A very big thank-you to the teams at HarperCollins in Canada and Mulholland Books in the United States, and extra-specially to my wonderful editors, Iris Tupholme and Helen O’Hare, who helped me in a million ways but mostly by loving this story as much as I do and sharpening it at every turn. To my agent, Samantha Haywood: You make it possible for me to do my dream job! Early readers and excerpt readers who held my hand: Sharon Bala, Miranda Hill, and Bianca Spence (to whom this book is dedicated and who also talked endlessly with me about dance and helped me to better understand it). For bear knowledge, resources, and advice, Jay Butler and Claire Cameron. For sharing her process and her story and many helpful videos of her own practice time, my childhood friend Allison Cummings (and, by extension, her company, Sore for Punching You). The Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, for providing inspiration and elk (but, thankfully, no bears). Caroline Clarke, who worked patiently with me to create the map of the High Water Center for the Arts. ArtsNL for financial support that made working on The Retreat so much easier.

Most of all, to my family, who are kind and fun and funny and take my mind off murder. And especially George Murray, who reads every draft, listens to every worry, and to whom every book should be dedicated, forever.

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About the Author

Elisabeth de Mariaffi is the critically acclaimed author of The Devil You Know—which was named a Globe and Mail Best Book and a National Post Top 100 of the year, shortlisted for the prestigious Thomas Raddall Atlantic Fiction Award, and longlisted for the 2017 International Dublin Literary Award—as well as two other books published in Canada: Hysteria and the Giller-nominated How to Get Along with Women. Her original horror-comedy Fly Girls was a WIFTV From Our Dark Side winner and is currently in development as a feature film. She has taught fiction and screenwriting at UBC, Memorial University, and the Humber School for Writers in Toronto. Elisabeth makes her home on an island in the North Atlantic—in St. John’s, Canada.

Also by Elisabeth de Mariaffi

How to Get Along with Women

The Devil You Know

Hysteria