Australian Kat Hale’s first novel was a bestseller. Her second has been returned to her for a rewrite. Her publisher’s comment: it’s boring. Recovering from a mini-breakdown, she takes drastic action. She flies to Europe to attend a writers’ retreat in the South of France.

Helen Thorne and her husband, Gabriel, are the hosts of the well-regarded retreat. They guarantee a creative haven for writers to ‘hone their plotlines and sharpen their characters while soaking up the Provençal atmosphere’.

On arrival, Kat is introduced to her fellow attendees: four Americans; two from England; and an Italian. Some are there to get help with their first novel; others are already published authors and are hoping to pick up ideas for another book that will be recognised as sensational by critics and the public. All have secrets that eventually leak out for our delight.

The cuisine is exquisite; books are mysteriously disappearing from the library; the gossip is scandalous; and a body is discovered.

The Writers Retreat is a slow burn and character driven. Readers who prefer a plot-driven narrative galloping to a speedy conclusion will need to exercise patience. Those who enjoy developments gradually emerging with angst, anxiety and anguish waiting to pounce at any moment will not be disappointed.

Reviewed by Clive Hodges

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Victoria Brownlee is an international food writer and editor, currently based in Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula. She started writing about food over a decade ago, first as a blogger and then as the Food & Drink Editor at Time Out Shanghai. Her novels include Fromage à Trois, Brioche in the Oven and Eat Your Heart Out.

Visit Victoria Brownlee’s website here.

Follow Victoria Brownlee on Instagram here.

Read more on the Simon & Schuster website here.