Retreat

by J.F. Gonzalez, Brian Keene (Introduction)

Rick Nicholson loves his new job at Bent Creek Country Club and Resorts. The exclusive five-star hotel, located on forty square miles of rolling forests and picturesque prairies, is a perfect getaway for the affluent, and a monument to prestige. Bent Creek offers it all—at a price.

But Rick soon learns that the price may be steeper than he ever imagined. Because after dark, unthinkable things happen on the grounds at Bent Creek. Unspeakable atrocities that hint of something more powerful than wealth or the elite. Something evil. And when he finally uncovers the real secrets of Bent Creek, there may be no time to stop them. No time to scream.

No time to... Retreat.

Genres: Horror, Novels

342 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2015

About the author

Jesus F. Gonzalez was an American author, primarily of horror fiction (writing under the pseudonym J. F. Gonzalez). He has written many notable novels and has done collaborations with Bram Stoker Award winners Mike Oliveri and Brian Keene. His novel Survivor has been optioned for film.

Reviews

[Icy-Cobwebs-Crossing-SpaceTime · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review: RETREAT by J. F. GONZALEZ

The last novel completed by author J. F. Gonzalez, RETREAT has just been posthumously published. I leaped to get it and am immensely gratified. It's a wonderful horror-suspense-mystery story, full of superbly drawn characters, a tautly-defined plot, some really despicable (and frightening) individuals--and plot elements that are amazing. It's also rife with class distinctions: further proof that "the Marie Antoinette Syndrome" didn't die with her. I think if Countess Erzbet [Elizabeth] Bathory, the "Blood Countess," could return to life in the 21st century, she would be a happy, active, member of the upper tier at Bent Creek Country Club & Resort. If you've ever pondered whether the 1 Percent are really like the rest of us--read on.

[William M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

The novels Clickers and Survivor are quintessential JF Gonzalez, although Primitive is a big runner-up. However, with Retreat, I found it a bit too long, and with a good edit, could have been more effective as a long novella. The procedural investigative aspect was not interesting as the rest of the elements and I would have liked more time at the actual retreat itself. Since we already know Joe Taylor will be at the retreat, his process of actually getting there seemed to be just killing time.

The end of the book showed dates of how long the book took to write, and I think taking that long (4 years) presented too many opportunities to try and fix every loop and every detail to the point that it slowed the narrative down. I found a lot of repetition that should have been edited down before locking in the final draft. I discovered a few continuity errors as well, which were bound to happen when a book takes 4 years to complete. Details are forgotten and overlooked. However, Retreat had a some nice surprises and a few truly gut-wrenching moments that made me glad to have read it. While not his best outing, new readers of Gonzalez should definitely check out the three books I referenced above.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to come!

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really nice creepy slow burn from Gonzalez. A real treat for fans of his work the way it ties into "Survivor" by the end. Its very sad that Gonzalez passed away before he could finish the sequel, which supposedly would tie into even more of his previous work, but it is in good hands being completed by Brian Keene. Gonzalez has a talent for extremely unsettling premises and "Retreat" was no exception.

[Mylene · Rating 5 out of 5]

As per my review of “Survivor”, I immediately was drawn to read a novel by JF Gonzalez, after reading a short story from him quite a few years ago. At the time, I found it incredibly hard to get any of his books. I recently read “Survivor” and really liked it BUT I LOVED “The Retreat” (btw although the naming convention seems reminiscent of Bentley Little, the stories are written in a completely different fashion and voice). If I had to compare Gonzalez to anyone it would be a mixture of Richard Laymon and Jack Ketchum. What is intriguing about Gonzalez is the way in which he tells his stories. Like “Survivor”, this is almost a thriller mystery with horror elements. This method of writing completely ropes in the reader. What made this story even better was roping Mabel Schneider, a horror great from “Survivor”, to the board members and their “club” in “The Retreat”. Furthermore, Gonzalez created heroes you can truly root for in Joe Taylor and Anna King. I should also add that eliminating one of the key characters was pure genius. The way the story reads, you will not see it coming.

I’m off to read the next story in this trilogy universe.

[Jarrod Scarbrough · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I started reading this book, in the introduction written by Brian Keene, I learned that it was in a series of books by Gonzalez which included Survivor. Survivor is the absolute most disturbing book I have ever read, so I braced myself for Retreat! I really had no idea what to expect, and boy was I in for a surprise! Gruesome, brutal, and shocking to the core, you'll never believe what the richest of the rich and powerful are up to now! Gonzalez was such a talented writer, you're in for an amazing ride anytime you read his work!

[Jill Franklin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the last completed work of Gonzales and it's great! An immensely enjoyable read. A bit different from his other books, this was more of a thriller/suspense than a true horror story, but I really liked it :)

[Pisces51 · Rating 5 out of 5]

RETREAT [2016] By J.F. Gonzalez
My Review 5.0 Stars

This novel was released posthumously in 2016. It was the last work completed by author J.F. Gonzales. It ties into his magnum opus “Survivor” by the end. It is gratifying that the talented Brian Keene has been tasked with finishing the sequel that Gonzalez had been working on at the time of his death, which would tie into even more of his previous work.

Originally this novel was to be a “Buddy Read” with a very thoughtful Goodreads friend who became too ill to read this with me. I had already purchased it, so I went ahead with this Gonzalez read instead of another one I had ready to queue. This was serendipity for me because I really liked “Retreat” and felt poignant about it knowing it was the author’s final novel.

I read the Kindle Edition published by Midnight Library in 2016. Amazon did not report significant sales with less than 200 ratings and Rating 4 Stars. Conversely, I was pleased to see the 5-Star Reviews and their high praise for the novel and the author’s talent. I would like to quote a line from one of the reviews because it so perfectly echoes my own feelings.

“…Gonzalez has a long history of great fiction, and I hope this release gets more people interested in it. RIP Jesus, a great writer but a better friend.” ---Paul Legerski

The number of ratings on Goodreads is eerily similar as is the rating, and the high praise that appears in many of the reviews of this novel.

Before I forget, I believe I read that Kealan Patrick Burke did the artwork for the book cover. It is stunning, isn’t it?

This review is going to be brief…no I REALLY did say “brief”, ha-ha. The reason is because I want you to read it cold without any foreknowledge or heaven help me, dreaded “spoilers”. You know this novel is going to prominently feature the Bent Creek Country Club and Resorts. Can you even imagine an exclusive 5-star hotel located on forty square miles of rolling green forests. It would be a perfect prestigious getaway for the rich elite members of society.

The genre designation for “Retreat” is Occult Horror, Occult Fiction. I say that only because one reader mentioned that this novel was not horror, but rather a thriller. Readers can render their own opinions, but I would opine that it is a thrilling, exciting horror novel.

This was a storyline that hooked me with a treble hook and pulled me in with the confidence of a master angler. It was an exciting novel to read right out of the gate, and the story begins with an intriguing mystery. It develops a vigilante component with solid character development, realistic dialogue, and perfect pacing that is replete with action galore that propels a plot that you cannot turn your eyes away from because you are riveted. Gonzalez has this adeptness at allowing you to read a few “normal” sentences to allow your pulse to normalize and the next thing you know a body is being dismembered. It is like a jump scare effect.

This is a novel with palpable energy and passion. Likeable protagonists were strong, sure, and pure. You have sick freaks, blood and guts, more blood and dismemberments, abrupt violence before you can even blink. The reader feels like he has run a marathon by the time he stumbles across the finish line. The ending was strong and emotionally fulfilling. BTW there are horrors in this story I have not even hinted at in my sly but true experience reading this excellent horror-filled thriller. It met my expectations and reminded me what an excellent writer that Gonzalez was which in turn only made me want to enjoy the works he left us even more.

Thank you, Paul, for telling me about this novel. I am ready to read “Bully” which many critics have opined is one of his best novels. But for my money this one was pretty (darn) good!

SPEND SOME TIME AT THE BENT CREEK COUNTRY CLUB IF YOU CAN SURVIVE THE EXPERIENCE AND “RETREAT”

[Angela Kalnins · Rating 4 out of 5]

RETREAT
By: J. F. Gonzalez
Genre: Horror/Adventure

The Retreat, an exclusive 5-star getaway for the ridiculously rich and famous, is everything money can buy—beautiful, luxurious and filled with wanton people that can be bought and sold like cattle. It’s every millionaire’s dream haven. But, at the end of the season, when the doors are closed to all but the very, VERY rich this haven becomes a hell...

I’m slightly torn concerning this review. Part of me wants to hate this book. Part of me liked it, to a point. Let’s talk about why I can’t make up my mind.

What I liked:

• The author, J. F. Gonzalez was a talented writer. His writing style was simple (no flowery additives that aren’t needed) and yet, well-constructed and thought out.

• His characters in this book were likeable and well-defined—again, to a point.

• And, his story was interesting and fun to follow.

What I did not like:

• The story is sold on the premise that it’s a part of the HORROR Genre. I found very little in this story that *I* felt could be categorized as Horror. NO SPOILERS HERE: The plot, what was happening, was horrific—although I would more quickly use the word repugnant—but, the story was not written in such a way as to creep me out, make me afraid or want to turn the lights on brightly as I read. It came off as more of a CSI kind of story than anything Stephen King or Dean Koontz would write.

• Again, not wanting to spoil anything for future readers, I’m not going to give details but… My grandmother always said, “stick with the one who brung ya”. The book seller advertises one character as the main character…but, the author didn’t stick with that one and halfway through the book the main character changes. Gonzalez should have followed my grandmother’s advice. I personally didn’t like the switch up. Especially because there was some sort of side story going on with the first character that just disappeared. It left me hanging and wondering what the heck was the point. The second character would have been fine as the main character from the beginning. Should have been in fact. However, the author focused on the first for the first half (maybe even ¾’s of the book) and then poof…gone.

Overall, the book is strong. The plot is gross, but unique and fun to follow. The characters were well written—although, somewhat flimsy—and the ending was unexpected. I love that in a book.

So, there were things I didn’t like. But, much more I did like. So, I’ve given this story a 4-star rating.

Try it. YOU may like it too.

[Troy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really wasn't a big fan of this novel until probably the last 40 pages. It, to me, seemed to take too long to get to the climax. I might have to reread it in the near future once I've read more of J.F.'s work.
Recommended with reservations.

[Ary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty entertaining!

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one. It took awhile to get to the good stuff lol but it was worth it.

[Thomas Hobbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cannibalistic fun except I didn't care for I.T. that went into it at the end almost 100 pages worth.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

My October of Horror continues...

I'd never heard of J.F. Gonzalez. The comparisons to Bentley Little, though, made me want to give him a shot. I started with Retreat. Man, Gonzalez wrote a fucked up book.

The retreat in question is a country club for high-rollers. But what happens within it's walls is a close-held secret. One that I won't reveal here.

Retreat was immensely readable and absolutely unputdownable. Even when I wanted to. Because, ew.

The book, however, suffered because of its history. Unfortunately, Gonzales died prior to finishing the novel. It was finished following his unexpected death and there are several parts that I felt suffered as a result of either a lack of polish or other hands being involved in the finalization of the story.

I won't soon forget Retreat. And I'll definitely add a few more Gonzales novels to my stash.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh, dear. Well, this was an engrossing read, to be sure. However, the typos in the Kindle edition kept taking me out of the story. And I was a little disappointed with the ending. It was as if the author wrote three endings and couldn't decide which one to use, so he just included all of them. Perhaps that's actually what happened, as this book was published posthumously by his family.

[Nell Blevins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning

Loved this book. Might turn readers stomach but it really holds your interest. Bought a few more books from this author and can't wait to read them