✨Firstly, Sarah absolutely nails creepy descriptive writing! I was sat in my house super creeped out whilst reading this. Towards the end when describing the storm I was sat reading in my garden in the sunshine but felt if I looked up I’d see the storm around me! Honestly some of the best descriptions I’ve read!!

✨The whole time reading this I was constantly trying to guess who it could be but never for one second did I ever contemplate it being who it actually was! Her writing constantly points you in all different directions.

✨THE ENDING….. what a bloody cliff hanger!! I already cannot wait for the next book to hopefully get the answer we all want to know!!

✨Also didn’t expect the 2nd sneaky ending but I’m totally on their side of who done it…. karma🙃.

The second novel from Sarah Pearse featuring detective Elin Warner sees her investigating a mysterious death on an island off the Devon coast. The story is fast paced and although most of the characters were dislikeable, I enjoyed the landscape setting.

Sarah Pearse, author of The Retreat, knows a winning formula. For it was Sarah who wrote The Sanatorium, an award winning thriller and best seller. So, if you have a winning formula, why not reimagine it? Not in freezing Switzerland but on a small island off the coast of Devon. Detective thrillers set on a remote island is a path so well trod that ruts have formed. But Sarah brings with her all the devices well honed from The Sanatorium: a disturbing past, modern architecture, brutal murders, isolation and a building storm (to name but a few). Anyway, Sarah pulls it off again and very thrilling it was too. It wasn't without fault though and a few loose ends could have been tidied up although it didn't detract during the read but after, when mulling it all over. The honeymoon suite on the private islet may have been a step too far for many a bride as it was accessed via a rope bridge. Imagine carrying a suitecase with only one hand to grasp the moving rope rail? The escape from the islet by DS Elin Warner was suicide. She would have drowned as surging water through the tiny strait would have been so aerated it wouldn't have the density to support her, in any case she would have been dashed against the rocks. However, I'm being picky. It was a great thriller and very entertaining.

I absolutely loved this book! Sarah Pearse has such a magical talent in building a story and keeping you hooked until the last page. Cant wait for all the books she is yet to write.

Good story, well drawn (if mostly unlikeable) characters and a sound follow up to The Sanatorium.

Looking forward to the authors next book.

Recommend

This is Sarah Pearse's second novel and is a fabulous twisty atmospheric sequel to The Sanatorium.

This time round DS Elin Warner gets embroiled in a murder case on an island wellness retreat, where a family gathering turns sinister when an expected member of the group turns up dead.

Once again Elin has to fight her own demons and track down a killer in a remote setting. There are plenty of unexpected turns, curveballs and plot twists and as the body count mounts Elin begins to realise that not only is there someone on the island seeking revenge but that there is also a personal threat looming on the horizon.

Well, Sarah has impressed me yet again! Her first novel, The Sanatorium, was eerie, clever and full of tension, and I wasn’t sure how she could top it, but she has definitely done that with The Retreat!

When Elin arrives at The Retreat to investigate what seems to have been an accidental death, more bodies are found and you are left wondering who and why they are killing their victims.

Sarah delves into Elin’s life a little more, including her anxiety around returning to work and the pressure she feels to succeed, which really adds depth to her character and makes you feel that bit closer with her. We also get introduced to Will’s sister (Elin’s boyfriend) Farrah, and see the interaction between all three characters, with a little suspicion also thrown in.
One thing I will say about the character of Will is, I don’t really like him. I feel that he is selfish and doesn’t think about Elin and how she must be feeling when she’s had some tough issues to deal with in her job. I actually think she should leave him and date her partner, Steed!

There are quite a few coincidences in this novel, with certain guests having major ties to the retreat, which get you thinking that one of them must be the killer.
I was definitely surprised when the character I thought it would be was completely innocent!

We also see more from Elin’s stalker (as introduced in the epilogue of The Sanatorium) in the way of quite scary tweets to her police district. I’m really intrigued as to where that story is going, but I hope that Sarah doesn’t keep us waiting too long to find out!

Finally, there is a second twist near the end, which I thought I’d guessed at one point, but then I ended up being wrong! I always enjoy it more when I’ve been proven wrong!

Overall, a brilliantly clever, twisty and eerie thriller, which I would definitely recommend to any ‘locked in’ location thriller!

This is an incredibly fast paced thrilling read with many twists and turns all the way to the last page.
It was a very entertaining read that kept me picking it up to just read a few more pages as soon as I had a moment to do so.
I've not read the first book in this series yet but I will be hunting a copy out soon as I enjoyed this one that much!

The Retreat - a sequel to The Sanatorium - follows Detective Elin Warner as she begins a new investigation. This time on a secluded island on the English coast, known as Reaper's Rock - a location with a dark history reinvented as an upscale retreat. When a mysterious death occurs on the island, Elin and her partner Steed are called to investigate before the situation escalates. However, the longer they stay at the resort, the more complex their circumstances become.

Told from a dual perspective of Elin and a civilian, Hana Leger, the novel tells the story of how past secrets affect one's future while exploring familial relationships and mental health.

The novel is richly descriptive, producing an immersive and thrilling read. This is especially effective during the conclusion of the novel (that being said, I did find that at times, this setting is harder to visualise in comparison to The Sanatoriums). Additionally, the short snappy chapters moved the novel along quickly and added a sense of urgency.

I did find myself questioning certain aspects of the novel (with some affecting my immersion), including ...

1. Why is Elin not more desperate to find Farrah? This, for me, caused a lack of tension.
2. Vandalised photographs of Elin on social media – why is everyone not more concerned? Clearly, something sinister is happening.
3. Would Elin really not be able to procure any backup in such a dire situation?

Overall, whatever its flaws, this was a compelling, beautifully written thriller. I definitely recommend it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bantam Press for providing me with a copy of this book!

I absolutely loved The Sanatorium so was super excited to see The Retreat on Netgalley.
I think I blasted through this book in a day whilst sunbathing in Menorca.
I loved the setting of this book on a remote island off the coast of Devon- being a Cornish girl it really resonated with me.
What can I say about the story- it’s full of mystery and suspense and twists and turns and I couldn’t put it down.
I like that it continues Elin’s back story but also you could pick the book up as a first time reader to the series.
If your looking for murder, and plot twists, this is 100% the book for you.

Detective Elin Warner is called to a health retreat on an island known locally as Reaper’s Rock, after a woman is found dead.

What seems to be an accidental death, is put to the test when more bodies start to appear.

I enjoyed this book, I found it to be quite nerve wracking and tense. I did get a bit confused with so many different characters, but got there in the end!

Elin is quite a complex but likeable character. I wasn’t so keen on the cousins, Maya and Hana.

I look forward to reading more in the series from this author.

My thanks to NetGalley & Random House UK for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

The sanatorium left me hanging, and now I know the retreat will not be the last we see of DS Elin Warner!
What makes the books of Sarah Pearse stand out from others in the genre is the picture she paints. The oppressive atmosphere of the sanatorium and the retreat giving the opposite. I found the imagery of the retreat much harder to imagine than in her previous book, but that doesn’t take away from this one. I didn’t love it as much, but still a brilliant read. However, I was desperate for answers after the ending of the sanatorium which are still wide open. A little frustrating BUT it means there’s more to come! Not as many twists, and easier to figure out the culprit but still. A chilling, atmospheric read and one of definitely recommend you snatch a copy of on release day.

Having read and loved The Sanatorium I was looking forward to reading The Retreat and I wasn't disappointed .This book is set on an island near Devon and is a creepy atmospheric thriller with lots of unexpected twists and dead bodies dropping everywhere !Elin Warner and Steed are again investigating with no help from the mainland so on their own with the body count mounting .A very similar read to The Sanitorium but enjoyable just the same .Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC.

Having read and enjoyed The Sanatorium I was interested in reading Detective Elin Warner's second outing. Whereas The Sanatorium was set in the Swiss Alps, The Retreat is set on a small island off the English coast known as Reaper's Rock which has a dark and deadly past, it has been reinvented as an exclusive spa retreat. When an 'accidental' death occurs Elin and her partner Steed find themselves investigating whilst the situation escalates. The is a book about secrets and how the past impacts upon the future. There are similar themes running between the 2 books, isolation, Elin's past, mental health, family relationships to name but a few. I do question whether Elin would be allowed to be overseeing an important case when she clearly suffering from anxiety and I found it a bit implausible that help couldn't be sent from the mainland especially as the situation spirals downwards. I must say there were parts in the action that were overly descriptive (and I like description) but this will make a great summer read and sits nicely in the thrillers with a twist genre.

Another fantastic book by Sarah. I absolutely love Elin and can't wait for another installment with her in it. Sarah's writing is amazing and you really get drawn into the characters

This is an entertaining locked-room whodunnit story, which is worth reading even if you missed the first one in the Detective Elin Warner series (The Sanatorium).

There were lots of characters and I found the plot difficult to follow at first. But then the story picked up and I enjoyed the increasing tension and the unexpected turns. The end of the book was a bit slow again, however, the author makes sure to leave a few loose ends... book 3 is obviously on its way.

I wouldn't say that I've learnt too much about the main female character, her relationship with her family, what kind of person she is... the book is lacking in character development and focuses on action. A great comfort read if you are into crime stories.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK / Transworld Publishers for this Advance Review Copy.

A guest falls to her death on an luxury island resort, but she was supposed to be on the other side of the world. Things take a more mysterious turn as more of the history of the island is uncovered. A thrilling read.

The idea of a family group meeting in a recently constructed island retreat and then finding disaster awaits is not particularly original but it is well constructed and delivered. The family have issues in their recent and longer term relationships which may or not be the key to solving the murders when they start. Then the island retreat also has a sinister past. It once had a school for children with learning issues and used to host summer camps at which a group of teenagers were murdered. The assumed murderer is in gaol but there are doubts about the strength of the conviction which adds another dimension to the new problems. The lead detective is Elin who has recently returned to duty after a case which led her with mental health problems. The fact that her partner is the lead architect for the new development and his sister works there add further possible problems. The book is well written although the ending does take a long time to be completed, delivered literally blow by blow. It is a good read and I recommend it.

I really didn't like any of the characters in this book- the lead detective would never have been allowed to take this case, the sisters were all horrors in their different ways and I worked out who the villain was pretty much from their first dialogue.

Detective Elin Warner and her partner Steed are called out to a retreat when a young woman's body is found. However, things are not quite as they seem - someone is taking photos of Elin, and tweeing them ... but changing the pictures in the most disturbing of ways. Now Elin has to figure out what is really going on at the retreat, which is rumoured to be cursed - and figure out whether there's a murderer about. Will Elin get out of this alive?

I absolutely loved The Sanatorium, so when I was accepted for this book on Netgalley I was SO excited. This book was even better than I expected!

Sarah is growing in confidence with each book, and this one is quite honestly even better than the first (which was incredible!!). Sarah is a fantastic author who can write a chilling thriller that leaves you wanting more. Absolutely brilliant!