Since reading (and loving) The Villa by Ruth Kelly, I’ve always waited with anticipation and excitement for new releases from her.
As you may have seen, from my belated review a couple of weeks ago, I thoroughly enjoyed The Escape too. Therefore, when the opportunity arose to read The Ice Retreat (with thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan) ahead of its November release, I jumped at the chance.

My review does not contain spoilers…

To start with, I want to say that I honestly think this is one of those books that you could read in a day if you had nothing else you needed to do. In fact, if I’d found myself on a beach etc, I think I could’ve read it in a long sitting as The Ice Retreat is a novel that pulls you in, puts its icy grip on you and you know you won’t take a breath/be able to breathe properly (or defrosted from the frozen state it puts you in) until you know WHO. WHAT. WHY. WHEN. WHERE…?

Now that I’m defrosted, and my breathing has returned to normal (although I think an early night is needed as I stayed up to finish it last night…) I am able to type this and say that I have nothing but praise for it.

I loved reading it.

I loved every part of it.

Knowing where/how Kelly drew her inspiration for, for The Villa and The Escape makes me wonder where this comes from. I am yet to read an article or ask her about the origins of this, but I am VERY intrigued. Her imagination is totally unique, special even.

This book and all its concepts are so original. Like an onion, there is layer after layer and when you think you have worked something out/know where things might be heading, off it goes again, freezing your brain further.

In my case, I was frozen solid as I did not get ANYTHING right! I fell for every red herring. If it were maths, in this case my two plus two equalled five. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Here's what particularly stood out to me:

• Setting – it’s perfect. Intriguing, creepy, mysterious. Yet, the juxtaposition of the beauty of it works so well. If you are a visual reader and can picture as you’re reading, you’ll know what I mean.

• Characters – well developed, all individual. I was rooting for so many of them too! In places, it certainly pulled on my heartstrings…

• Plot – action packed. It doesn’t really let up for a moment, or lull you into any sense of relief as you constantly have the fear of what might be coming.

Yep, the big three. Setting. Characters. Plot. Kelly has, in my opinion, a piece of perfection here.

Often, when I write a review, I think about if a book would make a good film or TV series. I don’t always include my thoughts about this in my reviews, but here it feels relevant to.

I truly think that this would make for an enthralling series. There’s enough drama to fill a series in that you would be wanting to binge watch the lot! Therefore, it would also make a good film, I guess. I think a tad of CGI might be needed here and there (I won’t explain – I said no spoilers) but, when that’s done well, it’s effective.

So…here’s me hoping that one day I get to watch this on a screen of some sorts, unchanged as it really is perfect as it is!

I can see this book reaching the heights of the retreat itself when this book launches in November.

Oh…and I LOVE THE COVER!!

Another absorbing thriller from this author that will keep you reading well into the night. Really enjoyed that there are multiple points of view, twists and turns, a beautiful sinister setting, a chilling plot line and an exciting finale.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the review copy.

I really liked Ruth Kelly's last two mystery books! This new one, The Ice Retreat, is just as exciting. It's about a famous social media person who uses freezing cold water to help people get over bad things in their lives. The story jumps around a bit, but it's easy to follow. It ends each chapter in a way that makes you want to keep reading!

Here's the main part: A lady named Hollie checks out this retreat because some people who went there died and another person vanished. But Hollie has some problems of her own too. There's a lot going on in this book, and it all comes together with some surprising turns. You should definitely read it!

I would really like to read and review this book but it will not download to kindle. I have tried several times now, but it never appears.

Addictive, thrilling and completely chilling, The Ice Retreat by Ruth Kelly (who is fast becoming an auto-buy of an author for me) is another propulsive psychological suspense read that takes a topic that is very current and spins a convincing mystery around it that’s immersive and incredibly engaging. I read this one in two eager sittings where I was utterly obsessed and rushed through the arc on my phone unable to stop turning the pages. It’s one of those mysteries that you consume in one exciting binge-read session.

The story follows several perspectives:
➡️ in the present narrative we have Florence who’s been mysteriously awakened to find herself in a hospital. She’s not sure why she’s there and no-one will give her any answers. Trapped in a sterile and unsettling hospital she’s oscillates between her present and past memories.
➡️ Hollie’s narrative forms the major plot of the book. She’s the main female protagonist leading the story. Hollie is an investigative, documentary filmmaker for Netflix whose groundbreaking documentary exposing a toxic medical company put her on the map. Now she’s gotten a call from a woman. Her son Martyn went on an ice retreat that promises to cure chronic illnesses that mainstream medicine can’t seem to treat. However after the retreat, her son started sending postcards explaining that he’s now travelling around the world. But they don’t sound like him and his WhatsApp pictures never include his face in them. Now even those have stopped. She thinks something has happened to her son but no-one will believe her including the police. Unsure of what to do she’s contacted Hollie. Hollie is convinced something dark and possibly criminal is happening at the ice retreat that’s run by a mere 24-year old Swedish young woman named Ariel. Determined to find out the truth Hollie starts investigating which even gets her into trouble. Until one day she receives a message from Ariel. An invitation…to the retreat. To see for herself that there’s nothing afoot. Hollie accepts…
➡️Interspersed with Florence’s and Hollie’s narrative arc you see a few chapters from Martyn’s view that’s sprinkled here and there taking place twelve weeks before his treatment.

When all the three narratives finally tie up together we get a series of twists and reveals that concludes in a creepy and unsettling climax. I liked the progression of Hollie’s characterisation and the way Kelly explores the issue of alternative medicine and how it’s become this capitalist venture for young people who’ve turned this business into another influencer-driven business. The back and forth between Ariel and Hollie when they meet was interesting and Kelly never really judges anyone here providing scope for two truths to exist at the same time. The setting of this story just like in her previous two novels is vivid and atmospheric creating an immersive place that reals authentic and plausible. I was completely immersed in this world. Another banger of a novel from Ruth Kelly. I eagerly anticipate her future suspense books.

Read this on the Netgalley Shelf App (as the Kindle isn’t working).

I’ve loved Ruth Kelly two previous suspense novels, The Villa and The Escape. She writes such pacy, suspense thrillers that touch upon topical and contemporary themes and with The Ice Retreat she’s done it again. She takes on those self-help gurus who are big on social media, in this case use ice baths and cold conditions to help heal trauma.

There are multiple POVs, and the timeline goes back and forth but it wasn’t confusing at all. Chapters end on cliffhangers, which had me scrolling on for more. In a nutshell the story follows Hollie investigating Ariel, who runs her self-help retreat on an icy cliff in Switzerland after a series of suicides from her clients and a disappearances. But Hollie has her own past and trauma as well to deal with.

There are many threads to the story that come together in a series of twists and reveals. I highly recommend!