A Captivating and Unpredictable Thriller

Liz Dawson is a striking con artist who effortlessly adapts to any environment among the wealthy elite. She is confident, clever, and charming, making new friends with ease. When trouble arises in Chicago, Liz seizes the timely opportunity to take an art installation job at a stunning villa on the Mexican coast. The new villa belongs to the extremely wealthy and beautiful Isabelle Beresford. Liz is able to enjoy the villa for a week before Isabelle and her husband arrive.

When Liz is mistaken for Isabelle, she can’t help but continue the charade. The transition to Isabelle was so seamless that it felt like it was meant to be. But who exactly is Isabelle Beresford, and what will happen when she arrives the following week? Is Liz pulling a con here, or is she the one being conned?

RETREAT is a well-plotted thriller about obsession and identity as Liz, a beguiling con artist, takes over the life of a wealthy socialite. The setting of the Casa Esmeralda villa and the Punta Mita resort is stunning, and the descriptions are vivid.

The story is captivating and intriguing. Liz’s character is complicated, and as expected from a con artist, she thinks fast on her feet. As her week at the villa progresses, she has told so many lies that it is even hard for her to keep up. It’s all so wonderfully confusing!

Author Krysten Ritter, also an actor, has plenty of tricks up her sleeve in this tension-filled thriller. Her writing is tight, clever, and satisfying. She makes the ground shift as this unpredictable story unfolds.

I listened to the audiobook, which the author narrated. Her pacing and voice were perfect for Retreat. Thank you to NetGalley for an advance audio copy of this book. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Retreat is a smart, slow-burn thriller set at a suspiciously sleek wellness program for women in tech. Krysten Ritter blends tech paranoia, corporate secrets, and female friendship into a tense, twisty story. Karissa Vacker’s narration is spot-on—cool, sharp, and just unnerving enough to keep you hooked. Perfect for fans of Ruth Ware and Megan Miranda, especially those who like their suspense with a side of smart commentary.

I absolutely LOVED this book! I had a hard copy as well (thanks, for the bookmail, Harper!) but couldn't resist hearing Krysten Ritter read her own words, and she was FANTASTIC. I love a lady con artist and this story did not disappoint - it was twisty, fast-paced, and wild! I think fans of Stone Cold Fox and First Lie Wins would also really like this!

Really enjoyed this one! I've loved Krysten Ritter's on-screen work for years, so I'm so glad I was able to enjoy her book too! Had no idea what would happen in this vacation thriller—so not predictable! Loved it.

(Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.)

I recently finished listening to the audiobook of "Retreat" by Krysten Ritter, and I wanted to share my thoughts. The audiobook was a captivating experience from start to finish. Ritter's narration brought the characters and the suspenseful atmosphere to life vividly. The story itself was a thrilling ride, filled with unexpected twists and turns that kept me guessing until the very end. I found the plot to be engaging and the characters well-developed. The audio format enhanced the feeling of being right there with the protagonist, Mae, as she unraveled the mysteries of the retreat. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed "Retreat" as an audiobook and highly recommend it to those who enjoy suspenseful and gripping stories.

I could not put this book down! I was constantly wondering how everything was going to play out or fall apart. Lizz is a con artist trying to find the perfect life for herself. Even if she calls to pretend to be Isabelle on a remote island with the rich folks. Lizz's past identity is sneaking up on her, though, and she struggles to keep all her lies straight for whoever is around her. Soon she comes upon the body of her "husband," and her twisted life becomes more chaotic.

There was always something going on that kept you hooked and waiting for the twist to reveal itself.

Thank you, Harper Audio, for allowing me to read and review this book through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Twisty, if predictable, psychological thriller.

Liz Dawson, an experienced con woman, needs to escape her current situation in Chicago and finds the perfect out when one of her marks actually helps Liz by giving her a job. Not just any work, but a fantastic opportunity out of the country in the super rich area of Punta Mita in Mexico. A wealthy homeowner, Isabelle Beresford, hires Liz to install a painting in her villa. Liz is quite excited to get out of town and definitely plans to enjoy her week in Mexico living it up in the beautiful home. Once there, however, not only does Liz settle in quickly, she meets other women who live there, and it is clear that they think she is actually Isabelle. Well, why not? She’s assumed other identities before and plans to live it up while she can. Soon, however, Liz finds that she might have gotten herself mixed up in something dangerous. Definitely not a simple con and it all goes spectacularly wrong.

This started out well and I was fully engaged until about the half way mark when Liz’s deceptions start to fall apart and she is in constant fear of exposure. Events transpire that make Liz wonder about the Beresfords. But every time she knew she should get out before her duplicity was revealed, something kept her there. I guess she liked the wealthy lifestyle and all its trappings. All of that identity confusion and obsession got old quick and you just knew what was coming because of the big thing left unsaid. No spoilers. And, that ambiguous ending really irritated me. All in all, it was just a story with lies and secrets. Honestly, the whole look alike trope is getting old as well.

Did not like any of the characters. They were hideous and very much stereotypes of this genre. Mostly a familiar story of the rich behaving badly and the typical assumption that many are not good people. I don’t believe it would be that easy to assume another person’s life.

Listened to the audio book while following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publishers. The narrator was the author herself and she did an adequate job of voicing the characters, getting the nuances right, and giving the story a bit of dramatic flair. Unfortunately, the production wasn’t enough to save the actual story from mediocrity.

Pretty absorbing audiobook, well-delivered. Psychological thriller worthy of Ingmar Bergman or Chuck Pahlaniuk. I was tempted to DNF at first, thinking "this woman is too stupid to live", but then I got hooked! Twisty fun with a deliciously ambiguous ending.

Although I figured out the "who dun it" fairly early on, I really enjoyed the story, characters, mystery and setting.

Whoa this was another great one from Ritter! I thought her reading the audio was great and the twists were so good! It was a pretty far fetched story but that is what made it so good!!

SO good. Krysten Ritter is a new author to me and I am so glad I picked this one up! A twisted and mysterious tale of murder and romance - you will not want to put this one down.

This was an excellent thriller! I don't usually get surprised by twists but this one got me a few times. I loved the boldness Liz. She didn't have one minute where she thought maybe this isn't a good idea. This book moved very swiftly and I read it in a day and a half.

"Who is running the con?" keeps you guessing with plenty of twists and turns. I love a good con artist story—rich people engaging in bad behavior—and "Retreat" nails it.

It's twisty and a bit steamy, making it impossible to look away. It’s the perfect summer thriller!

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Audio.

Retreat is a quick and engaging listen, and Krysten Ritter delivers a fantastic performance as the narrator—her voice adds a compelling layer to the story. In the beginning, I was hooked. The book gave off strong, intriguing vibes that made it hard to stop listening.

However, by the time part three rolled around, things started to fall apart. The momentum fizzled, and the plot began to feel disjointed. There were noticeable gaps in the storyline and twist that left me feeling disappointed.

It pains me immensely to leave a middling review for this one. Ritter is a phenomenal and underrated actress. I wanted to enjoy this book so bad.

Unfortunately, it's equal parts predictable, full of plot holes, and out-of-touch.

The Part III "twist" was telegraphed so openly so early on that it made Liz seem like a complete idiot for not catching on. And then to hold the reader's hand to lead them back through all the clues we "missed"? Ugh. I call that style of storytelling "The Prestige" because that movie was the worst example of removing the magic from a twisty narrative by explaining, in excruciating detail, exactly how the plan was executed AFTER the reader/viewer has already put it all together. (I know The Prestige in a magic trick is a different thing!)

And the plot holes! So much evidence was left behind in these con games, especially digital evidence, but also forensics. Nobody ever got a warrant for the most basic evidence? Also, Liz has to be younger than Isabelle Beresford, so how could she be her doppelganger? Someone mentions that Liz is in her mid-thirties, but Isabelle had been married for 19+ years at that point. The math ain't mathin.

And the descriptions of childhood poverty and neglect were so obviously imagined by writers who've never gone through that kind of hardship and feelings of inadequacy because they lacked parental love, material wealth, and social capital. An early example - the confusion between scholarships and financial aid - you need parental information and signatures on financial aid paperwork, not most scholarship applications.

This was going to be a one star rating, but I bumped it up due to the epilogue. I did see it coming as a possibility, but I thought the book would end on a more obvious route, as all the other twists did.

At any rate, if you like Frieda McFadden - obvious, soapy twists that pretend to be smarter than they are, plus plot holes you could drive a truck through - this book is for you.

Ritter does a great job of narrating her work, bringing some nuance and humor to characters that might have otherwise appeared a little one-dimensional. The plot is a little predictable--the circumstances of the introduction of the villain and all subsequent interactions with that character practically telegraph the ending to the reader, but it's an engaging journey to get to the denouement.

I listened to the audiobook version of Retreat by Krysten Ritter, and it was an absolute thrill from start to finish! Ritter’s narration brought Liz Dawson’s cunning and complex character to life, making her both fascinating and unpredictable. The luxurious Mexican villa setting added an escapist quality that perfectly contrasted the dark twists of the story. The exploration of identity, obsession, and privilege kept me hooked, while the unexpected turns left me reeling. Liz may not be a sympathetic character, but her sharp wit and flawed humanity made her captivating. This audiobook is a must-listen for fans of twisty thrillers with morally complex characters.

The protagonist in “Retreat is the brilliant, beautiful con artist Liz Dawson. Liz decides to enjoy herself when she is hired by the wealthy Isabel Beresford to oversee an art installation at a Mexican villa, while Isabel is supposedly busy vacationing in Bali with her husband Oscar. Liz can’t resist passing herself off as Isabel and enjoying a beach vacation for the week. What could go wrong? Very quickly Liz finds herself and immeshed in Isabel‘s secrets and lies as the body count grows.

Ritter has written a fast- paced, thriller, filled with the very rich, behaving badly, and a con artist you can root for. I did spot the antagonist early on, but it didn’t spoil the wild ride of this fun read.

The audiobook is well read by the author Krysten Ritter.

Recommended for a satisfying beach read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an audio copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. While I was very hopeful to be sucked into this audiobook, it did not fully deliver for me. I found myself intrigued but also wishing the plot would move a little quicker in the middle. I enjoyed this audiobook for an escape from real life but I was hoping for more action throughout. The ending twist was definitely worth it; I just wish we could have gotten there sooner. 4 out of 5 stars!

The Retreat by Krysten Ritter is a tense, atmospheric thriller where a dream wellness getaway turns deadly. Dark secrets, a remote island, and a growing sense of paranoia make this a gripping, edge-of-your-seat read.