The Fog (Brooke Hardwick, S&S)

The atmospheric setting of Brooke Hardwick’s debut novel, a highly selective writers’ retreat on the isolated island of Rathlin, off the coast of Northern Ireland, is sure to entice readers of psychological thrillers. Retreat director Cormac guarantees his participants that his program will heal trauma and cure writer’s block in 10 days. The protagonist, Kate, is suffering from memory loss and has been unable to write since her husband, Hugh, left her. Following Cormac’s method, she must confront her painful past to continue writing her romance novel based on her marriage. For a retreat to produce such grand results, it is reasonable that each day will be intense, and participants will be pushed to their limits. However, the retreat participants soon suspect someone on the island does not want them to survive. The Fog is a disorientating Gothic novel and an intense psychological thriller with a startling conclusion. The novel has a dark, eerie sensibility, with dead sheep and Celtic symbols appearing mysteriously, as well as whispers of changelings, unexplained accidents, and an extraordinary amount of fainting. Scottish ‘man of all work’ Ewan, and his ever-present kilt, provide some much-needed charm and levity to offset the darkness. Readers who enjoyed The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz and Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty are likely to enjoy the 10 days on Rathlin.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Ilona Urquhart has a PhD in literary studies and currently works as a children’s and youth services librarian on the Bellarine Peninsula. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

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