The Break-Up Retreat
- Judith D Collins
- May 14
- 4 min read
By: Camilla Sten
Narrator: Peyton Mader
ISBN: 9781250455482
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Minotaur Books
Publication Date: 06/09/2026
Format: Audiobook
My Rating: 4 Stars (ALC)
An undercover journalist goes to expose an exclusive psychological wellness clinic where women go to recover from heartbreak, with dire consequences, in this creepy thriller from The Bachelorette Party author Camilla Sten.
Welcome to Himlafall Clinic, where we use revolutionary therapy techniques to heal you from heartbreak. Whether you are going through a devastating breakup, or can’t seem to stop picking the wrong partners, we are here to help you change your life, once and for all…
Isobel Anderssen has heard rumors. Nestled deep in the Swedish woods, there is a retreat. Primarily aimed at helping women who have gone through devastating break-ups, the Himlafall Clinic is meant to heal your mind and help you move on.
Sometimes people are never heard from again.
Armed with a fake story and a contraband phone to record interviews, Isobel is ready to expose Himlafall’s founder and get closure for the families of missing loved ones. But when she gets there, nothing goes to plan. Her contact is missing. The founder, Dr. Martina Hastings, knows how to get under Isobel’s skin in ways she didn’t anticipate. And all the while, the ghosts of the missing haunt her at every turn. It is clear something is going wrong and Himlafall, and Isobel must uncover the truth, before she disappears once and for all.
My Review
"A razor-sharp noir thriller where an undercover journalist investigates a remote heartbreak clinic only to find herself trapped in a maze of missing women and psychological warfare."
In THE BREAK-UP RETREAT, international bestselling author Camilla Sten delivers a deeply atmospheric, isolated Swedish woodland contemporary psychological thriller mystery. The story hinges on a determined investigative reporter facing immense emotional and physical hurdles to expose a cult-like wellness retreat.
An undercover journalist vs. a manipulative psychological guru.
Elevator Pitch
An investigative journalist goes undercover with a contraband phone at an exclusive, isolated psychological wellness clinic meant to heal women from devastating heartbreaks, only to uncover a terrifying web of missing persons where patients disappear without a trace.
Setting
The story unfolds within the remote, dense, and suffocating Swedish woods at the Himlafall Clinic. The estate is defined by its harsh northern light, clinical antiseptic smell, and complete geographical isolation from the outside world.
Vibe
Creepy, paranoid, and claustrophobic. It pairs the calculated, slow-creeping dread of an institutional thriller with the haunting, folklore-tinged anxiety of a remote wilderness mystery.
Genre: Psychological Thriller / Scandinavian Noir / Cult Mystery.
Themes
~The Vulnerability of Heartbreak
~Control & Gaslighting
~The Haunting of the Missing
~Obsession & Closure
ISOBEL ANDERSSEN: THE DRIVEN REPORTER
Turning professional ambition and personal trauma into a relentless crusade for the truth.
Standout Characters
~Isobel Anderssen: The protagonist; an undercover journalist armed with a fake backstory who must maintain her grip on reality while her inside contact vanishes.
~Dr. Martina Hastings: The calculation incarnate; the clinic's brilliant, deeply manipulative founder who expertly gets under Isobel's skin.
Author Writing Standout
Sten’s trademark gift for crafting intense, slow-creeping dread in isolated settings shines through in her meticulous, highly empathetic rendering of Isobel's rising panic.
Takeaway
The promise of absolute emotional healing often hides a desire for absolute control; true recovery cannot be forced by handing your mind over to a charismatic stranger.
Title Significance
The Break-Up Retreat acts as an ironic, dark double entendre. It represents the literal, luxury sanctuary marketed to vulnerable women, while simultaneously signaling the violent, final breaking down of a person's identity and connection to the outside world.
Metaphor
Isobel's contraband phone serves as the central metaphor of the novel. It represents her final, fragile lifeline to objective reality and the truth—a hidden tool that distances her from the clinic's psychological matrix while putting a literal target on her back if discovered.
Why You Should Read/Listen
Read this if you are a fan of slow-burn, atmospheric Scandinavian thrillers like The Lost Village, or the claustrophobic tension of Nine Perfect Strangers, where an isolated sanctuary transforms into a high-stakes psychological trap.
My Thoughts
The novel succeeds beautifully in building immediate psychological tension. The remote Swedish woodland setting is perfectly captured—not just through chilly aesthetics, but through the heavy emotional anxieties of heartbreak and vulnerability. Isobel is an unforgettable lead; her professional focus and internal cracks make her psychological cat-and-mouse game with Dr. Hastings feel terrifyingly grounded. A masterfully executed, high-stakes climax.
Verdict: 4 / 5 Stars
"A creepy, masterfully executed Nordic thriller that pairs an intense psychological wellness cult with a genuinely chilling missing-persons conspiracy."
Recs
~The Lost Village by Camilla Sten (for the author’s signature, five-star blueprint of isolated, claustrophobic dread)
~The Resting Place by Camilla Sten (for another exceptional, atmospheric Swedish thriller focusing on family secrets)
Audio 🎧 Standout
The digital audiobook production by Macmillan Audio—narrated with exceptional, spine-chilling precision by Peyton Mader —is an absolute standout. Mader perfectly captures Isobel’s mounting panic, isolation, and suspicion, transforming the Swedish wilderness thriller into an immersive, intensely addictive listening experience.
Special thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for providing an advanced listening copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pub Date: June 9, 2026
June 2026 Must-Read Books
About the Author
CAMILLA STEN has been writing stories since she was a young girl. In 2019, Camilla published the now internationally acclaimed, hair-raising novel, The Lost Village. Rights for The Lost Village have been sold to nineteen territories around the world including film and TV. Her third novel for adults, The Resting Place, was one of Goodreads Most Popular Horror Books of 2022 and the same year Camilla was longlisted for the prestigious Viktor Crime Award in Germany. An ever-prolific author, Camilla has released the third part in her YA series and continues to write new thrillers.
