There's a reason why the slow-burn claustrophobia of a hotel or retreat works so well as the setting for a character-driven novel. Liane Moriarty wrote Big Little Lies, and her new book Nine Perfect Strangers is our hot ticket for this week. Plus, four more retreat-based novels to crack on with once you're finished.
Grazia Books - 9 October
1 of 5Nine Perfect Strangers - Liane Moriarty (Michael Joseph)
Nine people are attending an upscale health retreat for various reasons - their health, their weight, professional burn out or 'merely' a broken heart. The only problem is that the retreat director seems to be.. not okay. With more than a nod to Hotel du Lac, we slowly discover the stories behind the guests and hosts alike. No-one writes about the minutiae of women's lives with quite as much insight and pull as Moriarty (who wrote Big Little Lies) and yet again her slow-burn plotting leaves you gasping at the very end. I'm jealous of anyone who hasn't read this yet. Further reading set on retreats…
2 of 5Hotel du Lac - Anita Brookner (Penguin)
A romance novelist is staying in a hotel on the shores of Lake Geneva, taking stock after a secret affair has ended. Observing the other guests with wry humour and an inspiringly independent outlook, she realises - and comes to embrace - who she really is, despite a broken heart. Written in 1984 but still fresh, funny and perceptive.
3 of 5And Then There Were None - Agatha Christie (HarperCollins)
In fairness none of the guests realise they're heading for a retreat until they get there, but things only get worse when Christie's crime classic sees the attendees of a house party on an isolated island start dying one by one. Claustrophobia and paranoia abound, as no one knows who's next.
4 of 5In A Dark Dark Wood - Ruth Ware (Vintage)
A Hen Weekend with 'friends' you haven't seen for ten years. In an inaccessible cabin in the woods. Of course it turns dark, especially in the hands of razor-sharp crime writer Ruth Ware. Dislikable protagonists and stomach churning twists make this an up-all-night thriller that makes home seem like heaven.
5 of 5The Revelations - Alex Preston (Faber)
Four university friends become devotees of 'the course', an almost cult-like church which bears striking similarities to The Alpha Course. They're all lost souls, but as betrayals, double standards and questionable decisions abound within the confines of the group, it's a fascinating study in human nature.
Check out Melmoth and other spooky books to read when you want to scare yourself silly...