Spring Break [Paperback]

Kayla Perrin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2, 2010

“Help me . . .”

These are the last words Chanetelle hears from her friend Ashley, in a static-filled phone call that soon goes dead. Their trip to the island paradise of Artula started the way any trip should, and soon Chanetelle and her friends find themselves in sun-drenched days and party-hopping nights. The vacation is not without its conflicts, however, and old rivalries and new jealousies come to light as the week passes. But no one expects things to turn as ugly as they do. No one expects that they won’t all return. And no one expects that murder might be the ultimate souvenir. 

When Ashley disappears, the question is asked: Was it a random act of violence? Or is something more sinister going on? And is Ashley really dead, after all?  

With a breakneck pace and cat-and-mouse twists, Spring Break is the ultimate beach read. 

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Set during spring break on the Caribbean island of Artula, Perrin's intriguing if flawed romantic thriller centers on the hunt for college student Ashley Hamilton, who disappears after breaking up with her boyfriend, Ryan Sinclair, and meeting Jason Shear, a New York editor who's researching a story on human trafficking. Jason's sister disappeared on Artula in 1987, and he's learned 19 women have gone missing on the resort island in the last seven years. Jason joins forces with Ashley's friend, Chantelle Higgins, to investigate, while the local authorities remain surprisingly indifferent. After Ashley's family arrives, the stakes rise with the murder of someone with information he wanted to share with Chantelle. Essence bestseller Perrin (We'll Never Tell) succeeds in building a mood of nail-biting suspense, but toward the end the plot takes some dubious twists before rushing to a less than convincing resolution. (Mar.)
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From Booklist

Three best friends, Chantelle, Erica, and Ashley, are excited about their island spring break. They leave their college outside of Philadelphia for the all-inclusive resort, where they enjoy sun and partying until Ashley has a falling out with her boyfriend. To cheer her up, Chantelle suggests going to an island bar, which is when everything starts to go wrong. Beautiful blond Ashley hooks up with a stranger and fails to return. Chantelle calls the police, who give her the brush-off. Layers of friendship and resort conviviality start to peel away as the search goes on, revealing secrets of the island and the girls’ personal lives. Drawing on real-life tragedies, Perrin creates an unforgettable and chilling tale of the seamy side of an island paradise. --Patty Engelmann

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (March 2, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312547285
• ISBN-13: 978-0312547288
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,536,642 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Too Many Secrets..., May 4, 2010

By 

Urban Reviews "Your Source for the Best in AA... (Online) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Spring Break (Paperback)

Chantelle, Erica, and Ashley are good friends that are ready to have some fun in the sun for their spring break. They decide to go to an island resort along with some other students from their college. Everything seems to be going fine until Ashley disappears after a night of drinking at a bar. With Erica dealing with her own personal issues, it's up to Chantelle to find out where Ashley is. But the more Chantelle investigates into Ashley's whereabouts, the more dangerous the situation becomes. Someone on the island does not want some dark secrets revealed and will do anything to protect them.

Spring Break is an entertaining thriller by Kayla Perrin. Perrin brought us a good story about when an innocent vacation goes terribly wrong. At first glance, you think that this book is based on an infamous disappearance of a real college student during spring break, but that's not the case. This story will really hold your attention as more and more clues are revealed. Just when you think you have the whole book figured out; Perrin throws in some interesting twists that will keep you glued to the pages. Spring Break is a fast-paced page-turner with a good mystery thrown in.

Reviewed by Radiah Hubbert for Urban Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars (RAW Rating: 3.5) - No Longer Paradise, March 31, 2010

By 

The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers (RAWSISTAZ.com and BlackBookReviews.net) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Spring Break (Paperback)

The Caribbean Island of Artula is a perfect setting for a much needed break. Three best friends Ashley, Chantelle, and Erica are set to party for seven days. They are aspiring writers and see this as an opportunity to have fun and gain information for some fantastic stories. The day after arriving on the island, Ashley breaks up with her boyfriend, meets Jason, an editor from the states, and disappears!

The crux of this story is that all of the players have agendas: an abundance of conflicts, old rivalries, and new jealousies. But no one expects things to turn deadly and no one expects that they won't all return. Ashley's ex-boyfriend has turned sinister and Jason is a big question mark. He has a personal motive; over twenty years ago his sister disappeared, in fact, nineteen women have disappeared in the last seven years. He suspects a 'white slavery' ring is behind the disappearances. Could Ashley be number twenty?

Everyone is a suspect and the Artula police offer little help. Chantelle, who refuses to stop asking why, seems to be the only one trying to solve the mystery and find her friend. Back on campus, Erica is reliving an old secret and has zoned out and Chantelle is starting to fear for her own life.

SPRING BREAK is a fast-paced mystery driven by the desperation and frenzied anxiety of the heroine. Chantelle is beginning to feel a sense of hopelessness and fears that she will never see Ashley again. Ms. Perrin presents an intriguing though, slightly disjointed mystery. There are several late twists which detract from what really is a good thriller. I have little doubt that fans will enjoy this cautionary tale of being frivolous and cautious while in a party mode.

Reviewed by aNN
of The RAWSISTAZ(tm) Reviewers

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars superb romantic suspense, March 5, 2010

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Spring Break (Paperback)

On Artula, following a break up with her boyfriend Ryan Sinclair, college student Ashley Hamilton vanishes. Her disappearance occurs just after she meets New York editor Jason Shear who had come to the Caribbean island to investigate human trafficking; his sister had disappeared without a trace while on spring break here in 1987. Jason finds out that nineteen women have disappeared in the last seven years.

Ashley's best friend Chantelle Higgins searches for her after the local authorities ignore her plea for help. On the other hand Jason agrees to assist her in her investigation into what happened to Ashley. At the same time Ashley's frantic family arrive on the island; someone murders an informant willing to talk to Chantelle.

This is a superb romantic suspense that looks deeply into human sexual trafficking through the constant questioning by the courageous Chantelle who refuses to stop asking the why. The story line is fast-paced throughout as the frantic desperation of the heroine and the family of the abductee turns into a frenzy of extreme anxiety due to hopelessness as what increasingly looks like a lost cause. Although several late twists detract from an otherwise strong thriller, fans will enjoy this cautionary tale of being smart and safe while on Spring Break.

Harriet Klausner