The Weekend Retreat by Tara Laskowski (One Night Gone, The Mother Next Door) is a locked room thriller where the prologue reveals that a murder has taken place at an extravagant Finger Lakes winery. At least one of the heirs to this family fortune has fallen victim during a joint birthday party, but who could it be? From then on, several different viewpoints tell the story of the days up to the shindig gone wrong, exposing the backstories and secrets of people whose demise wouldn’t pose that much of a loss for society.
The family members may be gathered for a party, but festivity isn’t the tone. Harper, the owner of an online cosmetics company, is hiding out to avoid the scandal of her mistreatment of her employees. Richard, her twin brother, keeps his financial problems from his underappreciated wife, Elle, who has taken on all of the planning activities of the event. While others, particularly Harper, snicker behind Elle’s back as she attempts to fill the shoes of the twins’ recently deceased mother, it’s also clear they wouldn’t pick up any slack themselves. Zach, the womanizing black sheep of the family, has brought his girlfriend Lauren to the estate, and it’s clear she has ulterior motives. A gossip blogger, there’s a story there (even without the murder), and whether she’s out to expose the Van Nesses in some way or another is up for grabs. Then there’s Lucas, Elle’s husband, who looms on the periphery with a lecherous eye to Lauren.
Publishers Weekly compared The Weekend Retreat to a “mash-up of Succession and Agatha Christie.” They’re not wrong. The set-up to this book is a recipe for success. Family scandals, a creepy family estate with secret passages, nasty people, and weather preventing anyone from leaving a dangerous situation. Starting with a mysterious “present” that arrives from an unknown visitor who is clearly on the premises, this book will appeal to those who enjoy books involving fancy retreats gone wrong, rich people problems, or locked room thrillers. It’s a solid mystery with a satisfying ending, with a very similar premise to Kimberly McCreight’s 2021 thriller, Friends Like These.
Sarah Reida is the author of Neighborhood Watch, a dark comedy thriller about a killer targeting the morally bankrupt residents of an upscale neighborhood, which will be out in April. Click here to learn more about Sarah, or follow her on Instagram.
