Review: The Family Holiday by Shalini Boland

ByMary Emmer Updated on

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A gripping, fast-paced (slightly creepy at times) mystery book and psychological thriller, The Family Holiday by Shalini Boland grabbed my attention and sucked me in from the beginning to the end. 

This is the first Shalini Boland book I’ve read, and if you like a good psychological thriller, The Family Holiday won’t disappoint you!

My review of The Family Holiday by Shalini Boland includes a short synopsis of the book along with my thoughts on the book and whether you should read, reread or reconsider it!

The Family Holiday by Shalini Boland

book cover for the family holiday by shalini boland

Although Shalini Boland is a new author for me, she’s obviously been around for a while.

Shalini Boland is a British author who lives in England and used to be a singer/songwriter. She switched careers and started writing books in 2011. She wrote two different series between 2011 and 2016 and has since turned to writing what she is perhaps best known for which are standalone psychological thrillers.

The Family Holiday is the first of those that I’ve read, but I’ll definitely be going back for more.

Publishers Synopsis of The Family Holiday by Shalini Boland

Two families. One house swap. A vacation to die for.

The white-washed Italian villa is perfect. I thought it might feel odd, living in a stranger’s house for the summer, but as my husband and children swim in the infinity pool, I start to relax. And then, in the back of a wardrobe, I find a photograph that shatters everything…

Sparkling green eyes, square jaw, lopsided smile. A young man with his arm around a beautiful woman. The picture is old and faded but I’d recognize him anywhere. The man is my husband.

But we’ve never met the family we’ve swapped homes with and my husband swears it isn’t him in the photo. He’s lying. We argue on the balcony with the sun setting behind us and I storm out.

When I finally calm down enough to go back to the villa to confront him, I find him sprawled across the veranda… dead.

Why would someone kill my husband? Am I in danger? And how well did I really know the man I married?

The Family Holiday by Shalini Boland – What I Liked

Two families. One house swap. A vacation to die for. I can’t help but be totally intrigued by a book with a description that starts like that. So, this book totally grabbed my attention before I even started reading it.

A tame little house swap between two families both yearning for a holiday. Everything seemed nice and cozy from the start! I could imagine being one of the families! Who doesn’t want a nice holiday? But then things start to get a little creepy! Loved how the book starts out with kind of normal situations that any of us can imagine, then turns a bit mysterious along the way until the downright creepy creeps right in.

Twisty. I like that in a thriller.

This is a page-turner! I found it to be a very fast read.

The Family Holiday by Shalini Boland – What I Disliked

There wasn’t anything I disliked about this book.

The Family Holiday by Shalini Boland – Read, ReRead or Reconsider?

And now, for my three Rs of book reviews.

Should you read, reread, or reconsider The Family Holiday by Shalini Boland?

Read!

I loved The Family Holiday by Shalini Boland and I highly recommend reading it if you like psychological thrillers. I was already searching out more books by Shalini Boland before I even finished this one!

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Mary Emmer, is the founder of Looks Like Books. She is an avid book enthusiast and self-employed entrepreneur, with an inspiring passion for reading and learning.  With a background in the travel industry spanning four decades, Mary has cultivated a diverse range of experiences that have shaped her unique perspective on life and storytelling.  More about Mary.

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