This is part of my Summer Reads series where I’ll be sharing book recommendations – a series of “not just cookbooks”.
I don’t know about you but I love a good twisty thriller for a summer read – one that I can devour in one sitting or at least in the course of one day! This week’s #SummerReads pick is just that!
From the publisher:
The Venatura Hotel desperately needs a facelift. Too bad renovations are murder on a marriage.
While recovering from a professional setback, documentary filmmaker Jane Duvall stays at a remote hotel during the off season with her new contractor husband, Dom, and his daughter, Sienna. Surrounded by an immense forest and the mighty Fraser River, Jane wants nothing more than to bond with her new family. But she’s unsettled by the cold, quiet presence of the hotel’s owner, Peter, who is overseeing Dom’s renovations. When she starts asking questions, Dom grows distant and Sienna becomes belligerent. Undeterred, Jane uncovers secrets that make her question exactly who she married, including a series of strange disappearances at the hotel in previous seasons. When a rainstorm of epic proportions threatens to flood the banks of the river and claim the Venatura Hotel, Jane must solve these mysteries if she’s to survive the off season.
Wow – what a wild ride!
Jane meets Dom and 6 months later they are married and headed to be caretakers of a hotel in remote BC during its off season with Dom’s teenage daughter. Not only do Dom and his daughter have secrets but so does the hotel and so does Jane. The remote Canadian setting was deeply atmospheric and it being the off-season made for a much creepier story than had it been the middle of the peak tourist season. It feels like you’re watching a movie, the setting descriptions are so vivid (sidebar: this would make a great movie!).
In terms of the story, there is a lot going on with a few different (but intertwining) storylines which might be problematic, however Cowie manages to make it easy to keep things straight whilst keeping the pace at a “page turner” speed. It ended a bit too quickly for me (and I totally did not see the final twist coming!) – everything was wrapped up abruptly in the last few chapters and I could have used a slower “reveal” to help me keep things straight at the end but, overall, this was an excellent read!
Recommended for your summer (or winter cozy) read!
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Disclosure: I received an advance copy from Simon & Schuster Canada in exchange for an honest review. I am not receiving any compensation for reviewing the book. Neither the author nor the publisher reviewed this post prior to publication. All opinions are my own.
Buy The Off Season on Amazon (this affiliate link should bring you to the Amazon store in, or closest to, your country).
For free worldwide shipping, find The Off Season on Blackwell’s.
Support your local Indie bookstore and purchase The Off Season on Bookshop.org.
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