Katie Manning was a beloved child star until her mid-teens when her manager attacked and permanently scarred her face, effectively ending her career and sending her on a path of all-too-familiar post-Hollywood self-destruction.
Now twenty-seven, Katie wants a better answer to those clickbait “Where Are They Now?” articles that float around online. An answer she hopes to find when her brother’s too-good-to-be-true fiancée invites her to a wellness retreat upstate. Together with Katie’s two best friends – one struggling with crippling debt and family obligations, one running away from a failed job and relationship – Katie will try to find the inner peace promised at the tranquil retreat. But finding oneself just might drudge up more memories than Katie is prepared to deal with.
Each woman has come to the retreat for different reasons. Each has her secrets to hide. And at the end of this weekend, only one will be left standing.
The Retreat was an involving psychological thriller with a cast of divisive female characters all of whom are hiding secrets as they attend a very cult like retreat supposedly to find themselves. One of them however has a very different agenda..
I liked the exploration of child star to adult has been, and Sherri Smith manages the mystery element well so things remain reasonably unexpected. I found the group dynamic to be fascinating and there were some emotional themes explored.
Well written with a great page turning quality this was a great read with plenty of suspense.
Recommended.
You can purchase The Retreat (Titan) here.
Happy Reading!
