The Retreat by Sarah Pearse is a story of a eco-wellness retreat that has opened up on an island on the English coast, promises relaxation and rest. The island though has a grim past known locally as Reacher’s Rock.
Once the playground of a serial killer, it is rumoured to be haunted by those who were killed.
Detective Elin Warner is called to the island when a young woman’s body is found in suspicious circumstances. That is just the first death more will follow. Will Elin find the person responsible or is she not ready to go back to work after her last case.
Highly recommended

Having read The Sanatorium I was quite keen to read the second in the series, hoping that the lead would have developed emotionally and professionally. Sadly, no.

Once again we in a closed environment in which there is a suspicious death. Once again, people intimately related to her are heavily involved. Once again there is a lot of weather, lots of unlikely behaviour and a frenetic ending that stretches the reader’s credulity.

Most unlikely of all is that anyone would choose an island with this one’s history to build a smart retreat. Will shouldn’t be proposed for awards, he should be disbarred from his job if his buildings fall apart this easily at the first storm.

This plot honestly makes Death in Paradise look like serious drama.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Another great read from Sarah Pearce following family drama, secrets, and death in an isolated setting. It was a brilliant follow-up to the author's first book and I'm really enjoying the series.

There is an easy-to-spot trend in the crime fiction publishing universe which dictates that the sequel to a commercially successful crime/thriller is to be replicated, in the exact sense, in the following writing attempts of an author. Thus, we often observe the vexatious phenomenon of sequels featuring the same stories and sharing identical settings with their predecessors, something that becomes even more conspicuous in the cases of profitable debuts that are destined to be duplicated in the second novel. That is the case with The Retreat, Sarah Pearse's comeback after the promising Sanatorium, a book that immediately hit the bestseller lists worldwide and was even selected as the February 2021 Reese's Book Club Pick. The hype surrounding Pearse's debut made the readership all the keener to get their hands to her following writing attempt, thus The Retreat was one of the most long-awaited releases in the crime fiction genre for 2022. Sadly, the book is nothing but a mirror to The Sanatorium, with nothing to render it an independent, self-existing work, shadowing its precursor in every aspect. What the author aspires to be a cornucopia of various crime fiction sub-genres, blending thriller, locked room mystery and whodunit ends up being a hodgepodge of repetitiveness in writing style, choice of locale, characterization, and main themes, that ultimately disenchants the reader who kept his hopes up, anticipating an original, hair-rising thriller.

It is like Pearse took the text of the Sanatorium, altered some names and minor plot points and delivered The Retreat probably hoping that the readers won't notice the glaring copying of her debut novel. It is supposed to be detective Elin Warner's second outing in a "new" case that involves a secluded island in the middle of nowhere with a cursed history that still today feeds the imagination of the people visiting, a series of murders that initially seem to be connected with the island's haunted past, and a group of friends, who know how to hide their hostility toward one another who become entangled in the case as the killings multiply. Does it ring a bell? Well, I was confounded, to say at least, as I was reading this book due to patent parallels to The Sanatorium that after a while become annoying and cause distress. However, this is not the only flaw of the novel. As far as characterization is concerned, I have to say that Elin Warner is one of the most unremarkable protagonists in the genre that I've ever encountered. And I don't mean in the understated sense as it is the case with mythical detectives such as Arnaldur Indridason's Erlendur, but in the actual meaning of the term as the character is underdeveloped with the author throwing some bits and pieces concerning her personal status quo and past events that marked her life, without consistency thus conveying a jumbled feeling to the reader who doesn't get a full picture of who Elin actually is even after reading the novel's last page. Hence, the reader cannot feel anything for the protagonist with the book losing another cornerstone anchor that could help immerse the reader into the story.

The story begins with a group of friends visiting an eco-wellness retreat in a remote island off the English coast known to the locals as Reaper's Rock due to the imposing shape of a giant rock that looms behind the retreat. When one member of the party, and more specifically one who shouldn't even be there in the first place, is found dead on the rocks below the luxurious yoga pavilion, Elin Warner and her team will be called to investigate a death that is considered to be suspicious due to a number of bothersome occurrences that prompt Elin to think that perhaps this could be murder. The body count will rise the next day when the body of a young man is found drowned in an apparent diving accident. The short span between the deaths makes the murder theory all the more enticing to Elin and her colleagues. The protagonist also happens to be the fiance of the man who designed the retreat, Will, whom we already met in The Sanatorium, a fact that further perplexes her investigation as the plot ploughs forward. The progress of the investigation indicates that the two killings are linked to the past murders of a group of students that took place in the island nearly two decades back. Local legends about the existence of the "Grim Reaper", an elusive killer who managed to fly under the radar for a very long time, rise on the surface and make Elin sure that the past of the island is linked with the present in a horrid cycle of blood and mayhem.

One of the -many- major cockups in The Retreat is the weakness of the setting that is supposed to be terrifying and forebearer of evil deeds, but the author's apathetic descriptions of the locale never quite manage to hit the right note with the reader who receives a loose image of an isolated place that instead of feeling threatening, comes across as rather innocuous. The addition of a last sentence in a chapter in the likes of "And the island seemed to wish her (Elin) ill" fall flat and fail to convey the desired impression. The story is divided into the police investigation of the murders and the inner workings within the group of frenemies that advance the plot. Both threads are equally disappointing as the reader who is familiar with Pearse's debut can and will guess what is happening and who is the villain early on. There is no surprise and the supposed thrilling twists are nothing more but a mere reproduction of those that transpired in The Sanatorium. Furthermore, the author employs some overused tropes, mostly found in the Nordic crime novels, such as child abuse, the abused becoming the abuser, and the ritualistic killings that initially seem exciting and bizarre only to be finally revealed that the true motive behind the crimes is the thirst for personal revenge. All the above make for a tiresome, and rather annoying, read that has nothing new to offer and the only thing that proves is the publisher's irrational demand for the author to re-write her first, successful, novel.

Perhaps my review seems a bit harsh, but I was supremely disappointed by The Retreat and one of the reasons is that I've truly enjoyed The Sanatorium beforehand. I expected a lot more by Pearce, an otherwise talented thriller author, but it seems that she fell prey to the imposing exigencies of her publisher. I sincerely believe that there is no good reason to give this novel a chance if you've already read the author's debut. It's a shame and a waste for new writers who are supposedly aiming to reinvigorate the genre to create nothing but a mere imitation of their previous work. I want to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing a free ARC of this title in exchange of an honest review.

I loved The Sanatorium, so I was excited to read more from Elin. I didn’t enjoy this quite as much as the first book, but it was still an enjoyable read.

Elin was such a fantastic protagonist! Yes, in the first book she made some questionable, naive decisions, but I think that’s what I liked about her! She was real, complex, and flawed. And she learnt a lot over the course of the book, and learned still more in this book.

The plot was intense! I was hooked at the end of every chapter, waiting to find out what happened next. I really hope there’s going to be more books in this series because the author is so talented!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and author for a chance to read and review this book.

A well written atmospheric thriller with a medium pace and some tension filled moments.
When a hotel is opened on Reapers Rock and a group including an travel influencer pay it a visit, tragedy strikes and it’s upto DS Warner to solve the many mysteries!
The characters are relatable and a good mix, with the whodunit flavour high in this one.
Worth a read.

Excellent fast, thrilling read. Descriptive and atmospheric borne out of the author's experiences of the locations. The author throws us off the scent with the twists in the story so keeps the reader guessing . Looking forward to the next one. More fluid than The Sanatorium but a little heavy with bodies! Thank you Netgalley.

Read two of these now and I suppose like a lot of these books, the only thing that really changes is the location. A group of people on an island get killed one by one. Think its been done before! Thanks to Netgalley.

I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher in return for an honest review. This review is based entirely on my own thoughts and feelings.

Overall rating : 3*
Writing skill : 3*
Plot: 2*
Pace: 2*
Characters: 2*
Twist: 3*
Setting: 4*

I really, really wanted to like this one but it was not for me. It was nearly a 2* but the ending pulled it back. There were too many characters from the get go, all related or in a relationship and it was very confusing. The pace was a bit slow and I found my mind wandering off at times. The writing style was good, and the descriptions of the retreat and surrounding areas was excellent, I could really picture it all. But it wasn't enough to really get me going. This also could be read as a standalone, there wasn't too much tying you back to the sanatorium (which I really liked). Disappointed but I do think mystery lovers will get more on board with this than I did.

https://lynns-books.com/2022/08/30/the-retreat-by-sarah-pearse/
3 of 5 stars
My Five Word TL:DR Review : Unfortunately, Mixed Feelings for This

The Retreat is my second book by Sarah Pearse. I read The Sanatorium and it did give me certain issues. However, it was an entertaining read and I certainly didn’t struggle to complete it – just more that I was left feeling slightly dissatisfied and to be honest I had the same feeling at the conclusion of the Retreat.

The Retreat follows a very similar style to The Sanatorium. Here we have a rather exclusive retreat set on a small island (with something of a back history). We once again follow Detective Elin Warner who is once again beset with personal issues as well as still struggling with a former incident at work. Elin is called to the island to investigate the death of a guest at the retreat. It appears to be a fairly clear cut case of accidental death except there are little irritating issues and these are compounded when a second death occurs.

I’m not going to overly elaborate on the plot but instead give a recap of my various feelings throughout the read.

I think one of my earliest, and clearest feelings was that at the start of the read quite a number of characters are introduced and personally I didn’t feel like they stood out well, for me they were a little confusingly similar. To sum up there are three sisters and their spouses (although one of the sisters was prevented from attending due to work and also a cousin. It soon becomes evident that there’s a lot of history and bad feeling between the group and this certainly helps to paint them all in the role of suspect at certain points. It did beg the question for me though as to why all these adults would think it would be a good idea to spend time together like this when all they seem to do is backstab and bicker.

The Island itself also has a disturbing history. Violent murders were committed on the island a number of years ago, the murderer now behind bars. There was also an old boy’s school on the island which seems to have been the setting for some rather dark occurences and to top it all off there is a famous rock on the island that actually resembles the Grim Reaper. No wonder people harbour fear and suspicion about the place. Which does puzzle me as to why this particular setting would be chosen for a luxury retreat – for me that was one of those little brain worms that just wouldn’t let go. Why would you do it?

I do enjoy the writing and think Pearse sets the scene well. The island was easy to imagine and the author ramps up the creep factor on a number of occasions and towards the end the pressure is really on and I confess that my heart was in my throat at certain points. But, in spite of that I felt that there was just too much going on in this plot. It just felt a bit muddy and complicated and it feels similar to how I felt reading the Sanatorium – which does make me think this is perhaps a case of ‘it’s me, not you’.

Overall, this was easy to read, it did hold my attention and I was very curious about what was going on, but, It had a slow start, a lot of characters and a complicated plot that is perhaps just not my style. I wouldn’t discourage others from picking this up I just don’t think it was my cup of tea particularly.

I received a copy through Netgalley courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

I enjoyed this book but not as much as the authors first book. I enjoyed the concept of the story but it was a little bit far fetched in some places. I didn’t feel drawn to any of the characters that died and only liked a couple of the characters in the book. The ending also irritated me about not knowing who is watching Elin.

Another heart-pounding and addictive case for Detective Elin Warner!

I was a huge fan of Sarah Pearse’s debut #TheSanatorium last year and was so excited to see that Elin Warner was to return in The Retreat. I was not disappointed! I’m fact, all of my (already high) expectations were blown right out of the water, as this book is another chilling, unputdownable and brilliantly constructed thriller. Much like The Sanatorium, the setting is key here and The Retreat is another example of the destination thriller being done incredibly well. It seems Sarah Pearse is on a one-woman mission to ruin luxury getaways for us all! I’m totally here for that though, as this book is positively dripping in atmosphere. The isolated location gives a simultaneous sense of claustrophobia and vulnerability, whilst the oppressive history of events and the creepy image of the rock face that looks like the Grim Reaper adds perfectly to the overarching tension. Pearse again layers her central case exceptionally well and there is so much for readers to lose themselves in. It is a vastly detailed plot, with a multitude of strands that fuse together exactly when Pearse wants them to. This book reads like completing a 5000 piece jigsaw puzzle: as we progress, we see portions of the different sceneries emerge, but the whole landscape doesn’t reveal its full complexity and true nature until all the pieces are where they should be. I am certain I suspected absolutely everyone at some point and I throughly enjoyed trying to piece together all of the aspects of this puzzle. Against the vividly drawn backdrop of a luxury hotel on an isolated and unsettling looking island, The Retreat thrusts you into its action like the waves that break on the shore. I was completely drawn into the plot, but Pearse’s beautiful descriptive prose made me really feel like I was there with the other guests. I felt every moment of panic, desperation and fear, right along with the characters!

The Retreat is also a feast of underlying themes too and some of these really stood out for me whilst reading. I was fully invested in unravelling the toxic family relationships at the heart of the narrative. The group attending the retreat have a complicated and tragic history, which unravelled in such a compelling and intriguing way. I really enjoyed trying to work out exactly how it linked to past and present events on the island. Similarly, Elin continues to be a complex and multi-faceted character, with equally stratified family relationships. I love Elin as a character and the battles she faces and strives to overcome. After facing demons in The Sanatorium, Elin has returned to work but still fights both her past family tragedy and the prospect of a murder investigation. Relationships with her partner Will’s family come up in this narrative, which continues to build and develop her as a character. Elin is a brilliant detective, as well as a wholly human character and I loved spending time with her again. Long may Sarah Pearse send her to idyllic locations to solve creepy crimes!

The audiobook perfectly captured and brought to life all of the elements that makes The Retreat such a fantastic read. Gemma Whelan narrates really well, bringing distinct traits to all of the characters and capturing the mood and atmosphere perfectly. There’s a genuinely unsettling feel as events begin to unfold and I found that I didn’t want to stop listening until I knew exactly what was going to happen!

I love a murder mystery with a limited cast, in an isolated setting, where the killer has to be someone that’s already present. There’s just something about that set up that I love and this delivered everything I wanted from that. At the beginning, we didn’t even know who had been murdered for a little while, which reminded me a lot of Lucy Foley’s writing in The Guest List and The Hunting Party. I love this added element of mystery that just keeps you glued to the page!

I finished this book in one day. The chapters were all only a few pages long and often ended on cliffhangers. We had a couple of main groups of characters to follow which split up the perspectives and made the whole thing feel more fast-paced. It was such an easy and gripping read!

I really like DS Elin Warner as a character, and I’m very keen to read Sarah’s first book, The Sanatorium, after loving her so much. I also loved the developing platonic relationship between Elin and her colleague Steed, as we got to uncover so many deep rooted secrets and emotions in both of these characters, to the point where their relationship develops into more of a familial one, which was just so lovely and heart warming!!

Without spoilering anything, we are also left with a slightly open ending.. 👀 so I absolutely expect to see more of DS Elin Warner in future, hopefully with some answers!!

I cannot recommend this book enough - if you are a thriller fan, I cannot imagine a reason you wouldn’t enjoy this book, so please read it!!

This is the first book I read by this author and I found it creepy, riveting, and entertaining.
The island is great setting: there's an eery atmosphere and a dark history. The characters are fleshed out and interesting.
The author is a good storyteller and there's plenty of twists that surprised me.
I appreciated the ending that was unexpected.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

2021 was a year of fantastic debuts. Shiver, In My Dreams I Hold A Knife or The Sanatorium were amongst my favorite books, making it to my top ten list. I was curious to see if their sophomore books would maintain the level and OMG they did! The Retreat is the second books in the Detective Elin Warner series and as good and exciting as The Sanatorium.

Elin and her partner Steer are called to a secluded island off the UK coast where a young girl has been found dead in a luxury resort. Although initially it looks like an accident, a second body from the same group of guests is suspicious enough for Elin and Steed to launch an investigation. A wild storm will cut them off from the mainland, but will they catch the killer before anyone else dies?

Talk about a page turner! I read The Retreat while on vacation and my bf almost had to physically take the book from my hands to go do some vacation things (what’s more vacation than reading by the pool?!).

I was grabbed by the story right from the start. It was great to see Elin in her home turf, though still dealing with some of the revelations about herself she uncovered during her stay at The Sanatorium. The character’s already showing some growth from book one and, flaws and all, she was even more appealing this time around.

The setting was really atmospheric, giving away creepy vibes I adored, loving the contrast between these eerie feeling and the vibrant and colorful resort, though honestly, you had me at secluded island! 😆

The rest of the characters were a pretty unlikeable bunch, really well drawn, with tensions growing between them as the story progressed, leading to an ending that packed a punch, with a last minute surprise I did not see coming. Like the island itself, the story is full of cliffhangers and twists that will make you dizzy.

The Sanatorium left Elin going down the mountain with someone watching, following her steps, and that someone seems to be back, sending her some disturbing messages, which I hope we’ll learn more about in book 3. I, for one, can’t wait, since Sarah has gone straight to the top of my auto buy author’s list.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bantam Press for providing and eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second in the series with Detective Elin Warner.

After her trip to the Swiss Alps with her partner Will, she is easing back into full duties. She is asked to attend an incident. One body has been found at the bottom of a rock cliff, and a second body is found drowned.

Similar to the first book, this takes place at a luxury resort on a secluded island. Cary Island is off the south Devon coast. At this point, I would like to point out that Sarah Pearse has the most beautiful descriptive narrative about locations. In both novels, deaths aside, she tempts you to contact your travel agents to book these secluded vacation locations.

This island was known locally as Reapers Rock. On this site, young adults/teenagers were murdered by a local serial killer, but now Will, as the architect of the development, has plans to turn it into a new wellness development.

There were a lot of characters that felt very similar to each other and not very pleasant to get to know. I did find them confusing to keep organised with their storylines.

This wasn’t for me, and I struggled to maintain my interest 100%.

Great writer 2.0/5.0 #TheRetreat #NetGalley

I would like to thank #NetGalley and #PenguinRandomHouse for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. This book is due for release on July 21, 2022.

This is the second book by this author and I think this one is just as good as the first. I loved the setting on the Devon Island and the back story to the island giving it that creepy atmosphere along with the twists and turns along the way as the story comes together. There are a whole host of characters with plenty of motives to keep you guessing until the end. I’m now looking forward to the next book from this author.

I was quite pleasantly surprised by this one seeing as it was my first Sarah Pearse novel with the first one sitting on my shelf unread. I would give it 3.5 out of 5 for the fact it builds on tension, character development and mysterious but beautiful landscapes. I enjoyed the history of the island and the tense build up to the climax, I liked the unpredictability of it I just think I’ve read a few too many similar plot lines which is unfortunate but not the fault of the book!

Rating 3.5

An interesting novel following Detective Elin Warner who is called to deal with a death on a small island that has been turned into a wellness retreat. The island has history, related to 4 murders of young kids who were there for an activity course.

I liked the twists at the end, but the story seemed to lack something - Elin was a bit, well wet, going out on a limb too much, some of the characters blurred into one so I forgot who was who! Im sure at one point someone is looking at her sisters phone, discovers something important and then tries to ring her as she cant get hold of her - doh!

I received this book from netgalley in return for a honest review.

___________________________________

This is a warning for all our guests at the wellness retreat.

A woman's body has been found at the bottom of the cliff beneath the yoga pavilion.

We believe her death was a tragic accident, though DS Elin Warner has arrived on the island to investigate.

A storm has been forecast, but do not panic. Stick together and please ignore any rumours you might have heard about the island and its history.

As soon as the weather clears, we will arrange boats to take you back to the mainland.

In the meantime, we hope you enjoy your stay.
___________________________________

Wow! I am lost for words. This is intriguing, chilling and superbly written. I have been not so patiently waiting to read this book and it does not disappoint. What I liked most was the unpredictability, I could never guess what would happen next and I love Elin as she is one strong woman. I can't wait for Sarah Pearse's next book. Thank you netgalley and Random house for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
My rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐5/5
#netgalley #theretreat