The Family Retreat: 'Few psychological thrillers ring so true.' The Sunday Times Crime Club Star Pick

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Lovely fellow readers. It was the first book that I've read that for 12% or more I didn't know what's the name of the main character. Sure, it is mentioned in the synopsis, but I've read it a long time ago and I forgot. It was only then that it was mentioned, and then I've caught her name perhaps three times more. In the whole book. Nobody directed her with her name. Why? Were they all really so damaged, so deep into their own thoughts and problems?

Anyone who spots something suspicious can always report it to our Customer Service team so that our fraud team can investigate. It's been a long time since that book and I was delighted to find that Thomas had published her second novel; The Family Retreat. I enjoyed the author's observations; her characters were rich and detailed, and I found their behaviours to be astutely depicted. The description of the women in the story having to manage men's emotions, to dim their own feelings to make room for the men in their lives was interesting food for thought, making me think about instances from my own life. The story was compelling and engrossing. Anyone else who spots something suspicious can always report it to our Customer Service team, so our Fraud team can investigate. Are you looking for a new family bonding activity? It's never too late to start building a family fitness program! A family yoga retreat is a great way to get family members away from their busy schedules and spend quality time together. A family yoga retreat can help you reconnect with yourself, and your family and focus on your wellness. If you need some help finding a family yoga retreat and what to expect from it then keep reading below for frequently asked questions and our top 5 family retreat options! What is a family retreat?Jess communicates on a weekly basis with a therapist via the internet, having to go to a neighbour’s house where the signal is better. She befriends her neighbour Helen, who, similarly has two children, and the four young off-spring spend time together, trawling the beaches with their mothers. As the friendship grows, Helen starts to confide in Jess, sharing personal information. Meanwhile, Jess is struggling to piece together the snippets of information around the increasingly erratic behaviour exhibited by her father, whilst also still being sharply aware of her own sister’s mental health issues. It is a complex family dynamic that Jess understands but is forced to confront as she tries and keeps all the plates spinning.

Fuelled by a heady rush of altruism, she decides to act – a choice that will have unforgettable, potentially devastating consequences. The summer heat intensifies Jess - ever vigilant - unearths a secret, a problem she's sure she can help solve. But things are not always as they seem. The water may look inviting but even the gentlest looking waves can hide the deadliest undercurrents.

Featured Reviews

First, I admit that I really disliked the first 50% of this book (which made it a long haul). It moved very slowly, and it seemed so predictable, but not all of it was. I am addicted to summer thrillers this year. Last year I had a thing for flight-based thrillers. This year it’s definitely the ‘summer holiday gone horribly wrong’ vibe I am loving! So when The Family Retreat landed on my radar I was, of course, drawn to it. I love the cover. It screams ‘PERIL’ at me, with the child in the ocean, and I found the blurb to be very intriguing. Plus a lot of the summer thrillers I’ve read recently have been set overseas but The Family Retreat is based in beautiful Dorset, which was also a pull. It’s an extremely well-written, suspenseful, dark tale which I devoured. I read A Good Enough Mother by this author which was incredible, so I was delighted to get my hands on this one and it didn’t disappoint. I LOVE the author’s style of writing; her prose, her reflections, her hints of what is to come swept me right into this story. And I don’t often quote parts of books but the following passage brought tears to my eyes (yes another book that’s made me cry round the pool in Fuerteventura, I’m on a roll here! 😭) as it was just so powerful and perfect. I loved the characterisation because, through the lynchpin of Jess, we get to know the people in The Family Retreat so completely. Jess felt totally real to me and so many aspects of her personality resonated with me personally, particularly that of trying to be all things to all people, so that the narrative was all the more affecting. However, the one person who astounded me most was Polly who is a universal everywoman so familiar in today’s society. Helen’s response to Polly’s experiences has a seismic impact on the reader and I wish every politician and patriarchal figure could read The Family Retreat so that they understand the lives of so many in our society. Through these characters Bev Thomas gave me far greater clarity and understanding than any factual account has managed. A retreat suggests a place of reflection and learning and my word do these characters learn about themselves and others! Each review score is between 1 and 10. To get the overall score, we add up all the review scores and divide that total by the number of review scores we received. Guests can also give separate subscores in crucial areas, such as location, cleanliness, staff, comfort, facilities, value, and free WiFi. Guests submit their subscores and their overall scores independently – there’s no direct link between them.