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A book deal to die for. Five attendees are selected for a month-long writing retreat at the remote estate of Roza Vallo, the controversial high priestess of feminist horror. Alex, a struggling writer, is thrilled. Upon arrival, they discover they must complete an entire novel from scratch, and the best one will receive a seven-figure publishing deal. Alex’s long-extinguished dream now seems within reach. But then the women begin to die. Trapped, terrified yet still desperately writing, it is clear there is more than a publishing deal at stake at Blackbriar Estate. Alex must confront her own demons – and finish her novel – to save herself. This unhinged, propulsive, claustrophobic closed-door thriller will pull you in and spit you out…
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0I wanted to give this book 5 stars so badly but there was just something missing
0The Writing Retreat, by Julia Bartz, is a dramatic thriller set at an isolated mansion wherein a handful of young writers are mentored by an elusive superstar novelist. It's basically "what if NaNoWriMo but murdery?"
It's got a slow start; I spent quite a bit of time wondering if we really needed all this backstory and emotional baggage, and I still think it would be just as comprehensible and effective in a much tighter form. But once it gets going, it never stops. This book takes a whole lot of turns and twists and goes way off the rails... and then keeps going, finding new rails to go off of. I enjoyed reading it, and certainly gobbled it up quickly, but it's kind of...occasionally...too absurd. Too messy. Too melodramatic, without having been that kind of book from the very start. Still - it was a pretty fun read, and one I think will be enjoyed by fans of Ruth Ware or Riley Sager.
Thanks to the publisher for the advance review.
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