Thank you to Harper Collins UK and NetGalley for providing me with this eARC. I love Lucy Clarke so was very excited to get an early copy. Her destination thrillers are so fast paced you can read them in one sitting. I loved the tension in this book combined with the beautiful setting. Lucy Clarke has such beautiful and descriptive writing that makes the world feel real and this book was no different. The twists aren’t too predictable either so they have great payoff and I really enjoyed how the mystery was unveiled!

Wow what a fantastic read. When Bea walks out of her modeling job and immediately gets into a very serious situation she eventually finds safely at the Surf house but things are about to get much worse for her. Full of twists and turns with plots that will keep you guessing the outcome right to the end and can she really trust anyone anyone as she eventually finds out the secrets that have been covered up. Highly recommended 5🌟read

Rating: 4.0/5

I enjoy Lucy Clarke's writing style. It is fluent and engaging and there is invariably a filmic quality to it that makes it no surprise that her work ends up being dramatised for the screen. That said, although her two novels prior to this one were good, I felt they were guilty of being a touch formulaic. However, I am pleased to say there is no such issue with "The Surf House".

Over recent years Lucy Clarke really has staked a claim to be regarded as "The Queen of the Destination Thriller". She regularly serves up appealing locations for her books, but manages to avoid simply using the same hackneyed settings that some other authors opt for.

This latest offering, "The Surf House" has the Moroccan coast as its backdrop. Unhappy career model, Bea, has just walked out on her latest shoot only to immediately find herself in trouble when she strays into a dodgy area of Marrakech. Having been set upon by muggers, Bea is saved by the intervention of Marnie - but not without some additional drama that threatens to have serious consequences. Marnie takes Bea to the coastal haven of Mallah, where she runs the eponymous "Surf House". The setting is idyllic and the laid-back lifestyle seems to offer Bea everything she felt she was missing from her life - but she is still haunted by the shadow of events in the back streets of Marrakesh and, as time goes by, the addition of some further mysteries too.

After the exhilirating drama of the opening chapters, the pace may be a little slow for the likes of some readers until the latter stages of the story. This is not particularly unusual for a Lucy Clarke mystery. Personally, I have no real issue with her choice of structural approach with an often subdued tempo. Lucy Clarke's narrative style and sound characterisation are sufficiently engaging to ensure I remain rapt in the proceedings.

Regular readers may be able predict some of the major plot developments, but regardless of whether you do or not, the road to the eventual unravelling of the mystery is an enjoyable one to travel.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.

I loved all the secrets and drama surrounding Bea and her companions staying at The Surf House in Morocco. It's all set against the glorious backdrop of surfing in the sea. A great entertaining and enjoyable read.

Lucy Clark is such a clever writer. She keeps you guessing right until the very end. This book is every bit as brilliant as her other books. Grab a coffee, set yourself in a comfy chair and watch the hours disappear as you lose yourself in the story.

A twisty thriller set in Marrakesh amid the heat and sun and surfers. Very atmospheric but I didn’t connect with the characters but that maybe me. A good summer read.

I loved all of Lucy Clarke’s previous books so was delighted to get to read an early copy of The Surf House.
I had a weekend break to Marrakesh this year so delved right in and the author captured the atmosphere perfectly..
An engrossing read I would definitely recommend

I enjoy Lucy Clarke's books and this was no exception. I think the way she writes is so clever as she tells gripping stories with complex characters yet manages to keep a lightness of touch and tone in her storytelling. The setting was interesting and the cast charismatic. Overall this was suitably engaging and I couldn't put it down! Many thanks

Set in Morocco, Bea is a model and is on a modelling shoot when she has a meltdown and walks out. Checking out of her hotel she wanders around Marrakesh when she falls prey to a mugging. But she is helped by Marnie who is passing by but Marnie is no match for the muggers and Bea end up stabbing the mugger in the neck as he was strangling Marnie.
They flee, going to Marnie beach house in Mallah. But Bea had dropped her backpack, passport and the bloodstained knife with her fingerprints.
Here the story unfolds, gripping with tension and Bea is stranded at Mallah, a beautiful place on the coast. Lucy Clarke describes Morocco so good, it made you feel like you were there. Good characters and the storytelling is great, I loved it.

This is a substantial and fast paced thriller from an author who’s adept at creating characters and developing a strong sense of location. I’ve never visited Marrakesh, but felt a real sense of the place from the descriptions and that helps the reader buy into the story. Bea goes there to escape and ends up embroiled in things she can’t control. What Stewart’s as a glitzy glamour world soon turns dark and I was hooked by the characters and the careful plotting. Unexpected twists make it diff to predict where this story is going and I just lived the pure escapism, but one lacked with intrigue and excitement. It’s another winner.

At the start of the book I thought it was going to be a little lightweight with a young girls on her modelling assignments until one day Bea just walked away from the life. With no idea where she will go or what is next on her path she finds herself in a shocking situation in an alley in Marrakesh where she thought there was no way out.

The story unfolds at pace and quickly moves out of the city to a surfers paradise, Mallah, where naively Bea is drawn in by those who own The Surf House.

There is enormous tension and drama between the characters. The whole situation is fraught with danger, excitement and at every turn there is a new twist to the story.

I loved this fast paced thriller

3.5 rounded up

Bea walks off her modelling assignment in Marrakesh as she’s had enough. Foolishly as it turns out, she wanders around the town and finds herself in a blind alley caught in a horrifying incident which Marnie bravely rescues her from and takes her to the remote Surf House. Will she be safe there from the consequences of what transpires in the alley?

First of all, the Moroccan setting is fabulous and it’s so well described that you feel as if you’re there. The Surf House, the cliff top, the sun, the beach, the waves and of course the surfing and I can understand how that becomes a passion. The unpredictability of the waves and those who seek the thrill of the big ones mirrors what is happening on dry land.

The plot does keep me interested as there are many things going on at the Surf House with plenty of tension between characters, some really fool you and there are things to puzzle over. It becomes apparent that Bea has stepped into a nest of vipers or maybe that should be caught up in a dangerous riptide.

I like Bea she’s a good character and she doesn’t deserve what happens to her, but equally she’s a bit naive and too trusting. As the situation becomes fraught with danger the twists keep coming. Some are good but some are easy to figure out. I’m not 100% convinced by the ending but it’s certainly dramatic and exciting.

Overall, this is an entertaining fast paced read and a rollercoaster atmospheric thriller.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to HarperCollins, HarperFiction for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

Having recently returned from travels in Morocco, Lucy Clarke’s latest destination thriller ‘The Surf House’ was an obvious choice of reading material – and like her previous novels set in other iconic locations such as Tasmania, Fiji and Scandinavia, this novel did not disappoint! At the heart of this novel is Bea who has travelled to Marrakesh for a modelling assignment but is violently assaulted. To recover, she retreats into the ‘Surf House’, run by enigmatic Marnie and her partner as a surf school. Things are looking to improve when she meets ruggedly good-looking surf coach Aiden – but could he be hiding a secret too? And what is the story of the young female who disappeared from the Surf House a year ago?
As in her previous thrillers, Lucy Clarke is adept at slowly ratcheting up the tension and suspense that eventually turn a paradisiacal place, such as a golden, sun-drenched Moroccan beachfront, into a febrile, palpably dangerous setting of dread. Highly recommended as a literary form of escapism! I was pleased to receive a digital ARC of this book from the publisher Harper Collins UK via NetGalley, and all points made in this review are my own honest and unbiased views.

Having read and enjoyed a few of Lucy’s books now, I was excited to start The Surf House. I love the writing style and was instantly transported to Marrakesh. I found the pacing of the beginning and end perfect but the middle a little slow. I didn’t see the twist coming which is always a bonus.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.

I love a bit of Lucy Clarke!! The Surf House is a gripping mystery set in Morocco.
After a terrifying assault in Marrakesh, Bea, goes to stay at Surf House, a sanctuary for travellers. She soon discover that a young woman, Savannah disappeared without a trace from there a year ago. The timeline alternates between Bea’s present-day investigation and flashbacks to Savannah’s stay a year ago.

This book is perfect for lovers of mysteries, especially those with plenty of twists. While some of the plot twists might feel a bit predictable, the strong characters and engaging writing keep you hooked until the last page.

Bea is a fashion model who says no to modelling and learns to surf whilst helping out at a boutique b and b in Morocco. But her arrival in her new life is due to a dangerous experience in a Moroccan souk and whilst her fresh outlook seems appealingly relaxing at first, circumstances do change, hurling her into uncertainty as to friendships and romance. A curve ball of a story right to the end.

I quite enjoyed this book. Couldn’t quite relate to the characters. Thanks @netgalley for letting me read this book.

The Surf House by new to me author L. Clarke, published by Harper Collins UK is a general fiction mystery/thriller. The author of One Of THe Girls wrote an heartpounding, fast paced and complex novel that had me right from the start. 4.5 stars.
Blurb: High on the cliffs of Morocco, far from the city lights and the souks, stands The Surf House: a sanctuary for travellers chasing sunshine and waves.
But the idyll hides a dark mystery.
And when Bea washes in, seeking refuge after a dangerous encounter in Marrakesh, she soon gets caught in the current.
A woman her age – who stayed in the same area, walked the same beaches, met the same guests – disappeared one year earlier, vanishing without trace.
Somewhere inside The Surf House lies the truth – but there’ll be a price for uncovering it.

An interesting story particularly if you are a surfer or have watched others participating. Set in an isolated beach resort in the eighties in Morocco it tells a tale with lots of twists and turns. The central character, a model, ends up solving the disappearance of an American girl dispite being lied to be all and sundry.

This was a very clever whodunnit. When Marnie saves Bea from rape, she ends up at Marnie's surf house. Initially it seems like a sanctuary, but then questions emerge about a girl who vanished a year ago. After the girls brother turns up on the trail, then he dies, things get tense. This is really well put together, some misdirection and a truly brilliant ending as the exact truth comes out. The idyllic surf scene had some terrible secrets, and it is amazing what people will do for love and to protect themselves. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, and I look forward to reading more from this author.