Scan barcode
A review by thestucumminsreads
The Weekend Away by Sarah Alderson
5.0
Sarah Alderson’s “The Weekend Away” is another heart-racing, twisty thriller from the author, which hurtles along at break-neck speed to a shocking conclusion. It’s a captivating, exciting whodunnit that will keep you guessing from chapter to chapter...
When Orla heads to Lisbon for a long weekend with her best friend Kate, she’s all set for a few days of food, drink, sightseeing and a well earned break from looking after her young daughter. However, after a night of heavy drinking, Orla passes out at their apartment and when she awakes the next morning Kate is nowhere to be found... Orla begins a frantic search around the city, befriending Konstandin, the Uber driver who dropped them at a boutique bar the night before. She only has fragments of her memory from the night before - who were the two men Kate bought back to their apartment? Does the creepy apartment owner who lives below know anything? Is Kate’s ex-husband somehow involved? Why are the police dragging their heels with the missing persons report? And is Orla really as innocent as she insists? As things unfold over the next few days, nothing will remain as it was when Orla and Kate took to the skies...
I found “The Weekend Away” to be a highly engaging and gripping suspense thriller. There’s a distinctly Hitchcokian feel to the narrative: the element of the wrong woman being accused, the fate of Kate arguably being a MacGuffin (and not the most important aspect of the plot), the climactic twists, an ordinary woman thrust into extraordinary circumstances and the fact that none of the characters seem to be trustworthy. Alderson writes in this style with aplomb and I could easily see Hitchcock having made a cinematic version of the novel. I loved the references to Hitchcock in the story too - that knowing wink/nod from Alderson to her readers! The plot develops at a really fast pace and I found myself thrust excitedly into the lives of the characters and the situation Orla found herself in. There is plenty of mystery, drama, action and suspense, as Orla unravels what has happened to Kate. There are multiple twists and I enjoyed guessing some of them before they were revealed. Alderson is masterful when it comes to misdirection and keeping readers guessing. One of the aspects that I found refreshing about this book, is that Orla - quite believably - suspect’s practically anybody and everybody she encounters in Lisbon. By doing this, Alderson raises every possible suspect and hints at scenarios that a few pages before I found I was guessing at and wondering whether I was on to something! This made “The Weekend Away” a really fun read and despite having being convinced of the perpetrator as I approached the end of the novel, I still didn’t see the big twist coming. The concluding chapters are gasp-out-loud shocking and left me exhilarated by how much I’d enjoyed reading this.
Another aspect of the novel that I found particularly engaging was the cast of characters. Orla is a strong, determined female lead, who is both devoted mother and kick-ass amateur sleuth! She is a really enjoyable character to read the perspective from - I genuinely felt the emotions she felt and when she found herself in tense situations, I was literally holding my breath with her. She’s an excellent protagonist, who I was fully behind, even when I had my suspicions as to her role in the events. I also really loved the character of Konstandin. This dark, mysterious Uber driver who helps Orla in her predicament is perfectly written. Alderson expertly balances our suspicions of and trust in Konstandin. Does he really just want to help Orla, or is there an ulterior motive beneath the surface? The unease of mistrust permeates through their relationship and is responsible in part for the tension that unnerves Orla and us as readers. However, Konstandin also adds depth and humour to the narrative - his backstory is heartbreaking, but his actions to help Orla get to the truth are both intense and laced with black humour. I could vividly picture both of these characters and they will remain with me even though I’ve closed the final page on their story. (I’d love to read more of them though!).
I highly recommend “The Weekend Away”. It’s the perfect holiday read, but in our current times when that’s not an option for all of us, escaping into the world of Alderson’s creation is equally exciting. You won’t be disappointed!
When Orla heads to Lisbon for a long weekend with her best friend Kate, she’s all set for a few days of food, drink, sightseeing and a well earned break from looking after her young daughter. However, after a night of heavy drinking, Orla passes out at their apartment and when she awakes the next morning Kate is nowhere to be found... Orla begins a frantic search around the city, befriending Konstandin, the Uber driver who dropped them at a boutique bar the night before. She only has fragments of her memory from the night before - who were the two men Kate bought back to their apartment? Does the creepy apartment owner who lives below know anything? Is Kate’s ex-husband somehow involved? Why are the police dragging their heels with the missing persons report? And is Orla really as innocent as she insists? As things unfold over the next few days, nothing will remain as it was when Orla and Kate took to the skies...
I found “The Weekend Away” to be a highly engaging and gripping suspense thriller. There’s a distinctly Hitchcokian feel to the narrative: the element of the wrong woman being accused, the fate of Kate arguably being a MacGuffin (and not the most important aspect of the plot), the climactic twists, an ordinary woman thrust into extraordinary circumstances and the fact that none of the characters seem to be trustworthy. Alderson writes in this style with aplomb and I could easily see Hitchcock having made a cinematic version of the novel. I loved the references to Hitchcock in the story too - that knowing wink/nod from Alderson to her readers! The plot develops at a really fast pace and I found myself thrust excitedly into the lives of the characters and the situation Orla found herself in. There is plenty of mystery, drama, action and suspense, as Orla unravels what has happened to Kate. There are multiple twists and I enjoyed guessing some of them before they were revealed. Alderson is masterful when it comes to misdirection and keeping readers guessing. One of the aspects that I found refreshing about this book, is that Orla - quite believably - suspect’s practically anybody and everybody she encounters in Lisbon. By doing this, Alderson raises every possible suspect and hints at scenarios that a few pages before I found I was guessing at and wondering whether I was on to something! This made “The Weekend Away” a really fun read and despite having being convinced of the perpetrator as I approached the end of the novel, I still didn’t see the big twist coming. The concluding chapters are gasp-out-loud shocking and left me exhilarated by how much I’d enjoyed reading this.
Another aspect of the novel that I found particularly engaging was the cast of characters. Orla is a strong, determined female lead, who is both devoted mother and kick-ass amateur sleuth! She is a really enjoyable character to read the perspective from - I genuinely felt the emotions she felt and when she found herself in tense situations, I was literally holding my breath with her. She’s an excellent protagonist, who I was fully behind, even when I had my suspicions as to her role in the events. I also really loved the character of Konstandin. This dark, mysterious Uber driver who helps Orla in her predicament is perfectly written. Alderson expertly balances our suspicions of and trust in Konstandin. Does he really just want to help Orla, or is there an ulterior motive beneath the surface? The unease of mistrust permeates through their relationship and is responsible in part for the tension that unnerves Orla and us as readers. However, Konstandin also adds depth and humour to the narrative - his backstory is heartbreaking, but his actions to help Orla get to the truth are both intense and laced with black humour. I could vividly picture both of these characters and they will remain with me even though I’ve closed the final page on their story. (I’d love to read more of them though!).
I highly recommend “The Weekend Away”. It’s the perfect holiday read, but in our current times when that’s not an option for all of us, escaping into the world of Alderson’s creation is equally exciting. You won’t be disappointed!