!” Carla Kovach, bestselling thriller writer

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Holy Molyyyy! What a book. I could not put this down! Three families go on a vacation together and you will not believe what happens next… This is truly a thriller and one book you will not be able to put down.” My Dog Is My Therapist

Ratings and reviews

A family vacation in Jamaica . Can't imagine what could go so very wrong. Of course it does. Lily aged 3 goes missing from her bedroom while the parents are socializing. Sound familiar ? Maybe but there are so many twists and turns, secrets and lies that your head will spin. What a family, everyone has a secret they are so desperately trying to hide. Can't see that going well for any of them. The pages fly by. I tried to decide who was guilty and I changed my mind several times. I was wrong. The Vacation will have you quickly reading, looking over your shoulder if you are on vacation with family. Don't miss The Vacation, its so good.

This intense thriller will break your heart and have you on the edge of your seat! Thanksgiving in Jamaica should be paradise for three adult couples and their children but things take a tragic turn when 3-year-old Lily goes missing. Every parent’s worst nightmare becomes even more horrific when the local police quickly turn their suspicions on the family. Every one of the adults has something to hide, and I could not stop turning the pages until I found out all of their dark secrets. All of these deep-seated issues make for lots of twists and plenty of possible motives, but you won’t see this ending coming! I love when I’m surprised by the ending despite plenty of guessing. True crime buffs will see more than a few shades of the Madeleine McCann disappearance almost two decades ago. There are enough similarities that it seems likely that this novel’s central crime was inspired by the McCann tragedy, but M.M. Chouinard’s characters and their motivations are completely original, unexpected, and very well done!

If you are a regular reader of my reviews then you know how much I love M.M. Chouinard’s work and her Detective Jo Fournier series. So you could imagine my delight when I heard she was releasing her first standalone thriller. Although I could never get enough of Jo Fournier, it was great to read what M.M. Chouinard could do outside of a series. Let me tell you, she nails it! Right off the bat this book moves at full steam ahead. M.M. Chouinard pulls the reader into the pages and you are thrown straight into the thick of it as you become embroiled in a parents worst nightmare. It’s subject matter is tough and whilst there are stories out there of the similar nature, this one really stands out above the rest. The cast of characters. are diverse and a mix of likeable and unlikeable. Told from the point of view from three of the women, gives the reader great insight into their own relationships, what they think of each other’s and the motivation behind the unimaginable. Each with secrets to hide, it was hard to know who to trust as each narrative becomes more unreliable as the story progresses. This read just flies by with it’s short chapters that compel you to read just one more. Good luck with trying to put this one down as I definitely couldn’t. This one got me right in it’s clutches and didn’t let me go until that final page. I just had to know how it was all going to unfold. As always the writing is impeccable and the way it is delivered, first class. M.M. Chouinard could write a book on toilet paper and I would be first in line to read it! You just know you are going to brilliant read each and every time when you read one of her books and The Vacation is no different. It really is a masterclass on the genre. The Vacation is an emotionally charged, gripping and intense read that will take your breath away. In true M.M. Chouinard form the twist is jaw dropping and will shake you to your very core. Another brilliant story that you must add to your reading this year immediately.