The Surf House

Just like in her other books, "The Surf House" is located in a vacation spot, this time Marocco. Lucy Clarke is the queen of escapism thrillers! I immediately felt the urge to go on vacation. Bea, the main character of this novel, escapes from her model job, packs her backpack and strives through the streets of Marrakesh. In a dangerous moment in an almost empty and dark alley, she meets Marnie, a tourist gone hostel manager. The dangerous moment changes their lives forever. Marnie takes Bea with her, to her hostel "The surf house" in a village called Mallah. Bea gets to know the cool surf crowd and learns how to surf. It's a sunny, careless life with lots of surfing and fresh granola. Until the day Seth arrives at the Surf House. He desperately wants to know what happened to his sister Savannah who had been there one year before. She has disappeared since then, no trace left of her. My opinion: What a rollercoaster! The thriller was a page-turner until the last page. Some hints were given before, for example the name "Marnie" itself...which reminded me of a Hitchcock movie. Probably this story will become a movie or series as well. It's the perfect holiday thriller set in a breathtaking location. The story was fast-paced, switching between Bea's and Savannah's PoV. I definitely long for a vacation at the beach right now! If you loved "The Beach" or "No escape", you will love "The Surf House" as well!

I’ve loved Lucy Clarke’s previous novels, but she’s done it again with The Surf House. I always find it fascinating how the author combines a beautiful location with an exciting story, everything fits together perfectly. This time, the action occurs in Morocco, an idyllic place popular with many tourists. If you are familiar with the author’s writing style, you will quickly realize that there is much more to the story than you might suspect at the beginning. Bea is also one of those people who gets stuck in this idyllic place through mysterious circumstances, something seems to magically attract her. Is it the Surf House or the people who lovingly welcome her there? In order to get an overview of her situation, she decides to stay, a decision she soon begins to regret. Even though I’m not interested in surfing myself, I still found it exciting and suitably wrapped up in the plot. I would perhaps have liked a little more history about the country itself. The author never seems to run out of ideas for adding more suspense. It stays interesting until the end, which is another aspect I like.