The Retreat

The Ledger family—sisters Jo, Hannah, and Bea, plus their cousin Maya and numerous partners—have planned a trip to a luxurious island wellness retreat, but Bea backs out at the last minute, claiming work commitments. When her dead body is found on the island, the family is baffled as well as grief-stricken, and Elin Warner is sent to look into the circumstances of her death. More deaths occur, and Elin finds connections to the island’s creepy history as both a school for troubled boys and an Outward Bound site where several teenagers were murdered decades earlier. Pearse’s second “Elin Warner” series installment (after The Sanitorium) is chockablock with coincidences and far-fetched connections that may be too much for some listeners to swallow, but there are plenty of twists and dysfunctional family dynamics to entertain those who can suspend their disbelief. Elizabeth Knowelden capably narrates, including some fast-paced, suspenseful scenes.