Having previously only read The Magpies by Mark Edwards, I wasn't sure what to expect with this book. I loved The Magpies as it was creepy and kept me hooked all the way through. The Retreat is the same...but better! I read it in one sitting because I was desparate to know what happened - and I wasn't disappointed. The twists that happen were unexpected and the characters made you love them just enough to be engrossed in their lives. The plot was well thought out and I look forward to reading more by Mark Edwards in the future.

I love this author, all his books that i have read, ive enjoyed immensely. Definitely recommend The Retreat, hooked from page one. Dont want to give anything away, so just read it!!!

I have been a fan of Mark Edwards for a while now, and this book is no exception! "The Retreat" combines small-town gossip, intrigue, superstitions, and old secrets into a tense mystery. Why do little girls disappear from this small Welsh village every 35 years? What do the disappearances have to do with a horror writer who has returned to this village of his youth to attend a writers' retreat? Edwards keeps the reader guessing all the way through this fast, exciting story. Another winner from Mark Edwards!

I would like to thank Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Retreat’ written by Mark Edwards in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
Julia, her husband and daughter Lily are out walking when Lily disappears. Thinking she’s fallen into the river her husband jumps in and drowns, but although Lily is presumed to have also drowned her body is never found.
Two years later Julia opens her house, ‘Nyth Bran’ in rural Wales, as a retreat for writers and Lucas writer of horror stories arrives hoping to get inspiration to complete his latest novel. After hearing stories of ‘The Widow’ who locals say appears every thirty-five years and steals a child, he becomes interested in discovering what happened to Lily. Julia is convinced her daughter is still alive, but can Lucas prove otherwise?
‘The Retreat’ is well-written and has an interesting plot but although the ending was dramatic and unexpected I thought it to be rather lightweight with insubstantial characters that I found hard to empathise with. Although it isn’t the best novel I’ve read nor is it the worst and is certainly worth reading.

Well, this is one writers' retreat where I never want to go....LOL.

The Retreat is a creepy suspense novel with multiple twists and turns making it quite enjoyable for this reader.

Julia has opened her home, Nyth Bran as a writers' retreat. Two years ago, her husband drowned and her little girl Lily disappeared. It happened when they were taking a hike as a family. Lily was walking ahead of them. After a few minutes, when neither parent could find her but her favorite toy was spotted in the water, Julia's husband jumps into the river to look for her. Julia saw all this without being able to help since she didn't know how to swim. Later on, her husband's body was recovered but not her daughter's.

"It's like I dived into the river two years ago. And I'm still under the water, holding my breath."


Lucas Radcliffe is a horror writer who's suffering from writer's block. His recent novel Sweatmeat was a great success but to his dismay writing his next book is not coming as easy as he thought. A change in venue and a new ambiance away from the city could be the solution to his problems.

When Lucas learns about Julia's tragedy, he decides to get involved. Julia doesn't think her daughter drowned. She believes someone took her. With this in mind, he decides to hire a private investigator to dig for information into Lily's disappearance. He soon learns about the Red Widow, the legend of a woman who every thirty-five years asks for a girl to be given as a sacrifice to her in order for a child not to be stolen at random. Then, weird and eerie things start happening at Julia's home. Everyone starts thinking that the house might be haunted after all but Lucas doesn't believe in ghosts or legends. The question is....Is he wrong?

I won't say any more because I don't want to spoil it for you. I can say that I thought The Retreat had a strong plot full of suspense and with a diverse set of shady characters. The Retreat also gave us Lucas who was my favorite character. He never gave up and was genuinely worried about Julia. He wanted to bring her closure.

I also can't forget to mention how shocking the ending was. Talk about revenge!

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Thomas and Mercer via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is about a missing child , Her husband died trying to save her but she dissapeared . Why does lily never get found .
Thankyou to Netgallery

Had mixed feelings about this book. I had high expectations. But felt it was more supernatural than the psycological thriller we are used to by the author. This made me mark it down as it really wasn't the story for me.

Firstly, as always, thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me a pre release copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Ok, let's just get this out of the way. I've been a big fan of Mark Edwards' work since I first read The Magpies several years ago. Since then I've read pretty much everything he's written both on his own and with his writing partner, Louise Voss. His work has never failed to impress me.

I'm not going to bang on about the plot on this one - there's plenty of information given in the description of the book.

What I will say is that this novel is most definitely up there among Mark's best work. It's engaging, it makes you want to read more, it makes you think! Do you believe in ghosts and spirits? This might well change your mind. This one will keep you guessing until the very end - I thought for a while I'd had figured it out and it wasn't until the final reveal when I found out whether I was right or wrong. I must also add that if you've never read a Mark Edwards novel before, he doesn't always give his characters a happy ending.

If you only read one psychological thriller this year, make it this one.

“It was raining, little icy needles on the back of my neck, and the river was swollen, foaming like a rabid dog.” -Lucas

I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of Mark Edwards’s book, The Retreat. Horror writer Lucas Radcliffe is staying at a newly formed writer’s retreat, hoping that this fresh venue will jumpstart his imagination as he tries to write his next book. The retreat is owned by Julia, a grieving woman whose husband drowned 2 years ago while trying to save their daughter Lily, who disappeared near the river. Lily’s body was never recovered, and Julia struggles with the lack of closure, not knowing if maybe Lily is somehow still alive.

As the group of writers at the retreat get to know one another, they each become increasingly disturbed by spooky happenings – doors that open during the night, items that disappear, singing that wafts through the halls. They also hear the local folklore about a witch called The Widow, and the line between fiction and reality begins to blur. Lucas is determined to find out what happened to Lily: did she drown, or was she taken by The Widow, and are all the writers now in danger?

The majority of The Retreat is narrated by Lucas, and his vivid and imaginative descriptions are perfect. As a horror writer, everything Lucas experiences is viewed through that lens. Lucas manages not to let his imagination carry him away, but every experience and interaction with other characters is written as though he is writing a horror story, and it works so well!

The Retreat grabbed my attention from the start, and it kept pace all the way to the end. Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I received a copy of this book for my honest review. The book synopsis drew me into the book but I had a hard time staying focused . This was not the book for me. I struggled to finish the book, it was okay but not my cup of tea.

I love Mark Edwards books and usually race through them but this one was a bit different. I didn't really fall for the main character, Lucas, as much as I did with say, Jamie in Magpies. In fact, I found Lucas a bit of a sap and the other characters didn't really thrill me much either. For 80% of the book, the plot plodded along nicely enough but just not quick enough for me. It just didn't really feel like much was happening so my interest was lost. Don't get me wrong, Edwards is a wonderful writer and I will always be excited by his books. The remaining 20% was so much more entertaining and I found myself reading a lot quickly - certainly hadn't guessed the twist. I would still recommend this book, it's just a bit of a slow burner - I personally like a lot more going on.

Thank you to NetGallery for my review copy of The Retreat.

Mark Edwards' books keep getting better and better. The Retreat features a haunted house, a whole town with a mysterious secret, missing children, a tormented writer and an adorable cat. As always, the character-building is impecable, the descriptions of the fictional Welsh town and surrounding woods are so atmospheric, that it gives you goosebumps and the twist ending is so unexpected and horrific that it leaves you wanting more. Lucas, a horror author who had a big success and is now battling a bad case of writer's block, goes to a writer's retreat in the hopes that he can complete his new novel. His big success ("Sweetmeat," what a brilliant title) deals with children who are taken by an evil entity. When he finds out that Julia, the owner of the retreat, lost a daughter, he gets obsessed and begins to investigate. I thought that I had figured out what was going to happen but it completely surprised me over and over. An excellent novel!

Another great book from Mark Edwards.
Slightly different again from his previous novels however equally as gripping and left me wondering where it was going.
Really enjoyed the concept and story. As always great characters and easy to read.
Don’t want to give away the story but go read, you won’t forget it!

I am a huge fan of Mark Edwards having read all his previous excellent books including the ones he has co wrote with Louise Voss.So was really looking forward to The Retreat his latest book,unfortunately i don't think it is no where near as good as his previous books it features Julia who has lost her husband who was drowned and daughter Lily who also went missing in the same tragic accident,she opens up a writers retreat and in walks Lucas into her life who takes it upon himself to try and get to the bottom of Lily's disappearance.What follows is a decent enough read but i found the constant mentioning of witches,ghosts and old village curses just not my cup of tea at all,but don't get me wrong it may well appeal to a lot of other readers and it isn't a bad book but in my own opinion because Mark Edwards has set the bar so high with his previous books i was left feeling a little disappointed with The Retreat.Sorry Mark !!

This book was provided to me by NetGalley in turn for a review. Don't want to give a thing away. Read this book. Now!! SO great!

I usually love Mark Edward's work a lot, but this one was on a complete new level! The setting was what fascinated me from the start. It's dark, scary, but you know this is a psychological thriller, not fantasy or horror, so why are there ghosts??
The fist part is slow, but in a good way. I savoured it, reading just a little everyday and thinking about it a lot, then after 50% I just couldn't put it down and read it all in one afternoon!
Like it always is in Edwards' books you will be sure you know what's coming next but really, you don't! So if you like a good mystery and a dark setting, that's simply perfect. I found the ending believable, ok there are a lot of twisted guys there.. but who said it's not plausible?! Anyway I liked it! One of the best books this year! Recommended.

Lucas, a well known novelist, is surprised that he is struggling with his latest horror novel. He feels devoid of ideas and motivation and he already knows he is well behind schedule. He decides to clear his mind of hustle and bustle of his everyday life and visit a remote Welsh writers retreat, hoping he will respond to the solitude and peace of the stunning scenery, finding the inspiration to unblock his cluttered mind.
There are only four guests resident at the fledgling venture that Julia has recently opened. She needs to have something to concentrate her efforts on. Two years earlier she had lost her husband when he was trying to rescue their daughter Lily who had fallen into the river when they were out walking near their lovely home. Her daughter’s body was never found and Julia still believes in her innermost heart that she is alive, but taken by an unknown person. She had only been out of sight for a few moments when they spotted her cuddly toy floating downstream, a precursor to the tragic drowning.
Lucas is determined to help Julia heal. He secretly hires a private detective, suspecting the locals have closed rank to protect one of their own. It is not the first child to disappear without trace. There are all kinds of myths and legends that the locals believe in, including a flesh-eating Witch who feasts of the bodies of pre pubescent girls. He is obsessed with uncovering the truth but unknowingly he opens a can of worms that leads to an escalation of heinous crimes that put Lucas’s life in grave danger.
'The Retreat' is a fast paced and very exciting novel about superstition, buried and closely guarded secrets and someone who will do anything to keep the events of the past hidden. It is both terrifying and horrific at the same time. The storytelling is superb and electrifying. Mark Edwards has skilfully created a whole range of interesting characters that fit well into his twisty and intricately clever storyline. This novel is an absolute gem that kept me absorbed and interested from the very beginning right up to the very last paragraph. With local folk lore and a tinge of supernatural elements, I never once predicted who the perpetrator of the crime was. The ending was so well thought out and satisfying that I have no hesitation at all in recommending this novel as an excellent read. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas & Mercer through NetGalley in return for an honest review. The opinions expressed are completely my own. It’s a 4.5* review from me.

Thank you to Net Galley, the publishers and Mark Edwards for an ARC copy for an honest review.

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. 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?

The Retreat follows the story of horror novelist Lucas Radcliffe, who goes back to his childhood hometown- beddmawr, where he plans to settle at a writers' retreat in hopes of getting his dose of inspiration to work on his new novel, and becomes involved emotionally with Julia the owner of the Retreat.

From the bestselling author of Follow You Home and The Magpies comes his most terrifying novel yet.

The Retreat is for me a darker, more chilling, more urban psychological thriller than any previous books of Mark Edwards.

A four star book why not a five star, well just a little t00 much urban, too dark, although as always I enjoyed the writing , the tension, the various collection of characters, not sure if I can believe in witches, myths the folk story part of the book.

But the tension and a whole collections of suspects keeps you guessing all the way, right to the end.

Mark Edwards has become a fave of a good friend and myself. So I was super happy to get this one early in exchange for a fair review.
I’m not a plot rehasher, so let me just say-damn!
This book is creepy and keeps you on your toes. I really was not sure at all what was happening, and that’s rare. And I loved it! The suspense, the mind fuckery, the characters, even during the slow parts I was intrigued.
Love it!

WOW! This book was AMAZING!! I enjoyed that Mark Edwards kept the twist and turns going all the way till the end. The whole book i kept having theories of what was going to happen and each time i was proved wrong and that my friends is when you can tell a book will be amazing. I'm not a huge fan of paranormal stuff but this novel threw the "idea" of it in there and had that air of mystery that made you go "WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON?" I loved that Mark Edwards got inspiration from real life stories and documentaries he saw, it brought the creep factor to the book. This book was a perfect blend of thriller,mystery,romance, and paranormal. This by far will having you guessing and reading so fast to get to the end so you can finally know what really is going on.

I cant wait to read more by this author. Thanks NetGalley and everyone involved.