The Retreat
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Average rating5
You can stay, but you may never leave?For guests who spend a week at Arcania, a wellness retreat in the Outer Banks for those wanting to digitally detox, the gothic mansion is a welcome haven. Others aren't so lucky. When Lucy's mother dies unexpectedly and a mysterious Viking tattoo reveals a link to Arcania, Lucy books a week at the retreat. Cora Medville, the owner, seems welcoming enough, but soon the creepy house and its inhabitants are urging Lucy to flee, or risk dying like some before her.Four decades earlier, runaway Cora is smitten by Arcania and the dashing owner Harlan. Craving a sense of belonging, she finds it with her new family and their majestic mansion. But when residents start disappearing and she learns the terrifying truth, who can she trust? How far will she go to protect Arcania's sordid secrets?
Series
Featured Series
2 primary books3 released books#1 in Outer Banks Secrets
Outer Banks Secrets is a 3-book series with 2 released primary works first released in 2023 with contributions by Nicola Marsh.
Reviews
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If you're a fan of my domestic suspense novels, you'll love this gothic suspense!
It's dark, twisted, and creepy.
Goosebumps guaranteed!
More Dual-Timeline Suspense Than Hotel California. For whatever reason, I went into this book thinking it would be some level of Hotel California type story. Maybe the whole "bed and breakfast where people seem to wind up dead" thing? Just to clarify for anyone who may be getting that vibe as well... this is not that, not really. Instead it is more of a dual timeline suspense with secrets and connections both obvious and not. A lot of people are tossing around the word "gothic", but I'm not quite sure I personally picked up on that. But maybe I'm just not as certain of what a "gothic" story is supposed to be? Regardless, this was truly a well written and well told story, one that is both compelling and creepy enough to keep the reader engaged without being so over the top as to compel the reader to throw the book out the nearest window (which is even rougher on Kindles than it is on paper books, just sayin'). As I've noted with at least a couple of other authors who normally do romance books (as Marsh is more known for) but who open themselves up to more suspense/ thriller/ etc... Marsh does a truly excellent job in both spaces, and seeing her expand her stories into these new (to her) spaces is quite interesting and a mark of a strong storyteller regardless of chosen genre. Very much recommended.
Originally posted at bookanon.com.