As gripping and juicy as I'd expect from a Lucy Clarke thriller. This one is set in Morocco and I really felt I was there turning the pages. Tense, twisty and addictive

An adventure mystery set in Morocco. Some of the elements I liked, the surfing culture, landscape and exotic location. However, the narrative dragged and I did not engage with the characters.

A location thriller, ideal for holiday or to imagine the sun, sea and surf.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Publication date 27 February 2025.

I really loved this book. Set in Morocco we follow Bea, a model who is on location. Bea is unhappy with her work and life, subsequently walking out of her job in the middle of a shoot. Whilst walking around the Souks of Marrakesh, she gets lost in the more dangerous part and finds herself being followed by some men with sinister intent. Bea finds herself being attacked, but finds an unlikely saviour in Marnie, who happens to be nearby. However, events escalate, and the ladies end up fleeing back to Marnie’s business and home, The Surf House in Mallah.

The business is on the cliffside, of a beautiful surfing beach and we are immediately in holiday mode. We can feel the sun on our skin, salt and sand in our hair, the smells of the beach and sea and it feels wonderful. Here starts an engaging read as things are not as they first appear.

Bea has been invited to stay with Marnie until she finds her feet, however, once Marnie’s partner, Ped, returns she feels unwelcome. There is the enigmatic next door neighbour and old friend, Aiden. Farah and Driss, two regular guests who regularly visit from the city, Elin and her RV and then Momo the local policeman.

Then Seth arrives, investigating the disappearance of Savannah, his sister, who had been staying at The Surf House. This is when Bea gets drawn into the mystery within this idyllic surfing town.

I loved this story so much. It was a page turning read, with some misdirection and twists along the way and at the end. Written from 2 perspectives and timelines, but easy to follow with short chapters. The characters have depth and mystery and you quickly find yourself trying to peel the layers off each individual and solve what has happened to Savannah.

Lucy Clarke is quickly becoming one of my favourite author’s. This is the third book of hers I have read, and it felt like settling back in with an old friend telling a story. She has a knack for description, particularly the beach and you can tell she has spent much time there. I cannot recommend this book enough. Sun, sea, romance, intrigue and twists.

Well recommended.

Lucy Clarke has a way of transporting you to a different country with her stories and this time we are taken to Morocco. I could feel the heat, smell the ocean and taste the food described in this book.
Ex model, Bea arrives at the Moroccan coast after a dangerous encounter in Marrakesh and is delighted to find a sort of family amongst the people who live and work here. She soon gets involved in trying to solve a case involving an American girl who went missing in the area a year ago.
I loved this! The Moroccan setting, the interesting characters and the brilliant storyline that kept me gripped from start to finish. An explosive ending with a twist you won’t see coming, I would highly recommend this book

I don’t really know how to feel about this book. The first part really dragged and I found myself not wanting to pick the book up. I did get better once it started focussing on the disappearance of Savannah but I’m not sure it’s enough for me to recommend this book as there are better thrillers out there.

What a tense book! I read an eARC of this book on NetGalley so thank you to the author and the publisher.

This book was terrifying! It’s not a horror novel, it’s a thriller but it was genuinely so scary. The events that the main characters goes through early in the book that set off the next events are horrible. But the looming threat that comes as a result just keeps you feeling so on edge. I felt so tense and uncomfortable all the way through this book as the main character tries to navigate the situation she’s in.

The sense of the village was evoked so well. You could so clearly imagine the waves crashing, the buildings by the sea, the surfers out early in the morning. The setting felt so integral to the story. It influenced the characters strongly and it felt like this story wouldn’t have played out the way it did if they had been anywhere else.


This was a fascinating thriller that felt a bit different to a lot of others I’ve read. It was engrossing, stunning setting and really tense!

✨4 stars✨

This was a great twisty book that had me guessing until the very end! Just when I thought that I worked it out the author added another twist.

I only discovered this author at the tail end of last year but I have thoroughly enjoyed each of her books. Can’t wait to see what she comes out with next.

Completely addictive! Would definitely recommend!

I received an ARC from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for granting my request to read this e-ARC and provide my honest opinions.

I was so excited when I got approved for this book, but when I finished the book, I was kind of disappointed because I really wanted to love this one!

For one, this is a thriller/mystery novel; the introduction of the suspense material didn't kick in for a while. It was just about Bea in the beginning, which is good if you think about backstories and all of that.

Another thing that didn't work for me was that it took a while for me to really connect with the characters; the pacing also felt kind of off to me. And the ending was so unsatisfying.

It was a good novel, just not one I enjoyed. Yeah, there were some shockers, but in my opinion, they really didn't tie well with the story.

Thank you once again for the e-ARC.

The Surf House by Lucy Clarke
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Publication date: 27/02/2025
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I absolutely loved the idea of the story for this new Lucy Clarke story plus the cover is just stunning.
Bea, wrapped up in the protection of Marnie, following a nightmare in Marrakesh, arrives at The Surf House with the promises sea, surf and sanctuary until she can get back on her feet. But when Seth rolls into the village, in search of his sister who was staying there a year ago, a dark mystery starts to unravel. Is Bea really safe here?
This is a great story. The characters are relatable and Bea is incredibly likeable. I loved how much she developed as a person through the story. Splattered with detailed descriptions of the setting, which helped set the scene without taking away from the main story, it made me want to visit! Until I found about the dark past, maybe I’ll give it a miss!
Thank you to NetGalley, Lucy Clarke and Harper Collins UK for this ARC in return for an honest review.

I always enjoy a Lucy Clarke adventure thriller with her exotic locations, blue skies and blue seas, characters looking for an escape, and a mystery set around betrayals and revenge.

This one isn't my favourite by her, but still a very enjoyable read which kept me guessing. Strong characters, but I would have liked to know more about them.

Unfortunately, this book wasn't for me. The first third of the book was very slow. I found it difficult to believe a professional model would be so naive as to wander into deserted back streets of Marrakesh alone. As I didn't particularly like Bea, the model, I started to lose interest. Although the end explains some of the inconsistencies, some were not. eg. how do you get $2000 in cash within 24 hours where there's no bank or cash machine and you have no passport? Basically a good story but the execution didn't work for me.

In addition to being a cracking thriller, this book is also a love letter to surfing - you can tell from the surfing descriptions that this is something the author loves.

When Bea finally reaches rock bottom and walks away from her modelling career she has no thought about what she is going to do next and quickly finds herself trapped in a dead-end alley with two men who don’t just want her money. When her rescuer offers her a place to stay near a remote surfing beach, she jumps at the chance but then finds herself embroiled in looking for another young woman who has gone missing.

This was a great read. Every time I thought I knew where the plot was going it twisted away in another direction and I just couldn’t put it down.

WOW I absolutely adored this book!
Loved Bea’s character and how far she has come- great character development.
Lots of plot twists left me with my jaw dropping. I couldn’t put this down.
Absolutely loved it!
I kept thinking I knew what happened to Savannah but kept getting proved wrong and was left guessing right until the last minute.
Love the first person narrative for Bea, love the short chapters.
5/5!!
Can’t wait for the next.

Wow, I think I've found my book of the year and it's only January. I've loved every book I've read by Lucy Clarke and this was no exception. The Surf House may be her best yet.

As with all Lucy Clarke's destination thrillers there's a different location - this one is set initially in Marrakech, Morocco and then a surfing area where "The Surf House is based. they are always written so well you can see and feel like you are in the location

Bea is fed up with her modelling assignment and walks off set, not really knowing where she's going and ends up getting mugged in an alleyway. Luckily Marnie steps in to assist and together they manage to escape but not before killing her attacker who is then trying to strangle Marnie. Marnie offers her a place to stay while she gets herself back on her feet at the Surf house, where she helps out running the place to earn her keep and finds she loves the ideal setting. As usual everything is not quite as ideal as it seems when soon after arriving she finds there was a girl Savannah, similar to her own age, who disappeared a year ago. Bea does all she can to find out what happened and where she went and is caught up in corruption and intrigue.

A fabulous twisty book and just when you think you got it all worked out - you haven't!! Absolutely loved this book and my only disappointment was finding I was on the last page with no more left to read. A great destination thriller that takes you on the ride of a lifetime!!

A big thanks to HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction and Netgalley for the advance copy. Its was a pleasure to read and review and review this exciting twisty page turner.

I was intrigued by the book's premise and the setting was so well described I felt as if I was there. Bea was a fantastic character and I liked her straight away.
However at times the book was too 'surfy' and Los me with the descriptions of Bea, ped and aiden surfing. Could you include some kind of glossary.
I didn't feel much happened in the last 40% of the book and the pace slowed and I felt my interest waning, with the blackmailing plot line feeling too drawn out. Loved salty, he was my favourite character. Such a great name!

Whilst I felt as though there were some elements of the story line that were a little lacking, the overall premise is intriguing. Unfortunately I didn’t find this book as “gripping” as I would hope for this genre; hence the lower star rating. Lucy Clarke’s books always seem very enticing and interesting but in this instance, became a bit of a chore to read towards the end. The plot twists were well thought through but may have had some gaps in the earlier stages of the book. Nevertheless, fans of Lucy Clarke will enjoy her latest work.

I was instantly hooked right from the start! The story is set in beautiful Morocco, with a surfer and traveler feel. You become immersed in the setting with the author's fantastic writing.

There is a mugging scene in chapter 2, and as a woman, I really felt the fear Bea experienced. The narrative is mostly from Bea's perspective, but we get some glimpses into the past from Savannah's POV—Savannah was a guest at The Surf House a year ago who disappeared. The characters are interesting and complex, each with their own secrets, which adds so much depth to the story.

There are some parts of conversation in French at the beginning that I couldn't quite grasp since there weren't any translations provided. Thankfully, reading on my Kindle allowed me to use the translate function, but I can imagine it would be a bit tricky if I were reading a physical copy.

Thank you to Harper Collins and NetGalley for this copy.

Bea meets stranger Marnie in Marrakech. After a dangerous encounter, Bea goes to stay with Marnie at The Surf House. However, a girl of similar age disappeared from The Surf House a year ago. Somewhere inside The Surf House lies the answer.

The setting was described so well in this book, I could imagine everything so vividly! If you like to sofa visit a place through reading, this book would be perfect for you.

I found this book took a much slower pace than other books of hers that I have read. However, it was written well as my heart was racing with stress while reading it. I was indifferent to all the characters and I really struggled to connect them.

There were some excellent twists towards the end of the book. You think you know what will happen but trust me, you won’t! 😂 There was something that happened at the end of the book which I thought was ridiculous after being hit with a load of amazing twists!

Overall, this was a mixed bag for me!

Firstly a big thank you to the publishers for my early access in exchange for a review. I’ve been reading and loving Lucy’s books since her debut so I was thrilled to be reading ☺️
As ever with her writing you know you’re going to be transported somewhere different to your current surroundings and this time was Morocco . I went there many years ago but I definitely got a more authentic feel from the books landscape than the hotel I stayed.
Her writing is evocative and atmospheric leaving you feeling like not only have you had a Great read but also a little trip of escapism .
This was a fantastic story with complex characters all with their own secrets to keep .
I inhaled this in a day which isn’t unusual for a gripping thriller. Suspense and tension keep you hooked and things turn out to be not what you expected and can you really trust those around you??
Unpredictable with twists and revelations this story has a bit of everything .
Really enjoyed this and highly recommend.

Having read Lucy Clarkes previous books I was very much looking forward to this one but was disappointed In it.

Firstly it started out well setting the scene in Morocco and when the attack happened I thought as a reader this was going to be one hell of a story but when Bea gets to the surf house the story for me fell flat. Not a great deal seemed to happen for some time and I became bored by the many descriptions of mallah,the sea,surfing,mountains,dirt tracks. Whilst you need to explain to the reader what a place looks and feels like I felt that was all I was getting.

The latter half/ ending was brilliant was lots of twists and turns which I thought were good and there were several key moments that I was surprised and shocked about.

Plus the author name was randomly on several pages which was annoying. If the middle part of the book had been as good as the beginning and end then I would of given 5 stars.

Thanks netgalley for the opportunity to read this book