The Writing Retreat
A Novel
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Narrated by:
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Gail Shalan
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Written by:
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Julia Bartz
About this listen
In this instant New York Times bestselling and “utterly addictive thriller” (Ana Reyes, New York Times bestselling author), a young author is invited to an exclusive writer’s retreat that soon descends into a pulse-pounding nightmare.
Alex has all but given up on her dreams of becoming a published author when she receives a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: attend an exclusive, month-long writing retreat at the estate of feminist horror writer Roza Vallo. Even the knowledge that Wren, her former best friend and current rival, is attending doesn’t dampen her excitement.
But when the attendees arrive, Roza drops a bombshell—they must all complete an entire novel from scratch during the next month, and the author of the best one will receive a life-changing seven-figure publishing deal. Determined to win this seemingly impossible contest, Alex buckles down and tries to ignore the strange happenings at the estate, including Roza’s erratic behavior, Wren’s cruel mind games, and the alleged haunting of the mansion itself. But when one of the writers vanishes during a snowstorm, Alex realizes that something very sinister is afoot. With the clock running out, she must discover the truth—or suffer the same fate.
A claustrophobic and “audacious psychological thriller debut” (Publishers Weekly), The Writing Retreat expertly explores the dark side of female relationships, fame, and the desire to have our stories told.
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What listeners say about The Writing Retreat
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Performance
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- avid-books shopper
- 2023-03-13
Good premise, bad execution.
I had higher hopes for this one, unfortunately it failed to deliver the satisfaction expected, as the premise is actuality good. Started well, then little by little it dwindled.
The narration was not bad.
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- Lindsay Gray
- 2023-07-13
Great book with good twists
it was a little hard at times to follow the narrator, but the book was very well written with great twists. I expected a few of them, but a few surprised me. I will be recommending this book to a few friends I know will enjoy it.
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- Anynomous
- 2023-11-13
Absolutely Amazing (and I liked the narrator)
This book is freaking amazing. Its conceit is original and propulsive, the character and the plot development phenomenal, and the production fantastic. I was almost deterred by the reviews saying the narrator wasn't great but I strongly disagree- she certainly has a different style that takes a minute to get used to, but after that minute, you realize she is perfectly casted and no one else could narrator this book. One of my top favourites- HIGHLY recommend.
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- Christine Williams
- 2023-05-20
Haunting
The only thing negative I have to say is that the narrator spoke in a whispering voice as the main character, so I couldn't hear well with my ear buds. Despite that, it truly was a feat of voice acting - I definitely felt the vibes she gave for each character. The characters are complex and the dynamics are so well written. The scenes are beautifully painted and the storyline flows precisely. Definitely would recommend to a friend!
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- Lala Louie
- 2023-04-23
Loved it
Stayed up all night to hear the ending. Really enjoyed this story. Ten out of ten
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- PJ shops
- 2023-06-02
Could have been a five with more work
A complex and could be really good read but not strong enough fleshing out to really make sense the way it ended. Such an interesting plot, but it was weak at parts that made you almost roll your eyes and such a weird “all of a sudden” let’s wrap it up feel. The diversity felt at times forced, just my opinion however.
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- ryan
- 2023-06-17
Cozy mystery
A great cozy mystery with the perfect type of plot twist. I sped through this one and it was perfect for a rainy day.
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- Rochelle K.
- 2023-02-24
Narration is insufferable
I was interested in this story but I’m having a hard time sticking with it. The narrator’s whispering style of reading is annoying and distracting from the story.
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1 person found this helpful