"A Quiet Retreat" by Kiersten Modglin starts innocently enough with an invitation to the Black Hills Manor Writing Retreat, promising rest and camaraderie for five authors. However, what begins as a peaceful week quickly devolves into a series of unsettling events: broken property, missing items, and eerie noises that sow distrust among the writers. As suspicions grow and tensions escalate, the authors find themselves entangled in a real-life mystery where they must navigate deception and danger within their own ranks. In this gripping thriller, Modglin explores the dark side of creativity, where the lines between fiction and reality blur, and the true nature of their retreat turns deadly.

This is how it all begins... with a simple invitation:

"You are cordially invited to visit the new Black Hills Manor Writing Retreat."

Five authors are invited to a secluded writing retreat.
It seems like it will be a restful and productive week, but very quickly things go sideways... and there is no apparent way out!

Objects gone missing, strange noises, broken property and the manager of the retreat acting in a very strange manner.

Very soon, all five authors will be on a race against time to fight for their survival, like something straight out of their own mystery novels...
Add to that that none of them actually know one another and they don't know who to trust, if anyone.

The book is told from 2 POVs, one of the authors in the present time and someone else in the past.
The two storylines and characters seem completely unrelated... until they obviously clash and we discover exactly what is happening.

I found some elements in one of the character's arc a bit convoluted and unrealistic and even confusing to be honest.
But overall, this is a good book, with an interesting twist (or should I say twists?) and very fast paced, like I'm used to with Kiersten Modglin's books.


If you enjoy secluded, 'whodunnit' stories, with mixtures of And Then There Were None, One by One and also a touch of The Last Word by Taylor Adams... this is definitely a book you'll enjoy!

A fun peek inside a writer's world from this diva of addictive psychological suspense. I have yet to meet a book by Kiersten Modglin I don't like: she reliably delivers the twists, turns, and surprise endings. Can't wait to read her next!

A Quiet Retreat is another thriller I could not guess. Holy Cow! The imagination this author has is extraordinary. I love the ending, how everyone ends up. How huge is the space between the walls? I like this book but that part makes no sense to me.

I love anything and everything that Kiersten Modglin writes. She is so addictive, she draws you in with precision and ease. Her books are so unpredictable that you never expect what she's gonna throw at you.

I think Kiersten Modglin is pulls upon shock factor that novice thriller readers enjoy but currently all her twist just end up being gaudy.

A Quiet Retreat is a thriller about a writer's retreat gone wrong, and let me tell you, it was quite the ride. I didn't know what to expect going in, but I was pleasantly surprised. The alternating perspectives made the mystery more engaging, and just when I thought I had things figured out, there was another twist.

However, the alternating perspectives were also what took me out of the story. I’d be invested in what was happening and then it would shift. Then I would have to adjust & re-invest in that part of the story. Because there wasn’t a lot of surface connection between the two, it was hard to make that shift when I was already so engaged with one part of the story & it felt a little clunky.
That being said, I still enjoyed the book overall. The characters were interesting and had enough depth to keep me invested in their fates. And the setting, a secluded writer's retreat, was perfect for the tense and claustrophobic atmosphere that the author was trying to create.

If you're looking for a quick and engaging thriller with some unexpected twists, this might be the book for you. Just be prepared for some hiccups along the way.

Thank you to Netgalley, Dreamscape Media, and Kiersten Modglin for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I couldn’t get through this one because I did not like the narrator. Will likely read it via hardcopy instead.

Modglin is back with a very similar book to The Dinner Guest. There's a special event that is limited, all the characters are connected somehow but don't know how. There's a convoluted backstory, and it all wraps up neatly in the end.

I'm not saying there's anything wrong with it, but it wasn't that shocking or mysterious, nor was it that thrilling. I also hated the relationship between Blakely and Tennessee and didn't like the ending/epilogue.

The narrator is fantastic though and it's a relatively short book. The pace is quick, so I think my issue is that I didn't get to sit with the characters all that much to really have an interest in them. Also, the two timelines didn't add to the book, as I hate Lisa as she acted like a child and continued to do so. Overall, it's a decent story with okay characters, but a great narrator.

A Quiet Retreat was another great read by Kiersten Modglin. An invitation to visit the new Black Hills Manor Writing Retreat is sent to five authors. It started as a simple invitation that is meant to start a restful week with free food, drinks, and good company. Things start to take an unsettling turn shortly after they arrive. Things start to go missing, property is broken, and strange noises start happening. These things lead to everyone questioning their companions. The authors find themselves pitted against each other. They find themselves in the middle of their own mystery. There is death, terror and despair. I enjoyed reading this book and can't wait to read more by the author.

I’m giving this one 4 stars instead of 5 because it was a little confusing the way the audio was telling the story. I think if I had read the book-I would’ve been able to focus on the characters & what was going on so much easier. I’m going to buy the book & then I’ll give my honest review on social media platforms then.

This was an interesting read. The concept was sort of unique--isolation for writers in a snowy, secluded resort. Like most thrillers, some of the events were not believable, but the twists and turns were enjoyable enough to keep the reader interested and to forgive some of the bumps along the way. The surprises were out there at times, but the plot wasn't easily predictable. This would be a good recommendation for fans of Freida McFadden.

Let me start by reading that I really enjoyed this book. It was a good mystery set in a great location and I enjoyed the dual timelines. However, this was a lot "cozier" than I expected and the characters were hard to connect with. I would have loved to have the separate timelines as entirely separate books. I feel like they each could stand on their own. By smashing them together in one book, I feel like too much of the past storyline got lost. We skip so much time in that storyline that the characters end up changing so drastically that it doesn't flow well. I felt like I was reading different characters with different personalities instead of the same characters, just at different times. Good story but I wouldn't reread it.

A Quiet Retreat by Kiersten Modglin was one wild ride!! I couldn’t stop listening! Between the narration and the storyline I was mesmerized with this twisty quick binge worthy listen!! A huge thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this audiobook in exchange for my honest review. I’m a huge fan of this authors writing!! I really enjoyed another book by Kiersten & absolutely love how fast the author is giving us such awesomeness! Definitely an auto read author for me. Call them popcorn thrillers if you buy whatever you called them … I’m here for it!!!

A Quiet Retreat
By Kiersten Modglin

5 mystery authors are invited to spend a week at a writing retreat at Black Hills Manor. They are all looking to write their best novel yet but will they? All seems fun and relaxing at first, until items start to disappear and the authors start to turn on each other. Who keeps taking their stuff and why?

Kirsten again writes a great story. This one is more of a short story but still as great as her other stories.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Dreamscape media for the advanced copy of this audiobook. It was a great story to listen to!!

This was my first Kiersten Modglin's book. I liked this entertaining short thriller. The characters are intriguing. The plot is interesting, twisted, and original. Great narration from Carly Robins. I received a copy of this book through NetGalley, a Dreamscape Media Audio production, for an honest review.

A fast-paced mystery with lots of twists. An ending you don't see coming. I really wanted to love this book. A writer's retreat Where participants are getting killed? Sign me up! I was hoping for Ruth Ware's One by One and this one just didn't deliver. The ending is not satisfying and the villains are not believable.

Five authors are invited to a writing retreat but when they get there no one is there? Soon the promises of amazing mountain views, unwinding and endless amenities are shattered. Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for my honest feedback!

Five mystery authors embark on a writing retreat, they never expected to be thrown in a mystery of their own.
Five authors are formally invited to Black Hills Manor for a writing retreat. They're looking forward to a restful week full of free food, drinks, like-minded company, and time dedicated to their work. Everything starts off great, but things quickly take a turn for the worse as they come across broken property, items go missing, and strange noises come about. Suspicion starts to rise, and tension mounts as they point fingers at each other. Who can they really trust? Afterall, they're a group of strangers who share a love for writing mysteries, trapped in their own mystery.
I loved every second of this! I flew through it so quick, thinking I had it all figured out, but nope! Kiersten Modglin, ya got me. I was shocked to see how it all pieced together and never expected the final outcome. I also really enjoyed the dual timeline, it was executed so well. The narrator, Carly Robins, did an amazing job voicing the characters and portraying their emotions. If you're a thriller lover, add this to your list! I'm so excited to see what else Kiersten Modglin has in store.
I received a free copy of this audiobook via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

This is a short, fun mystery. It was a little light on character development and felt a bit far-fetched, but it had some fun twists leading up to an unpredictable ending. I loved the remote setting and the writer's retreat aspect that brought the cast of characters together. I think it just felt a bit rushed for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for providing an advanced copy.