Published by William Morrow & Company on September 27, 2022
Format: Audiobook, eARC
Source: Bought, Publisher
Pages: 320
Amazon UK
Goodreads
For fans of We Were Never Here and Nine Perfect Strangers, a twisty, escapist suspense about a mysterious wellness retreat center harboring violent secrets.
A perfect paradise? Or a perfect nightmare?
On a river deep in the Mexican jungle stands the colossal villa Xanadu, a wellness center that's home to The Mandala, an ardent spiritual group devoted to self-help guru Paul Bentzen and his enigmatic wife Kali.
But when, mysteriously, Paul suddenly dies, his entire estate--including Xanadu--is left to his estranged niece Sveta, a former model living in New York City.
Shocked and confused, Sveta travels to Mexico to pay her respects. At first, Xanadu seems like a secluded paradise with its tumbling gardens, beautiful people, transcendent vibe, and mesmerizing de-facto leader Kali.
But soon the mystical façade wears thin, revealing a group of brainwashed members drunk on false promises of an impossible utopia and a disturbing, dangerous belief system--and leader--guiding them.
As the sinister forces surrounding Sveta become apparent, she realizes, too late, she can't escape. Frantic and terrified, she discovers her only hope for survival is to put her confidence in the very person she trusts the least.
WOW WOW WOW WOW and WOW!
This book!
I need to just savor this book, bear with me………
Ok, I am back, what a book! I thought it was fantastic, it was gripping and chilling and twisty all at the same time. I had no idea what was going to happen and who I could trust! It appears…no one!!
I love the idea of seclusion, you see it done so many times in stories these days and it can get repetitive, BUT NOT HERE! The jungle area is its own character and with jaguars about, well you don’t want to stray too far from the building.
So many secrets, sleight of hand plays and outright lies are afoot and it was delicious to lap up. I listened to the audiobook because that is my go-to format at the moment and I knew I could get it done on time. I loved the narrator, she was fantastic and she got Sveta’s plight fantastic. She amped up the twists and deceit. She kept the tension going along with the magic of Katherine’s writing! I am a huge fan if you hadn’t guessed.
I was there with Sveta and her journey to Xanadu, wide-eyed and innocent as we experienced the life in front of us, for 4 short days. I can’t believe we weren’t there for that long but what an intense few days they were! I am in love with Sveta and her resilience and her strength. She wasn’t naive as I first thought she might and she wasn’t as weak as we were led to believe at the beginning. She was strong, she fought and she knew that in the end, it was her way.
Gah, I will not be telling you anything about the book, you need to absorb it, you need to go in blind and you need to not know a single thing so that it doesn’t spoil your enjoyment, all you need to know is this a seriously fabulous book. It tackles commune life and the depth people will go for what they believe in. But, also it shows you, that you are your own strength and you control your life.
I LOVED IT!!
Until next time xxx
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annecater says
Thanks for the blog tour support x