The Winter Retreat

Silence Can Be Deadly

As I reach Whispering Pines, a haven promising four days of Winter Solstice calm, the snow has just begun to fall.

But I’m not here to hold yoga poses and breathe. I’m here to work. As a drowning single mother, my children’s Christmas depends on the money I’ve been promised.

As the weather worsens and guests stream in, I rush from kettle to cloakroom, pressing warm mugs into cold hands, and tucking blankets around shoulders. Then the door swings open on the last face I want to see–my ex-husband’s new girlfriend, Katina. We lock eyes, shocked, and silently agree to pretend we’re strangers.

The retreat gets underway, and our lines of separation are drawn. The women bask in the sauna and hot tub, drift through sound baths in the main yoga space, and expect perfection. I’m run ragged keeping it that way.

Outside, the snow thickens.

It turns out Katina and I aren’t the only ones bristling. Tensions ripple among staff and guests; small slights sour what should be pleasant meals, and whispered grudges taint the planned activities. The promised serenity is quickly becoming a pressure cooker. Then the unthinkable at a sanctuary like this becomes real.

A body is discovered.

With snow piled high, help can’t get in. Nor can anyone get out. We move the body out of sight and, unbelievably, carry on with the programme. Shocking, yes. Suspicious? Of course not.

Until a second body is found.

Panic tears through Whispering Pines. Accusations fly and fingers point in every direction–until they settle on one person.

Me.

And now, the only way out of this winter retreat is to survive it.

©2025 Maria Frankland (P)2026 Maria Frankland

Loved this

I enjoyed this book a lot! Maria is a super talented author and I love reading what twists she will come up with next. This book didn’t disappoint! I didn’t see the ending coming! I highly recommend you check out this book or any of her others as I have enjoyed all of them!!

Exciting and twisty!!

The Winter Retreat by Maria Frankland
Narrated by Jenny Myers
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
The thrills and twists are fantastic in this psychological thriller book!! I was hanging on to the edge of my seat the entire read! There wasn’t a dull moment at all!!

Aneka takes a weekend job at a secluded wellness retreat center just before Christmas. She is desperate for money to buy gifts and necessities for her 2 children. This retreat was supposed to be a quick and easy money making job for her, but it turned ugly quickly!
This story is gripping, suspenseful, and exciting, which made me not put it down until I knew how it ended! It’s well written and very entertaining!

I was lucky to listen to the audio version and the narrator did an amazing job!! Jenny Myers is a narrator that I love to listen to! She’s very high on my love narrator list!! I had to message her to ask which accent she has in her daily life! She’s so natural with different voices and accents!

**I highly recommend this book and the audio is the way to go!!**
❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

Suspenseful

The Winter Retreat: Silence Can Be Deadly by Maria Frankland is a great suspense thriller. Jenny Myers did a great job with the narration. The story is interesting, suspenseful, thrilling, engaging, enjoyable, and more.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. recommend

Grief can be very painful

While it is difficult to listen to this story because of the loss of my own daughter, the story was well written and performed. It had a certain feel of reality punctuating the story in a way of not wanting to stop until the end to know what happens.