Thank you to Random House - Ballantine for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Dark Circles by Caite Dolan-Leach is a gripping thriller that will appeal to fans of The Sanatorium or Nine Perfect Strangers. The story revolves around Liv, an actress whose publicist is sending her to a spiritual retreat in upstate New York called the House of Light. The House of Light promises yoga, enlightenment, and realignment, which is exactly what Liv needs after a public meltdown and frequent drug use. But while Liv is there, she discovers that the House of Light is involved with four mysterious deaths. Could the House be murdering young women as some sort of ritualistic sacrifice? Liv starts a podcast to investigate the deaths.

Here is an excerpt from Chapter 1, which introduces us to Liv:

"The retreat is not one of the famous ones. It’s not in Malibu, or Hawaii, or even in Thailand, which is where I frankly hoped I was going to end up. (Southeast Asia bucket list, amirite?) The price tag for treatment at this one is cheaper, and it’s lower-profile, which suits my needs perfectly, I’m told. But I guess there are other reasons for choosing the House of Light. For starters, it is NOT, technically, rehab. It is a well-respected Spiritual Center, a site for those seeking realignment and personal growth. It is a place of yoga and morning meditation and soft bamboo-blend fabrics where we all will hold hands and snuggle our crystals and . . . I guess wake up with the sun?
Because it is not rehab, the focus is not on substance abuse. I think this is why Jessica likes it best, since I will be spending time there for rest and relaxation, not to dry out. I’m there for sun salutations and quinoa! She has even called the director who passed on a project I pitched, who will say, if the press asks, that I’m working on a film with him, a story about a clean-living hippie out in the sticks working on her daily asanas as she finds her way toward harmony after the tragic death of her daughter."

Overall, Dark Circles is a fast-paced thriller that you won't be able to put down. I am a fan of thrillers set in exotic or creepy locations, and the House of Light definitely fits the bill. I was enjoying the chapters when Liv was in the spiritual retreat. Midway through the book, Liv leaves the retreat, and she starts a podcast. It was a pretty abrupt change. Although I enjoyed the first half of the book more, it was interesting to see Liv go from retreat participant to true-crime podcast host. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of thrillers in general, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in April!

I’ was sort of torn on how I felt about this book when I finished reading, but after some thought I ultimately settled on a 3.5/5 stars rating. While the synopsis sounded so intriguing - an actress having a public breakdown turns to a spirituality retreat to re-center herself, only to uncover a mystery - I did find some parts of the story to be dragging.
What I loved about this book was the sort of live action true crime podcast theme. Olivia spends some time at House of Light, a spirituality retreat, to step out of the public eye after an embarrassing meltdown. While at HOL Olivia meets another guest, Ava, who believes the HOL is responsible for the deaths of four women. Using some of Ava’s research, Olivia sets off on her own to uncover the truth, while reporting everything she finds to her millions of podcast listeners. I enjoyed the interviews, the podcast, and following Olivia around while she tries to uncover clues.
I think what turned me off the most was Olivia herself; She was self absorbed, kind of whiny, and wholly single minded - but she was also written as a Hollywood actress, so I sort of took those off-putting traits as intentional by the author.

Dark Circles by Caite Dolan-Leach is a superb read with an engrossing plot and vibrant characters. Well worth the read!

thanks to netgalley for an ARC of this book. i found the plot a little far fetched, and as someone not on social media, i wasnt terribly interested in the importance social media plays in this book. the writing is decent, but i didn't feel very involved in the storytelling. the impetus for the plot is the mysterious deaths of several women connected to a spiritual organization/cult. an actor whose career seems to be on a downward spiral because of her off screen behavior, decides to start a podcast to report on her investigation into the cult and the deaths. a deeper dive into her life earlier in the book would have gotten me more interested. instead the author dribbles out little pieces of her story throughout the book. i read a lot of crime fiction and found this unexceptional.

Oh myyyyyy, I was SO excited for this book to come out because I absolutely love Caite Dolan-Leach's writing. I was not disappointed at all!!! Dark Circles was absolutely amazing. The characters were outstanding and the storyline was so intense, I loved it so much. Must read!

Wow. I liked this book a lot more than I expected to. I was intrigued by the description but I didn’t totally love Dolan-Leach’s We Went To The Woods (the young adult characters were meant to be precocious but mostly came across as obnoxiously pretentious) so I went into this one with lukewarm expectations. I was pleasantly surprised that I totally lost myself in this novel, picking it up every chance I could and happily reading for hours at a time.

Dark Circles is the perfect intersection of a thriller and literary fiction, the two genres I read most. While there are some inconsistencies, and the equinox/solstice thing was a little lame, Dolan-Leach spins a compelling whodunnit full of interesting and (surprisingly) believable characters. I really appreciated that while Liv was a bit of a mess (former starlet trying to revive her career, daughter of a narcissistic father, mother went missing when she was 16, substance abuser, tumultuous relationship-haver), she wasn’t portrayed as hopelessly damaged, even if she saw herself that way at times. Instead of just being a stereotype, Liv is written to be quick and intelligent, resourceful, funny, and was ultimately a narrator I really connected with.

While the spliced in podcast segments could have been gimmicky and induced eye rolls, it actually worked as a fun little device to keep momentum. There is just enough of it that it keeps the story moving at a quick clip without bogging it down or overshadowing the actual story, which is about more than the apparent murders of four young women at the hands of a cult that is equal parts Rajneesh and NXIVM. Just like with real podcasts, though, I skipped the podcast ads. I think they were meant to be funny but just one would have been enough for the cheeky joke to land, having multiple ad segments was annoying.

Finally, one small qualm I have with this author (I noted this in my review of We Went to The Woods, too) - she uses phrases no American would ever say. For instance, Liv repeatedly refers to her Manhattan apartment as her “flat”. As someone living in NYC I can assure you no one calls their apartments flats. It’s confusing, too, because while the author attended university in the UK, she’s from upstate New York 🤷🏻‍♀️

Anyway, overall, I loved this novel, and I will be recommending it to friends when it is released. Thanks to Netgalley and Ballantine for the eARC in exchange for the review. All opinions expressed here are honest and my own.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Olivia needs a break and is told to go to on vacation to a place where she can relax. When she arrives she is told that strange things have happened at this place. This book kept me interested from the start.

This one has all the elements of a good thriller - signs of serial killer, signs of a cult, and lots of signs that not everything is as it seems. I appreciated the level of suspense that remains up until the last chapter. What was harder for me to appreciate was the way the story unfolded. Flashing between present and podcast episodes made it hard to follow in the beginning. There were also flashbacks to events in the past that seemed superfluous. Overall, this is a quick read that kept my attention but in the end I felt like it could've been told in a more straightforward way.

This was a look at fame, infamy and cult life. There is a mystery woven within that launches actress Liv to start a podcast, revolving around the House of Light facility. It is well crafted and engaging story. Set in the Finger Lakes of NY...which is basically my backyard so that was a bonus, albeit a distracting one for me as it kept taking me out of the narrative.

"Dark Circles" may not develop a cult following, but it does follow a cult. Olivia (Liv) Reed is an actress with a penchant for self-destruction. After her latest public meltdown, her friend and manager Jessica sends her to a spiritual retreat in upstate New York called House of Light. Shortly after she arrives, the body of a young woman is retrieved from a rowboat on the lake that borders the House of Light property. The woman, Hannah, turns out to be a former client of the House of Light. One of the current residents at the retreat is a local woman, Ava, who has a reputation as a drunk and conspiracy theorist (though Liv does not realize it at the time). Ava tells Liv about the deaths of other young women in recent years, occurring on an equinox or solstice. Some of the deaths have been ruled suicides, but Ava is convinced that the women have been murdered and that the House of Light is involved. Liv is not sure what to think, but when Rain, the woman who runs the House of Light, kicks Liv out after only a week for betraying the trust of the House of Light and being too focused on death, not wanting to focus on addressing her "shadow self", and after she reviews the information Ava has gathered, she decides to proceed with the idea of a podcast proposed by Ava. Jessica wants nothing to do with the project, thinking that Liv is projecting (as her mother disappeared when she was sixteen and has never been found) and that this project will hurt the efforts to get Liv's career back on track. Therefore, Liv pitches the idea to another industry source, who loves the idea of a true crime podcast and connects Liv with a local producer, Naia, who helps her produce "Vultures."

The story alternates between snippets of the podcast episodes, Liv's time at the House of Light, snippets of Liv's past, and her investigation into the deaths of these women, as well as the disappearance of other women with connections to the House of Light. The more she investigates, the stranger things become and the stronger the pressure from the House of Light for her to cease the podcast. Vultures proves very popular, especially as the investigation into the suspected crimes is happening in real time, and there are lots of armchair detectives and conspiracy theorists who are happy to provide their assistance and theories. One of the neat aspects of the book is the contribution from listeners. While some of their ideas/theories are out in left field, some of the listeners are able to discover information that aids the investigation.

The story has plenty of suspense and mystery. The author does a good job of keeping the reader guessing, especially as she weaves elements of Liv's past, the tv show she is known for, and the strange dynamic between Liv and her father into the story, as there are aspects of her life and acting career which color her thinking about the deaths of these women and the House of Light. Furthermore, the House of Light has some really strange ideas, and the mystery behind the deaths of the four women is probably not what the reader will suspect.

I received a copy of the e-book via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

Liv Reed is a mediocre actress, faced with a public breakup and the poor media press the comes with it, needs a break. Her manager checks her into a retreat/rehab at The House of the Light in upstate New York. While settling in for what she thinks is a month of green juice and yoga, Liv discovers the checkered past of the HOL. Missing and dead women, pagan rituals and a history that makes Scientology look good.

Hoping to turn her investigating into a new profile spin, Liv starts a podcast about her time at the HOL, and the history of the cult - dating back to 20 years, when it was mainly just a hippie commune. But the more Liv digs, the more she finds out - and a lot of it puts her own life on the line.

I found this novel really slow to get going but really pulls together around 65% (e-readers). But the ending has me scratching my head after reading it 3-4 times, which is why I bumped it down a star.

Olivia Reed was a successful television celebrity when she has a VERY public melt down about her love life. The PR becomes unbearable and she is sent on a spiritual retreat in upstate New York. This book very much so gave 9 perfect stranger vibes. While there she realizes that this retreat is not exactly what meets the eye and she wants to expose them. But will she able to get it out before they take care of her? This book was really fast paced and intriguing, it just was not something that I needed to keep reading and I did not really love any of the characters.

I was so excited to get approved for this book. I love anything true crime related and all the podcasts out there intrigue me to no end. So when I saw that 'Dark Circles" was about a minor celeb who hits rock bottom in her personal life and ends up in a new age type rehab/spa-like place but discovers a deadly cult and turns the story into a podcast ..Well, of course.. I was all in. Then, I started reading the book. Horrendously unlikeable Liv is the main character-and she is incredibly self absorbed and as well as an extremely shallow young woman who is just really dumb!! The twist was obvious from the beginning Liv.. sorry. The storyline about Liv's disappearing mother did get me to empathize with Liv and her selfish father and I wanted to find out what happened to the missing mother so I forced myself to finish this book. That conclusion was just as unsatisfying as the whole House of Light Cult storyline. I think Caite Dolan-Leach is a very descriptive writer or this book would have been a DNF for me.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for a chance to read and review.

Olivia Reed, famous actress is told she is out of control and needs some time away after the tabloids get hold of a scandalous story. She finds herself at a spiritual retreat that seems a bit odd to say the least. Olivia becomes embroiled in a crazy conspiracy theory attached to the "House of Light". What a thrilling, mysterious cult twister discussed in a podcast format. Great characters that have you guessing who you can trust. Although I had a feeling who was behind the reason Olivia is at this particular facility, the ending is a wild ride. Very enjoyable read.


I received a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you @randomhouse for allowing me to read this book.

Really loved the sharp, funny, and witty dialogue in this book along with her thoughts as she encounters each aspect of the retreat/recovery center. It was at times hilarious while also building with suspense. A great read!

TV star Olivia Reed has had a rough few weeks. Her agent feels that it would be best for her to take a break at the House of Light. It's not a rehab - not exactly. But it is a place where Olivia can relax and get centered. At least, that's what Olivia thought... until one of the other women at HoL begins to share her theories with Olivia. At least four women who attended the House of Light have ended up dead in mysterious circumstances that were all determined to be suicides or accidental. Olivia decides that she needs to look into the deaths (via an investigative podcast) and determine if the HoL is more than just a retreat... are they murdering young women? And if so, why?

If you say the words "cult" or "podcast" as a major feature of a novel, it's almost a definite guarantee I'll be reading! Additionally, I read a previous book by this author, We Went to the Woods, and loved it, so all in all I came in with pretty high expectations. This book did not disappoint. Additionally, if you've read the author's book Dead Letters, you might recognize some characters from that book (it's already been added to my TBR, naturally). This book is a bit of a slow burn, but I could not put it down - I had to know what secrets the House of Light was hiding!

Dark Circles is the story of Olivia Reed, an actor who needs a break from the spotlight and ends up at a spiritual center called the House of Light. She soon discovers that there is something wrong with how the center operates and decides to investigate further. I didn't enjoy this book for two main reasons. First, it spent almost the whole time building up how shady and creepy the House of Light was only to have no real pay off or consequences for the people involved. There was no real climax, which was disappointing. The second reason is that I just couldn't stand the main character. She spent too much time pitying herself and acting as if other people owed her their attention or time. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This was a really interesting book. The main character, Liv, seemed pretty shallow and unlikeable at the beginning of the novel. As the book progressed, she slowly becomes more sympathetic due to great character development. The plot about a dangerous cult masquerading as a self help program was fascinating and timely. I really enjoyed this thriller.

Sadly this book wasnt for me. I like the concept and where the book wanted to go but it didnt take me there

I was hooked by the premise, which hinted at a cult-like retreat and an actress trying to expose their secrets. However, I struggled to stay engaged with the writing. While I appreciate Liv's sarcasm, it was so consistent that I couldn't differentiate the humor from sincerity.

Additionally, the way the story jumped from the main timeline to the podcast, with occasional asides, added to the distraction. (That said -- I've read thrillers with podcasts woven in throughout the plot and it can be done successfully. It just didn't work for me here.)

There's a lot of interesting elements to the book, so hopefully other readers will connect with it more than I did.