When writer Frances books herself on a wellbeing retreat to escape the pressures of diminishing book sales and falling foul of a dating scam she is expecting ten days of gentle walks, healthy eating and a few relaxing treatments. What Frances and the other 8 guests receive is not at all what they were expecting...

As always, Liane Moriarty has me totally gripped with her latest novel. Her character development is second to none as a little more is revealed about them with every chapter.

Fantastic book, beautifully written.

I rattled through this read in the most satisfying way. The set up is 9 characters who head to a health retreat run by a directory with a visionary reputation. All come with problems, all are hoping for self improvement, and of course as you'd expect from ML this seemingly straight forward women's fiction set up has an ominous feel from the start and delivers in dramatic style. Thanks for the early read NetGalley, and for making me sob on the tube.

This was my first introduction to Liane Moriarty's writing, having been intrigued by the hype surrounding her earlier books and the HBO adaptation of Big Little Lies. And honestly? I'm not entirely sure what I think. While the characterisation was strong (despite myself, I found myself invested in the outcome for the 'nine perfect strangers'), some of the writing made me cringe. There's a chance that the preponderance of adjectives and adverbs was an ironic nod to the character of Frances, a romance novelist accused by her ex-husbands of over-indulging in descriptive language but, if so, it's not something that was successfully carried off. But if you're looking for an undemanding page-turner to read on a sun lounger, this would be a great pick.

Liane Moriarty's latest offering is a hugely enjoyable psychological thriller that is pure fun and entertainment whilst incorporating a look beneath the issues of a wide cast of characters and the moving stories that lie behind the facade of their everyday lives. Set in Australia, Tranquillem House is a health and wellness resort that many clients claim transformed their lives for the better. The latest batch of arrivals are 9 strangers that get considerably more than they bargained for with their 10 day cleansing programme of diet, light exercise, therapy and spa treatments. It is run by the Russian Masha, a ruthlessly ambitious former company executive whose near death experience led to a complete change in her life direction. Masha had a dark and hidden agenda for her latest customers, driven by the best of intentions, supported by her primary staff members, Yao, and Delilah.

Twice married Frances Welty is an established writer of romances whose career has gone into freefall with her latest offering being rejected by the publishing industry and whose boyfriend, Paul Drabble, has disappeared. Ben and Jessica are a troubled married couple who appear to be remarkably well off. Napoleon is a schoolteacher, with his wife, Heather, and daughter, Zoe, the entire family weighed down by grief and guilt. Tony is a former star footballer, who has recently lost his beloved dog, Banjo. Carmel has lost her husband to a younger woman, has four children, and has lost her self esteem and confidence. Lars is a well heeled divorce lawyer, who only represents wives in his word of mouth law practice. As the story progresses, the backstories and issues that lie behind each individual comes to be slowly revealed. The narcissistic, remote and humourless Masha has plans for them which she is certain will truly transform their lives and which will presage a glorious and glittering future with her in the limelight, enjoying global acclaim.

There is plenty of sly humour and wit in Moriarty's story of madness and mayhem at a health resort, where people with little in common with each other find themselves in circumstances where they form unexpected bonds and undergo unexpected transformations. The characters are well drawn and distinct, beautifully developed, all with such high hopes for their short stay at Tranquillem House, their interactions with each other are a joy to hehold. There are heartbreaking stories behind some of the characters, including Masha, that become apparent by the end. I found it hard to resist Moriarty's magic and succumbed to this fabulous novel with absolutely no regrets. A fantastic read with plenty of suspense and tension that comes highly recommended. Many thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph for an ARC.

Warning : spoilers.

I'm a fan of Liane Moriarty's previous novels but have to admit this one left me a bit cold, and not just a little confused. I was enthusiastic about such a forward thinking idea like microdosing making it into a mainstream book, and feel that I probably read the same stories and studies as the author. Unfortunately I was left disappointed because the whole idea is thrown to the ravings of a madwoman and her cultish minions. Though I haven't tried it for myself, so many people can and do benefit from research and application of alternative therapies. To see it all used as a punchline was a little disheartening.
I also felt the book was a little disjointed, possibly because of so many changes in perspective that the pacing occasionally suffered. What I loved most is that the author continues to give us such relatable, fully realised characters. Several times they made me laugh out loud, and certainly I always felt that I was right in the thick of things at Tranquillum House. Even though this wasn't my favourite I'm still looking forward to the next one.

There's something truly magical about falling into a Liane Moriarty book, she crafts characters so well, explores every single (believable) part of them and always delivers a brilliant story!

It took me a few pages to get truly hooked, but when I did I couldn't put this book down. I loved the way she developed the character Masha, revealing little pieces of her as the drama unfolded. She switches between POVs so cleverly, seamlessly and the reader is left needing to know more between each POV shift.

So glad I got the chance to read this before it's release date, a true page turner!

I think I have just read my favourite book of the year, certainly my favourite one so far this year.Why have I not read anything by this wonderful writer before, I think I shall have to rectify that.This book was so good the story was unique and the descriptions of the various characters was really good and I could imagine them perfectly,and the setting they were in.Some of the writing was so good, I had to read it twice.there were also unexpected laugh out loud moments as well, although that was in contrast to the dark moments in the book.No spoilers from me but I really enjoyed reading this book, and can't recommend it enough.thanks so much to the publishers and Netgalley for an ARC.

Enjoyed the read and loved the idea of 9 strangers having their lives turned upside down by a holiday to retreat. Cannot wait to see the movie adaptation of this!

I really loved the main characters and the brilliant plot. I read this book in one sitting and could not put it down. I would highly recommend this book to anyone.