"A magnificently absorbing and haunting novel. . . . De Mariaffi’s spare yet deeply rich prose renders the isolation and claustrophobia of the mountains downright palpable. With a dabble each of Hitchcock thriller, cozy mystery, and domestic noir, The Retreat offers readers a most thrilling setup followed by a galloping sprint to the final page. What a terrifyingly fun read.” —Amy Stuart, author of Still Water 

“Will probably keep you up until dawn . . . de Mariaffi has built a reputation over her last two books for weaving the elements of genre fiction with keen attention to women’s lives and a strong literary bent. . . . de Mariaffi vividly humanizes what might, in lesser hands, have been a pro-forma, overly familiar thriller. Instead, The Retreat shines, at once thoughtful and chilling, familiar and unsettling.” — Toronto Star

“The Retreat is a chilling reinvention of an old mystery favorite…The atmosphere is richly drawn, a heady mixture of artistic ambition, oncoming claustrophobia, and adrenaline-soaked sleuthing. — CrimeReads

“Take a group of artists, ambition, isolation, and violence, and add a twist of the coldest, snowiest winter you’ve ever known, and you’ll arrive at The Retreat. Yet de Mariaffi’s heart stopping thriller is powered by more than suspense—Maeve, her resourceful main character, is a mother and dancer piecing her life together after an abusive marriage, and Maeve’s journey through the novel’s danger and betrayals becomes a genuine act of grace.” —Maria Hummel, author of the Reese’s Book Club x Hello Sunshine pick Still Lives 

“This vivid, immersive story had me jumping at shadows. The isolated setting, the tension between the characters, the sense of danger unravelling in a place there is no escape from. Suspenseful and atmospheric, it will keep you questioning which is the biggest threat nature or people, outside or in.” —Helen Cooper, author of The Downstairs Neighbor