I had enjoyed Pearse’s first novel, and as she’s local to me and this one is set in Devon, I was doubly looking forward to it! This one improves on her debut and here it involves Will’s sister who is manager at the retreat, as well as a group of sisters who are there with partners and a cousin - until gradually bodies start turning up… Building the tension nicely, with little plot twists along the way, Pearse keeps you engaged in the story as it builds towards the climax.

The only bit that’s niggled me in both books, is boyfriend Will. When he’s encouraging Elin, he’s great - but he’s almost as quick to tear her down, and his almost bipolar mood swings have me almost hoping Elin will ditch him for someone who supports her through thick and thin.

I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review.

A retreat has been created on an island that is said to be “cursed”, and many tourists go to visit… but a group of unfortunate people go for a relaxing time with family, and let’s just say, it’s not as relaxing as they had once hoped. When a body is found on the island, Elin has been asked to take on the case. Things take a turn for the worst, and Elin’s personal life takes a hit…

Yet again, Sarah writes another incredible book… I thought nothing would top the sanatorium but boy was I wrong. This was all kinds of creepy, full of curses, superstitions… and what’s a thriller without some real family drama?

And the moving on from the Epilogue of The Sanatorium… I need more😩

I’m dreading waiting for book three because it was so good and I could just binge these books for weeks🤣

If you haven’t read this or The Sanatorium yet… you need to, like now! I need to know what you guys think👀

This is bloody amazing for any and all thriller lovers alike, it’s full of murder and mysteries and I just think it’s written incredibly, and super fast paced! I can’t wait for more from Sarah🫶🏻

Loved that the setting was based off a location close to me, helped with picturing the landscapes! I enjoyed the mystery and history of the island.

However, this one just wasn’t for me. I found all the characters quite difficult to get to grips with and follow without getting lost. There was too much going on which made feeling a connection to any of them really tricky.

The pace was too slow for me (despite it ramping up a bit towards the end!). Really didn’t enjoy the unanswered questions it left.

After not loving the first and liking this one even less, think I’ll give her future work a miss.

2/5 from me.

I enjoyed Sarah’s first novel but I really enjoyed The Retreat. A fast paced page turner that really was difficult for me to put down. I want to know more about DS Elin, she is one strong female. Great plot with brilliant twists. I bought a hard copy to keep!

Like most of the rest of the crime-thriller loving world, I was hooked on the Sanatorium and so I was keen to read Sarah Pearse's next book The Retreat as soon as I could!

This claustrophobic thriller is set on an island just off the south coast of England; the island has had a murky past, used as a children's home for unruly children, with local legends about a beaked monster that roams the land, The latest incarnation of the island is as a holistic wellness space with instagrammable yoga rooms, infinity pools, snorkelling and the like.
Three sisters and their cousin are invited to the island as Jo is an influencer and managed to blag a weekend there. One of the sisters can't make it but her partner comes instead, along with other partners and boyfriends. The group settle in to the luxury setting but the tranquillity is soon disturbed by a body found at the bottom of a cliff. Local police officer Elin Warner (remember her from the Sanitorium?) is called in to investigate, and as you'd expect in this type of book, one death is never enough!

I was hooked from the outset - and although the locked room/ island death/ sanctuary murders have been written about fairly frequently recently, there was enough of a USP to keep me hooked.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read the ARC,

Thank you Random House UK and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

I loved Sarah's first book the Sanatorium and this was good, but not as good as the first one. I felt the story got a little lost at times and went round in circles, and some of the characters were a bit nothing.

However it had a good ending, but it did guess it.

I would definitely read more by Sarah if given the chance.

I would like to give 3.5 stars and don't want to downgrade to 3 so I have given 4.

Another corker by Pearse.
I enjoyed The Sanatorium and I think The Retreat could be better. With another slew of characters, some likeable, some less so; it's a whodunnit in an isolated location which is a favourite trope of mine.
Pearse writes her scenery so beautifully I felt I could picture exactly what the island looked like, reaper and all. Twists and turns and plenty of action, all the way up to the last sentence!
Thanks very much to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review.

The second book in the Dectective Elin Warner series. This time it is set in an eco wellness retreat which has reapers rock loomong over it on a remote island off the coast of England. The island has a history which seems like it is starting to repeat itself when one of the guests is found dead.

I rally enjoyed the remote closed setting of this which added to the mystery of who is behind it all. I found that in this books we didn't get to know Elin as well as we did during the first book and her character really didn't develop any further. I also didn't find myself as invested in the other characters as much this time. However, I do think how the location was written really brought it to life and I really enjoyed how it felt as if reapers rock really was looming over them all. I think this is a good thriller which will have you guessing until the end who it is.

I loved Sarah Pearse’s debut book ‘The Sanatorium’ and was so excited to receive a copy of the ARC for her next thriller – The Retreat. The Retreat continues to follow main character Detective Elin Warner as she finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation whilst on a remote location.

What I loved so much about The Sanatorium was its setting – Sarah does a great job of painting atmospheric locations that really stick with you and The Retreat is no different. The eco-wellness retreat on a remote island underneath ‘Reaper’s Rock’ on the site of an old school with a dubious past was a great choice for this particular story. My only note was that I personally struggled to picture ‘Reaper’s Rock’ and I wish the cover illustration gave an idea of what it looked like.

The plot itself is nice and twisty with a large cast of characters, there’s Hana and her sister Jo who’s a social media influencer, Jo’s partner Seth who has a dark past, quiet sister Maya and absent sister Bea’s partner Callum. The murders are centred around this party and you are left guessing with some red herrings and interesting reveals. I did guess who the perpetrator was quite early on though as an off-hand comment was made about their past that made it a little too obvious!

My only niggle would be that there is an over-use of cliff-hanger endings to chapters. This can sometimes be a great narrative device but is frustrating when used for every chapter. When you read ‘when she saw what was in the bag her blood ran cold’ only to be instantly followed up by what was in the bag in the next sentence (only separated by chapter headings) it began to grate.

I’m not really sure how I feel about Erin, she doesn’t seem to be a very experienced Detective and whilst I enjoyed her flaws in the first book, I found her a little irritating in this one. I also really didn’t like her husband Will and their dynamic felt very off in this book. This is certainly a series I’ll keep reading because of the interesting locations and good twisty plots but I am less convinced by the main characters.

Overall, The Retreat is a twisty thriller in an atmospheric location which is fast becoming Sarah Pearse’s trademark. Thank you to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and Bantam Press for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved Sarah’s first book - The Sanatorium, it was really gripping and I felt I wanted to read more to find out what happens next, however this book I just couldn’t get in to it at all. There were a lot of characters to begin with, I found myself getting confused really easily between who was who and what was going on in the story. I didn’t finish the book, I was a bit disappointed, but I may go back and re visit it in the future.

I’ll give 3 stars for now, and that is only because I really like this author. I’ll update when I’ve gone back and read the rest of the book.

I totally didn't realise that this was a second part in a crime series with the Sanatorium being the first. Despite this however it was completely acceptable as a stand alone as not much was delved into about the previous story-line.

In terms of the story itself, the characters are largely likeable, they have some level of depth and believability and there are enough to leave you thinking about the 'who-dunnit'. The story has some new concepts and brings in past events to tie in for quite a gripping finale. All set in what is described as the most 'idyllic' holiday retreat.

I haven't read the first yet but I will happily pick up another Sarah Pearse book as an easy Sunday or summer read. 3 1/2 stars for me.

The Retreat was very fast paced helped along by short and snappy chapters. I was a teeny bit disappointed that the premise was almost identical to it's predecessor as I'm not a massive fan of repetition. However on the flip side of that, The Retreat is a great one to dive into if you're bothered about reading out of series order as it doesn't follow on from The Sanatorium apart from DS Elin is back leading the investigation.

Sarah Pearse has delivered a very clever conclusion to another complex case and I liked the way it was played out. Little shocker at the end too, loved that! 👏

Thank you to @netgalley #SarahPearse and #TransworldDigital for another gripping #ThrillerRead

THE RETREAT IS OUT NOW!

Sarah Pearse has written a superb, atmospherically chilling, crime thriller set on an island off the English, South Devon coast. It follows on from the previous book (The Sanatorium) starring Elin Warner, a detective who has panic attacks, experiences anxiety, and has sleeping difficulties due partly to the death of her younger brother during childhood. She has recently returned to the MCIT (Major Crime Investigation Team) working with DC Steed.

Sarah Pearse engages the reader with layered characters, a mystery that has many underlying themes and a vividly drawn setting. The author makes fabulous use of the isolated location with danger lurking all around. The pacing, which started slow and then increased around the centre of the story, led to an ending that was exhilarating. Elin's own insecurity and neuroses formed a fair chunk of the overall novel. The parts that included DC Steed were also good.

If you love a good crime mystery fiction read with plenty of intense moments then The Retreat is for you. Very highly recommended. Rating: five stars.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Bantam Press via NetGalley and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

The Retreat was a complex page-turner that kept you guessing to the very end. My only critique was that it was difficult to keep the characters straight. Unlike Sarah's previous book, there was a larger cast that had less defined schedule of events. I will likely reread the story again and that will help. :)

Excellent book and I am looking forward to the next in the series.

An island with a dark history of murder rebranded to feature a luxury retreat? What could possibly go wrong? Well, we wouldn’t be hear without a murder would we? Is the killer back to continue their bloodthirsty desires or something else afoot?!

Enter DS Elin Warner. Her trip to the Sanatorium didn’t cure her of her problems, but maybe the Retreat will help? Obviously there are questions whether she can cope and yet again she has a personal connection to the deadly location, this time through her long-suffering boyfriend. I warmed to Elin after her last chilly trip. She’s not the confident detective you often get in crime thrillers but she’s got the grit and determination to get involved.

Now the mishmash group at the Retreat are an interesting bunch, sisters, partners, friends. But the dynamic isn’t quite right and there is tension between them, especially when the first body is found. And as the story unfolded, I was desperate to know what tension-causing secrets were being kept!

Pearse whipped a very stormy climax as Elin pursued the killer acros the island. I didn’t realise I was holding my breath until I turned the final electronic page. This is one police procedural on location where the island plays its part in the tension and story.

You know the saying (used by many a mum) “I can’t even have a wee in peace” well I don’t think any of mine were quite as eventful as the one at the start of this book.

Then the timeline shifts and family members Hana, Jo, Maya and their partners are the unlikeable guests arriving at the island with Bea cancelling at the last minute. They are all dealing with tragedies and past histories but I’m probably not alone in wishing Jo the travel influencer a nasty demise.

Throw in sinister tales of a curse, plague victims and an island caretaker/serial killer and you have all the makings of one creepy setting. However now it has become a luxury wellness retreat so they want you to forget all that, especially now a body has been found.

Arriving at the island to investigate are DS Elin Warner and her partner DC Steed and hot on their tail is a ferocious storm to cut them all off. It was good to see that Elin is not as insecure in this book but her vulnerability still clung to her like a damp coat.

Sarah does isolated settings really well and while I did find her previous one in The Sanatorium slightly had the edge it was still pretty menacing especially with the weather. As the storm ramped up so did the pace and I knew a high octane ending was fast approaching.

A classic “locked room” whodunnit scenario which offers lots of theories, suspicions and twists. Will you guess who and more importantly why?

I was offered an advance review copy of The Retreat by NetGalley – and having really enjoyed her previous book, The Sanatorium, I jumped at the chance. I hadn’t realised at that point that it’s the next book in a series featuring DS Elin Warner – so that was a surprise when I started reading.

For those of you who actually read the blurb before picking up a book, here it is:

“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.“

As the book starts it is very reminiscent of Sarah Pearse’s previous book – lots of middle class people in a holiday environment, and again there were a lot of names and connections to juggle in your head – but you can’t blame the author for sticking to a format that worked so well with her debut novel which was a Sunday Times best seller!

There is a family and their other halves on holiday at a wellness retreat which is set on an island off the coast of Devon. The island has had a chequered past – but the recently opened wellness retreat is supposed to give it a new lease of life – and has been designed by Elin’s partner – and his sister is the manager. As with The Sanatorium, you kind of have to suspend your disbelief at co-incidences – of which there are very many!

The family have their own history and relationships which all appear quite fractured – I have to say I didn’t particularly like any of them and wasn’t rooting for one person in particular. However the shared dislike didn’t detract from enjoyment of the book.

Overall it twists and turns and is an enjoyable read. Whilst it would stand alone – I would suggest reading the author’s debut novel would mean you understand Elin’s back story a bit better.

The Retreat was published late July 2022 – so if you like the sound of it you can read it right now.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley for my ARC.
I requested this as I enjoyed The Sanatorium. This story follows the same detective from the first book but the plot is stand alone.
A new hotel has been built on the Cornish coastline and a group of friends have been invited to stay there curtesy of their influencer friend.
But it doesn’t take long for things to start going wrong. Some of the friends don’t always get along and people start going missing. Are they dead or will they turn up somewhere else?
I really enjoyed the dynamics of the group and the complexities of who knew who and from where.
The only thing that I did think there was too much of was the descriptions of the setting.

I loved The Sanatorium and let me tell you, The Retreat did not disappoint!

Sarah did it again!.
Her writing style is brilliant and poignant.
As it is a thriller you of course expect a lot of tension, plot twists and surprises and this is certainly the case.

Without giving any spoilers, I have to say that I always love the description of the locations: mysterious, remote and dark. The family dynamics are brilliant portrayed and they contribute to make the story even more intriguing.

I would totally recommend it and I can’t wait to read the third book!

When you see there is a new book out by Sarah Pearse it should be a no-brainer that you have to read it! I loved Sanatorium so I was super excited to read this 1. I find her style of writing very easy to follow and I really enjoy her storytelling. I also love the curve balls she throws at you.

This book absolutely lived up to my expectations. Being an only child I'm always fascinated with stories about siblings and family dynamics and I must say after reading this I'm glad I never had a sister like Jo! There's also the sister/brother that is fascinating.

This is a story about revenge. Is Reapers Rock cursed like some people believe or is there something more sinister behind the deaths that look like accidents initially? Elin Warner is sent to the Island to look into the death of a woman who seemingly fell over a railing. It should be an easy assignment to ease her back into work but soon she is tested to the maximum.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK, Transworld for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion