The Weekend Retreat: A Novel

by Tara Laskowski

Overview

A wealthy family's vacation at their lush winery estate becomes a weekend to kill for in this deliciously twisted novel of suspense

“Absolutely captivating! A riveting and immersive puzzle for fans of Lucy Foley and Ruth Ware.” —Hank Phillippi Ryan

WINNER OF THE AGATHA AWARD

Every year, the illustrious Van Ness siblings, heirs to a copper fortune, gather at their secluded winery estate for a joint birthday celebration. It's a tradition they've followed nearly all their lives, and now they are back with their significant others for a much-needed weekend of rest and relaxation, away from the public spotlight.

With lavish comforts, gorgeous scenery, and indulgent drinking, the trip should be the perfect escape. But it soon becomes clear that even a remote idyllic getaway can’t keep out the problems simmering in each of their lives. As old tensions are reignited, the three couples are pushed to the edge. Will their secrets destroy them, or will they destroy each other first? And who’s been watching them from beyond the vineyard gates?

When a torrential rainstorm hits, plunging them into darkness, the answers prove all too deadly…

“Clever… [A] satisfying mash-up of Succession and Agatha Christie.” —Publishers Weekly

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781525811456
Publisher:	Graydon House Books
Publication date:	12/26/2023
Edition description:	Original
Pages:	352
Sales rank:	52,227
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

TARA LASKOWSKI is the author of One Night Gone, which won the Agatha Award for Best First Novel and was a finalist for the Mary Higgins Clark, Anthony, Macavity, and Lefty Awards. She is also the author of two short story collections, Modern Manners for Your Inner Demons and Bystanders. Tara earned a BA from Susquehanna University and an MFA from George Mason University and currently lives in Virginia. Find her on Twitter and Instagram, @TaraLWrites.

Editorial Reviews

10/09/2023

The wealthy Van Ness family gathers at their extravagant Finger Lakes winery for a weekend celebration that devolves into simmering jealousies, betrayals, and violence in this clever thriller from Laskowski (The Mother Next Door). A breaking news report prologue establishes that “multiple people” have died at the Van Ness estate but withholds details about who has died or how. From there, Laskowski flashes back to the days leading up to the party, as Richard, a successful attorney, and his twin sister, Harper, who runs an online cosmetics company, prepare to celebrate their 35th birthday. Richard keeps his financial problems from his underappreciated wife, Elle, who’s become the family’s de facto event planner. Harper’s business is imploding due to a leaked video showing her verbally abusing her employees; meanwhile, her slimy husband Lucas’s tech company soars. Youngest brother (and black sheep) Zach has brought along his girlfriend, Lauren, a gossip blogger with a special focus on the lives of the wealthy. Laskowski shifts perspectives between the siblings, their partners, and a revenge-bent anonymous visitor referred to only as “The Party Guest.” She wrings plenty of suspense out of the narrative structure, and utilizes the family’s Gilded Age mansion, with its myriad secret passages, to build more. The result is a satisfying mash-up of Succession and Agatha Christie. Agent: Michelle Richter, Foreward Literary. (Dec.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for The Weekend Retreat

“Clever… [A] satisfying mash-up of Succession and Agatha Christie.” —Publishers Weekly

“[A] twisty mystery... [A] potent mix of Liane Moriarty and Agatha Christie.” —Booklist

“Absolutely captivating! A riveting and immersive puzzle for fans of Lucy Foley and Ruth Ware.”
—Hank Phillippi Ryan, USA TODAY bestselling author

“A compelling, addictive tale of suspense with lively characters and a vivid, intriguing setting.”
—Alice Henderson, author of the Alex Carter thriller series

Praise for The Mother Next Door

“A polished and entertaining homage to Big Little Lies and Desperate Housewives… The denouement is bonkers, but satisfying.”
—New York Times Book Review

“Suspenseful, compulsively readable… Extremely fun to read.”
—Shelf Awareness

“A witty, wicked thriller packed with hidden agendas, juicy secrets, and pitch-perfect satire of the suburban dream.”
—Andrea Bartz, New York Times bestselling author of We Were Never Here

“Tara Laskowski’s brilliantly paced tale of perfect-suburbia-until-you-scratch-the-surface is as compelling as it is twisted.”
—Hannah Mary McKinnon, bestselling author of Never Coming Home

From the Publisher