The Retreat Paperback – 10 May 2018

I absolutely devoured this book. Totally a one afternoon sitting kind of a read. As soon as I picked it up I knew it was going to have to set aside any other plans (which were in fairness rather limited) and just devote myself to reading as I was hooked from the off. Mark Edwards set the scene in the most dramatic of ways - the disappearance of young Lily. So small, so innocent, a scene so totally shocking that took me completely unawares and I was compelled to read on to find out what was going on and why.Cue the main body of the story. Writer Lucas is trying desperately hard to write a follow up to his massively successful horror novel but struggling to find muse or focus after the loss of his long term partner. Booking himself into a writer's retreat near his hometown, he has no idea of the history of owner Julia, and the tragic story which haunts her. The longer he stays at the retreat, the more he finds out about Julia and her missing daughter, Lily, the more determined he is to help her find peace. As Lucas starts to look into what happened on that fateful day years ago, terrifying things start to happen, not only at the house, but in the neighbouring community, events which put everyone's lives at risk.Man, oh man, what a story. The whole idea of a missing child is bad enough. Who would abduct a young girl and, in spite of what her mother may believe, can she possibly still be alive after all this time? But when you take this most harrowing of circumstances and give it a Mark Edwards twist, you are assured of a read which is not only thrilling but, in this case, totally chilling too. Capturing some of the uncertain and creeping edge which underpinned The Devil's Work, and there is a nod to that book in that Julia used to work as an illustrator for Jackdaw, Mr Edwards has pulled together one hell of a read with an undercurrent of unease from start to finish. Mysterious noises in the walls, spirit guides, unexplained voices singing in an empty bedroom - the atmosphere in this book is eerie to say the least, the mystery compelling.What I love about Mark Edwards' work is the way he is able to make you so invested in the characters. He has quite the mixture here, beginning with Lucas, damaged by his personal loss and able to easily identify with Julia as a result. He was a character I warmed to immediately, and this is just as well as the majority of the story is told in first person from his perspective. Julia was harder to get to know but as a quiet character, easy to sympathise with her and her overwhelming sense of loss. The other writers, Karen, Suzi, Max and eventually Ursula make up a real mix of characters, from the slightly odd to the downright rude, but all felt real. Then there are the villagers, all trying to keep their own counsel as secrets from the past, gradually revealed, do not make for good reading.There is a sense of the otherworldly about this novel, local superstition and folk-lore informing the story in surprising ways. So many suspects to divert your attention and so many people who had made such grave errors in the past which now begin to impact the present. The pacing of the book was spot on, matching the story with slower periods of reflection contrasting against the high tension, heart thumping moments of peril. Skin crawling characterisations kept me on high alert and as segments of the story moved to Lily's perspective in the months leading up to her disappearance, I could feel myself being drawn deeper and deeper into the story. This was quite probably my favourite book so far by this author. Top stuff combining all the things I like in a story - chills, thrills and a good old-fashioned mystery.And then that ending ... Just desserts? Quite possibly but not what I was expecting. Bravo sir.

Another rollercoaster of a read from Mark Edwards – this time set in a writer’s retreat in a quiet and secluded part of North Wales. The story flicks back and forth – we have the present day when an eclectic mix of writers of varying levels of literary success come to stay at Nyth Bran in Beddmawr to write, and the past; two years previously when 8 year old Lily goes missing and further back than that to when another child went missing 35 years before her.Meet Julia, the central character in this story around whom all the other characters pivot. She is Lily’s mum and is clearly haunted by her daughter’s disappearance and her husband’s death – both events that happened on the same day. She has opened The Retreat in an attempt to move on, but it’s proving harder than she anticipated. As far as the superstitious locals are concerned, Lily was taken by The Widow, a local legend who is said to take a child every 35 years, unless one is ‘sacrificed’ to her. According to the police, Lily drowned in the same way her father did when trying to rescue her, but without a body and not one for believing in ghost stories, Julia refuses to accept either version of events. She has kept Lily’s room exactly as she left it and still charges her iPad every two weeks, in the belief that she is still out there and one day, will return.Lucas is a one-hit-wonder horror writer who has come to stay at The Retreat in an attempt to get his new novel written. Around the same time that Lily went missing, Lucas lost his wife and he and Julia begin to bond over their grief. Before long, strange things start to happen. A new guest arrives – Ursula, who claims to be able to communicate with a Spirit Guide and promises Julia the proof she needs of Lily’s death. Things go missing. People start to die – seemingly naturally and unconnected to one another. Lucas hears child-like singing coming from one of the rooms, and then Zara, a Private Detective hired by Lucas to look in to Lily’s disappearance, goes missing.The tension builds until an ultimately satisfying conclusion which I am not going to give away! I absolutely loved it from start to finish.I would like to thank both Net Galley and Thomas and Mercer for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My first Mark Edwards book and it did not disappoint! A real thriller with some really good twists. I did have to read it during the day though 😂

I do recommend this book, although there are something's to be aware of. I do not straight out say plot points, not plot killer worthy but enough to give some stuff away.POSITIVES:The main characters were enjoyable to read, they didn't feel forced to interact with one another. The dynamic made sense. Each cliff hanger was effective, I did read this all in one sitting ahaha. It was an easy read and didn't have filler moments that made me want to skip over either.Honestly, I would see what else this author has to offer and open my reading options up. I am normally a lover of dystopias, fantasies, and thrillers. Not too far out of my relm but was certainly different to what I normally read.NEGATIVES:The way the book was set out, it's near to impossible to figure out what was going on. Knowing there would be misdirection thrown in, a lot of 'ITS THIS!!!' Made me disregard it since it was painfully obvious deception. The "hints" given that were actually the ending answers were too weak in my opinion and felt cheap. There was a few strong ones that were persistent, but the amount that was too minute was overbearing. I felt that it was too much beyond belief and the amount of convenient plot details did take me out of the experience a lot.The ending itself was also unsatisfying. I think that's personal taste however, since I'm not a fan of a cheery ending. It felt too perfect. Also, the twist at the end really didn't shock me.

Brilliant story cleverly written really enjoyed this. If your looking for a fairy tale gone wrong this could be the one for you