The tension and the intrigue was the best part of this book. Pearse's writing has evolved however the mystery was lost. I felt that the story dragged in places it should have picked up and went too quick in others.

The second in a series of murder mystery thrillers, with the detective Erin. I felt it was quite similar to The Sanatorium - both books had parts of the story that I liked, and then it seemed to tail off , and I struggled to stay interested. It didn't pick up pace for me, and really get going, until towards the end. It just didn't ring true for me, but maybe I'm being over critical. It was an OK murder mystery with the usual twists.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for an advance copy of The Retreat, the second novel to feature DS Elin Warner, set on an island off the coast of Devon.

When a woman’s body is found at Lumen, a luxurious resort on Carey Island, DS Elin Warner is sent to investigate. It was initially thought to be an accident, but small anomalies make Elin think twice. Then a storm gets up and they are trapped.

I enjoyed The Retreat, which is, in my opinion, an improvement on the previous novel, The Sanatorium. It seems to flow better and isn’t quite as far fetched, in other words easier to believe.

The novel is told mainly from two points of view, Elin and one of the guests, Hana Leger. I would like to say that Elin concentrates on the investigation and she does, but she’s also trying to find herself so there’s a fair amount of angsty self examination (yawn). Hana is on holiday with relatives and boyfriends, so her narrative is all about family secrets and frictions. Who knew there could be so much drama surrounding three sisters and a cousin? That’s perhaps a bit facetious because it’s actually interesting and quite gripping.

I like the plot, which has a bit of everything from old crimes on the island to new ones, hints of curses and creepy feelings. The author does the characters’ jumpiness well and demonstrates the power of suggestion on the mind. The author also has a good sense of misdirection, distracting the reader from simple facts with the macabre history of the island.

I’m not sure if the author knows how to write likeable characters. The Leger group has too much going on to identify with and Elin is a bit self absorbed to be anything but tedious.

The Retreat is a good read that I can recommend.

I requested this book primarily because I had read ‘The Sanatorium’ and been intrigued by it. I felt it was a book that promised much, but failed to deliver. Unfortunately I feel this second book from Sarah Pearse is the same. There is something jarring about the way these books are written - the third person, present tense narration just doesn’t flow. A real shame, so many good ideas, but the plot doesn’t seem to ‘stick’ together,

Rounding up to three stars



Having looked back on the authors last book, it would appear I just don't particularly get on with the main character.
Having read the second book, I feel a bit sorry for her and her boyfriend that they're dogged by murder everywhere they go.

For ME, this was an OK book, a few things stood out as good, a few things seemed too predictable.

So my next read was one that I had been waiting for since I read this author's last book, The Sanatorium, so needless to say I was very excited to received an advanced readers copy.

'The Retreat' reintroduces DS Erin Warner who arrives at a wellness retreat based on an isolated island, an island that has had more than its fair share of secrets over the years. When a woman's body is found at the bottom of the cliff it is initially seen as an accident but it soon becomes clear there is more to uncover, especially when the body count continues to increase...

Sarah Pearse has done it again, another edge of the seat thriller that sees you wanting more from each chapter and just when you think you've figured it out you'll be surprised by the next twist and turn that emerges. After reading the first book in the series I was already established with the character of Erin and that familiarity with her continues through this. The tension is built in all the right places and keeps going right up to the thrilling climax, along with some gore and horror along the way - which although am not the biggest fan of! - continues to set the scene in the most descriptive way, so much so that it is one of those books that you feel immersed in right to the very end. A definite must read!

This was a tense and gripping story which kept my attention throughout. There was a good cross-section of interesting characters, but I did find Elin to be suprisingly nervous and full of self doubt given her central role in solving the mysteries.

I loved the Sanatorium, and was delighted to find The Retreat just as entertaining! I loved the mystery around the island, and the weaving through of the multiple perspectives. Can't wait to read what is next from Sarah Pearse!

I did not realise this was part of a series until after I had started. It should be made more clear from the synopsis. It was an average thriller overall.

Another really great book written by Sarah Pearse. It has murder, intrigue, many twist and turns, and edge of your seat moments. Don't miss it if you are a psychological thriller.

The is the second book in the Detective Elin Warner series the first book was the sanatorium
Elin is back on a stunning island getaway for a eco wellness retreat off the England coast of Devon where Elin’s boyfriend Will is a architect Lumen is will’s baby his pride a luxury retreat that he designed on a island a few kilometres off the coast and Farrah is a manager there Farrah is Will’s sister when a body of a woman is found dead and followed by more murders
Totally recommend I couldn’t put it down really enjoyed
Thank you NetGalley and Random House Uk, Transworld Publishers
I just reviewed The Retreat by Sarah Pearse. #TheRetreat #NetGalley

This is the second book in the Detective Elin Warner series by author Sarah Pearse. This was a lot better than the first book in the series ‘The Sanatorium’ in my opinion and was far more entertaining. Yes it was a lot better than the first offering but still failed to convince me.

Detective Elin Warner needs to attend an eco-wellness retreat on an island off the English coast. The retreat is meant to be for rest and relaxation but for one young woman it has ended with her losing her life. The island is known by the locals as Reaper’s Rock and has a dark past, rumoured to be cursed due to a serial killer on the rampage.

The woman appears to have fallen to her death from the yoga pavilion but the victim wasn’t a guest at the retreat and wasn’t meant to be on the island at all. The following day a guest drowns in a diving incident and Elin starts to suspect that there’s nothing accidental about these deaths. The question is why would someone target the guests, and is this just the start of the killings. The race is on for Elin to find the killer before more deaths occur and history is repeated.

I enjoyed the character Elin a lot more this time and the story itself was more entertaining than ‘The Sanatorium’ but still not quite there for me.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Bantam Press for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

There were parts of this novel I really loved - the setting of the isolated island, the continuation of Elin’s story and the whole idea of being trapped while a killer is on the loose. However, I did feel that the story was, at times, a bit fantastical and characters reactions to events were somewhat muted in comparison to how they would react in reality.

With that being said, I would still recommend this as a decent thriller to those who enjoy this genre!

Thank you to Pamela Dorman Books and Netgalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

A luxurious retreat. An isolated island with a dark history. DS Elin Warner returns to investigate a death of one of the holiday goers. Whilst there the body count starts piling up. What is going on and is it linked to the islands previous massacre?

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. After reading the sanatorium I was disappointed as it hadn’t lived up to my expectations. However the retreat definitely did, albeit my expectations were much lower this time around. I really enjoyed the story line, from the creepy origin of the island to the current murder plot line. The only thing I couldn’t get on board with was the lack of grieving from the present day survivors. They didn’t seem to be particularly bothered that their group seemed to be being picked off one by one. Very odd.
On a positive note DS Elin was much more likeable in this story as well which was definitely a bonus!

Sooooo good! Loved this. Great story, gripping story line, Red herrings, twists and turns galore! Was really excited about this as loved The Sanatorium and this didn't disappoint! Highly recommend reading!

Detective Elin Warner is called to an Eco Wellness retreat on an island off the coast of Devon. when the body of a young woman is found dead. When another guest dies Elin begins to wonder of the island's dark past really is

I really enjoyed the sanitorium so eagerly awaited the next novel to fond out what happened with Elin. I really enjoy the island location for a murder as it creates a more claustrophobic atmosphere with everyone becoming a suspect. The unravelling of the guests history with the island as well as the island's dark past was gripping and I had to finish the novel as quickly as possibly. Elin's anxiety around her job as well as her desire to solve the crimes make her feel like a very 'real' character that I want to read more of.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review

The follow up to Sarah Pearse’s amazing book, The Sanatorium, is another thrilling rollercoaster ride of a case that detective Elin finds herself embroiled in.
Elin is now living with Will, who is working on an island retreat project. His sister Farrah is working as the manager there. The prologue hints at a dark past to the island’s history and more is uncovered as the story unfolds.
Staying at the retreat is Hana, her sister Jo, cousin Maya as well as Caleb and Seth, the boyfriends of Hana’s two sisters. Hana is still grieving from the sudden loss of her partner and is at the retreat under duress from Jo.
Just what and who links the events of the future and the past?
I was gripped by this book and didn’t want it to end. Already looking forward to the next instalment!
Thank you NetGalley for my copy.

I am pretty sure I am completely alone here, but this book just didn’t do it for me.

Cary island has a past, but in their wisdom property developers have just built a luxury spa hotel on it.
No one seems to be all that put off by all the deaths and a group of sisters and their boyfriends, and one cousin turn up for a holiday. Soon that goes pretty badly.

Elin (seen before in the Sanatorium) is back to investigate the latest murder on the island, and then the numbers start rising.

This is definitely a creepy novel, well written, but just missed any real thrill for me.

Every bit as good as book 1!

The Sanatorium was one of my top reads of 2021. I’m usually a fantasy/romance girl so this was a big change for me, but it was edge of the seat stuff. Even my boyfriend who isn’t a reader loved it.

Whilst The Retreat didn’t feel as creepy/eerie as The Sanatorium did, it was still fast paced and intriguing. It had the characters you love to hate, and I was rooting for Elin all the way through.

Highly recommend, and can’t wait for my physical copy to get my boyfriend opinion on it 😌

Although I loved the atmosphere and setting of Pearse's debut The Sanatorium I was a little disappointed by the plot and pacing but was interested to see what the author would write next. For me, The Retreat is a far superior read with a tighter and well paced plot. The Retreat is set on an island off the coast of Devon and DS Elin Warner returns to investigate when a woman's body is discovered on the island retreat. The island has a morbid history and Elin has to discover the killer and if there are links to previous murders. There are currently a huge number of psychological thrillers set on islands and I feel this is definitely one of the best. I was more convinced by the character of Elin this time and enjoyed the relationship between Elin and Steele, her colleague. The author does a good job of building the tension and this was a gripping read. Recommended.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.