The Last Holiday
Amy Sheppard
345 pages
Bookouture
published May 30, 2023
Amazon | Goodreads | US Audio | UK Audio
Listen to an audiobook sample here.
About the book
One last holiday together. One of us wouldn’t come home…
Saturday night: It starts as an innocent holiday game amongst old friends. As we sit around our campfire, the evening sky streaked with peach, my little boy sleeping peacefully in our tent, the wine flows and secrets are spilled.
It should be harmless fun, but Annie’s questions worry me. She’s always been the keeper of our secrets. She knows all the infidelities, the indiscretions, the stolen kisses…
I just hope she knows when to stop. Because there’s something I can’t let her bring to the surface…
Wednesday morning: It’s the little things that stay with you. The hurried rip of zips being opened. Figures stumbling into the cold night air. The screams echoing across the campsite as flashlights scour the ground. That’s what happens when someone you love is murdered.
One of us is responsible for Annie’s death. One of us will stop at nothing to keep our secrets hidden…
A totally gripping psychological thriller that will take you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions and have you gasping at the twists. Fans of The Housemaid, Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train will be turning pages all night long!
My Review
So this is going to sound weird, but you have a bunch of old friends get together for a holiday reunion and they all seem to be sleeping around on their partners and spouses, but it doesn’t read like a housewives book. None of the characters are likable, but that isn’t a deal breaker for me in a thriller/mystery. As long as the story makes me want more. In this one I wanted to know who killed Annie. As the detective, who happens to know this group of friends from school, tries to solve the case in the present, it’s really the time in the past that gives us insight to the characters and their personalities.
There is no shortage of suspects as the group of friends isn’t small. They have been through a lot together over the years giving many of them a motive for murder. I’m always a little leery of spoiling things by telling too much. This is multi layered and complex. It is not fast paced, but you are rewarded when finished with an ending you won’t see coming. At least I did not.
I both read and listened to this one and enjoyed both versions. I am a huge audiobook fan because it allows me to continue a story when conventional reading isn’t possible. While this doesn’t have multiple narrators to go along with the large cast of characters, Naomi Fredrick does a good job of trying to differentiate the characters. I did find I could get a little confused if I did not pay attention as the chapters changed, so if you find audiobooks a little challenging, then you might want to stick with an eBook/book copy. But for audiobook veterans, this is a great way to keep “reading” this one when things get in the way of reading time.
If you’re a fan of character driven mysteries with a lot of drama, you should pick this one up.

Amy Sheppard is a busy mum of two boys, living in Cornwall. Her obsession with making budget friendly family dinners, led her to writing two cookbooks. Amy creates recipes for her followers and for brands @amysheppardfood
The Last Holiday is the author’s second fiction novel.

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