I really enjoyed The Sanitorium by Sarah Pearse, and did not realise when I started The Retreat, that I would revisit the character of Detective Elin Warner.

Both books have a similar premise: murders take place in isolated areas which means that flawed, damaged Elin Warner is forced to investigate cases, which perhaps should not be handled by someone with her limitations. The setting is glorious and atmospheric, in a similar way to The Sanitorium, and works perfectly for this story. There were lots of twists and most were not predictable until the end when there was practically no-one left; however, for me, the idea of Jo, Bea et al, all holidaying together felt forced and a little unconvincing from the start.

I felt like I have read similar story lines to this before and there was something a little clunky about some of the reveals and the backstories as to why they were there.

Having said that this didn't quite work for me, I will be keen to read the next in the series to see how Elin develops. Her personal life and her professional life is a bit of a mess and I'd like to see her being a detective without almost being thrust in uncomfortable situations to see her more triumphant and less of a chancer.

The Retreat

I wasn't a huge fan of The Sanatorium and Elin but wanted to give her a 2nd chance because the premise on this looked great.

A creepy island with a rock shaped like a Reaper...where bad things happen. This book is so atmospheric and you almost get a horror movie vibe from it. Everything is gradually creeping up on you and there were a few times the hair on the back of my neck stood up. Full points for atmosphere and world building. Really could visualise and feel the energy of that island.

Elin is still a tricky character. She doesn't seem that good at her job, she takes really silly risks and it takes her a long time to find out anything.

This book did surprise me in a few places..
The deaths come thick and fast. The deaths were very well done and all unique and jarring. I appreciated that.

There is some brilliant ideas here and then some easy reasoning to make them work which is frustrating. The reason for no back up could have been so much more. I am not convinced that the police force wouldn't send back up to a series of murders though because they were dealing with an road traffic accident! There were also a few coincidences that just felt a bit too easy.

I enjoyed this much more than the 1st book and would definitely like to read the next one.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed The Sanitarium by the same author so was very keen to request and read this one. Unfortunately I’m left with very mixed feelings. Firstly it felt very long with some chapters dragging on and not much happening. I was stuck in a dilemma of it being interesting enough to not want to DNF but also not interesting enough for me to want to pick it up and read it. It took me just over a week to read. Don’t get me wrong when things started to come together it was interesting but the big reveal didn’t feel much like a big reveal, there was only 3 characters left at the end so it was fairly obvious who the killer was IMO. I did like the added twist at the end but it also confused me why that wasn’t looked into further by the detective 🤷🏻‍♀️ all in all a fairly good time, the writing was good, I just wasn’t sold on the story.

I enjoyed reading this, characters were very believable and I loved the storyline. Gripping, interesting and recommended, the story came alive in my mind
Thank you to netgalley and the publishers and the author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion

An idyllic location with a less than ideal history, what could possibly go wrong..? It turns out, quite a lot actually! I really enjoyed the first book in the Detective Elin Warner series, The Sanatorium, so I couldn’t wait to dive into book 2, The Retreat.

This one has a very different feel to The Sanatorium, but is no less tense. When our main family group arrives on the island we quite quickly get the impression that all is not particularly well with the group dynamic. And the events of the first few chapters only serve to bring this into even more sharp focus. After Elin Warner arrives things go from bad to worse and I was left wondering whether anyone would get to the end of the book completely unscathed.

DS Warner is a fascinating character and I was really glad to see her back in this new novel. Though this is her second case, I’d say you needn’t have read The Sanatorium to fully enjoy The Retreat. It works perfectly well as a standalone.

The Retreat is a really well-plotted, atmospheric and tense thriller, which I very much enjoyed. With thanks to Bantam Press for gifting me a digital copy to review.

Many thanks to the publishing team for my digital copy for a review
This was my second read from the author. I really enjoyed The Sanatorium so knew I would be in for treat for The Retreat.
A really engaging book with lots of action and suspense, but it wasn't an overly fast paced book. The author did a good job threading in different themes from friendships, loss, relationships and and jealousy amongst one of the emotions. It was weaved throughout the different characters up until the build up. A mixture of characters that each hold their own story and hidden agenda just added that extra layer of suspicion.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily and it reflects my personal opinion.
I haven't read the previous book in the series but there are reference to what has gone before so I didn't feel that I had missed anything crucial. There are many descriptions of the feeling of threat on the island so it's astonishing the resort is so popular. There are evidently ill-feelings between the group of friends as well as the actual murder story which is spread over a period of time due to historical murders in the area. The setting and characters are English so American spellings were misplaced, and frequent references to 'acid', 'bile', nausea and vomit began to make me feel sick. There were many twists, including at the end causing a cliffhanger, but I felt that the book was overlong, pages of wind, sea, flying objects and noise of the storm were unnecessary, we understand there's a storm! I probably won't read any more of the series.

I read Sarah’s debut novel; The Sanatorium, last year and although I really enjoyed it there were a few things that held it back from getting the 5 stars from me - mainly the ‘what happened to the bodies’ question that I kept going back to. While I was reading it though I got accepted to read her second book on Netgalley and I have finally got around to reading it.

The drama and tension in this is extreme, you feel like you are on the island with Elin and need to watch your back as well, I think we all know how it feels when you think someone’s watching you and this is what this book delivers tenfold. It did take me a few chapters to get into the pace of the book but once you do there’s no stopping and you’ll want to pick this up every day.

I have to admit, I didn’t have a clue who the killer was in this at any point, my theories switched between people quote a few times but I never struck gold, I also didn’t see the finale coming either!

Like with the Sanatorium, Pearse finishes this book with a question and some unfinished business that leaves you wanting more… Elgin’s story isn’t over yet and I’m now eager to get reading her next instalment! If you’d struck this off after reading The Sanatorium then I would recommend giving this a chance as it definitely got me going!!!!

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. Gripping twisty and well written I’d recommend as a good read!

I read and enjoyed The Sanatorium when it came out so was really looking forward to this second book in the series and I'm so happy to say that it more than lived up to it... in fact I think I liked it even more! This novel again follows Elin as she goes on a family getaway to an isolated retreat where years ago a serial killer was at loose. The place feels so claustrophobic and eerie from the start so this was a great set up to the novel, and I love it when the location is a character in its own right. The pace in this novel ramps up quickly and I was utterly engrossed from start to finish. I read this at a time when I was struggling to concentrate on reading but this was the book that grabbed me and kept me hooked. There were twists and turns galore and I loved being kept on my toes. I very much enjoyed this one and hope there is more to come in this series!

This was such a great sequel for The Sanatorium. I loved how all the new characters were set up and they fit into the already created characters really well. I liked how this was paced and the drama as it was all explained and written well. I really want to get the next book in the series as this end on such an interesting note.

I chose this after reading, and loving, the Sanatorium. I didn't enjoy the second in the series as much as I had done the first, although I did like to see the character progression in Elin.

I read some of this on my kindle and some of it I listened to the audio book. I did not enjoy the audio book at all, I felt that it had the wrong narrator. She was more suited to a yoga retreat and guided meditations than a thriller novel.

📝 Book Review

THE RETREAT by Sarah Pearse @sarahpearseauthor

This is the second book in the Elin Warner series which can be read as a standalone.

The setting is a wellness retreat on an island only accessible by boat. Elin and her partner Steed are called to the site when a woman is found dead on some rocks under the yoga pavilion. Many think that she accidentally fell but when another dead body turns up the next day suspicions rise and the police think that there is more at play. Should the other visitors be worried – are they at risk?

The island has a history of death, cults, superstition and child abuse which Elin starts to learn about. The retreat is a new addition to the island plastering over the traumatic aguish of the past but the memories in some, still remain.

The setting and premise for this book are great. The atmosphere created added to the tension, suspense and thrill which if you’ve read The Sanatorium, I’m sure you’ll agree that this is becoming Pearse’s signature move.

For those that read thrillers or mysteries – this is the classic locked-room, whodunnit format. A medium pace with a rush of twists and reveals at the end which you will race through.

4 stars

You might like this book if you liked Sarah Pearse’s first book – The Sanatorium. Nine Perfect Strangers or anything by Lucy Foley.

After having loved the first book in this series, I wasn;t sure how id feel trying the sequel, but I was wrong! If anything, this book was better! I really enjoyed the mystery and plot twists to this one! It was great!

I really enjoyed the second installment in the Elin Warner series! Whilst I didn’t enjoy this quite as much as the first one I still found it had me hooked until the very end!

The Retreat is an exciting thriller, set on the infamous Reapers Rock. It’s a wellness retreat called LUMEN, and seems perfect. Until a body is found on the rocks.

Initially it looks like a tragic accident, but it transpires that the victim shouldn’t have even been there. And then it’s followed by a diving accident.

There’s loads of mystery, action and secrets on the island, and Detective Elin Walker is the one to solve the crimes.

I felt that Elin was much more together and confident than she was in The Sanitorium, which I think is the reason for her boyfriend Will’s behaviour (honestly, it’s not great behaviour 🤷🏼‍♀️).

I loved how the secrets were slowly revealed - lots of deep intakes of breath on my part!

Absolutely NOT somewhere I’d want to be going on holiday, but a fabulous read!

I read The Sanatorium and really enjoyed it, a lot darker, twistier and atmospheric than your standard crime book.
Pearse writes well and creates an eery location with ease, albeit the extreme weather never feels likely in the UK.
Not my favourite book of the year but a good read!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this.

Sarah Pearse has fast become a favourite author of mine. I adored The Sanatorium but The retreat also was perfectly paced, full of twists and in the atmospheric style of writing that I devour. This one kept me gripped and I read the book within 24 hours of starting, it’s one I would highly recommend to mystery/ thriller enthusiasts

I really wanted to love this one but sadly I found it to be very mediocre.
With lots of loopholes & lots of unanswered questions.

What a read from start to finish.

I had started it a while back but had to abandon it as life got crazy hectic and I just couldnt concentrate or stay awake long enough to get stuck into a book but I restarted a couple of days ago and its defo brought my reading mojo back....which is a sign of a fab read if ever I saw one!

So creepy and full of twists and turns throughout. I loved the plot ajd the characters and flew through this one. Pulled me in from the firsr chapter.

An author on my watch list for future foe sure.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and the author for the chance to read this latest book.

4 Stars

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️