Synopsis:

Seven days. Three families. One killer.

It was supposed to be the perfect holiday – a group of families enjoying a week together in the sun. Four women who have been best friends for as long as they can remember making the most of a luxurious villa in the south of France.

But Kate has a secret: her husband is having an affair. And a week away might just be the perfect opportunity to get the proof she needs – to catch him in the act once and for all. Because she suspects the other woman is one of her two best friends.

One of them is working against her, willing to sacrifice years of friendship to destroy her family. But which one? As Kate closes in on the truth in the stifling Mediterranean heat, she realises too late that the stakes are far higher than she ever imagined . . .

Because someone in the villa may be prepared to kill to keep their secret hidden.

7/21/20

I did not want to put The Vacation down. It’s a quick read about four old friends and their families on holiday at a villa in France. But these friends have old grudges and secrets that are determined to ruin their happy reunion.

“Back then, it seemed like all four of us were essentially the same—same starting point, same university, same hopes and dreams for the future, just waiting for life to happen to us. We all wanted the same things. Then we had graduated and left our younger selves behind, like snakes shedding their skin.”

T.M. Logan, The Vacation

What I enjoyed most about this one, besides the dreamy location, was the author’s ability to keep me guessing. To masterfully convey that ever so slight edge that had me second-guessing everyone. And I mean everyone. Even five year old, Odette. But while most of the characters are unreliable, I didn’t mind it like I usually do. It worked in The Vacation. 

Most of the book is narrated by Kate, who just so happens to be a crime analyst. It’s her analytical point of view that simultaneously helps and hinders her search for the truth about her husband and his secrets. She has a hard time separating herself from her job even while on vacation, her mind working overtime, dissecting each person’s actions and comments. And while she slowly processes her thoughts and observations, the tension is building leading to a breaking point between these guests.