Member Review
Review by
Kathy D, Reviewer
The Hive by Gregg Olsen is a psychological thriller.
First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Thomas & Mercer, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
My Synopsis: (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Detective Lindsay Jackman just lost her partner. She is confused and hurt that Alan had committed suicide. His wife and son feel the same.
But the job doesn't end just because her partner is dead.
The naked body of Sarah Baker is found at the bottom of a ravine. Lindsay discovers that she was a young journalist writing an exposé on Marnie Spellman.
Marnie was a charismatic wellness guru in the 90's and had millions of devoted fans, as well as many detractors who feel that Spellman Farms was really a cult. Marnie says that when she was a child, a swarm of bees lifted her off the ground until she was flying, and then gently put her down, which provided Marnie with a deep connection to nature. She built a cosmetic empire, became a healer, and the queen of holistic health and beauty. She created an intimate circle of five devotees who are called The Hive. She became their "Queen Bee". That was all 20 years ago, but some things haven't changed.
The women that originally formed The Hive have been keeping a secret for those 20 years. Although they try not to associate with Marnie any longer, their loyalty is still strong . Dina is now a rather wealthy washed-up actress; Greta a wealthy hospital administrator; Heather a politician, and Trish is dead. So is Calista.
Lindsay knows they are covering up something, and is determined that someone is going to give up that secret, but as she digs deeper, it seems the truth continues to get buried.
My Opinions:
This book is basically about a cult run by a rather charismatic and bullying woman. It is about vanity, greed, lies, deceit, and the need to belong. It is also about murder.
Unfortunately, although the characters had depth, I didn't really like any of them (creating a difficult reading experience). It took me a while to figure out the truth about Trish, so that was a great twist, and there were others. As always with a Gregg Olsen novel, the plot was really good, and of course the writing was great!
The story is told in different time-lines and from different points of view. I am generally a fan of this style of writing, but I think this book may have gone back and forth a little too often. I did like the way Lindsay investigated, by going through various newspaper articles and You-Tube videos, as well as reading Marnie's book.
Although I found it a rather slow read, and the characters unlikable, the story was interesting, and everything came together at the end, although not all were punished appropriately.
I will definitely continue to read Gregg Olsen's books!
First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Thomas & Mercer, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
My Synopsis: (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Detective Lindsay Jackman just lost her partner. She is confused and hurt that Alan had committed suicide. His wife and son feel the same.
But the job doesn't end just because her partner is dead.
The naked body of Sarah Baker is found at the bottom of a ravine. Lindsay discovers that she was a young journalist writing an exposé on Marnie Spellman.
Marnie was a charismatic wellness guru in the 90's and had millions of devoted fans, as well as many detractors who feel that Spellman Farms was really a cult. Marnie says that when she was a child, a swarm of bees lifted her off the ground until she was flying, and then gently put her down, which provided Marnie with a deep connection to nature. She built a cosmetic empire, became a healer, and the queen of holistic health and beauty. She created an intimate circle of five devotees who are called The Hive. She became their "Queen Bee". That was all 20 years ago, but some things haven't changed.
The women that originally formed The Hive have been keeping a secret for those 20 years. Although they try not to associate with Marnie any longer, their loyalty is still strong . Dina is now a rather wealthy washed-up actress; Greta a wealthy hospital administrator; Heather a politician, and Trish is dead. So is Calista.
Lindsay knows they are covering up something, and is determined that someone is going to give up that secret, but as she digs deeper, it seems the truth continues to get buried.
My Opinions:
This book is basically about a cult run by a rather charismatic and bullying woman. It is about vanity, greed, lies, deceit, and the need to belong. It is also about murder.
Unfortunately, although the characters had depth, I didn't really like any of them (creating a difficult reading experience). It took me a while to figure out the truth about Trish, so that was a great twist, and there were others. As always with a Gregg Olsen novel, the plot was really good, and of course the writing was great!
The story is told in different time-lines and from different points of view. I am generally a fan of this style of writing, but I think this book may have gone back and forth a little too often. I did like the way Lindsay investigated, by going through various newspaper articles and You-Tube videos, as well as reading Marnie's book.
Although I found it a rather slow read, and the characters unlikable, the story was interesting, and everything came together at the end, although not all were punished appropriately.
I will definitely continue to read Gregg Olsen's books!
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