An excellent . Well-plotted.and well-paced thriller! A lush Vineyard is the setting. The characters are well developed and you are quickly invested in them. The best kind of thriller.

The Van Ness family head to their upstate mansion to celebrate twins, Richard & Harper’s 35th birthday. What’s supposed to be a celebration of life, success, and happiness, turns very quickly into drama-filled and ominous, with many secrets being revealed between the house walls. Can the family survive the weekend? Will they stick together through news that could destroy them? I enjoyed the many twists and turns this book unraveled! Each of the characters had their own personal stories, that eventually all came together. It was a true thriller with perfect plot. I look forward to more reads from this author!

Thank you to NetGalley, HTP and Tara Laskowski for a digital ARC of The Weekend Retreat in exchange for an honest review.

Thrillers/Suspense? Check
Gorgeous Cover? Check
Hooking Synopsis? Check
Actual Story? Not so much

As much as I wanted to love this book, it was just so-so for me. It wasn't anything special and too similar to many other books in this genre.

The story revolves around the Van Ness siblings, Zack, Richard & Harper, who have lived a life of luxury do to being heirs to a copper fortune. They have gathered, with their spouses, for a joint birthday celebration as they have always done, but this year is different. They all have secrets that could destroy them, plus someone is keeping an eye on them. Between the secrets and the creeper, plus the rain the blacks them out, this joint birthday venture just got really dangerous.

Like I said, it didn't stand out as anything new or special compared to similar books in the genre. Aside from that, it was too slow in getting to the "excitement." It was also very predictable. Granted, I almost always predict the outcome of thrillers, even ones I rate higher. It is rare that I get stumped, so I don't really hold the predictability against it. I also didn't care about any of the characters. Not a single one. As the book went on, I was kinda wishing they'd all just die.

This was a 3-Star read, at best. I unfortunately will not be recommending it, but appreciate the opportunity for an early read.

Twins, Richard and Harper, are throwing their annual birthday party at the mansion/vineyard they grew up in. Invited are their significant others and their brother. But little do they know at first, someone is watching them. From the beginning it is clear that there are lots of secrets being kept from one another. Then a blackout occurs bringing the all the tensions to a new height.

I really liked this book, with all its twists & turns, including a big twist at the end. This will definitely not be the last book I read by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book.

Packed with unloveable characters, this book is full of surprises! I was drawn in from the very beginning, and really liked the story being told through different POVs in each chapter. Every character has so much to hide, which made for some clever twists and turns! I was pleasantly surprised at how it all wrapped up in the end and overall, I really enjoyed this book!

You can’t go wrong with rich people behaving badly. The multiple POV’s really kept me intrigued and I found myself trying to guess what was going to happen and I kept failing. The strongest part of this book was the characterization. Each character felt fully constructed and real.

I really enjoyed this mystery thriller read. I love family drama with all those juicy secrets. All these characters are no saint, not loveable characters, you won't root for any of these characters, you will want see them punished for what they did, but that is what makes this book entertaining and engaging from the beginning.

What I like:
- Fast paced.
- The Mystery. It's not wow but still it's entertaining.
- Multi POV. From three women, Harper one of the Van Ness siblings, Elle the wife of Harper's twins, and Lauren the girlfriend of Zack Van Ness. Plus there's POV from the villain. Yup it's interesting. All those yummy secrets full of sins and loveeee the drama.

What I don't like: predictable and not a big fan of the reveal and what happen next, it wrapped up nicely though, it's just not my fav, but again it's still entertaining.

Recommended: yes if you're looking for fast-paced mystery with family drama.

With her first two novels—One Night Gone and The Mother Next Door—Tara Laskowski uncovered the secrets behind the façade of suburban families going about their daily lives, but with her latest release—The Weekend Retreat—she is exposing the problems faced by the ultra-rich, many of which are of their own making.


The Weekend Retreat features the Van Ness family, owners of a prestigious winery covering acres of land and on which is situated a palatial estate. It has been tradition that the family gathers at the family home each season to celebrate the birthday of the twins—Richard and Harper. The matriarch of the family has recently passed away, so while everyone is trying to keep the feeling of celebration high, there is also a somberness to the occasion. Along with the twins and their spouses, younger brother Zach, is also in attendance with his latest girlfriend.

In the beginning of the book, readers are privy to a newspaper report that reveals that a terrible storm ravaged the area, cutting off electricity, and that when all was said and done, there was a body found at the Van Ness Winery. So, right from the start, Tara Laskowski has set readers up to be suspicious of everyone. Without knowing who died, or even how, this technique makes everyone both a potential victim or a potential suspect.

Tara Laskowski has proven that she excels at female protagonists, so it makes sense that The Weekend Retreat unspools with multiple points of view—but only from those of the women. Harper, the only Van Ness family member given a voice. Elle, who has done much of the planning for the weekend festivities, and the “outsider,” Lauren whose dating of Zach everyone else finds questionable—at best—and potentially extremely suspicious—at worst.

The plot of The Weekend Retreat is a set-up we have seen countless times—a group of people cut off from any help when suddenly a body appears—but Laskowski manages to keep her narrative from seeming derivative by the convoluted knot she creates with all of the secrets shared by the Van Ness family. At some point, readers might need a scorecard to keep all the revelations organized.

To make matters worse, the three shifting POV’s are occasionally interrupted by a mysterious fourth voice—identified only as The Party Guest. It is clear from their first interlude that whoever they are—man or woman—they are up to no good. But exactly how they fit into the puzzle remains hidden as the narrative creeps toward the night of the storm.

Tara Laskowski’s writing has always been the type that reads very easily. Readers can sink into her words and luxuriate in the twisted plots her devious mind crafts. Writing multiple narrators is challenging, as each of them must have a distinct voice that is easily identifiable. In The Weekend Retreat, Laskowski manages this without much trouble. Since the male Van Ness family members are never given a voice, it can be more challenging to suss out their personalities at the beginning, but it is not too long before too each of them becomes suitably unique—albeit every character here has flaws, secrets, and disparate goals.

In the end, The Weekend Retreat makes for an enjoyable and speedy read filled with unexpected revelations unfolding amidst a delightfully sumptuous setting. Pour yourself a glass of your favorite wine and prepare to meet the Van Ness Family.

I enjoyed this book but not as much as I hoped too. A lot of the characters felt very similar. There are some wonderful scenes though, and the big mansion with secret passages was a fun addition.

This is a really fun thriller that I had a blast reading! Its fast paced and well-written. I would recommend this! Special Thank You to Tara Laskowski, Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ -NetGalley ARC

<b>Description:</b>
Every year, the illustrious Van Ness siblings, heirs to a copper fortune, gather at their secluded winery estate for a joint birthday celebration. It's a tradition they've followed nearly all their lives, and now they are back with their significant others for a much-needed weekend of rest and relaxation, away from the public spotlight. With lavish comforts, gorgeous scenery, and indulgent drinking, the trip should be the perfect escape. But it soon becomes clear that even a remote idyllic getaway can’t keep out the problems simmering in each of their lives. As old tensions are reignited, the three couples are pushed to the edge. Will their secrets destroy them, or will they destroy each other first? And who’s been watching them from beyond the vineyard gates?
When a torrential rainstorm hits, plunging them into darkness, the answers prove all too deadly…

<b>Review:</b>
This locked room mystery has everything you’d want in a story; suspense, drama and a hard to guess twist. It took me a while to figure out who the party guest was and I didn’t figure out the twist until right before the big reveal. It was atmospheric, taking place during a bad storm. The story is told from multiple POV, so you get a glimpse into each characters life. I highly recommend this!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing,and Graydon House for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a review. All thoughts are my own.

Having appreciated this author's works before, I was eagerly anticipating her latest release. On the whole, I found it to be a satisfactory read. While it follows a somewhat predictable trajectory and takes a while to build excitement, I believe it holds up well. Unfortunately, the characters lack likability, and I struggled to keep track of who's who, which somewhat diminished my enjoyment. However, considering the narrative direction, their unlikable nature does fit into the story's framework. I just wished there was at least one character I could genuinely enjoy. Overall, it's a decent read, and given my positive experience with the author's previous novels, I'll continue to explore her future works, even though this particular one doesn't top my favorites list

Fairly ho-hum rich family, closed estate murder mystery that really reads more like a family drama. Unlikable cast of characters that never get developed beyond the snarky sibling banter. Side-plots seemed more like tangents than fully executed ideas. And the twist is a classic, as in we've seen this all before.

Chose this book for the setting as the Finger Lakes Region is fairly near where I live, but the description of the area in the book was so generic that it could have been anywhere.

Cressida Fawcett has an eleven-hour train ride ahead of her. Someone has been killed and obviously, there is a killer on the train. While it seems very likely that the victim's wife was the killer, as she had means, motive and opportunity, Cressida is not quite convinced.

The locked-roomed trope is one of my favorites. With a speeding train, and only so many passengers, it was rather fun trying to guess the identity of the killer right along with Cressida.

Cressida is not just among strangers on the train ride, Detective Andrews and his partner Kirby are on the train as well. Perhaps with the three of them, they can figure out the killer before the train reaches its destination.

Death on the Scotland Express is the enjoyable fourth book in a delightful cozy mystery series. As a diehard series fanatic, I have enjoyed this series from the first book, Death Among the Diamonds . However, these cozy mysteries are written in such a way that they each serve well as standalone novels.

Besides being a cozy mystery, this is also a period piece, as the setting was during the early 1920s, and that makes this book and the rest of the series truly enjoyable.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

This is very much my kind of book but after fighting to make the ARC readable and coherent, I have given up. I’ll try to track it down now that it’s out.

The Weekend Retreat was a great thriller. It was an easy and quick read that was somewhat predictable but still enjoyable. It gave me Succession vibes as the wealthy siblings are messy, conniving, and backstabbing. They all have things going on in their lives that they don’t want their other family members to know about and they need more money or power to fix their problems. They will step on anyone in their way to get what they want. It was an exciting concept and the aspect of being trapped in a house with your disfunctional family during a storm seemed kind of played.

This was such a fun read! Locked room mystery with many twists. I loved the atmospheric location of the book and enjoyed this cast of characters. Great read!

I really enjoyed this one, family dramas that are full of unlikeable characters are highly entertaining for me, mostly because they all end up turning on each other and that is always fun to read about. The Van Ness family is gathering at their winery for the adult twins’ 35th birthday party, and this year there is a ‘party guest’ as an additional narrator that is up to no good. A storm blows in only adding to the chaos of this event, and I loved all of it. This is told in multiple POV’s, including the party guest. There were several things going on in here with each of the characters and this can always be difficult when listening via audio. In this case I was grateful for the slow start to get everything sorted so that when the pace picked up I was able to keep up. The audio was great too and I loved this one overall.

Thank you to Graydon House for the digital copy to review.

You will like this book if you like: rich families behaving badly, multi-character POVs, atmospheric books with a hint of mystery, unsurprising twists 🍇🎰

I think this book was let down by flat characters. It’s been a week and I’m struck by how forgettable the characters are. Overall a good beach read, but it dragged in places.

"The Weekend Retreat" is an absolute gem in the suspense genre! The intricately woven tale of a wealthy family's weekend getaway kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. The Van Ness siblings provide an interesting glimpse into the dynamics of an affluent, yet toxic, family.

The atmospheric setting of the winery estate, with its lavish comforts and stunning scenery, serves as a perfect backdrop. The plot twists are brilliantly executed, adding layers of complexity and surprise that left me guessing until the very end. It dragged a little in some parts, but I was immersed and invested.

There is strong character development, which is a must for me in order to enjoy a story. Each member of the ensemble cast is skillfully crafted, with flaws and virtues that make them intriguing, even as I disliked most to the point of being annoyed with them. The story becomes a pressure cooker, pushing them to the edge, and the author masterfully navigates the complexities of their relationships. I had to see how it would end. Things get dark in more ways than one which adds an extra layer of danger.

If you're a fan of page-turning mysteries with well-developed characters and unexpected twists, this novel is a must-read!