The Retreat by Sarah Pearse

Bestselling thriller author Sarah Pearse hit it out of the park with the wildfire success of her first novel, The Sanitorium. The debut landed on several bestseller lists, including the New York Times, and was selected as a Reese’s Book Club pick.

In this episode of Current Read, Sarah joins Sam Herbst to chat about getting a call from Reese Witherspoon’s team, writing a bestselling debut during lockdown, and what’s next for Detective Elin Warner, whose story continues in The Retreat, another NY Times bestseller.

The second instalment takes us to another wildly atmospheric setting, a luxury getaway resort set atop a hauntingly beautiful crag with a dappled past. Parallel to Elin's own quest to examine an unfortunate incident (which quickly reveals itself to be a murder), we learn about a family away on a weekend getaway (sisters Hana, Jo and Bea, along with their cousin Maya and their respective partners).

But something is amiss within the family dynamics and we soon learn that theirs and Elin's paths will cross as the story becomes increasingly complex and intertwined as you turn the page.

In a very satisfying way, Pearse ties a lot of the story up neatly, succinctly but believably, leaving room for growth in Elin's story. Thriller fundis who love a female lead will definitely get their fix. Pearse is here for the intrigue, suspense and atmosphere.

A great holiday read, if you're looking.

Let us know what you think at info@thegreatequalizer.co.za. If you’re a Sanitorium fan and you’re looking forward to this next instalment, let us know.

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