The Vacation

Product Information

What sets this book apart is the author's daring creativity. The plot, though intricate and occasionally challenging, showcases Marrs' readiness to explore uncharted territory in storytelling. It's a puzzle, a maze of twists and turns that will test your comprehension and intrigue you, pushing the boundaries of the literary experience. Amazing. Bloody brilliant. Clever, twisted and dark as mighty hell." —Lisa Jewell on Keep It in the Family Peter James, author of Picture You Dead Another savagely clever near-future thriller. Provocative, terrifying and compulsive. If you loved The One, you'll love this! After working as a journalist for 25-years interviewing celebrities from the world of television, film and music for national newspapers and magazines, he is now a full-time writer. Savannah - has a famous father who is a TV Reverend in Alabama. She decided to move to LA. Why is she always looking over her shoulder?

Book review: The Vacation by John Marrs - Debbish Book review: The Vacation by John Marrs - Debbish

Seriously, this book has such a large cast of characters that at first glance seems to have nothing to do with each other but as you read along you discover this convoluted web that binds them together in some way or another.Welcome to Venice Beach, Los Angeles. Home of Muscle Beach and the Venice Beach International Hostel. 8 strangers from around the world, all hiding secrets and wanting a fresh start are all guests at the hostel. They are all trying to escape from their past and at first glance are so different. As we get t Loved it. You must keep your wits about you though, I then you'll engage well with the meanings wrapped up in this book. Originally published as Welcome to Wherever You Are, this is a re-edited release perfect for fans of T. M. Logan. Note: The Vacation was originally titled ‘Welcome to Wherever You Are’, this is the re-edited new release.

The Vacation by John Marrs - Pan Macmillan The Vacation by John Marrs - Pan Macmillan

The narration was excellent, like listening to an actual play. Saying that John, this would go on stage beautifully. Same thing with film if done properly. The plot is compelling and seemingly unrelated characters come together to form cleverly woven threads, you just cannot put this book down! I am normally not someone who likes stories with too many twists but with this author I always make an exception.

Nicole & Eric - friends and work colleagues from the UK. What are they searching for and do they have an agenda? There are so many twists and turns that I felt as if I were on the world's biggest roller-coaster. '

The Vacation: A Novel - Kindle edition by Marrs, John

While The Vacation is not the best book I have read by this author, it is entertaining and enjoyable. I enjoyed this but can definitely see how the author’s writing improved with more recent books like The One and The Passengers Marrs is brilliant at twists . . . for the addicts of adrenaline-fuelled twisty rides’ - Peter James The intricate character development in this book stands out as truly remarkable. Each character possesses a depth that brings them to life, making their stories and struggles palpable. From Tommy, who works at the hostel reception, to Savannah, the daughter of a TV Reverend in Alabama, and childhood friends Matty and Declan from Ireland, every character is intricately woven into the narrative. Nicole and Eric, friends and work colleagues from the UK, Ruth, the solitary traveler from Australia, and Jake, who changed his name before leaving the UK, all contribute to the rich tapestry of the story. There were some really good moments in the novel, for instance, the final scene between Zac and Ruth is an absolute doozy. Talk about ...'And its five, six, seven, Open up the purly gates...'!!! Sorry if you haven't read it - that will mean nothing!This huge cast of characters descend on Venice Beach International Hostel. Each with their own stories to tell. Ranging from fame, domestic abuse, death, crime, obsession and just a sprinkling of love. I’ve been wanting to read a book by John Marrs for a while now and after finishing The Vacation I can tell you I’ll be reading many more! Over the course of short and sharp chapters, the reader is introduced to a whole host of characters based around a Venice Beach hostel. It takes a while to set the scene properly, there are so many characters with their own motivations and secrets which could be confusing in less skilful hands. However Marrs deftly weaves the narrative into the connections that begin to appear between these intriguing individuals with a practised and confident hand. As the book moves on, the suspense and action ramps up, full of twists and turns that keep the reader on their toes leading to an ending I felt worked perfectly for this story. The Vacation is a multilayered and exhilarating thriller that would make an excellent summer read! But for eight strangers at the beachfront hostel, there is far more on their minds than an extended vacation.

The Vacation by John Marrs | Goodreads

The point of the novel is that everyone is hiding something and a bit like Janus presenting one face to the world and hiding the real face. Most of them are running from something or hiding from someone or something or covering something up. The unlikely character of Peyk, who is a sort of handyman, turns out to be the only one who sees people and events as they really are and it turns out he's a bit of a philosopher albeit aided by weed! The novel ends on an optimist note for some of the characters. For instance, Tommy seems to be recovering from the traumas that happened to him, Declan is finding happiness with Nicole who appears to have a better future in front of her having bought and renovated the hostel. This is the fourth John Marrs book I've read and it's, by far, my least favorite. Marrs has an amazing ability to bring his characters to life, and in most his books, the story-line is absolutely gripping. Not so with Welcome To Wherever You Are. It's very slow paced, to the point of being boring at times.At the Venice Beach International Hostel eight of those people congregate. They’re all different and all have their own stories to tell. They all have their own secrets too, but as we all know, secrets have a nasty habit of emerging when you least want them to… Originally published under the title Welcome to Wherever You Are in 2015, this book is quite different from what ‘we’ are used to read from John Marrs lately. It’s not SF, it’s not a travel guide (although it sometimes reads like on) and its not a thriller or a romance story. It has little pieces of everything and of course, the writing is such that it’s hard to put the book down.