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ellie_71's review against another edition
5.0
5 Stars
Another great read from this author. This is the 3rd book I've read & like the 2 before this 1 had me gripped from the beginning. Kept me guessing throughout with a great twist at the end.
Another great read from this author. This is the 3rd book I've read & like the 2 before this 1 had me gripped from the beginning. Kept me guessing throughout with a great twist at the end.
mixingrealitywithfiction's review
4.0
Her dark retreat is an easy to read, gripping and fast-paced book with characters who develop well as the book progresses. I don’t think I’ve read a book until now that is based around a cottage with secrets! I was on the edge of my seat in anticipation of what was about to happen. This book took me captive and wouldn’t let me go until I’d finished it. Absolutely brilliant!
This was my first book by J.A. Baker and won’t be the last.
Her dark retreat is definitely a book I would recommend as a MUST READ.
My thanks go to Sarah Hardy and Bloodhound books for inviting me to take part on this blog blitz.
This was my first book by J.A. Baker and won’t be the last.
Her dark retreat is definitely a book I would recommend as a MUST READ.
My thanks go to Sarah Hardy and Bloodhound books for inviting me to take part on this blog blitz.
ljwrites85's review against another edition
5.0
Peggy is a successful writer but her life is a bit of a mess. Scarred from an accident when she was younger, her marriage is falling apart. Then her estranged mother comes back into her life claiming her husband, Alec, is not who he thinks he is, he’s responsible for the disappearance of a young woman called Sheryl.
I found this book so addictive, it grabbed me from the first page and didn’t let me go!
I like the way the author gives you a bit of information but not everything, so you had to read on to unravel the mystery.
It’s told from several different viewpoints, Peggy, her husband Alec, Peggy’s estranged mum Audrey, Maude, Peggy and Alec’s elderly neighbour (who is suffering from advanced dementia) and Rachel Sheryl’s sister. I know that seems a lot but I feel each viewpoint really added to the story.
I really sympathised with all the characters, flawed in their own ways. As a mother, I really identified with Audrey, all she wants is to save her daughter and she’d do anything to do that.
I have to be honest I figured out who was responsible for the disappearance of Sheryl but I feel like sometimes it’s nice to do a bit of your own detective work (in your mind of course) and you turn out to be right.
I found this book so addictive, it grabbed me from the first page and didn’t let me go!
I like the way the author gives you a bit of information but not everything, so you had to read on to unravel the mystery.
It’s told from several different viewpoints, Peggy, her husband Alec, Peggy’s estranged mum Audrey, Maude, Peggy and Alec’s elderly neighbour (who is suffering from advanced dementia) and Rachel Sheryl’s sister. I know that seems a lot but I feel each viewpoint really added to the story.
I really sympathised with all the characters, flawed in their own ways. As a mother, I really identified with Audrey, all she wants is to save her daughter and she’d do anything to do that.
I have to be honest I figured out who was responsible for the disappearance of Sheryl but I feel like sometimes it’s nice to do a bit of your own detective work (in your mind of course) and you turn out to be right.
sarahs_bookish_life's review against another edition
4.0
I loved the setting for this book. It really adds to the atmosphere of the story, making it darker and more chilling. It's certainly one that is shrouded with suspense, that's for sure.
The story flicks between certain characters. I have to admit that I found none of the characters likeable in this story apart from ones that are more in the back ground but the main ones had to many issues for my liking. But then surely that's the whole point?
It's obvious from the very beginning that Alec and Peggy's marriage is far from a happy one. It was slightly frustrating to start with as I wanted to know now, why both are quite distant and trying to pretend that everything is okay. It obviously isn't. If anything I have to say I felt slightly sorry for Alec. For Peggy it's hard just to even leave the house and I couldn't imagine what sort of life that made for them both.
I don't want to give to much away about this story as I think the less you know about it the better. I thought I knew where the author was going with the story, how wrong I was!
Her Dark Retreat is a dark and brooding story shrouded with mystery. It was a bit of a slow burner which gathers momentum that sent me in a tizzy. A story that certainly took an unexpected turn that had me racing through the remainder of the book with my heart in my mouth.
The story flicks between certain characters. I have to admit that I found none of the characters likeable in this story apart from ones that are more in the back ground but the main ones had to many issues for my liking. But then surely that's the whole point?
It's obvious from the very beginning that Alec and Peggy's marriage is far from a happy one. It was slightly frustrating to start with as I wanted to know now, why both are quite distant and trying to pretend that everything is okay. It obviously isn't. If anything I have to say I felt slightly sorry for Alec. For Peggy it's hard just to even leave the house and I couldn't imagine what sort of life that made for them both.
I don't want to give to much away about this story as I think the less you know about it the better. I thought I knew where the author was going with the story, how wrong I was!
Her Dark Retreat is a dark and brooding story shrouded with mystery. It was a bit of a slow burner which gathers momentum that sent me in a tizzy. A story that certainly took an unexpected turn that had me racing through the remainder of the book with my heart in my mouth.
fictionophile's review against another edition
5.0
For me, this novel was the perfect storm. Setting, characters, and plot converged into a stellar read!
The brief prologue of the novel portrays the fear, desperation, pain, and anguish of a woman who awakens to find that she has been buried alive!
Chamber Cottage - built in the 19th century, it is perched on the top of a cliff in North Yorkshire overlooking the North Sea. Once an old coastguard's cottage, it keeps its secrets and its dark history to itself.
Then, with the first chapters we are introduced to the various characters:
Peggy - 35, married, childless, and a crime novelist. Facially scarred, she displays many agoraphobic traits. She works from home, in the atmospheric Chamber Cottage. Peggy has little social contact and is estranged from her mother and sister. Her many miscarriages have made her despondent and loathe to have any intimacy with her husband.
Alec - Peggy's husband. Charming and handsome, he works as an assistant headmaster at a local school. Alec had a horrific childhood. He was abused by his father and subsequently was put into foster care. It becomes clear that both Alec and his wife had traumatic childhoods which have influenced them in a negative way. Now, their marriage is floundering.
Audrey - Peggy's mother. A retired widow who drinks too much to assuage the guilt and despondency she feels at being estranged from her two daughters. She fills her empty days with alcohol, anger, guilt, and suspicion.
Maude - Peggy and Alec's next door neighbour. Elderly and in the throes of advanced dementia, Maud's moments of mental clarity are becoming few and far between...
Brenda - Maud's adult daughter who lives with her and cares for her. By day she works as a nurse. Tired both emotionally and physically, she returns home to wonder if even a portion of what Maud says is actually true.
Rachel - A bank cashier whose sister, Sheryl, has disappeared. As the days pass, she is becoming more and more concerned for her sister's plight.
Then, about halfway through the book, we learn the identity of the woman who is buried alive. But WHO put her there? WHY? And... which of the characters we have now come to know is responsible?
MY THOUGHTS
This novel has been on my TBR from the first moment I saw the great cover and read the blurb. I knew immediately that this book was exactly 'my cup of tea', and I was right. I LOVED IT!
Though old and damp, Chamber Cottage could quite possibly be my utopia of settings. I could hear the violent waves and the constant wind's roar.
Told from various points of view, the reader is made privy to the thoughts of many different characters, all portrayed sympathetically. All engender the reader's empathy on some level.
A sense of foreboding underlays the narrative in a subtle way. As insidious as the disgusting smell that emanates from the cellar of the cottage...
The ending was well executed with a suspenseful climax and realistic outcome. I did suspect the villain slightly ahead of time, but that in no way marred my enjoyment of the novel.
A novel of guilt, self-loathing, and toxic relationships, "Her dark retreat" is the perfect title. Peggy with her dark retreat from the world via her agoraphobia and crime writing. Audrey with her dark retreat from her guilt via her drinking. Maude, with her dark retreat from sanity into the clutches of dementia. Brenda, with her dark retreat from work to a home that takes more of an emotionally toll than she is able or willing to give...
I plan to read ALL of J.A. Baker's novels and will keep an eagle eye out for any new releases.
I purchased "Her Dark Retreat" in Kindle format. In my opinion, it was exceptional crime fiction. Highly recommended!
The brief prologue of the novel portrays the fear, desperation, pain, and anguish of a woman who awakens to find that she has been buried alive!
Chamber Cottage - built in the 19th century, it is perched on the top of a cliff in North Yorkshire overlooking the North Sea. Once an old coastguard's cottage, it keeps its secrets and its dark history to itself.
Then, with the first chapters we are introduced to the various characters:
Peggy - 35, married, childless, and a crime novelist. Facially scarred, she displays many agoraphobic traits. She works from home, in the atmospheric Chamber Cottage. Peggy has little social contact and is estranged from her mother and sister. Her many miscarriages have made her despondent and loathe to have any intimacy with her husband.
Alec - Peggy's husband. Charming and handsome, he works as an assistant headmaster at a local school. Alec had a horrific childhood. He was abused by his father and subsequently was put into foster care. It becomes clear that both Alec and his wife had traumatic childhoods which have influenced them in a negative way. Now, their marriage is floundering.
Audrey - Peggy's mother. A retired widow who drinks too much to assuage the guilt and despondency she feels at being estranged from her two daughters. She fills her empty days with alcohol, anger, guilt, and suspicion.
Maude - Peggy and Alec's next door neighbour. Elderly and in the throes of advanced dementia, Maud's moments of mental clarity are becoming few and far between...
Brenda - Maud's adult daughter who lives with her and cares for her. By day she works as a nurse. Tired both emotionally and physically, she returns home to wonder if even a portion of what Maud says is actually true.
Rachel - A bank cashier whose sister, Sheryl, has disappeared. As the days pass, she is becoming more and more concerned for her sister's plight.
Then, about halfway through the book, we learn the identity of the woman who is buried alive. But WHO put her there? WHY? And... which of the characters we have now come to know is responsible?
MY THOUGHTS
This novel has been on my TBR from the first moment I saw the great cover and read the blurb. I knew immediately that this book was exactly 'my cup of tea', and I was right. I LOVED IT!
Though old and damp, Chamber Cottage could quite possibly be my utopia of settings. I could hear the violent waves and the constant wind's roar.
Told from various points of view, the reader is made privy to the thoughts of many different characters, all portrayed sympathetically. All engender the reader's empathy on some level.
A sense of foreboding underlays the narrative in a subtle way. As insidious as the disgusting smell that emanates from the cellar of the cottage...
The ending was well executed with a suspenseful climax and realistic outcome. I did suspect the villain slightly ahead of time, but that in no way marred my enjoyment of the novel.
A novel of guilt, self-loathing, and toxic relationships, "Her dark retreat" is the perfect title. Peggy with her dark retreat from the world via her agoraphobia and crime writing. Audrey with her dark retreat from her guilt via her drinking. Maude, with her dark retreat from sanity into the clutches of dementia. Brenda, with her dark retreat from work to a home that takes more of an emotionally toll than she is able or willing to give...
I plan to read ALL of J.A. Baker's novels and will keep an eagle eye out for any new releases.
I purchased "Her Dark Retreat" in Kindle format. In my opinion, it was exceptional crime fiction. Highly recommended!
laurentess_xo's review against another edition
4.0
Her dark retreat is an easy to read, gripping and fast-paced book with characters who develop well as the book progresses. I don’t think I’ve read a book until now that is based around a cottage with secrets! I was on the edge of my seat in anticipation of what was about to happen. This book took me captive and wouldn’t let me go until I’d finished it. Absolutely brilliant!
This was my first book by J.A. Baker and won’t be the last.
Her dark retreat is definitely a book I would recommend as a MUST READ.
My thanks go to Sarah Hardy and Bloodhound books for inviting me to take part on this blog blitz.
This was my first book by J.A. Baker and won’t be the last.
Her dark retreat is definitely a book I would recommend as a MUST READ.
My thanks go to Sarah Hardy and Bloodhound books for inviting me to take part on this blog blitz.