The Retreat

 

By Mark Edwards

Psychological Thriller

'Utterly compelling. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough'

— C. L. Taylor, author of The Fear

📕My Review

I've read a few of Mark Edwards' books and I can say with hand on heart that he always surprises and amazes me. The Retreat was no exception — it was a cracking page-turner.

Two years earlier Julia's husband drowned while searching for missing daughter Lily. Julia has always believed Lily to be alive and refuses to give up hope. Shortly after opening her home as a writers' retreat, horror novelist Lucas comes to stay. Sensing Julia's despair and wanting to help, he delves a little deeper into Lily's mysterious disappearance and discovers a connection to the Red Widow myth. When unexplainable occurrences start happening in the house, Lucas becomes even more determined to uncover the truth.

Tightly-plotted with an eclectic array of characters, The Retreat was an exciting, fast-moving and highly entertaining read. In all honesty I've never been disappointed with a Mark Edwards' book yet — he certainly knows how to get your heartbeat racing! I found myself totally immersed in the myth of the Red Widow and the strange goings-on at Nyth Bran. Try as I might I just couldn't figure it out. The ending was a little far-fetched but that being said, I thought it was a fantastic read and one I highly recommend.        

Book Source: Purchased copy

My Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Paperback: 363 pages
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer (10 May 2018)

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Buy From: Amazon UK | Waterstones | Book Depository | Hive | Amazon USA | B&N

📗The Blurb

A missing child. A desperate mother. And a house full of secrets.

Two years ago, Julia lost her family in a tragic accident. Her husband drowned trying to save their daughter, Lily, in the river near their rural home. But the little girl’s body was never found—and Julia believes Lily is somehow still alive.

Alone and broke, Julia opens her house as a writers’ retreat. One of the first guests is Lucas, a horror novelist, who becomes obsessed with finding out what happened to Lily. But within days of his arrival, the peace of the retreat is shattered by a series of eerie events.

When Lucas’s investigation leads him and Julia into the woods, they discover a dark secret—a secret that someone will do anything to protect…

What really happened that day by the river? Why was Lily never found? And who, or what, is haunting the retreat?

📘The Author

Mark has sold over 3 million books since his first solo novel, The Magpies, was published in 2013 and has topped the bestseller lists numerous times. His other novels are Because She Loves Me, Follow You Home, What You Wish For, The Devil's Work, The Lucky Ones, The Retreat, In Her Shadow, Here To Stay and The House Guest. He has also published two short sequels to The Magpies and six books co-authored with Louise Voss.

Mark lives in the West Midlands, England, with his wife, their three children, three cats and a golden retriever.

Author Links: 

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