I found immense pleasure in reading this book. The character development and the intricate dynamics between them were a particular highlight, as was the vivid portrayal of the story's setting. While the story begins at a somewhat leisurely pace as the characters are introduced, it truly comes to life and becomes riveting once the suspense takes hold. There were a few instances that felt extraneous, and a few moments that seemed a bit far-fetched, but on the whole, I found this to be an excellent read and would enthusiastically recommend it.

I extend my heartfelt thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me with an advance copy of this book (ARC)!

An easy summer read and quite inoffensive.

I didn’t enjoy it particularly, though I did finish it. I couldn’t relate to the characters and I struggled with the inference that José or Eva were about to unveil their big reveal.

There were so many repetitions during the book - Carlos never meeting his grandparents, his jealousy, Eva and the driving accident - just to name a few. It felt as though the repetitions were used to pad out the story, but I found it irritating.

I found the ending weak I’m sorry to say.

I liked the book cover and the author’s description of the property and surrounding mountains.

I rate this book 2 stars.

I really enjoyed this book. I appreciated getting to know the characters and their dynamics, as well as reading about the location of the story. It does start off a little slow as the characters are introduced, but it really gets entertaining and interesting once the suspense starts! There were a few moments that I felt weren't necessary, and moments that I thought were kind of out-of-reach, but overall, this was a great read, and I would highly recommend it.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC!

English Eva and her Spanish partner, José, have restored an old house in the Spanish countryside and are planning to open it for wellness retreats. José has borrowed heavily to make their dream come true and is desperate for it to be a success. They decide to have a “soft opening” with just six guests who are offered a half price holiday while any problems are ironed out. Unfortunately for Eva and José, one of the guests harbours an old grudge. Things start to go wrong – little things at first, but by the end of the five-day holiday, there is murder afoot.
Karen King's latest has distinct aspects of Agatha Christie. Gradually, we learn that almost all the characters have secrets in their past and almost any of them might have a reason for wanting the retreat to be a failure.
As the tension ramps up, so suspicion shifts from one guest to another. I ended up suspecting almost everyone in turn and I didn’t see the answer coming.
Karen King is a well-established writer and the book is an easy read. Her background as a romantic author is reflected in the romance between Eva and José at the beginning and another blossoming romance in the course of the story, but she does not allow these relationships to get in the way of her mystery. She also brings her love of Spain to the book, and particularly of Spanish food. The meals José provides (he's a trained cook) are described in detail and the book will give you lots of menu ideas if nothing else. Eva’s wellness techniques are also covered which didn’t interest me as much, but that may just be because I’m greedy.
One of the things I struggle with in Agatha Christie books is the way that all the characters/suspects are introduced in a bunch and then I spend the rest of the book trying to remember which one was the pilot’s ex-girlfriend and which had the sister who had an affair with the pianist. This could so easily have been the same, with six guests arriving together and some important relationships between them and their hosts. It’s not a problem here, though. There’s an English couple (she’s the one with a dark memory), an American couple, both weird but she’s weirder, an old friend of Eva (shares a Dark Secret) and a cousin of José (also with a Dark Secret). King makes it easy to keep track of them all and their respective links to Eva and José.
Whodunnit? And will Eva and José’s relationship survive once their own secrets come out? No spoilers here: you’ll have to read it to find out.
A fun read to extend that summer feeling a little longer.

does a great job of keeping you on edge and continuously guessing as to what is going to happen next. The plot was well-developed and the characters were interesting and complex. The setting of the retreat was described so vividly that it made me feel like I was right there with the characters.

Overall, I would highly recommend "The Retreat" to anyone who enjoys a good psychological thriller. It is a page-turner that will keep you guessing until the very end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for allowing me to read and review this book.

I enjoyed this book a lot! It had me questioning every guest and wondering who was actually guilty. So many twists and suspense throughout the book. I wish the beginning was a little bit more fast paced but the rest of the story made up for it. The ending was so unexpected which is exactly what I love in a book!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Great and interesting story!! I was a bit on edge from so many suspects, but I guessed correctly and enjoyed reading the story. I do feel like some things weren't needed, but overall I liked this book. Will definitely be reading more of this author.

This is a clever book, full of mystery and suspense! As I read, I was suspicious of everyone and the psychological grip had me feeling keen to find out the ending. I finished it in a few days and found it an easy book to read, but also quite exciting. The first quarter was a bit slow, pace built by the halfway point and in the final quarter, twist after twist was revealed. It was a good reading experience overall.

I didn’t finish this one, I started to feel that it was dragging and began to notice inconsistencies in the story and found spelling errors. One I started nitpicking, I knew I needed to be done. It’s unfortunate but I don’t think Karen King’s writing style is for me. I’m bummed because this story had so much potential but just didn’t do it for me.

Thank you NetGalley for granting me access to this title!

Thank you to NetGalley & Bookouture for the e-ARC of this novel!

The Retreat is a whodunit in a beautiful retreat setting. I loved the retreat concept and the description of the guests attending. I would say the first half of the book was a tad slow for me, mostly focusing on the outings of the retreat and less on the thriller concept but the second half of the book really picked up and then I couldn’t put it down.

3.75 stars ✨
#theretreat #netgalley

The Retreat is a gripping, suspenseful, fast paced thriller! It kept me hanging on with every page. This book left me mind blown!

A great read, I loved the mystery in this story and finding out the end result once the mystery was solved. It was very entertaining and I couldn't put the book down, till I had finished reading the book.

A bit drawn out and slow but omg the ending doesn't half make up for it! So many twists, red herrings and turns I didn't see coming. The characters weren't my favorite but they were all original and unique and equally suspect. A really sold who dun it!

The retreat - wow what can I say! Had my attention from start to finish… I couldn't put it down and finished it in a day. Can't wait for more from this amazing author What an absolute cracker of a book!!!… sucked me straight in… absolutely addictive page turner… absolutely absorbed me… compelling, page-turning… will keep you up late at night

I loved this book. It follows the story of Eva and Jose who open a wellness retreat in Spain. They offer six places at half price to have a ‘soft’ opening and see how things go, and use their guests feedback to see what they can improve etc. The guests comprise of two couples, Eva’s old friend Saskia and Jose’s cousin, Carlos. They’re hoping the retreat goes well but let’s just say not everything goes according to plan. It’s a tale of sabotage and revenge and I couldn’t put it down. Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the chance to review.

Really like this author but this was too slow for me! Still enjoyed the story and won’t put me off reading more from this author!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the advance copy to read.

The story follows Eva and Jose as they open their new wellness retreat in a beautiful setting of Spain. But the guests aren't all there for wellness and one is definitely out for revenge.

The book is a slow, who dunnit. The main characters are both lacking in personality and weren't very likeable. I think the story was some what repetitive going over the characters concerns on who was out to get them.

The setting for the story was described beautifully.

There were a few twists towards the end. Sadly, I guessed them all. The first half of the book the most notable thing that happens is the goats getting in to the vegetable patch.

This was an average read for me but I imagine some readers would love this as a mystery in a lush setting.

This was an unfortunate DNF for me. It was very slow moving and, by the time I gave up, nothing had really happened. Just not for me.

Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture for the copy of The Retreat by Karen King. This was a fun, quick read that’s set in a beautiful location so this might be the perfect book for you. If you’re looking for a fast-paced thriller, though, this might not be what you’re looking for. The book starts slowly as we get to know the characters, and how they might be connected to Jose and Eva who own the retreat. Then the trouble starts. Is someone sabotaging them or are they plagued with simple accidents? The story was good and had many facets. The real action doesn’t happen until late in the book and everything finally starts to come together. The only thing I really disliked was when a few characters narrated what they had done, instead of their actions being woven into the narrative. Other than that, this is a solid read. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Eva and her partner José have spent their savings to renovate the family home he had inherited from his grandparents and turn it into a vacation destination. The story begins as they welcome their first guest for a trial-run before they officially open for the summer season. Unbeknownst to them, several of these guests hold grudges against them.

The setting is beautiful and the main characters are likeable. The premise for this story had me hooked, and I typically love revenge stories. However, I don’t think it completely lives up to its promise. The only reason we know that this is a thriller is because the first chapter starts out with a body in the swimming pool. However, we do not get back to those events until the last fifty pages of the book. Although there were lots of things going wrong during this retreat, there wasn’t as much danger as you would expect from a thriller. For the majority of the book, it had the feel of a soap opera with the secrets and lies that are common in those dramas, and the stuff going wrong seemed more like pranks than anything dangerous. Although I believed someone might want to destroy their business, I didn't feel that they were in danger.

The ending of the book does deliver with the suspense and plot twists that had been promised, but for me it was too little too late. This book is best read by readers that love character drama. This should be read as a soap opera and not as a thriller. I rated it three stars, but I think if you are looking for a good character-driven drama with some twists and surprises at the end, you would rate it four stars.