I am delighted to be taking part in the blog tour for The Family Retreat by Bev Thomas which is out on the 25th August.
Screenwriter Rob and his wife Jess are going away for the summer after a year that has pushed Jess to the edge as she’s struggled with her job as a GP. Rob is convinced that this will be the perfect holiday they all need and their children are excited to be able to spend the summer at the beach. The family are staying in a rented cottage in a small village in Dorset and soon start to meet the neighbours in the close-knit community. Jess is particularly drawn to the slightly standoffish Helen, with her perfect husband and two well behaved children. However as the summer plods on it soon become clear that Helen isn’t quite what she seems!
The Family Retreat was a really good story that I read over a couple of evenings as it was absolutely gripping.
Bev Thomas’ debut novel was A Good Enough Mother which I also loved. When I reviewed that, at the time I said that it was part mystery and part emotional drama and the same goes for The Family Retreat. This is a book that makes you think and question people’s attitudes to others. It deals with some big issues including abuse and mental health, in fact my only slight criticism was that there seemed to be almost too many issues towards the end, however that was just a very small point as the story is excellent.
The Family Retreat was a really well written book, and I felt that the way that really sensitive topics were dealt with was very sympathetic and well researched. The characters were all interesting and well rounded, and without giving too much away the reveal when it comes is shocking and although all the clues are there I didn’t put them together. I particularly felt for Jess as we find out what happened in her life to lead to her sabbatical, and her tendancy to get too emotionally involved with others.
This was a engaging novel with the tension building slowly throughout with a sense of foreboding from the start. I would most definitely recommend this and it was a perfect hot weather read.
To find out what others thought of The Family Retreat visit the other stops on the blog tour.
