Mark Edwards' THE RETURN is a gritty psychological thriller in a beautifully scenic Welsh setting, which strongly riffs on folklore and the intensity with which local legends and Superstitions can persist for centuries.

It was also a nice lesson to me, that even after decades of "turning over stones" (clues) in Mysteries to guess the Villains and their Motives--hey, I am NOT always right. It was refreshing to be surprised. I also appreciated the author's attention to the small-town background.

This was a brilliant read. As soon as I started reading this book I just knew I was going to love it. Highly recommended

Unfortunately, I got a new kindle device and no longer have the download to this novel. I will not be reviewing this title.

Thank you for the opportunities to read this book. I have attempted it on a number of occasions but unfortunately I haven’t been able to get into it.

I’ve heard a lot of good things about Mark Edwards’ books and I wasn’t disappointed. I didn’t love it, but it was a good book. I liked the writing and storyline, and will read more from Mark Edwards in the future.

Another cracking read from Mark Edwards, who is a master of dark psychological thrillers, and never fails to have the reader on the edge of their seat, trying desperately to solve the crime before the end of the book.

Great story, thrilling plot that I could not put down. Well worth a read, and would recommend to others.

Mark Edwards always has such amazing characters and this was no different for me. The characters are whst drew me in not the story.

I binge read this book, as I am a huge fan of Mark Edwards (and I always look for the mention of Magpie somewhere in each of his books!).

This one had a very complicated plot. Whenever I thought I’d figured something out, I realized I was wrong... or maybe only partially right. The Retreat has a lot of red herrings and moving parts, which is up my alley.

I feel bad giving a 3-star review to one of my favorite authors... however, I love his other books so very much, that this one had big shoes to fill and didn't quite make it for me as much as his others did. But as always, I'm looking forward more Mark Edwards in the future!

Already a huge fan of Mark Edwards and this book didn’t disappoint me at all. Would highly recommend everyone to read this.

I thoroughly enjoyed the twist and turns in this book. There are plot twists galore and characters who are likable and then those who are not. I thought the author set the scene well and despite there being a lot of characters they were developed and I was able to get an idea of each of them. I generally am not into this type of genre as it does have elements of witchcraft but it is minimal and kept me turning the pages.

This is another great instalment from Mark Edwards. He does eerie, spooky writing so very well. Julia's husband died a couple of years ago, trying to save their daughter, whose body was never found. Julia has converted their home into a writers' retreat. One writer, Lucas, comes to stay and while he is there he starts to experience strange happenings. This is the basis of this story. It is captivating and eerie, from start to finish. It's not at all predictable, which I loved. Mark Edwards is highly skilled in drawing the reader in and keeping him engaged right until the very last page. I highly recommend this read and look forward to so much more from Mark Edwards.

Another rollercoaster of a read from Mark Edwards – this time set in a writer’s retreat in a quiet and secluded part of North Wales. The story flicks back and forth – we have the present day when an eclectic mix of writers of varying levels of literary success come to stay at Nyth Bran in Beddmawr to write, and the past; two years previously when 8 year old Lily goes missing and further back than that to when another child went missing 35 years before her.

Meet Julia, the central character in this story around whom all the other characters pivot. She is Lily’s mum and is clearly haunted by her daughter’s disappearance and her husband’s death – both events that happened on the same day. She has opened The Retreat in an attempt to move on, but it’s proving harder than she anticipated. As far as the superstitious locals are concerned, Lily was taken by The Widow, a local legend who is said to take a child every 35 years, unless one is ‘sacrificed’ to her. According to the police, Lily drowned in the same way her father did when trying to rescue her, but without a body and not one for believing in ghost stories, Julia refuses to accept either version of events. She has kept Lily’s room exactly as she left it and still charges her iPad every two weeks, in the belief that she is still out there and one day, will return.

Lucas is a one-hit-wonder horror writer who has come to stay at The Retreat in an attempt to get his new novel written. Around the same time that Lily went missing, Lucas lost his wife and he and Julia begin to bond over their grief. Before long, strange things start to happen. A new guest arrives – Ursula, who claims to be able to communicate with a Spirit Guide and promises Julia the proof she needs of Lily’s death. Things go missing. People start to die – seemingly naturally and unconnected to one another. Lucas hears child-like singing coming from one of the rooms, and then Zara, a Private Detective hired by Lucas to look in to Lily’s disappearance, goes missing.

The tension builds until an ultimately satisfying conclusion which I am not going to give away! I absolutely loved it from start to finish.

I would like to thank both Net Galley and Thomas and Mercer for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love Mark Edwards books. They are always bold and dramatic and tense. Believable characters being tested to the extreme and this book was no exception. I read it a while ago but it remains one of my faves of his. Would always recommend his books.

Can we give more than 5 stars? :-)
Wow - from the character building to the detailed scenery to the twisty twists and darkness.
I went into this not reading to much about it and I was glad I did. This was one I got lost in and i highly recommend it.

Mark Edwards is now a favourite author of mine. It's dark, creepy and entertaining and manages to keep you guessing right until the end. It was full of twists and turns that left me trying to figure out who the bad guy was through the day, even at work and during dinner, his books suck you in. After reading this, I quickly finished his latest novel too! I would definitely recommend giving this one a go!

This one was amazing. As a parent it played on my worst fears. The world building really made the atmosphere creepy. I loved the characters in this and loved watching it unfold.

From the king of psychological thrillers The Retreat is a thrilling, chilling book full of mystery, twists and turns.

Unfortunately, I have to say I was disappointed with this book. It was a good story in theory, but I felt it dragged out and some of the story seemed to lose it's flow. Still a big Mark Edwards fan though.

Good, enjoyable read as ever ... would recommend
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.