REVIEW: The Retreat, Sarah Pearse - 4.5/5

Detective Elin Warner is back, and this time she's pulled to a retreat, made for guests to relax, rewind, and refresh, after a body is found on the beach - but someone is out for revenge, and Elin questions everything she thought she knew...

As usual, when I get proof copies, I'm over the moon. However, The Retreat is a special one for me. Sarah Pearse's previous book, The Sanatorium, was not only the start of Elin's story, but the first proof copy I ever received.

First of all, one of my favourite things about The Retreat is that it still felt like Pearse. She has a stark voice and atmosphere within her books, which I absolutely adore, and works well to connect the story, as well as the narrative itself.

Pearse's writing flows so well in this book, and the chapters were rather short, too, making it very hard for me to put the book down.

Writing in third person is actually a genius way to write these books, as Elin always seems to feel as though someone is watching her, making me, the reader, feel like I'm watching from afar.

The atmosphere of the book was immaculate; the sunny retreat never felt calm, and there was always a sense of unease, or an eerie silence between characters that made me feel as though something wasn't quite right.

I love Pearse's writing style here; it's sharp and to the point, which can become a little blocky every now and again, but for the most part it really worked to move the story along at a decent pace.

My favourite thing about The Retreat has to be that it played out almost like an incredibly well-written crime series. This book could easily be a show, with each episode ending with a deeply intriguing cliffhanger.

The vibes were perfect, the chapters were the perfect length to make me keep reading, and Elin's character development was brilliant.

However, the real hero here is the plot. Without giving too much away, I couldn't get enough of the chase. Elin and Steed make a great pair, and the narrative they fought through went from interesting to eerie, to concerning and thrilling.

I was shocked at every twist and turn, which of course made me read on. The ending was incredible, and I loved the journey Pearse took me on to get there.

The Retreat is an excellent read, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves crime, thrillers, and an exciting whodunnit story.