Cary Island, just off the coast of Devon has a macabre past. A property developer hopes to overcome the history of the island by building a luxury retreat. A group of friends, including an influencer, are given a free trip to the retreat but not long after their arrival there is a tragic death. Closer investigation shows that the accident may actually have been murder, this is compounded when a second guest is found dead. Is the island cursed or is there a murderer lurking?

The opening chapter is set almost twenty years before the events of the book and immediately fills you with terror, setting the tone for the remainder of the story. As the story progresses we discover that this opening chapter took place when someone murdered a group of teenagers on the island. These murders are part of the reason locals are convinced the island is cursed, along with a strange rocky outcrop which gives the island the local name of Reaper's Rock.

When we move to the current time frame and the accidental death of a guest at the retreat DS Elin Warner, the main character from Sarah Pearse's first novel The Sanatorium, is close at hand to investigate. Elin is still struggling to come to terms with the events of a previous case which caused her to take a sabbatical. Throughout the investigation you feel the inner turmoil as Elin tries to overcome her own fears and re-build her self-esteem.

The group of friends have a strange dynamic, with the "influencer" trying to control everyone. However there are underlying tensions which keep bubbling to the surface along with secrets which will have far reaching consequences. I struggled to invest in the outcome of any of this group as none of them are particularly likeable, they are either too pushy or too malleable.

You also realise that there is an unsteady dynamic between the retreat and nature on the island. Nature is constantly pushing back and is the dominant force. We see this to full effect when a storm sets in and what was an idyllic holiday location becomes an isolated island, battling against wind and rain.

The pace never lets up, set against the backdrop of a malevolent island, you really do wonder if anyone is going to survive. Fans of The Sanatorium will enjoy this latest outing from Sarah Pearse, thankfully the terror isn't quite as gothic this time around (the thought of the masks in The Sanatorium still makes me shiver).

If The Sanatorium was all about the atmosphere, The Retreat is all about the tension. From the outset, Sarah Pearse builds the feeling of unease, and not just around the supposedly idyllic spa-hotel: Lumen, the setting for this tale.
There’s an underlying tension in Elin’s relationship with her architect boyfriend Will; his career is flourishing (he’s also - spooky coincidence - the designer of Lumen), while hers, although back on track, is still recovering from its stall.
The family at the centre of the drama are barely friendly on the surface. They try their best to put on a good show, but it’s clear there’s trouble brewing between the sisters, their cousin and their respective partners.
There’s even tension between Elin, and Will’s sister Farrah, the manager at Lumen (another coincidence).
Phew. Halfway through, I was beginning to wonder if the only healthy relationships in this story were between Elin, her boss, and her new second-in-command, Steed.
The relationship with Steed is probably a little too comfortable, and I think boyfriend Will is catching on. He’s also thoroughly narked by the fact that his anticipated award for the design work on Lumen is rolling inevitably into the distance like a rock broken loose from the island’s cliff face.
The coincidences keep on coming as we discover one of the spa’s guests is the son of the island’s owner.
Although the coincidences are a little excessive, they certainly don’t spoil the enjoyment of this read, which is a properly tangled web if ever I got myself into one. And they’re always so satisfying to unravel…
Towards the end of the story, there are a couple of things that happen that require a bit of a stretch of the imagination, a near-impossible swim, and Elin goes a little rogue, heading off single-handedly, which is at best, ill-advised (and you’d probably expect more from a police DS), but this is a thriller, after all, and it never stopped Scully, did it?
There’s a lovely, Christie-esque twist at the end that rounds the whole thing off beautifully.
And let’s get to the important stuff; Sarah’s writing is so easy to glide through. I read this one in the space of 48 hours.

I expected to like this as I was obsessed with the Sanatorium but this was just brilliant.

Trapped at a welmness retreat was a new premise. Gripping writing and god this was twisty!

Hats off to the author for setting such a creepy scene - I google Reapers Rock as it felt so real and somewhere i was hoping to go dspite my fear of these things.

Recommended!

I am rapidly becoming a total fangirl of this author. I was so excited to accepted for this book and I read it in one sitting. Well written with well developed characters and a compelling storyline that left me gripped. Fast paced, tense, suspenseful and unpredictable, I loved it.

A Tangled Web…
An idyllic retreat set on a secluded island off the coast, sounds a perfect place to rejuvenate. It certainly appears that way, but all is not as it seems. When a body is discovered on the rocks DS Elin Warner arrives to investigate. In many ways, for her, this case is personal. With more bodies to come, there’s a tangled web to unweave and a troubling past on this island which still hangs over it like a dark, doom laden cloud. With a credible and well crafted cast of characters, an immersive narrative and a compelling mystery, this is a compulsive and suspenseful read from the off right through to the action packed denouement. Both atmospheric and blisteringly exciting.

I loved The Sanatorium so was delighted to get the chance to read The Retreat.

I think it dealt well with the continuing story of how Elin has been affected by the past and the impact it has on her police career.

The plot between the family and their partners felt a little weaker in comparison. The setting is a great idea, though, and the supernatural feel adds to the tension.

Loved the plot. I had no idea what was going on and remember looking and thinking “how can I possibly be 80% of the way through and still not know?”. The story was fast paced, intriguing and I liked some of the supporting characters back stories. However, I really couldn’t figure out why the fire backstory was so important until that last chapter!

Like the first book, I didn’t really have much of an attachment to the main character - she doesn’t seem to have that much of a personality so you don’t find yourself really ‘rooting’ for her to uncover the story.

I’m still processing the ending! Wow what a book! Sarah Pearse had a tough challenge on her hands to top The Sanatorium, but she has done it! The plot twists are on a much higher level than you could imagine. The character who I thought was the one totally was not! There were many times when I didn’t see that coming! I’m having to think carefully about what I’m writing so I don’t spoil it.

So The Retreat brings back detective Elin who we first met in The Sanatorium. Elin is still having nightmares to do with the loss of her brother many years ago, her dad not talking to her, an older case taunting her amongst many other things! She is supposed to be taking it easy with her workload. But if you remember Elin from the first book, taking it easy isn’t in her.

Her relationship with boyfriend Will is strained and gets even more so throughout the book. Will their relationship survive this? Is there something he is hiding?

She gets drawn in to the case of accidental death on the island of someone who wasn’t supposed to be on the island. Along with DC Steed her new partner, Elin soon finds herself in way over her head, and the both of them alone without police backup. The body count starts to rise, and Wills sister, manager of The Retreat goes missing.

She pushes and pushes herself to the point of exhaustion. Elin won’t give up until the perpetrator is caught.

The atmosphere of the whole book is creepy. You are definitely in for a rollercoaster ride of whodunnit with this one. You are sucked into the story right from the start. The plot twists are relentless, along with secrets and lies. You will be on the edge of your seat and won’t want to put this down! It's a definite must-read!

Thank you for the ARC of this book.

Once again, Sarah takes you into a world you really don’t want to be in. You have to stay though, until the very end, at least you think it is but there is a last few lines to make you realise there are subplots going on.

Read it and enjoy, if you can get over the unease of what can go on in peoples minds.

Dark well written atmospheric holiday resort! We all fancy a spa break didn’t we. Well don’t include me after reading this book. Really tense in paces and the story telling is just so perfect it had me hooked from start to finish. Would make a brilliant book for a series or a film. It was bloody great!

#TheRetreat #NetGalley
Darkest novel by Sarah Pearse.
An idyllic wellness retreat has opened on an island off the English coast, promising rest and relaxation-but the island itself, known locally as Reaper's Rock, has a dark past. Once the playground of a serial killer, it's rumored to be cursed. A young woman is found dead below the yoga pavilion in what seems to be a tragic fall. But Detective Elin Warner soon learns the victim wasn't a guest-she wasn't meant to be on the island at all. The longer Elin stays, the more secrets she uncovers. And when someone else drowns in a diving incident, Elin begins to suspect that there's nothing accidental about these deaths. But why would someone target the guests at this luxury resort? Elin must find the killer before the island's history starts to repeat itself. Most are here to recharge and refresh. But someone's here for revenge..
This sounded like The Perfect Escape a little bit but it was a fun read, enjoyed reading this. This book is for everyone who love such type of books. This is her best.
Thanks to NetGalley and Transworld Publishers for giving me an advance copy.