Eight strangers all staying in a hostel on Venice Beach in Los Angeles.  It’s the perfect vacation spot complete with a beach.  However, things aren’t so perfect for these strangers.  They all have secrets, and all are trying to escape their past.  They will do whatever it takes to get away from it all.

The author does a great job of painting the scene.  The hostel can be both dark and menacing for some, but paradise for others.  Each character is complex and their growth from beginning to end is very well portrayed.

I did find it a bit slow in the beginning, but when it picked up, I was totally addicted.  I couldn’t put it down.  Usually with so many characters involved in the story I get a bit confused and have a hard time keeping it all straight.  Not with this one.  Not only did it bounce between characters, but it also alternated between the past and present day.  It did not bother me at all.  The story flowed and I had no trouble at all keeping pace with it.

The author dropped all kinds of bombshells throughout the book.  The ending was truly jaw-dropping.  I did not see that coming.  I wanted more.  I hated to leave these characters.  I felt like I knew each one.

It’s my first time reading anything by this author, but it won’t be my last.  He’s won over another fan.