**The Surf House** by Lucy Clarke is the perfect summer escape — atmospheric, twisty, and totally addictive. Clarke weaves together secrets, friendships, and coastal vibes in a way that keeps you turning the pages late into the night. The setting feels so vivid you’ll practically hear the waves crashing, and the characters are layered and real. It’s the kind of book that’s equal parts beachy and suspenseful, and I loved every minute of it!

I loved the setting in this book and felt like it was beautifully written. The Surf House book transports you to coast of Morocco. Perfect amount of suspense and secrets to keep you turning the pages. I loved the surfing aspect of this story and felt like it was a perfect summer read. The Surf House is sort of like a hostile for travelers with some long time guests and some just stopping in for a vacation. Bea is invited to tay when she meets Marnie. One of the long term residents of the house sister Savanah disappeared a year ago and Bea decides to help try to solve the mystery. Twists, turns, mysteries, secrets and suspense really made this such a fast page turner.

This novel really spoke to me. My life has gotten rather crazy. The locale really pulled me in with the laid back life and the calming waves. I wanted to get on a plane and just disappear to there for a month. The mystery really kept me guessing. I had some suspicions but was not sure if I was right until the end. I hope Adrien finally accepts love and Bea finds what makes her happy.

"The Surf House" is a destination thriller full of drama, secrets, and lies. I really enjoyed Lucy Clarke's last novel, "The Hike," but it was the cover that sold me on this one immediately 😍. Once again, Clarke delivered an atmospheric and suspenseful page-turner. I loved the setting, the intriguing and complex characters, and dual POVs and timelines. It was a bit of a slow burn, but there were plenty of twists and turns to keep me invested in the story. The compelling mystery had me turning pages late into the night to find out what happened next. Another solid thriller from Clarke. I look forward to seeing where in the world her next book will take us!

Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Surf House is a captivating, sun-drenched psychological thriller that delves into the power of friendship, the burden of secrets, and the thrill—and risk—of a fresh start. Against the dreamy backdrop of a coastal surf town, the novel entices readers into a story that's both emotionally gripping and pulse-pounding. Clarke brings authenticity to the setting with vivid descriptions of crashing waves, the scent of salt in the air, and the surf culture. The setting is idyllic yet carries an undercurrent of danger, perfectly mirroring the novel's tone.

High up on Morocco's cliffs, the Surf House is a haven for travelers seeking sun and surf. After a terrifying incident in Marrakesh, Bea finds refuge there until she can get back on her feet. To pay her way, she takes on some household chores and forms a bond with Marnie. Shortly after, a Californian arrives in Morocco looking for his sister, Savannah, who vanished over a year ago. As Bea struggles to make ends meet, she becomes entangled in the mystery.

It's a gripping, fast-paced story packed with unexpected twists that keep you hooked until the very last page. With multiple perspectives and flashbacks, Clarke crafts a story that's both sun-soaked and ominous, making it a perfect fit for fans of destination thrillers. The vivid writing and constant twists create high emotional stakes and nonstop tension.

I was completely captivated by this immersive and suspenseful story, full of flawed yet fascinating characters. The coastal setting, which I love, feels like a character itself—its stunning beauty balanced perfectly with a sense of lurking danger. I highly recommend reading this if you enjoy stories set in exotic locations with thrilling, edge-of-your-seat plots.

Thank you Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for my eARC!
Originally posted on BookshelfbyTori on Instagram!

This is a perfect twisty beach read about a young woman who is entranced into the carefree lifestyle of surfers at a Moroccan eco resort only to discover they all have secrets. While the characters were a bit one dimensional at times, I really enjoyed the story and setting of this one. Read it in one day! Looking forward to the next one by this author. Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read and review this book!

Good atmosphere and strong writing, but the protagonist is a bit naive and the outcome a bit predictable

The Surf House is an exciting and mysterious story set in Morocco. It follows Bea, a model who’s feeling lost and scared after a bad experience in Marrakech. She ends up at a quiet guesthouse called The Surf House, which seems like a safe place—but it’s hiding some dark secrets. A year before, a young woman named Savannah disappeared from there, and Bea starts to uncover what really happened.

What I really liked about this book is how well the author describes Morocco—the busy markets, the ocean waves, and the whole vibe of the place. It makes you feel like you’re right there with Bea. The surfing culture is also a cool part of the story and adds a nice touch to the mystery.

Bea is easy to relate to, though sometimes she seems a little too trusting for someone who’s been through a lot. The story moves at a good pace, with surprises that keep you interested until the end. The other characters are interesting, but some could have been explained more.

There are a few parts where things feel a bit too lucky or predictable, but overall, the story is gripping. The book deals with some serious topics like violence and loss, so keep that in mind before reading.

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If you're looking for a book that's as intoxicating as a Moroccan sunset and as suspenseful as a shark lurking beneath the waves, then "The Surf House" by Lucy Clarke is your next obsession.

Sun, Sand, and Seriously Sinister Secrets...

Morocco, a surf house perched high on the cliffs, a community of expats chasing the endless summer. Sounds idyllic, right? Wrong.

This isn't your average beach read, folks.

Lucy Clarke, the queen of destination thrillers, has crafted a story that's as seductive as it is unsettling.

Bea, seeking refuge after a close call in Marrakesh. She thinks she's found paradise, but paradise has a dark side. A woman vanished a year ago, same age, same beaches, same guests. And the truth? It's buried somewhere within The Surf House.

This book is a masterclass in suspense. Lucy Clarke's writing is so vivid, you'll feel the Moroccan sun on your skin and the salt spray on your face, even as you're shivering with dread. The Surf House itself transforms from a haven into a house of mirrors, where everyone's a suspect and every shadow holds a secret.

If you love thrillers that transport you to exotic locations while simultaneously making you question everyone's motives,

"The Surf House" is a must-read. Get ready for a wild ride, because this is one surf trip you won't forget.

This wasn't the most suspenseful thriller, but there was enough of a twist and an interesting plot. I thought there was decent character development in some of the main characters, but others felt flat.

Lucy Clarke’s books always make me feel like I’m on holiday, and The Surf House swept me away to Morocco with its mix of surf, sun, and secrets.

Bea has travelled the world as a model, but after abruptly walking away from her latest job in Marrakesh, she’s accosted in a market by two men attempting to rob her. A bystander, Marnie, steps in to help—but in the chaos, Bea accidentally stabs one of her attackers. Desperate to get her out of the city, Marnie brings Bea to her remote seaside guesthouse to lie low. There, Bea meets an eclectic group of guests and locals and begins to settle into a slower, more peaceful rhythm. But The Surf House holds secrets of its own, and Bea soon learns that a young woman went missing from the property just a year ago.

The standout element in this novel is undoubtedly the setting—Lucy Clarke’s vivid descriptions of Morocco, from its buzzing markets to its wild, windswept coastline, transported me completely. The story kept me intrigued, with a cast of mysterious characters and enough twists to keep the pages turning.

A quick, easy holiday read—just what I’ve come to expect and love from Lucy Clarke. And after this one, Morocco is definitely climbing higher on my travel bucket list.

Lucy Clarke has been an auto buy author for me from day one. Her stories, always involving strong female characters and a love of the sea, have resonated with me in a way I can't explain. The last few books haven't quite hit the spot like this one. It was beautifully written from start to finish. An exotic setting, hot and dusty. A share house for surfers, gritty with sand. And at it's core, a mystery that threatens to unravel all that's been built at The Surf House.

Many thanks to Netgalley. I received this book in exchange for my honest review. My thoughts are entirely my own.


In this book we are following Bea and Savannah in a flashback from a year earlier. Bea is a model who is attacked by two man who are trying to steal from her and a woman comes to help her and Bea ends up killing one man and the other runs away with her things. Bea ends up getting blackmailed which ends up being a lie that one owner of The Surf House cooked up to pay off their debts. There were twists and turns in this book and to be honest I pretty much flew through the last little bit to see what happened to Bea and what really happened to Savannah. I didn’t really like this book all that much. This isn’t something that I will re-read.

This is a gripping and atmospheric novel that blends mystery with deep emotional undercurrents. Set against the backdrop of a rugged coastal village, the story captures the allure and isolation of seaside life perfectly. The characters are complex, each carrying their own secrets and regrets, and the shifting perspectives add layers to the unfolding drama. I especially liked how the past and present were woven together it kept the tension simmering without feeling forced. While a few moments felt a bit drawn out, the payoff was worth it. A thoughtful, well-crafted story about friendship, identity, and the pull of home. A solid 4-star read.

This is a good twisty tale set in beautiful surroundings. Nothing is what it seems . Bea leaves a modelling job in Marrakesh to find herself staying in The Surf House with Marnie a young girl who has befriended her. Bea loves the atmosphere’ and the surrounds of the sea and the surfing. Then arrives Seth who is looking for his sister who has gone missing a year ago. What follows is secrets and deceit that Bea couldn’t imagine. It’s a great story with great characters that had me glued to the page . There’s love , sun , surfing and corruption all leading up to an explosive ending .

Equal parts atmospheric, suspenseful, and thought-provoking, The Surf House was both a love letter to surfing and a trip into deep, dark foreboding. Transporting me into the colorful, noisy alleys of the medina and the crashing waves of the surf, Clarke’s newest novel was the definition of a destination thriller in all of its well-written glory. You see, I could feel the water washing over my skin just as the sun beat down on my head. Evocative and mesmerizing, there’s no doubt that this author has a special way with words. Then again, that’s not to say that her ability to craft compelling character studies in each and every persona didn’t match that step for step. Well-developed and deep, they each had me in the palm of their hands from beginning to end.

As for the plot of this unputdownable stunner, I was blown away by the plotting as it spun tales within tales. Told via dual timelines and dual POVs, the underlying mystery behind this motley crew kept me firmly on the edge of my seat. After all, it was quite apparent that SOMETHING had gone down before Bea arrived. Something dark and unsettling that made me want to fly through the pages. Forcing myself to take it one chapter at a time, I inhaled each one of these characters’ backstories as their stories unfolded with unbelievable ease. The Queen of Misdirection with a capital M, Clarke handed out plenty of blind turns that got me but good. And while I might’ve guessed one or two, there were still plenty that had me gasping out loud.

All said and done, from the exotic locale to the complex group dynamics, I was completely blown away by this slow-boiling psychological thriller. With short chapters, (mostly) unguessable truths, and a mystery that felt as realistic as it did grim, this book merely cemented Lucy Clarke as one of my all-time favorite authors. After all, how many writers could interweave an almost women’s lit feel into a pulse-pounding thriller? Visceral and tense yet also poignant and moving, I could put myself into these characters’ shoes with a snap of my fingers. So if you’re looking for a novel to thrill and delight as well as make you think long and hard, grab this one now as it fits that bill to a T. Plus, I guarantee you’ll never guess who the bad guy really is. Rating of 4.5 stars.

Thank you to Lucy Clarke, Atlantic Monthly Press, and NetGalley for my digital and physical copies. All opinions are my own.

Bea walks out of a photoshoot and finds herself in a dangerous situation in Marrakesh, when another woman intervenes. Marnie takes Bea under her wing, bringing her back to her small surfing resort nestled on a Moroccan cliff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

Once there, Bea learns of a woman who disappeared a year prior while staying at the resort, and when her brother shows up at the resort, he enlists Bea’s help to discover what happened to his sister.

Filled with twists and turns, this book will keep you guessing. I can always count on Lucy Clarke to write a suspenseful read set in an immersive, exotic locale, and she does not disappoint here. This is the perfect summer kick-off!

Grove Atlantic/Atlantic Monthly Press via NetGalley kindly provided me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This one took me on a ride of different emotions. I do not want to post spoilers because the book just came out and I don't want to spoil anything yet.

We follow Bea, a model that's just quite literally walked out on a job and decides to just go because she is burnt out. She ends up in trouble, getting saved, and ends up at the Surf House. It's essentially a get away for people trying to get away from something or themselves. It is a very atmospheric for summer for sure. I loved the details about the house, the beaches, surfing, the town, everything.

You also have multiple POV's and a past POV. You have somebody looking for his sister, and Bea getting wrapped up in helping when she gets blackmailed.

The ending kind of shocked me, I essentially knew where it was going but that last twist got me!

This is a perfect slower burn mystery for summer, and I can honestly see this getting turned into a movie or tv show. (I would watch it btw).

Thank you to Lucy Clarke, publishers and Netgalley for this ARC!

The Surf House by Lucy Clark is a deeply atmospheric novel set in a remote town on the coast of Morocco. The characters in this story are coming-of-age and out for an adventure. Our main character, Bea, is a former model from England. Bea has made her way to The Surf House after falling into some serious trouble in the city of Marrakesh. Here she meets a cast of characters that at first seem to be living the dream of van life and surfing, but before too long Bea suspects many of them, like her, are also running from something.

This book is well-written, especially in the descriptions of this small, quiet, Moroccan town and the surrounding roaring ocean with swells that are the dreams of young surfers. The Surf House, billed as a thriller, is also part romance, part coming-of-age, part mystery, part domestic drama, and part adventure story. While all of those themes are appealing to me, I am of the opinion that the author tried to do too much in this slow-burn thriller, and in doing so, the suspense at the heart of the story was lacking.

Despite having a pretty good idea what the plot twists were going to be, I still enjoyed this book, especially the immersive reading experience into Moroccan culture and landscape, and the deep dive into the inner world of the surfing community. There are not a whole lot of thrills or suspense here, but readers new to thrillers or those who are looking for an armchair traveling reading experience will still find a lot to enjoy in The Surf House.

3.5 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Atlantic Monthly Press for an ARC of The Surf House by Lucy Clark in exchange for my honest review.

The Surf House seems like the ideal place to get away! When Bea suddenly decides to flee from her life as a model, she finds herself wandering around and then faces danger. After finding a helpful hand, she gets invited to Surf House. What Bea doesn’t know then is that her life will forever be changed by this one decision. This was a good thriller that kept me guessing!