An Amazon Charts bestseller.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. … 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?
From the bestselling author of Follow You Home and The Magpies comes his most terrifying novel yet.
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I’ve read a few books by Mark Edwards, and for me this one is up there with The Magpies. It’s a very entertaining read.
A writer experiencing writer’s block heads to an isolated cottage in Wales for a writing retreat. While he’s there lots of creepy things begin to happen, and the main character finds himself pulled into a mystery about a young girl who was believed to have drowned in a river a few years before the book began.
First of all, I nearly always love a book about a writer. I obviously relate to the character right away and find the jokes about writing and publishing hilarious. In this book there are swipes at book snobs and a jokey reference to traditional publishing versus self-publishing. I love that.
But you don’t need to be an author to enjoy this book. The Retreat is a genre mash-up of psychological thriller, supernatural suspense and whodunnit mysteries. I loved the Gothic elements, the way folklore is woven into the plot and the backdrop of the Welsh countryside. This book is absolutely up my street and I know there are plenty of thriller readers who will think the same.
Take this one on holiday and enjoy!
Sarah A. Denzil
Author of SILENT CHILD
This is the third book by Mark Edwards I’ve read, and it’s easily my favorite. From the idea of the writer’s retreat to the creepy atmosphere that permeates the house and the urban legend of the Red Widow, everything scored just the right notes for me. The lead characters (Lucas and Julia) are both emotionally damaged for differing reasons. Put them together and you’d think the book would be a glum fest, but it isn’t. It’s a tightly written mystery with suspense that builds gradually and plot threads that scuttle along like spider legs.
There are numerous characters to keep track of (several of which raise red flags of suspicion) but the author makes sure the plot threads are bundled up in a nicely spun web at the conclusion. I didn’t suspect the ending, an added bonus. As a writer, Mark Edwards always delivers a story full of atmosphere and suspense, but The Retreat is a cut above. Loved it
Strange things happen at a writer’s retreat in Wales. A small town, a missing girl, and just maybe a killer living in the woods.
This was my first by Mark Edwards, but it won’t be my last.
The Retreat was a superb psychological thriller. I think it was the setting that partially did it for me before the plot even began to unravel – a desolate and somewhat haunting (even though, undoubtedly, picturesque), the Welsh countryside was a perfect place to set such a story. Here, old folklore and tradition are still alive, and not just old folk but the youngest generation believes in the tale of the Widow – a woman who haunts the forest and comes out every thirty-five years to steal a child. What more could Lucas, a horror writer, dream of to get inspiration for his newest story as he arrived at the writers’ retreat run by Julia, a widow herself? Certainly not to uncover that Julia’s daughter, Lily, disappeared just a couple of years ago…
The novel was incredibly atmospheric. It’s not fast-paced, but it’s one of its benefits. The slow-burning intrigue only thickens with each page and you get sucked into Lucas’s personal investigation, wondering if the mysterious deaths and the old folk tales have anything in common. After all, we all know that ghosts don’t exist… or do they?
WOW!!! Ok, that ending was pretty freaky. Overall, really good plot and storytelling. I like a storyline that has a lot of different twists and turns that keep me guessing until the end. I will definitely be checking out more of Edwards work, who is a good storyteller.
Quick read with likeable, realistic characters. The mystery was deliciously creepy, with an unexpected ending. I loved that it was set in a writer’s retreat–as I am a writer myself–and I enjoyed the depiction of how writer’s work and relate to each other.
I couldn’t put this down! I stayed up WAY too late last night to finish it!
An old slate mine in Wales. A creepy house. Disappearing children and disembodied voices. A paranormal tale of ghosts and witches, perfect for Halloween? No. Or, not quite. Mark Edward’s The Retreat will give you goosebumps, but the scary entities are all too real.
When Julia loses her husband and daughter Lily on the same terrible New Year’s Day she struggles to regain her life and peace of mind. Living in her husband’s childhood village in Wales she is an outsider, and when she turns her home into a writer’s retreat things start happening. Unexplainable things. Horror writer Lucas is drawn to the beautiful, tragic widow, but it’s another Widow disturbing his dreams. An old folktale that comes true every 35 years, when a child from the village is given as a sacrifice.
This could have become a melodrama. A Scooby-Doo type haunting with “meddling kids” and villians trying to chase off strangers who might uncover their dastardly deeds. It doesn’t. And the story is just creepy enough to keep the reader wondering if the Widow is roaming about. The murders are real, though. As are the secrets the murderer hopes to keep. And mixed up in the spooky atmosphere and real threats is a child who may or may not be alive.
This is an excellent read. I love books that show we have far more to fear from our fellow man than things that go bump in the night. Mark Edwards has a knack for this, and his characters are delightfully human. They are not embued with perfections, and their flaws are not annoying. Everything that happens is plausible and the ending satisfying and believable. I recommend cracking open this book on a windy moonless night and curling up with a hot cuppa. The pages will (almost) turn themselves.
It was ok. I’ve read others by him that I liked better. The main character keeps putting himself in situations that you know are going to turn out badly.
This book kept me thinking about who was involved. Very good and different from what I normally read. Would recommend this book for those who like a little scary, mystery involved.
Edwards does it again. A great read. Could not put it down
Very atmospheric. Do I really want to visit the Welsh countryside?
A little warped, but a good read.
I loved this book.
While I enjoyed the writing overall, I found that the plot was highly implausible–as in, how would a child exist for years under such circumstances with no one being any the wiser????? The author holds great promise but he needs to up his game regarding the storyline.
Suspenseful. I love Mark Edwards’ writing.
A ghost story – turned murder mystery. I liked this book. It was well written and kept me engaged and invested in the story all along. The twists weren’t shocking, but logically entertaining.
I found this book hard to put down, as well as all books by this author
Great story! Kept me wondering from beginning to end whether there were supernatural elements at work… This is one of the best books I’ve read in a while. Edwards has a talent for getting the reader to turn the page and read well into the night…
Dates read 4/22-4/23
A creepy chilling almost horror story.
Lily only wanted to scare her fighting parents but ended up making things much worst than she realized. Mr Edwards takes us back and forth, before and after Lily disappeared which is great cause you get to understand how the story comes together. This is an unique story. I like the twists Mr. Edwards throws in to keep you thinking…what?…then you are turning page after page wanting to know what happened to Lily and the witch known as The Widow who kidnaps children. This is definitely a House of Secrets.
I am a fan of Mark Edwards and this is my 11th book I’ve read of his, my all time favorite is Because She Loves Me. The Retreat is interesting because it is totally out there and I haven’t seen a story line like this yet.
Thank you Amazon Publishing, Thomas and Mercer, and Net Gallery.
#NetGallery #TheRetreat