I absolutely devoured Sarah Pearse's first book The Sanitorium, so couldn't wait to read this book.

I adore the main character, and love seeing the vulnerability that she presents, adding to the suspense and tension further. I could not put this book down without knowing the ending, I finished it in one sitting.

A well written, intriguing storyline that encourages the reader to get involved with the storyline.

As a bug fan of The Sanatorium, I looked forward to reading The Retreat and I wasn't dissapointed!

It starts under the shadow of a murderous history, with characters linked and entwined in twisty relationships that gives this a tense and foreboding start.
I loved the vulnerability and issues with the detective and her links to the characters it makes younfeel all the more unsafe.
The setting was perfect and the dialogue felt real, as the relationships between the characters were so true to life, this really immersed me in the book.
I loved it an absolute belting thriller!

There is a wide group of different characters with a small storyline for each in this which leads into a complex fuller picture.I found the thriller aspects adequate for this type of book. I would recommend this

A retreat that sounds wonderful apart from the island it's on having a history of horifirc murders and an evil feeling to it due to past events.
A disjointed family, mainly sisters, with boyfriens are going for a much needed holiday that will hopefully reunite them. From the moment the Retreat is booked things begin to go badly wrong and then the murders start again, the same killer or a different one. Elin the detective in charge has her own issues to deal with and is also the girlfriend of one of the family, will this cloud her judgement?
A roller coaster of a ride that keeps you guessing until almost the end, clever!

I loved this book! Perfectly paced twisty thriller that really delivers in terms of plot, kept me very absorbed in the story. The remote island and it's dark history are well set up for us, with the interesting angle that DS Elin Warner's partner is the architect of the beautiful, secluded wellness retreat now built there. So called 'Reaper Rock' on the island casts it's morbid shadow over the family holiday of the Ledger sisters and their assorted boyfriends. They bring their own mix of tensions and secrets and when one of them is found dead, Elin is called to the island to investigate.

There's a cast of characters for us to suspect, plus the old history of the island including a school, and an outward bound course that ended in tragedy and now this recent accident. Plenty for Elin and her colleague DS Steed to get their teeth into. I absolutely loved it, perhaps more than The Sanatorium even, Elin is developing as a main charater and I highly recommend this second outing! Can't wait for more, there is an open ended issue which I hope will be continued in Sarah's next book.

I really enjoyed The Sanitorium, so was excited for this one. The location couldn’t be more different! It’s hot hot hot!

Sarah does it again with this twisty, who dunnit tale, she keeps us guessing constantly. It’s none stop quite honestly, and pretty terrifying at one point (for me anyway, which shows how invested I was!)

Brilliant!

My thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review

The Retreat opens with an insight into an event so horrific that its influence is still felt years later. A young couple are out in the woods when one of them is attacked. The other runs. We know nothing of them, but the death was part of a gruesome attack on a remote island known as Reacher’s Rock.
The history of this island is steeped in mystery, and locals tell a good story. Since the murder of a group of children on a summer camp the locals have talked of a darkness. Over the course of the book we come to understand why, and how the events of the past link to the present.
When we pick up the story Reacher’s Rock is home to a luxury retreat offering people with money the chance to get away. Jo, an influencer, has organised a holiday on the island for her sisters and their partners. From the outset there is tension between them, and as our story progresses we come to learn a little more about each of them.
Early in the story a body is discovered. Having seemingly fallen from a balcony while under the influence, this could have been it. But the young woman found dead was not a guest on the island. Only days later another body is found.
Detective Elin Warner is on her second big case, full of doubts, but this time round she seems a little more certain of herself and her decisions seem more circumspect. As she investigates these mysterious deaths she too falls under the spell of the island, but with the help of her partner Steed she teases out the finer points of these crimes and unearths a determined plot for revenge.
For those who enjoyed The Sanatarium there’s a sense of the character developing, and I feel this could work as a stand-alone story. I found myself more unsettled by thee ding Thani care to admit, and I’m hoping that in Warner’s next outing we’ll get to the bottom of who has their own vendetta against her.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this prior to publication in exchange for my review.

The Sanatorium was such a brilliant book and Sarah Pearse had alot to live up to with The Retreat and she has nailed it. Talk about a page turner.. who needs to sleep. It was the perfect book to read late into the night curled up with a blanket. Absolutely love this kind of book, where just about anybody could be the culprit. It was great to have Detective Elin Warner back again, and finding herself in another tough situation on a secluded island. This woman really knows how to get the tricky cases!

This time Elin and her partner Steed are called to a luxury resort off the South coast of the UK to investigate the death of a young woman in the night. Early signs point to an accident but there is just something not right. The island has a sinister feel and a dark past and she believes there is ,ore to it, things are just not adding up. And then another body is found, from the same group of guests at the resort. In the midst of a wild storm, they are cut off from the mainland, Elin and Steed have their work cut out to work out what is going on before there is another body.

I could not stop reading, this book had me hooked from the start. A cast of unlikeable characters adds to the mystery, all of them with something to hide.

A massive thanks to Bantam Press, Random House UK and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to read.

Detective Elin Warner #2

An eco-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 rumoured to be cursed. Detective Elin Warner is called to the retreat when a young woman's body is found on the rocks below the yoga pavilion in what seems like a tragic fall. But the victim wasn't a guest - she wasn't meant to be on the island at all.

The is the first book of the series that I've read. Detective Elin Warner and her partner DC Steed are investigating what looks like an accidental death, and it's not long before there's another death on the island. The story shows how secrets and how the past can impact on the future. The characters all felt a little flat, and I didn't really like any of them either. The pace is slow. The story is told from several perspectives. There's also quite a lot going on which can make it hard to keep up with.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #RandomHouseUK #TransworldPublishers and the author #SarahPearse for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

After her ordeal in The Sanatorium, Elin is back at work and is soon called out to investigate a sudden death at a luxury getaway on a secluded island off the South Coast

Something about the tragic accident doesn't ring true and this, combined with the island's sinister past, makes Elin reluctant to let the matter drop. Before long, things begin to get much worse at The Retreat.

I was happy to "see" Elin again after reading The Sanatorium and I was pleased that she made fewer rash decisions this time around - she had me tearing my hair out last time!

I didn't find The Retreat quite as creepy or claustrophobic though. The setting just sounded so pretty! I didn't quite click with the characters either.

That said, I still enjoyed the book and I'm already looking forward to the next one from Sarah Pearse.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the eARC of this book.

The Retreat by Sarah Pearse
Publisher - Random House UK
Publication date - 21 July 2022

Thanks to @netgalley for the advanced copy.

I absolutely loved ‘The Sanitorium’ and ‘The Retreat’ was one of my most anticipated releases this year. It did not disappoint! ‘The Retreat’ was atmospheric, compelling and utterly absorbing. A tightly plotted ‘locked room’ mystery that keeps you guessing right until the end of the book. It was a treat to return to Elin’s world and I loved getting to know more about her life - both personal and professional. Sarah’s writing has become more confident and evolved from her debut and although I read this book about six weeks ago I have not been able to spot thinking about it. A sign a series is getting under my skin. I'm already looking forward to the next book!

Erin’s architect partner, Will, has just finished work on a huge eco wellness retreat off the coast and coincidentally his sister, Farah, is one of the managers working there. When a young woman’s body is found at the yoga pavilion, Erin and her partner DC Steed are dispatched to investigate. They find a group of family and friends at the centre of the investigation but also the crimes of the past are influencing those involved.

As a reader, I appreciate when series evolve but in this case, I quite enjoyed the fact that we were in another luxury hotel and that it and Erin were cut off from help! Although they are similar premises I loved this one just as much, if not maybe more. This is down to how Erin’s character has developed and matured but also that I felt that Sarah’s voice as an author had ripened and the plotting was taut, while the writing had the same energy as before but it was more refined and polished!

I honestly can't wait for the third book as this one left you with sooo many questions about the person interested in Erin!

I loved this book!
I read The Sanatorium last year and i also loved it!
It was actually one of my favourite reads of the year.
So when I saw this book was on Netgalley I got really excited!
This book was just as good as the first and I really hope the author writes more books about Elin!
Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Good grief, what a thrilling ride this book took me on, so many twists and turns and holding my breath, a definite page turner of the most chilling kind, I read it in record time

This is the second book from Sarah featuring DS Elin Warner.

Set around a luxury wellness retreat on an Island off the Devon coast in England. The island has a dark past though and is thought to be cursed, with an abandoned school and the murders of some teenagers several years ago, called the Creacher case.

A family of sisters are at the retreat along with a couple of their boyfriends and a cousin. When the body of a woman is found, Elin and her partner DC Steed start their investigations. Soon after, a male is found dead in his diving gear, then another female dies on the cliff. Are these all somehow linked?

Elin and Steed begin to question if there is a link to the past Creacher murders after discovering a cave with disturbing findings. Was the man convicted for the crimes actually guilty? Is the theory of the curse of the Island true?

Everyone seems to be linked to each other or the Island somehow so it certainly kept me guessing all the way through as to where the plot was going and what would happen next.

There are a lot of characters in the story, but as they get killed off it becomes easier to follow!

If you haven't read Sarah's previous book, 'The Sanatorium' then I can highly recommend it.  Although 'The Retreat' can be read as a standalone, reading Sarah's first book would give you an insight to Elin's past.

I'm looking forward to book number three as there is clearly more to discover about Elin's life!

I don't think I'll be booking a luxury spa break any time soon!

Many thanks to Netgalley, the publishers and the author for an ARC. Really enjoyed the read.

I was so excited to be able to read book 2 in the Det Elin Warner series, after really enjoying book 1. The Retreat follows a similar sort of thread as Elin finds herself stuck on a remote destination as the bodies mount up and it’s all up to Elin to uncover the truth.

This one takes you pretty much straight into the action as the story unfolds. I really like the character development of Elin, as she’s left trying to process the fallout from book 1. She’s flawed and vulnerable, but determined to get the job done. Steed is great as her supporting character and partner investigating the deaths.

I did lose my way a bit with this one, but overall I enjoyed it. I’m also interested in how Elin’s story develops.

In Sarah’s first book we meet Elin snowed in at a hotel in the Alps, this time round we find Elin on a sunny island retreat.

The island has a dark past upon which Will (Elin’s boyfriend) has built a new retreat in the hopes to eradicate the islands history. We meet Hana, Jo and Maya who have come to the island as part of a social media freebie, and a chance to forgive and forget past mistakes. Soon though it becomes clear that all is not going to be forgiven when bodies start to appear.

We follow Elin as she tries to piece the puzzle together and link the past with the present guests.

If you are a fan of Death in Paradise then I think you will be a fan of this book, it has Sunday evening murder viewing vibes.

I wonder where Elin will end up in Sarah’s next book, I am sure where ever it is it will just emphasis the fact I would never go on holiday with her.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Every time I thought I had a handle on who could be killing people on the remote island retreat there was a different twist sending me in a different direction.

Sarah Pearse is a fantastic thrill writer, I can’t wait for more

If you didn't read The Sanatorium last year, then I don't know where you've been hiding. And although it was a hugely popular book, especially when those yellow spredges came out, it was still quite a divisive thriller.

I personally found it a mixed bag of brilliant and average, but I hoped this second book would out the kinks of a debut book, so I was still really excited to give it a read. Sadly, nothing improved for me with The Retreat.

The start of the book begins with two deaths happening quite early on, but they both happen abruptly without enough time spent on character or setting for them to have any impact. I was excited to feel the atmosphere of this mysterious island. But because the history of it isn't explored until later on, you miss out on any tension when things begin happening.

Although it is set solely on the island, it doesn't feel like a locked-room thriller as the island feels quite spacey, and a lot of the events happen outside so it doesn't quite have the same atmosphere that you would expect from a locked-room thriller.

None of the deaths take centre stage, as we instead focus on the characters falling out over it. But they are an unconvincing group of friends. Actually, most of the females are related, but there's no love between them at all so it's very difficult to engage with any single character.

And while I found Elin's insecurities believable in the first book, they made her so difficult to warm to in this book, where I was desperate to get to know her more. Instead, the most we get to know about her is how unsupportive her boyfriend is. I didn't find his backstory believable at all and I ended up hating both him for holding Elin back and Elin for putting up with him.

By the end, all I felt about this book was that if everyone told their boring truths at the start, we wouldn't have had to go through any of it. There are so many unnecessary omissions that make the truth take longer to come out and it made the story really drag on for me.

"But what about the twist at the end of The Sanatorium?", I hear you ask. Well, don't expect any answers regarding that, either. It's obviously leading up to a big third instalment, but I'm not sure you'll see me there.

It is not a badly written book and I know a lot of readers will love this one, but it just wasn't for me.

There are a lot of good things about this book, but unfortunately it isn't one of the better ones I have read. The story centres on a group of family members going on holiday to "the retreat" apparently to get away from it all. It's clear that the various family members have issues with each other and generally don't seem to enjoy each others' company.

Hana has been persuaded to go by her sister Jo, who she finds domineering and manipulative. She discovers at the last minute that their other sister, Bea, won't be going. But Bea's partner Caleb is there, as is Jo's partner Seth and the sisters' cousin Maya. Real problems begin when dead bodies start showing up.

I like the fact that Sarah Pearse has used something that will be familiar to probably everyone reading the book - the problem of dealing with people in your family that have flaws or cause you problems. But I think it's a shame that the characters aren't as well developed as they could have been.

I felt like the way the reader is introduced to the relationship between Jo and Hana was rushed. It felt like we get what is happening on the surface but not really an understanding of why Jo behaves as she does, or whether their relationship has always been this way or if something in particular has affected it.

The basic characters are good ones, but could be much more fleshed out. We barely get to know Jo for instance, apart from through how others perceive her. We never get to see how she is actually feeling or what her thoughts are about anything. This left me feeling that although I had some idea of the characters' motivations I didn't really know them.

The book has some genuinely great twists and shocks in it. But again the dialogue between Elin, the main cop investigating the deaths at the retreat, and her sidekick come across as very predictable and stilted at times, with Elin having to spell out that, yes, she DOES think there's a link between these killings and ones that took place several years previously even though the book has done all it can to make this quite obvious.

I don't want to be too hard on the novel as it did keep me reading and I read it very quickly. The plot isn't actually bad, and it has some good twists. I just think that it could have been much better..

This book is well written and gives off a great atmosphere. However the plot and characters didn't quite work for me and felt a bit contrived and weak. This book wasn't for me. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me review this book.