Our Last Resort

Clémence Michallon is the author of The Quiet Tenant, an international bestseller published in 33 languages and shortlisted for the International Association of Crime Writers’ 2023 Hammett Prize. Our Last Resort is her second thriller. Both books have been optioned for TV series by Blumhouse TV. Clémence studied at Sciences Po in Paris, City University in London and Columbia University in New York and is an award-winning journalist for publications including The New York Times Book Review, Time Magazine and The Independent. Clémence was born and raised in Paris and has lived in New York since 2014. She is now a dual French and American citizen and lives in New York and Rhinebeck with her husband and their dog Claudine. She can be found on Instagram at @clemencemichallon

‘Dripping with suspense that keeps you guessing’ The Sun'Every sentence reeks of good writing. The storytelling is spare and tense and it is literary without being pretentious ... Compelling.' Daily Mail‘Michallon masterfully weaves past cult abuse into a taut present-day procedural, blending psychological complexity with enough terror to make you white-knuckle your beach chair.’ Oprah Daily‘Nail-bitingly taut.’ Boston Globe‘Clémence Michallon is one of the most daring, exciting new voices in psychological suspense; she writes page turners with stunning and surprising depths.’ Lisa Jewell, author of None of This is True ‘Thought-provoking and shocking. A perfect summer read.’ Mary Kubica, author of She’s Not Sorry‘Our Last Resort is a taut and twisty exploration of how far we might go to save the people we love the most … Readers who enjoyed her dazzling debut will be delighted to find that her second novel packs the same powerful punch.’ Stacy Willingham, author of Forget Me Not ‘Clémence Michallon is a genuine talent, with a gift for unexpected angles and finding fresh ways of approaching even the darkest subjects. In Our Last Resort, she finds tenderness in a story about cults and compassion in the lengths to which people will go to save themselves.’ Ashley Winstead, author of Midnight is the Darkest Hour ‘With a chilling cult backstory that feels ripped from the headlines and a complicated heroine you can't help rooting for, Our Last Resort is both an immersive mystery and a haunting exploration of just how far we'll go to protect those we hold most dear.’ Andrea Bartz, author of We Were Never Here and The Last Ferry Out ‘Michallon does incredible work building both characters and tension…. The novel offers mystery aplenty, but at its core, there is a deep and compassionate humanity.’ Kirkus Reviews‘Michallon deftly moves between three timelines to create a thriller centering on deeply flawed characters who had to learn quickly how to interact and live in the world and will do anything to keep each other safe…. This page-turner is a satisfying poolside read.’ Library Journal‘Full of dark twists, shocking surprises, and strong messages about love, lies, loyalty, trust, suspicion, control, and connection.’ Booklist'Taut, gripping, and intense, this is an original, daring nail biter that keeps you guessing. To be read on a sun lounger - will give you the right sort of chills’. Platinum Book of the Month ‘A labyrinth of lies and intrigue’ Peterborough Telegraph‘A one-sitting read, it almost felt like a compulsion to get it finished in one go. Flashbacks navigate their complicated history and the secrets they swore to keep.’ Belfast Telegraph‘Clémence Michallon balances the two narratives with a deft and confident hand, playing out the strands of the stories with just the right amount of revealing and withholding to keep the reader on their toes, until the eventual resolution arrives with a sense of complete rightness. This, Michallon’s second novel, is a fitting follow-up to the highly acclaimed The Quiet Tenant.’ Promoting Crime Fiction