The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz

Publisher: Magpie

Released: February 2023

320 pages

E-book

Netgalley

 

Blurb

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…

 

Review

If the blurb sounds somewhat dark, it is because this is a dark story. Very dark. If I had to summarize the plot in one sentence I would say: All is fair when the goal is hitting the top spot on the bestsellers’ lists. But that statement may not be strong enough to convey what takes place on these pages.

Take five young writers desperate for their big break, add one bestselling mentor and put them together in an isolated house in the middle of nowhere for a month. The idea is that they each write a book from scratch during those four weeks. The means of keeping the writers on target are, how shall I put it, unconventional. But the promised reward to the person who produces the best story is huge, so whatever reservations our main character and narrator Kate might have are pushed to the back of her mind as she and the others dedicate their time to producing 3000 words every day to be judged by the fabulous Raz.

And that is more or less all I can tell you about the plot without spoiling the story. What I can say is that the story slowly but steadily gets darker, creepier, and more mysterious. While it becomes obvious that things are probably not exactly what they appear to be very early on, the full extent of the darkness doesn’t become clear until much further on. What’s more, it isn’t always clear whether or not we are dealing with something supernatural. Is Kate imagining things or are otherworldly powers (also) at play?

Kate, when the story starts, has issues and is very insecure. This state of mind is made worse by the fact that Wren, who used to be her best friend until they had a nasty falling out is also one of the contestants. But when one of the competing authors disappears, most other concerns take a back seat and Kate finds herself relying on strengths and qualities she didn't know she possessed.

In fact, this is as much a story about learning to have confidence in yourself and trusting your instincts and abilities as it is a cautionary tale asking the characters how much of themselves they are willing to sacrifice in return for fame. Overall, this was a thrilling but not always comfortable ride.