The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz

A famous, respected author offers up an exciting opportunity. Five talented but unknown writers will get chosen for the chance of a lifetime: Roza Valla will host them for a month at her opulent and secluded estate in upstate New York for a month of intense writing and coaching. The caveat? None can use what they've already been working on. They each have to start fresh.

The five young women are forced to compete against each other in a reality game-like setting. The winner will get a novel written during their stay up for publication under Roza's tutelage. That person also gets a million-dollar advance. They each have to meet the three thousand word per day wordcount AND help edit the others' work. Roza says that nowadays a person has to practically be running their own brand in order to get published. Who would pass this up?

Hmmm what could go wrong? The estate is in the middle of nowhere; there's no cellphone reception or Wi-Fi on the property; two of the women are former friends in a tiff; a huge snowstorm is looming; there's a creepy legend regarding the original owners and a hostile-seeming woman greets them upon arrival. Not to mention, what is the eccentric Roza's agenda?

Secret doors, hidden wardrobes, concealed passageways and an interloper that causes the house of cards to collapse make for a worthy thriller. I was pulled in by the intriguing premise and it did not disappoint!