The Retreat: You can check in but you may never leave

The Retreat by Nicola Marsh is a “You can stay, but you may never leave” gothic thriller. Arcania is a wellness street in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Its guests enjoy a week of digital detox where all forms of technology are not permitted and relaxation is the goal. The gothic mansion is a welcome haven but for some it is a nightmare. When her mother dies suddenly, Lucy discovers a mysterious Viking tattoo on the bottom of her mother’s foot. The tattoo is linked to Arcania and impulsively Lucy books a week. The staff seems welcoming enough but soon the creepy house and some of its inhabitants are urging Lucy to leave. Cora Medville is the current owner, arrived at the house forty years ago. She falls in love with the house, Harlan, the dashing heir, and finds the sense of belonging she desperately craved. She stayed. There’s a terrifying truth to the house, how far will Lucy go to discover the truth? How far will Cora go to protect its secrets? 

I have known Nicola Marsh for her domestic psychological thrillers. Now she can add gothic thrillers to her repertoire. Wow! What a story! The Retreat is like a slow burn fire which builds into an inferno that makes it hard to pull away. A thriller that pulls readers into a story that can’t quite be trusted. At the beginning of the story, Lucy seemed too meek and mousey to take such a leap to visit Arcania with so little information. But is there more to Lucy than meets the eye? Is she playing everyone? Or is Lucy slowly going crazy? Could Arcania really be haunted? What are Cora's motives and secrets? There were plot points that were guessable; however, I think that could have been by design. Giving the readers a little tidbit before revealing the big shocker of the story. There were twists that I didn’t see coming and left me gasping in surprise as I turned the page. If you enjoy Nicola Marsh’s psychological thrillers or enjoy gothic thrillers, I highly recommend The Retreat. 

The Retreat is available in paperback and eBook