Actress turned author Krysten Ritter’s second thriller, “The Retreat,” offers a fun, if common premise: a young conwoman flees a pear-shaped situation and finds herself the prey to someone with an axe to grind.
The rapidly moving plot finds Liz Dawson preparing to leave Chicago in a hurry after defrauding a wealthy family and accumulating a huge bill at a luxury hotel. In her eagerness to abscond with the money she’s stolen and avoid any legal action, Liz accepts an unexpected invitation to install an expensive painting in a compound on the Mexican coast.
Once she’s arrived, Liz resorts to old habits and finds herself claiming to be the wealthy woman who hired her, Isabelle Beresford. Trouble finds Liz when she comes upon two bodies on a hiking trail and believes one of them to be Isabelle’s.
Character Analysis
Main Characters
Elizabeth “Liz” Dawson a.k.a. Elizabeth Hastings
Isabelle Beresford
Oliver Beresford
Tilly Endicott
Braden Beresford
Liz Dawson grew up poor and learned early how to manipulate people so she could gain access to life’s luxuries. Only days after scamming $50,000 from a socialite, she’s breaking into an empty house in an elite enclave of Chicago to steal cash and credit cards.
During her invasion of the Thacker’s home, Liz receives a text from an unknown number that happens to be from another wealthy woman. It’s a job offer: fly to Punta Mita, Mexico, and hang an expensive art installation in a newly renovated compound before the couple arrives from their vacation in Bali.
Liz accepts the position for the opportunity to escape Chicago and earn some extra money. She shortens her hair to match the stylish cut of the woman who hired her, Isabelle Beresford, and eagerly explores the amenities of Casa Esmerelda and the closed resort community.
Isabelle Beresford looms large in Liz’s imagination because so little about the affluent society wife can be found online. She’s the wife of businessman Oliver Beresford for nearly 19 years, but the couple is notoriously private about their lives beyond charity events and staged photos in Isabelle’s Instagram feed.
Isabelle diligently hides information from Liz but stays close to the conwoman. The unhappily married woman’s motives for hiring Liz are slowly revealed as Oliver Beresfords’s business dealings and much younger mistress come to light.
Oliver Beresford’s reputation precedes him as the CEO of Beresford Capital, an investment firm involved in several illegal dealings. He and another businessman in Punta Mita were in the middle of finalizing a copper mining deal when Isabellle’s husband became unresponsive.
To his employees and the Punta Mita community, Oliver is on an extended holiday in Alaska, while Isabelle settles into their new home. The man died on a cliffside only a few miles from Casa Esmerelda.
Tilly Endicott is an overly eager acquaintance of Isabelle Beresford with brassy blonde hair and brown eyes who approaches Liz, who is hurrying down a hotel lobby to flee a one-night stand. The energetic woman becomes a true friend to Isabelle but shows up at Casa Esmerelda uninvited and interjects unnerving comments into conversations that lead Liz to avoid her.
Tilly realizes her friend Isabelle is busy with a trio of bored wives in Punta Mita, but she’s determined to linger in the Beresford orbit. She’s particularly interested in consuming the Beresfords’ expensive wine and making elaborate desserts in the couple’s new kitchen as she reveals her own marital discord.
Braden Beresford is the younger, more attractive and unstable sibling of Oliver. He and the real Isabelle shared an evening of emotional and physical intimacy more than 20 years ago before the men became estranged.
Oliver’s refusal to respond to Beresford Capital staff members forces Braden to visit Casa Esmerelda. He immediately rekindles the flirtatious relationship he had with Isabelle almost 20 years earlier, while the pair investigate Oliver’s business deals.
Braden’s appearance causes Liz to reevaluate her plans and consider continuing to be Isabelle for longer than planned. However, the grifter soon learns that Braden knows more about her than he’s letting on and may put her con and life in danger.
Plot Summary
Seasoned swindler Elizabeth “Liz” Dawson is finishing the last of her rackets in Chicago when an opportunity to escape to an exclusive resort is presented to her.
After completing a break-in at an empty $3.5-million home in Chicago’s North Dayton neighborhood, Liz finds herself accepting a job via text to hang an expensive Rufino Tamayo painting in the newly renovated home of Isabelle and Oliver Beresord in Punta Minta, Mexico.
Liz isn’t at all worried about never meeting or even speaking with Isabelle over the phone before agreeing to book a flight out of the country. She’s much more interested in avoiding the son of a recent art scam victim, Abigail Reed, who’s threatening legal action if she doesn’t return $50,000 paid for a non-existent painting.
Her arrival at Punta Minta goes off without a hitch with a first class plane ticket and a car with a driver at the airport to chauffeur her Casa Esmerelda. Liz observes the beautiful upscale island homes and realizes she can relax and enjoy the full amenities of the community while considering her next move.
After a quiet first night of ordering in and exploring the large home, Liz decides to venture out and explore. She soon meets a trio of socialites who accept her as Isabelle, and she decides against correcting them.
Despite her better judgment, Liz opts to befriend a single man, get drunk, and accompany him to his hotel room at the Four Seasons for a one-night stand. She works against the urge to steal his pricey watch and instead takes photos of his ID and credit cards before making a hasty retreat.
Liz’s in the process of returning to Isabelle’s well-appointed home when she’s stopped by a brassy-haired woman named Tilly Endicott who claims she and Isabelle met at a Frick Collection event. The enthusiastic Tilly eagerly invites her to take a hike with her to a location with two waterfalls.
Tilly immediately abandons her friend to climb the trail alone as she calls her husband, James. She guarantees Liz that the effort of walking up the steep trail in the hot, humid weather is worth it for the double waterfalls.
Reluctantly, Liz begins the walk and soon stumbles upon two dead bodies wrapped in tree roots just off a small, winding path near the smaller of the waterfalls. She immediately vomits and decides to examine the corpses’ for identification that shows the man to be Oliver Beresford and the woman is assumed to be the real Isabelle.
The knowledge that she’s impersonating a dead woman and has found the maimed bodies of the Beresfords motivates Liz to beat a hasty retreat down the trail and back to Casa Esmerelda.
Liz cannot eat or sleep after finding the bodies and instead makes futile attempts to numb herself with tequila. When she fails, the fraudster spins her situation into a positive: the Beresfords’ death is the opportunity of a lifetime. Liz can remain in Punta Minta and continue to be Isabelle.
Knowing she needs to dispose of the bodies to continue her life as Isabelle, Liz returns to the trail at daybreak, finds the deceased couple, and pushes both into the rushing river below their makeshift grave. She fully expects the river to carry the bodies to the ocean where they will decompose and never be found.
Liz settles into Puta Mita as Isabelle Beresford
An uneventful two weeks follow as Liz adapts to the relaxed lifestyle of a bored socialite. She visits cafes, builds friendships with other housewives, and creates an Isabelle persona while wearing the dead woman’s clothes and spending her money.
The only signs of trouble are from Oliver’s associate, David Morrow, with Beresford Capital who worries because he’s not heard from the company’s president for several weeks. Morrow suspects foul play as a deal with Punta Minta resident, Neil Kelly, who is involved with Mexican gang members.
In an attempt to delay concerns over Oliver’s absence, Liz fabricates a heli-skiing trip in Alaska booked on his Platinum AmEx card with email notifications sent to Morrow and Isabelle. She’s just beginning to put her plan into action when Tilly stops by unexpectedly and introduces allegations of Olivers’s infidelity with a lover living near Punta Mita.
Liz realizes she needs to discover where Oliver hid his laptop and other business information. She reviews the Casa Esmerelda blueprints and finds a secret room in the basement where Isabelle’s husband has created a secret office with man cave vibes.
A few simple searches of Oliver’s email inbox allow Liz to send messages with lies and excuses to his business associates. Then, she turns her attention to the deal with Neil Kelly, which she comes to understand is still in process.
Liz’s snooping also betrays further cracks in the Beresford marriage as Oliver password-protected files from a law firm specializing in wills, inheritances, and estate planning.
Slipping back into her old life, Liz manipulates her new friends into approaching Neil’s wife, Palmer, and inciting her to throw a soiree at their home to celebrate Neil’s success. Liz needs access to the house to learn more about his business dealings, so she’s eager to attend the party.
Liz tricks Palmer into getting blackout drunk on tequila shots and helps her upstairs to the master bedroom where she finds and unlocks Neils’ phone.
With the phone open, Liz finds a series of WhatsApp messages between Neil and Oliver with increasing pressure for Beresford Capital to invest at least $40 million in Cobre Vista deal. Oliver begrudgingly responds that copper isn’t the best investment for Beresford after a series of unanswered messages from Neil.
Neil walks into the bedroom to find Liz reading his messages. He grabs her and insists she’s to blame for Oliver’s change of heart. She’s calling for Palmer to no avail when Tilly opens the door and rescues her from Neil.
Tilly escorts Liz home and stays with her, discussing how she met the real Isabelle at the Frick exhibit and their discussion. Over a bottle of expensive red wine, Tilly relays Isabelle’s feelings of invisibility, unhappiness, and her desire to end her marriage.
Liz sleeps badly and forces herself to awaken and swim laps in the pool behind the house. A familiar figure strides to the pool as she finishes her early morning swim–Braden Beresford.
Liz and Braden Beresford investigate Oliver’s business dealings
Oliver’s estranged younger brother has been summoned by his family’s company to investigate his prolonged absence. Oliver left him a voicemail message a month earlier and Morrow contacted him on behalf of the company without notifying Liz. She’s surprised but recovers.
Braden invites Liz to dinner at the St. Regis and returns to his hotel. She barely catches her breath before Tilly stops by in her golf cart to take them to yoga and brunch.
During their mimosa-sipping meal, Liz asks Tilly about Oliver’s business dealings. Tilly tells her Neil is an overgrown child and bad news. Liz’s suspicions against him are only confirmed.
Liz continues her investigation into Oliver’s business dealings with another visit to his hidden office. Her attention is diverted by a Mexican bank account asking for a password, which prompts her to click “forgot password” and need the name of Oliver’s first pet.
The moment is interrupted with Braden offering assistance. He tells her the dog’s name was Murphy, an Irish Setter, and they access the account. They come across multiple transfers to a shell company, VH Inc., for $250,000 each totaling $10.5 million.
During their dinner at the St. Regis, a serious man in a tan suit, is showing Liz’s photo to everyone, including a failed attempt with Braden. He approaches her when Braden’s in the bathroom to threaten her if she declines to return Mrs. Reed’s money. Liz creates a scene, accusing him of attempting to steal her cell phone, and he’s removed from the premises.
Braden and Liz begin their love affair that night in his hotel room.
Liz awakens alone in bed after a nightmare-filled sleep. She dresses and heads into the main area trying to avoid being seen by the Reeds’ man. She soon learns that he’s drowned in the hotel’s swimming pool.
As Liz processes what the goon’s death means, Tilly calls out to her and teases her about wearing last night’s dress. They return to Casa Esmerelda where Tilly makes an apple tart in the home’s updated kitchen, a space she navigates with frightening alacrity.
Tilly’s suggestion that they run off to Brazil together leads to a moment of tension wherein Liz finds the blade of a Miyabi Kaizen knife in her back. Liz manages to laugh it off as a joke but begins to believe Tilly is crazy.
Later that week, Liz attends a regatta a friend is hosting. The charity event is at the Sufi Ocean Club near an inlet on the island where families bring young children. Liz and Braden attend and see the Tamayo painting auctioned off for over $300,000.
Braden works on charming Neil to learn more about the copper mining business deal as Liz continues to ingratiate herself among the Punta Mita set. They drink, dance, and have a great time before a teenage girl finds a skull on the beach.
Liz learns Isabelle Beresford isn’t dead
The festivities break up, and Liz stays home awaiting the inevitable news about the owner of the skull. Two police officers stop by Casa Esmerelda to question her and they confirm the washed up body part belonged to her missing husband.
Braden breaks up the questioning and moves to comfort Liz and redirect the cops’ attention to him. Law enforcement shares that they’ve found a woman’s remains in the same area as Oliver’s, the victim was Madeleine Richards. Madeleine, a yoga instructor, was Oliver’s mistress.
Liz believes the officers are trying to intimidate her into a confession, then turn to accusing Braden for killing his brother for financial gain. Oliver changed his will two days before he was murdered to leave everything to his distant younger brother– completely removing Isabelle for inheriting anything.
Braden refutes the cops’ claims and Liz tells them Neil Kelly might be a suspect because of a bad business deal. The police depart with instructions for both Liz and Braden to remain in Punta Mita.
Alone in the house with Braden, Liz considers if he may have killed his brother and Madeleine to gain access to the family fortune. She attempts to put distance between them but needs an excuse to visit the basement to retrieve her stowed passport and phone from Oliver’s basement office. She leaves her bedroom under the ruse of getting a bottle of wine for them to enjoy.
Braden follows her and notices she’s taken her real passport along with a bottle. He also alerts her that he knows she’s not the real Isabelle and has for some time. He traps her in Oliver’s office, a scuffle ensues, and she brains him with a copper statue that kills him.
Liz sobs and retches before deciding to move forward with her escape plan – shower, dress, and head to the airport with a small suitcase. She searches for flights to Brazil on Oliver’s office computer and sees a new email arrive.
It’s from VH Inc. and is registered under Liz’s legal name, Elizabeth Dawson, and her address in Chicago. The news of someone’s using her identity in a fraud causes her to briefly dissociate.
Ultimately, Liz purchases a one-way ticket to Sao Paulo, departing in three hours. She begins replaying information the police told her: she and the real Isabelle were on the same flight. Isabelle Beresford duped Liz into stepping into her life as she wove a web of deceit and manipulation to escape a bad marriage.
Liz finishes a shower and prepares to leave Casa Esmerelda for the final time. She’s adjusting her ponytail and applying lipstick in a row of vanity mirrors when one steps forward.
Tilly emerges from the background with her hair dyed brown and her natural green eyes on full display. The real Isabelle followed Liz from Chicago and cleared the way for the conwoman to infiltrate Punta Mita as Mrs. Beresford.
Isabelle approaches Liz with the intention of killing her so that she can claim the over $10 million from the shell company and live a quiet life of luxury.
Isabelle Beresford’s Story
It takes a confidence woman to recognize another. Isabelle is tired of her life with Oliver and wants to move on with some of his money.
At an annual gala for the Melanoma Foundation thrown by Abigail Reed in Chicago, Isabelle spots Liz across the room and is immediately enchanted by their physical similarities: dark hair, green eyes, pale skin, a large forehead on an angular face.
Isabelle alleviates the monotony of her life by stalking Liz and soon concocts a plan to trick her into becoming the wealthy society wife. Her scheme would temporarily end her boredom and help conclude her tenuous union with Oliver, who has grown distrustful and disgusted with his wife.
The obstacle to Isabelle’s plans are gaining access to Liz’s legal name, social security number, and other identifying information. She needs Liz to give them freely and visit a location where no one will miss her when Isabelle murders her to claim her life.
Isabelle is more dangerous and experienced than Liz or most people know. Only Oliver recently learned after nearly 20 years of marriage that she killed a poor friend, who was aging out of foster care, and assumed the young woman’s identity.
The woman known as Isabelle was actually born Susan Tilda Warner and killed her friend, Isabelle Caldwell, then became her as she floated from city to city running scams.
Susan, going by Isabelle, met and seduced the wealthy Oliver Berseford at a ski resort. He, enamored of her beauty, believed her statements about her difficult upbringing and married her.
Only almost two decades into their life together did Oliver begin to suspect and rewrite his will to reflect it. He accuses her of lying to him since their relationship began and killing at least two people.
She doesn’t deny the allegations but restrains herself against killing him until she can formulate a plan.
Once Liz arrived in Punta Mita under the guise of installing a painting at Casa Esmerelda, Isabelle created Tilly as a way to befriend and influence Liz as the investigation into Olver and Madeleine’s disappearance began.
Isabelle originally planned to end Liz’s life as she had her philandering husband and his mistress. But she remained intrigued by Liz and wanted to see what her “little fox” would do.
The police investigation into the bodily remains of Oliver and Madeleine meant Isabelle needed to murder both Braden and Liz before assuming her newest name.
Conclusion
Liz makes the connection between the initials S.T.W. on an antique silver hairbrush and the angry woman she knows as Tilly. The woman, born Susan, became Isabelle, and is now in the process of turning into Elizabeth “Liz” Dawson.
The doppelgangers tumble after Liz lunges at Isabelle. A mirror shatters and glass cuts Isabelle’s head and face.
“The Retreat” concludes with Liz at the airport reflection on the charred remains of Casa Esmerelda and its inhabitants– Isabelle and Braden Bereseford– and the arrest of Neil Kelly for fraud.
In an epilogue written exclusively in second person, Liz evaluates how easily Isabelle manipulated her. She was so desperate to escape Chicago and move onto another job, Liz didn’t consider she could fall victim to a scam herself.
Final Thoughts
Combining the popular female grifter subgenre with an exotic location, “The Retreat” is a popcorn novel sure to delight readers seeking a good thriller set in a sunny locale.
The book requires its audience to suspend disbelief and patiently wait for Liz to assemble the puzzle pieces. When she does, her old survival instincts make it worth the wait.
More discerning readers may also consider the novel’s perspective shift for its third part a troubling convenience. The change enables the villain to reframe the story and alter how Liz is viewed.
Those eager to indulge in a lightweight mystery with a tidy ending should add “The Retreat” to their to-be-read lists.
Rating
My rating is 3.5 stars out of 5.
Book Details
Title: “The Retreat”
Author: Krysten Ritter and Lindsay Jamieson
Year of Publication: 2025
Number of Pages: 264
For another story of a con artist, check out the review of “Stone Cold Fox” by Rachel Koller-Croft.
