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Retreat

the addictive rollercoaster thriller

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Retreat

By: Krysten Ritter
Narrated by: Krysten Ritter
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Summary

 'The Talented Mr Ripley meets How to Kill Your Family. Sharp, funny and has a twist you won't see coming' Eve Kellman

Even for a con artist, Liz is about to take things way, way too far . . .

Liz has always had a knack for charming people and gaining their trust. That's what makes her such a talented con artist. But lately the pressure's rising - Liz's past crimes have started snapping at her heels. So she leaps at the chance to escape to the Mexican coast to decorate a socialite's new villa, planning to lie low, enjoy paradise, and behave herself for once.

When Liz is mistaken for her absent employer, Isabelle, she can't help getting drawn into this glamorous seafront community. But dangerous secrets lurk beneath the surface, and it's not long before Liz realises that this time, she might be in over her head . . .

Spoiler: it's going to be carnage.

'Sexy, breakneck, full of surprises. A wild ride' Mary Kubica

'Written with enormous verve, this effervescent story featuring the resourceful - if amoral - Liz glitters like the diamond on her finger' Daily Mail

'Try not to drop it in the pool at the jaw-dropping twist' Ellery Lloyd

'A fiendish tale of trouble in paradise. Expertly paced, tightly plotted' LA Times

'This book was a great read. Who doesn't love a well-written bad girl?' ***** Reader Review

'Razor-sharp' Wendy Walker

'This book was so much fun to read! One big twist and turn after another' ***** Reader Review

'A dynamite read' Rachel Sargeant

'A whirlwind. I read it over the course of a few hours' ***** Reader Review

'Seductive and satisfying' Vikki Patis©2025 Krysten Ritter Crime Thrillers Editors Select Suspense Thriller & Suspense
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Editorial Review

The return of Krysten Ritter
Krysten Ritter’s first book since 2017? She narrates it, too—enough said—so I knew I had to listen. Retreat is the kind of thriller that pulls you in fast and doesn’t let go. Our protagonist, Liz Dawson, is charming, cunning and always five steps ahead—a con artist who knows exactly how to slip into high society unnoticed. But her latest mark, Isabelle Beresford, might be more than she bargained for. Set against the stunning backdrop of the Mexican coast, this story is as seductive as it is unsettling. And the plot twist? Let’s just say, be careful what you wish for. —Disha M., Audible Editor

Critic reviews

PRAISE FOR RETREAT
Multitalented Krysten Ritter is back with a sexy, breakneck thriller that immerses readers in the sometimes-glamorous and sometimes-deadly life of a con artist. Full of surprises and edge-of-your-seat scenes, Retreat is a wild ride (MARY KUBICA, author of SHE'S NOT SORRY)
Written with enormous verve, this effervescent story featuring the resourceful - if amoral - Liz glitters like the diamond on her finger
Smart, sexy and wickedly fun: this is everything you want in a sun-drenched thriller. Ritter can really write - you'll race through Retreat in a day, rooting for its sparky anti-heroine (just try not to drop it in the pool at the jaw-dropping twist) (ELLERY LLOYD, author of THE CLUB)
The Talented Mr Ripley meets How to Kill Your Family; this is sharp, funny and has a twist you won't see coming (EVE KELLMAN, author of HOW TO KILL A GUY IN TEN WAYS)
Retreat begins by showing what smooth-operating scammer Liz is capable of. But as Ritter thickens her plot and ups the stakes, swapping con tricks for corpses, the book turns into a mystery, one that its antiheroine tries frantically to unravel . . . A fiendish tale of trouble in paradise . . . Expertly paced, tightly plotted
Razor-sharp and utterly shocking (WENDY WALKER, author WHAT REMAINS)
A must-read for fans of the popular 'rich people behaving badly' subgenre of thrillers. Those who enjoyed The Last Flight by Julie Clark and Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty will enjoy Ritter's new novel
A sultry, shocking and sizzling tale of duplicity and desperation - a dynamite read (RACHEL SARGEANT, author of THE PERFECT NEIGHBOURS)
A sleek, sun-drenched noir that sees identity to be as fluid as morality. This serpentine psychological thriller feels straight out of Hollywood's murkiest corners. It's the perfect pick for book clubs who love their drama stylish, seductive, and surreptitious (WOMEN.COM)
Sun-soaked and razor-sharp, Retreat serves up women's wrongs in a seductive, satisfying fashion (VIKKI PATIS, author of THE WAKE)
Agile plotting . . . Gripping
PRAISE FOR KRYSTEN RITTER
A phenomenal, haunting debut (GILLIAN FLYNN, author of GONE GIRL)
Actress Ritter makes a triumphant fiction debut with this pulse-pounding thriller featuring a sympathetic, broken lead character . . . Pitch-perfect
Krysten Ritter made a name for herself by portraying some of the fiercest female characters in pop culture history. It should come as no surprise, then, that her debut novel carries that same level of strength and complexity on every single page
Packed with suspense and moves at a cracking pace
Ritter has created an appealingly feisty yet vulnerable heroine . . . An excellent debut
All stars
Most relevant
Brilliant debut by KR! Fast moving plot, witty writing, exciting twists! Highly recommend this book

Loved it!

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I found this did what it said on the “tin”. You did indeed “Retreat” into another world. Ritter sets the scene with sun, sea and surf amidst a backdrop of intrigue, mistaken identity and murder. Ritter performs her own novel so well! I felt like I was watching her in a blockbuster film.
I hope Ritter writes and narrates another one soon!

Great Listen!

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First off the narrator who is also the author had an irritating voice, I had that feeling early on that I would return this book but hung in there...it was boring...rambling...repetative. .... half way through I had a vague idea what was going on but it was so slow and kept going over the same thing. The ending was yawn...predictable...confusing and not worth ploughing through so much garbled storyline for more boring predictable confusion.....

rambling waste of time

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