The Retreat by Karen King
Genre: Psychological thriller, Suspense
Read: 6th October 2023
Published: 13th October 2023
★★★ 3 stars
DESCRIPTION:
The sunlight dances on the turquoise pool as I wait for our first guests. But my blood turns to ice when I recognise one of them as an old friend and a flood of guilt and fear comes rushing back. Is she here to ruin my life for a second time?
‘It’s been so long’, Saskia says as she hugs me. I plaster the smile back on my face, my hands shaking as I usher our guests into the traditional Spanish farmhouse we’ve spent years renovating to perfection. Saskia and I had been so close, until she betrayed me.
Now I’ve started a new life here in Spain. I met José and fell in love with his deep brown eyes, and together we opened our own retreat nestled high in the mountains. But José has no idea about the real me – I know he wouldn’t be able to look me in the eye if he ever found out that I have blood on my hands.
Then I discover our beautiful water fountain stained a deep red. My heart pounds with fear because it feels like a warning. And all my worst nightmares are confirmed when I find a note in my bedroom, revealing my terrible secret.
I was with Saskia all day, so I know it can’t be her. Which means that someone else at the retreat knows the truth about me – and they’re here for revenge.
But this perfect new life means everything to me. And I’ll do anything to protect it…
A totally unputdownable psychological thriller packed with jaw-dropping twists. Perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell, Mark Edwards and K.L. Slater.
MY THOUGHTS:
Relaxation...recovery...revenge...
When I saw other reviews were mixed and a couple DNF, I was surprised as Karen King has always been a winner for me with three out of four of her thrillers being 5 stars. But having trudged my way through this one, I can see why. It was quite drawn out and very much a slow burn. But the premise was intriguing so I stuck it out. OK, so it did get better but not till around 65% when things really started to pick up and by that stage I was flipping the pages at the speed of light. Before that, it was all yoga, breathing, nature walks and munching kale, olives and chia. Yeah, na.
Eva and Jose have spent the past two years renovating the villa he inherited from his grandmother after her death some five years before. Their dream was to open a wellness retreat...a place to relax, reflect and just unwind. Eva, who had her own baggage of secrets, was now a wellness coach practicing yoga, mindfulness and massage. Jose was a chef who grew his own vegetables and everything at this retreat came from what they grew themselves.
As an introductory special, they decide to offer six places at half price for a week's trial before opening to the public for summer. The bookings are snapped up right away and Eva is shocked to discover that her old college friend Saskia is among the guests. That wouldn't be so bad if Saskia didn't come with her own set of problems and the past she represented to Eva that she has tried so hard to put behind her. Saskia betrayed twice before...is she coming to do it again? Or is she just over thinking things?
Jose's cousin Carlos is also amongts the guests, whose families have been estranged since before they were born and no one revealing what the feud was about. But is Carlos jealous that their grandmother left the villa to him? Is that why he has come? To get his revenge for an inheritance he feels he should have also had a part in?
The remaining guests are two couples. One British - Nathan and Bianca. The other American - Sean and Adrienne. Both saw the opportunity for rest and relaxation under the sun. But are they all they appear to be?
Someone is out for revenge. But who? And who are they seeking revenge against? Eva and her secret past? Or Jose and his inheritance? Or is it something else altogether?
I had to shake my head at Eva who jumped up and down at Jose keeping secrets when she is doing the exact same thing! Pot...kettle...and all that. I didn't particularly like any of the characters, though Eva and Jose were kind of sweet. Most of the guests were pretty unlikeable. But then that's the nature of the beast.
There were plenty of twists and I liked the ending because comeuppance was had for the villain in the end, but it took a lot to get there. It wasn't King's best but it was still entertaining enough.
I would like to thank #KarenKing, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheRetreat in exchange for an honest review.
MEET THE AUTHOR:
Karen King is a multi-published author of both adult and children’s books. Currently published by Bookouture and Headline, Karen writes about the light and dark of relationships. Her eleventh romantic novel, The Spanish Wedding Disaster, has recently been published and her third psychological thriller The Mother In Law is out in July, with a fourth one in February 2023.
Karen has also had 120 children’s books, two young adult novels, and several short stories for women’s magazines published. Her thrillers The Perfect Stepmother and The Stranger in my Bed and her romantic novel The Cornish Hotel by the Sea became International Amazon bestsellers.
Karen is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, the Society of Authors, the Crime Writers’ Association and the Society of Women Writers and Journalists. She now lives in Spain where she loves to spend her non-writing time exploring the quaint local towns with her husband, Dave, when she isn’t sunbathing or swimming in the pool, that is.
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