We’re introduced to Bea; an exhausted and dejected model having just walked from a set in Morocco. Trying to find safety in the sprawling streets, Bea makes a wrong turn and finds herself in a dangerous situation. Rescued by Marnie, she is whisked away to the sanctuary of “The Surf House” in Mallah until she finds her feet. The Surf House overlooks a stunning coastline, perfect for those looking to ride the waves. Bea cannot believe her luck, that is until Seth arrives, investigating the disappearance of his sister, Savannah, who went missing from this idyllic haven, and now Bea is submerged in the mystery.

Lucy Clarke is the queen of destination thrillers and has delivered another beautifully written story. I feel like I have literally been transported to Morocco, living life with other happy surfers and taking in the picturesque settings and intrinsic unease page after page. Not only can Lucy flawlessly set the scene, but she can also write a good old twist that will leave you gasping for breath.

The Surf House, told from dual POVs over two timelines features a cast of so many characters that are the heart and soul of this story, with their admirably built backstories you are questioning every red herring. The ending was perfectly executed and unravelled unexpected twists that left me shellshocked, wrapping everything up with a natural ease rather than it being forced.

As a fan of Lucy Clarke’s previous novels, I was excited to dive into The Surf House. While the story was interesting and had moments of intrigue, it didn’t grip me as much as her earlier works. There was something missing that kept it from being as immersive or suspenseful as I’d hoped. Still, it was an enjoyable read, just not a standout for me.

Thanks to NetGalley for the early release copy in exchange for an honest review.

What attracted me to this novel was the setting: Morocco. I’m no fan of surfing but Lucy Clarke has pulled together a readable mystery, with some good descriptions of the fictitious surfing village setting. A high impact start to the story but then a long lull before picking up again and gaining intensity. The story focuses on a small cast of characters, from the friendly local policeman to the settlers and surfers and the American in search of his sister. A nice little twist concludes the novel. An easygoing read, rather limited by the overriding surfing theme, new love and loss.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.

All Lucy Clarke books are great, but this is my favorite. It is filled with suspense, filled with twists and turns. I loved it!

I absolutely flew through The Hike back in 2023, so it was a no-brainer to request an ARC of The Surf House as soon as I saw it on NetGalley! Lucy Clarke consistently delivers with her multidimensional characters, and this book was no different!

I loved how each of the central characters in The Surf House had not-so-hidden) turbulent pasts that slowly bubbled to the surface until the end of the book, when everything finally broke through the surface. For example, there were multiple times that I'd read a passage from one character's POV and have a niggling feeling that I read something similar before from someone else's POV -- Clarke sprinkled the perfect amount of breadcrumbs throughout the book to fully weave the main characters and their stories together. Adding in an exotic (and sometimes frightening) setting for good measure, The Surf House is the perfect thriller to kick of summer reading for 2025!

It took a while for me to get into this book. It starts out with a bang but then slowed down into more of an atmospheric slow burn with a few surprises along the way. I feel like it really started to pick up towards the end with twist after twist after twist.

We first find Bea, an exhausted and unhappy model in Morocco walk off her latest job. She makes a few wrong turns and ends up in a dangerous situation. Lucky for her there is a nearby ally who helps her and gives her a place to stay. What happens next involves dual timelines, a missing woman, lots of shady people, and a few dead bodies.

The ending really turned it around for me. There was some great twists in here and made this an enjoyable book. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

The Surf House begins with Bea, the main character, walking off of her modeling job in Morocco. Unfortunately for her, she get lost in the city and ends up getting attacked by two men. She is saved when a woman named Marnie intervenes and helps her get away, but not before Bea has to stab one of the men, killing him. Marnie helps her get past a police checkpoint and offers her a room at The Surf House. Bea agrees to work at The Surf House and ends up settling in to her new life. However, once she learns about Savannah, Bea begins to suspect all is not as it seems. Savannah was a guest at the Surf House a year ago- and then she disappeared without a trace. When Bea starts asking questions about Savannah's disappearance she uncovers a twisted web of lies and betrayal. Lucy Clarke does a great job of leading the reader in several different directions before finally making the big reveal. She also makes her settings come alive, which helps get the reader invested in the story. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

A familiar type of story, but still well-written and mysterious enough to hold my interest. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

If I ever want to feel like I am on vacation, I can always count on a Lucy Clarke book. Her settings and descriptions alone are worth the read. We actually had our first cruise booked for today. I received this ARC and was saving it with the intention for it to be my "cruise read". Well two days ago, I was diagnosed with Covid and now cannot sail. In my extreme disappointment, I went ahead and started this book. Thank you, Lucy Clarke for what may be your best book yet! Once again, the atmosphere totally takes you away, this time to Morocco. We have Bea, a model who doesn't want to be a model anymore. She leaves in the middle of a Moroccan shoot, runs into trouble and is rescued by Marnie. Marnie owns The Surf House located in an isolated area on the Moroccan coast. There is an eclectic group of travelers also staying in the area and Bea discovers that a guest went missing over a year ago. What follows is a twisty story where you do not know who is a good guy or bad guy and who do you trust? I loved the surfing descriptions and could almost feel the waves. I am so grateful for this book to take me away for a few days! And we will be rebooking our cruise. I am sad that Lucy won't be able to go with me this time. Maybe next year! Hint, hint to Lucy Clarke!

Thank you to #NetGalley, Lucy Clarke and Grove Atlantic | Atlantic Monthly Press for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

I will post my review to Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Instagram and other retail and social media sites upon publication day of May 20, 2025.

What a wild ride! Ups, downs, murders, betrayals all happening in beautiful Morocco. Lucy Clarke has really made you question who to trust and what has the mysterious Savannah been up to.

I was quite excited to read this uncorrected proof and a bit curious, too, whether it would influence my perspective. I really enjoyed the story and the setting. In my opinion, the prologue gave away a bit too much, but the final twist was very unexpected. I liked how Lucy Clarke fooled me over and over again while I was trying to figure out which character was the bad one. There were some points in the story where the pace was too slow and others that were too fast and would've needed more details. I'm looking forward to reading the "final" published edition.

I enjoyed this novel. It hooks you in right at the start, and keeps you on the edge of your seat. The author provides plenty of red herrings, but the ending is not what you expect at all. 4 stars

Lucy Clarke’s destination thrillers always make me feel like I’ve just returned from an adventure abroad! The atmospheric writing is impeccable, the characters are instantly intriguing, and the plot is well paced with great tension. The dual timeline will have you looking for clues, connecting the dots, and reassessing your suspicions. A lovely balance of plot development and character arc, this book has a little for everyone including a bit of romance, and some horror-worthy scenes.
I just have to mention one irk, because it almost stopped me from reading on, and I’m so glad I did keep reading. The main character’s actions when confronted by robbers didn’t make sense with anything we knew or learned about the character… not sure if I missed something, but her actions did not match her temperament and it really bothered me . There I said it. I still really enjoyed the book and highly recommend.

read if you like:
📍 exotic locations
🌊 beach communities
💁🏻‍♀️ wayward characters

summary:
This book follows Bea, a model in Marrakesh, who walks off a job to find herself trapped in an alley in a terrible situation. She is rescued by Marnie, a local woman, and taken to The Surf House, a home for wayward travelers started by Marnie and her husband, Ped. Once there, Marnie helps her get back on her feet while introducing Bea to their community. Before long, she learns that someone just like her, Savannah, visited The Surf House the year before, and disappeared. With her brother in town to search for her, Bea finds herself involved and gets twisted up in a world where looks can be deceiving.

Clarke does an amazing job of setting the scene in this book, making you feel like you are there with them. Marrakesh is beautifully remote and idyllic, with a dark underbelly that Bea finds herself exposed to quickly. This story starts unfortunately a little slow, and took me several tries to get into. The characters felt abstract and hard to follow, but once you get about 25% of the way through, it starts picking up, and the plot starts to move forward. The dual stories of Momo and Savannah feel tough to tie together, but they twist forward at the end in a way that just paints the backdrop of Morocco and The Surf House even more clearly. Once I got halfway through, I could NOT put it down, and I promise the end will surprise you in a tragic way!

Thanks to Grove Atlantic, Atlantic Monthly Press and NetGalley for the ARC. If you’re a Lucy Clarke fan, check this out when it releases on May 20!

I think my students will enjoy this, both the mystery of Savannah's disappearance in what seems like an idyllic surfing community and the personal growth story of Bea. Many of my students have bad self images, her is Bea a model, disconnected from her body, hiding her mirrors so she doesn't look at herself, molding herself to what everyone else wants. Underneath the mystery and the attempt to get bribe money is a story of a woman coming to terms with herself and the use of surfing as a metaphor for life worked well. Well written and relatable characters, they felt vivid and real

A missing girl, a young woman, a model with a loveless past and low self esteem, finds herself involved in a mystery and a community that teaches her about love, being in her body and trusting herself. I got involved right away in the book, it is a little different style wise from her prior books but I enjoyed it a lot. 4.5

A very strong novel from the seasoned author Lucy Clarke. Bea is an unhappy model on a shoot in Morocco when a split second decision changes her life and leads her into a violent altercation and then runs to a quiet beach town and The Surf House. Clarke is an excellent writer who conjours up the setting of the Moroccan coast beautifully. The plot unfolds at an engaging pace and the characters are well developed, complex and believable. Lots of well done twists and plot arcs that keep you turning the pages. Very enjoyable.

The Surf House is definitely a slow burn, but that fits with the vibe of the story. The writing is very strong. I loved the descriptions of the beach and the hostel, it felt very warm and inviting. As far as the story goes, there were two plot lines: Bea paying off her debt and trying to figure out what happened to Savannah. These do eventually intertwine, but I think the debt storyline was kinda boring and solved easily. The Savannah storyline was good and I enjoyed the intermittent POVs, but the big reveal was predictable, I thought the red herrings gave away the big twist. I think this would be a great summer/beach read. (3.5/5)

**This ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**

Lucy Clarke’s latest thriller starts with a terrifying scene where the main character, Bea, is attacked in the streets of Marrakesh, losing her belongings and almost her life. After being saved by a good Samaritan, Marlie, the two escape the scene of their crime and head to The Surf House a B&B style have on the beach for nomadic travelers to together. Along the way, they are stopped at a checkpoint and have a run-in with a crooked cop who pilfers the evidence of their crime from their car for a cost that will be determined later.

As days go by, Bea comes to enjoy her life at The Surf House and gets to know its inhabitants and her neighbors. When the cost of her crime becomes known, $5000 to the local cop, she scrambles to find the money until in comes a new arrival - Seth, an American who has come looking for his sister, Savannah, a guest at The Surf House last year who has been missing since.

The two arrange to help each other, Bea finding information and Seth helping pay her bribe, but the more Bea learns, the more questions she has about The Surf House and the people who run it. And, when crime visits Bea once again, she starts to become suspicious of those who she has been leaning on the most in her time of need.

The Surf House was a slower building plot than some of Clarke's previous works. I had a hard time getting into it at first, and I really didn't understand how this was going to be a full on novel, but as soon as we were introduce to Seth, and therefore Savannah, I could see the pieces falling into play. Readers should stick with this once past that 25% mark because that's where it starts to really pick up speed.

Thanks to Grove Atlantic for the advanced digital copy.

***Arc Review***** Coming to your shelves in February 2025

This is an arc review so firstly I’d like to say thank you @netgalley @lucyclarke_author @groveatlantic and @harpercollinsuk for trusting me with this. I have adored this author since her early days and this did not disappoint! A solid 5⭐️ easily. This tells the story of Bea and her time in Morocco at The surf house. It follows her as her life intertwines with Marnie, Ped and Aiden those who run the surf house and ajoining businesses, where travellers and surfers flock to enjoy the surf and freedom of that life style.
It has plenty of twists, most I did not see coming. One of my favourite characters was definitely Salty the beach dog 🥹 towards the end parts of the book the twists just kept coming! It was incredibly well written as Lucy’s books always are, the characters were a mix of likeable and not so much! Was not ped’s biggest fan! I liked Bea! Some of the other characters are likeable until they are not depending on the twists and turns of the story 😁 no more can be said on that as you must go forth and read with joy no spoilers here! It was a great thriller and held your attention well leaving you wanting to turn the page and find out what came next. If you have not read anything by this author before then I highly recommend you do, she has plenty of others to keep you going until February 2025 when this title is released! #bookstagrammer #bookreview #bookrecommendations #lucyclarkeauthor #thesurfhouse #thrillerbooks #readreadread #fivestarreads