Sveta Bentzen, an ex-model who feels extremely undervalued by her fiancé and his ultra wealthy family, is trying to figure out whether she should stay in a relationship with him when she receives a call that her estranged uncle, Paul, has died. But he's not just any uncle. He's even richer than her fiancé. And all his wealth--180 million dollars of it--now belongs to Sveta.

Oh--he's also the leader of a reclusive cult, not that Sveta knows this yet. And he also has a partner named Kali who not only has taken over as a goddess-like figure of the group, but was left nothing in Paul's will.

And so, needing closure and to pay her respects, Sveta travels to Paul's estate (at Kali's invitation), which just happens to lie in the middle of the Mexican jungle surrounded by a vicious cartel. So much for an easy weekend away to grieve her uncle and contemplate whether she wants to go through with her upcoming nuptials.

But once she's comfortable settled into Mandala, Sveta begins to realize that not everything is right with this "wellness retreat," and maybe Kali has dangerous intentions for wanting her there.

The Vicious Circle was a quick read and one that I enjoyed more than I expected to, though I found Sveta a difficult MC to relate to. And while this might make a neat movie, I'm not sure how I feel about the pacing of the book as a whole. Most of the book progressed slowly, with red flag hints sprinkled here and there that not all is well with Kali and her group. Then the last 15% flies by with an almost over-the-top rush of events. The rest of the cast, with the exception of Lucas and Kali, felt very "background-ish," and it always took me a beat to place who someone was.

There are some similarities between Jim Jones/the People's Temple and Mandala, as well as discussion of child abuse here, for readers who might be sensitive about that subject matter. And while it's not terribly graphic, it is disturbing.

Special thanks to William Morrow/Scene of the Crime Book Club for making this book available to read for a review through NetGalley.

This is a book that will keep you reading from page one. Sveta travels to the remote jungle of Mexico for her uncle’s funeral. Her uncle left her his entire estate, something she knows his long term girlfriend won’t be happy with.

When Sveta gets to the compound where her uncle has a wellness center she gets strange vibes from the beginning. No doors on the rooms, everyone wears the same colors each day, they share everything….

I highly enjoyed this book. It is a fairly quick read and packed with action and twists. Just when you think you can trust someone you find out you can’t. The story is told from Sveta’s POV and is in sections. I loved the drama and the secrets. The remote jungle setting added to the mystery. Excellent book!!!

3.5 Stars

Sveta hasn’t spoken to her uncle for years. She unexpectedly gets a phone call that he has died and left everything to her including is wellness center, Xanadu, in the Mexican jungle. Sveta heads down to the retreat to pay her respects and is anticipating a quick, 24-hour trip along. Upon arrival, she realizes that environment is very cult like and Sveta finds herself trapped. Will she be able to make it out of the Mexican jungle alive?

If you enjoy cult reads then this one is for you. I really enjoyed the beginning and the ending, the middle was a little slow for me, but the suspense kept my interest. The book was filled with unreliable characters and Sveta didn’t know who to trust. I loved the cult atmosphere, the jungle setting and the twists. I also really enjoyed that everything was nicely wrapped up in the end. If you enjoyed Katherine St. John’s other books, then I recommend this one to you as well.

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

⭕️Book Review⭕️
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Thank you @bibliolifestyle @williammorrowbooks @thekatstjohn for the advanced copy of vicious circle which as released three days ago!
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Summary: On a river deep in the Mexican jungle stands the colossal villa Xanadu, a wellness center that’s home an ardent spiritual group devoted to self-help guru Paul Bentzen and his enigmatic wife Kali. But when Paul mysteriously dies, his entire estate—including Xanadu—is left not to Kali, but to his estranged niece Sveta.

Shocked and confused, Sveta travels from New York City to Mexico to pay her respects. At first, Xanadu seems like a secluded paradise with its tumbling gardens, beautiful people, and transcendent vibe. But soon the mystical façade wears thin, revealing a group of brainwashed members drunk on promises of an impossible utopia, guided by a disturbing belief system and a charismatic, dangerously capable leader.

As the sinister forces surrounding Sveta become apparent, she realizes, too late, she can’t escape. Frantic and terrified, she discovers her only chance of survival is to put her confidence in the very person she trusts the least.
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Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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My thoughts: I really enjoyed this one, who doesn’t love a creepy cult like group in the middle of the woods! Sveta was a great main character even if she wasn’t a perfect person. I loved all of the twists and turns of this one, I flew through it ! I’m such a fan of Katherine St Johns writing since The Lions Den this is another great hit that I could totally see turned into a movie! Fast paced and will definitely keep you on your Toes!
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4.5 stars, rounded up. I'm such a fan of Katherine St. John's stylish and high drama stories and this one did not disappoint. It's very of the moment with it's cult inspired story, and the high stakes twists- life and death, many millions of dollars- make for a page turner.

If you like cult thrillers or loved Nine Perfect Strangers you'll enjoy this one. It comes out tomorrow - September 27th!

Sveta is a former model who finds her way traveling to the Mexican jungle after her uncle passed away. He is a self-help/spiritual guru and Sveta is inheriting his entire estate. Her uncle's lawyer Lucas joins her on the trip and even when they arrive, they find that things aren't quite what they seem, especially when they are stuck the longer than planned.

I liked the beginning of this one, the descriptions of Xanadu were spectacular and I liked that you didn't quite know who you could trust but by the second half I wasn't super invested. I think things wrapped up too quickly? I enjoyed it but I just wanted more. Especially after loving her other two books.

On audiobook, it's about 10.5 hours and Christine Lakin did a great job narrating.

🌴 вσσк яєνιєω 🌴
ᴛɪᴛʟᴇ: ᴛʜᴇ ᴠɪᴄɪᴏᴜs ᴄɪʀᴄʟᴇ
ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ: ᴋᴀᴛʜᴇʀɪɴᴇ sᴛ. ᴊᴏʜɴ
ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇʀ: ᴡɪʟʟɪᴀᴍ ᴍᴏʀʀᴏᴡ
ᴘᴜʙ ᴅᴀᴛᴇ: ᴛᴏᴅᴀʏ! 𝟿/𝟸𝟽/𝟸𝟸
ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ: ★★★★★

Here I am again with another cultish book rec! I’ve definitely tasted the Kool-Aid (or tea in this case) and cannot get enough!

ѕуиσρѕιѕ:

Sveta receives a phone call from her ex-lover, Lucas, who is now her estranged uncle’s attorney. He gives her the devastating news that her uncle has passed away. On a positive yet confusing note, she has been named his sole beneficiary - inheriting his massive net worth including his wellness center, Xanadu, located in the Mexican jungle.

Sveta travels to Xanadu to attend the funeral and pay her respects to his wife, Kali. She meets The Mandala, the spiritual group devoted to her uncle, and is mesmerized by the beautiful people, jungle paradise, and transcendent vibe.

Realizing too late that she can’t escape, Sveta begins to see through the peaceful outer facade of the group and is faced with the sinister forces that are truly running the show. Her only way to survive is to put her confidence behind the person she trusts the least.

тнσυgнтѕ:

Katherine St. John paints a beautiful setting in Xanadu and you can almost hear the howler monkeys and tropical birds as you’re sucked into the everyday lives of The Mandala. The book starts off with a slow burn but instantly cranks up the heat as soon as Sveta gets to Mexico. Many characters are keeping dark secrets so you don’t know who or what to trust until you reach the explosive ending.

I highly recommend this book to all thriller lovers and those wanting to feel completely immersed in a perfectly woven tale of deceit.

Thank you to William Morrow and Katherine St. John for the advanced copy! All thoughts are my own.

I received a free copy of, The Vicious Circle, by Katherine St. John, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Sveta inherits Xandu, a health and wellness retreat in Mexico, from her estranged Uncle Paul, who was murdered. I found this book to be too dark for me, and I did not like the language.

I thought this one started off strong, but once we got into the jungle it took a turn. I didn't know there was a cult aspect to the story or else I wouldn't have requested it. This story was bizarre at best. I loved The Lions Den by this author, but I'm finding that maybe she's not for me.

I think anyone who enjoys books about cults will get a kick out of this one.

This one didn’t keep me as engaged as her previous two but I still did enjoy it. While her previous works were full of drama this was more full of descriptions. I loved the idea of the plot with a jungle and cults but I felt it fell flat to the end and wrapped up quickly. Overall it was an ok read but didn’t meet my high expectations for St John.

Sveta is a former model, engaged to a man whose family doesn’t approve of her. Not only do they not approve, her fiance’s mother has moved the wedding another year out to try to sabotage the relationship. Sveta finds out her estranged uncle has died and left her his inheritance, amassing $180 million. But Sveta first must travel to a remote part of Mexico, where he died at his compound Xanadu, to pay her respects and obtain his death certificate. What she finds in Mexico is nothing that she could have expected.
Just like Sveta, I was surprised. I’m not sure what I expected from this book, but it wasn’t what I read! I thought this would be more of a beachy thriller, but instead it was a rather dark mystery involving a cult. The beginning of the book was easy to read and sucked me right in, but I found myself not as engaged as I continued to read, but I’m not sure why. The descriptions of Xanadu and the surrounding area were very detailed, but I still didn’t feel fully immersed in the story.
If you like dark, cult mysteries, or unexpected inheritances with hoops to jump through, this one could be up your alley! It comes out on Tuesday, 9/27 - thank you to William Morrow, NetGalley, and Scene of the Crime Early Reads for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Who can Svetka trust? She's just broken with her fiance and is living on a friend's couch when she gets a call from Lucas, who represents her uncle Paul's estate. Turns out Paul, who owned a booming wellness business and an estate called Xanadu deep in the Mexican jungle, has left it all to Svetka, bypassing Kali, his common law wife. Svetka and Lucas find more than they expected at Xanadu, which has become more cult like than wellness and then they find they can't leave. Why not? Mostly cut off from the world, Svetka finds herself turning to others to understand what's happening. There's even more to Kali (who has a pet jaguar) than Svetka knows at first as well as to Lucas. And then there's her own history. This is a well done thriller which surprised me with its twists. The characters are (sadly in some cases) believable and the setting atmospheric. AND, St John has thought about small things like the color coded clothes. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. A page turner.

Sveta hasn’t seen her uncle in years, so when the rich and famous self-help guru dies and leaves his entire estate to her, she’s understandably shocked. Sveta travels to her uncle’s wellness retreat, Xanadu to pay her last respects, thinking it will be a quick 24-hour trip. Xanadu is located in a remote Mexican jungle accessible only by boat and helicopter, and a supposed equipment malfunction leaves Sveta stranded there. Although scenic and serene at first glance, she soon finds that Xanadu isn’t quite the utopia it appears to be, and something much darker and more sinister lurks below the tranquil surface.

“The Vicious Circle” is a fast-moving, entertaining read full of creepy cult dynamics. I love a good cult storyline, and the inhabitants of Xanadu deliver on that aspect, with enigmatic leader Kali, overly zealous followers, pet jaguars, and a garden full of poisonous plants. I loved not knowing which members were true believers ready to rat out Sveta and her lawyer Lucas to do Kali’s bidding versus which ones were sensing something amiss and wanted to help our main characters. Sveta and Lucas’s backstory and chemistry are appealing and add another twist to this story, but I didn’t like that Sveta also had a fiancé back home, if you catch my drift.

Perfect for fans of Nine Perfect Strangers and any readers who love escapist cult-y thrillers. Many thanks to Scene of the Crime and William Morrow via NetGalley for providing me an advance copy of this book.

I have read a few things by this author, and I would say that this author is very consistent. I find myself really enjoying her work, but not really being overly excited about it. I have a good time while reading it, and she knows how to really reel you in--the writing style and narrative voice are very compelling in her other work and this one is no different. I recommend this and I had a pretty good time!

After reading and loving The Lion’s Den, I had some very high hopes for this one. It had a lot of components I love in a book: cult vibes, isolated jungle setting, and just the constant feel of something not being right. Unfortunately, it also had a lot of things I don’t like too and the top of that list was an incredibly dumb main character and a very predictable storyline. So predictable that the fact that the character was actually shocked by some things shocked me more than anything that actually happened in the book. Her inner monologue had me pulling my hair out in frustration. There was one point where she thinks “This sounds familiar. Where have I heard this before?” Um, like 20 pages ago? Sigh. The story had a lot of potential, too. I breezed through the first 40% but I realized shortly after that that this wasn’t going to be a win for me. I hoped for some redemption at the end but everything wrapped up a bit too quickly and neatly to truly satisfy. I still need to read The Siren, but this didn’t hold a candle to The Lion’s Den. Still excited to read her future releases though!

With that said, I feel this would be an entertaining movie!

Sveta is a model who lives in New York City with her fiance, Lucas, but they’re having problems because his family doesn’t accept her. When her estranged uncle dies, she is shocked to learn he has named Sveta as his sole heir of a fortune made from his wellness and spiritual retreats, presentations, books, and other merchandise. Paul had fled to a large compound in the middle of the jungle in Mexico and retired from the public eye after a scandal, leaving his wife Kali to be the face of their teachings. Sveta agrees to travel to Mexico to pay her respects and is accompanied by Paul’s lawyer, with whom Sveta has a history with going back to when she was a teenager. Things seem perfect at first, but Sveta realizes looks can be deceiving.

This book started out really good for me and Sveta’s struggles with her fiance and his family were relatable. I was intrigued at first when she arrives in Mexico and gets to know Kali better as well as those who lived at the retreat. The descriptions of the grounds are detailed and allowed me to really picture the setting. Sveta eventually realizes this retreat is actually a cult and could be dangerous. This is when the tension in the book turns creepy. I didn’t realize the story would focus so much on the cult and those elements are dark and disturbing. There are twists that seem to come out of nowhere and some of them don’t add anything to the story. Communication between a few of the main characters could have prevented so many problems and even deaths, so that was frustrating. After a tense atmosphere throughout the book and a very dramatic showdown at the end, other storylines are wrapped up very quickly, leaving some important questions open-ended.

I’ve read both of Katherine St. John’s previous books which also deal with some dark topics. However, those books as a whole were entertaining, while this book one didn’t have enough light moments and was very downbeat. St. John is a talented writer and I look forward to other books by her, but this was my least favorite of her three books. Since I really liked the beginning, I’ve rated the book 3.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow, and Scene of the Crime Early Reads for this ebook. An advance copy was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

Katherine St John is an auto-read author for me and I was super excited to dive into The Vicious Circle, especially since it sounded a lot darker than her last 2 beachy thrillers. It didn't quite hit the mark for me but wasn't too bad overall.

The story dragged in the first half with lots of furniture descriptions that I didn't care for despite solid world-building on a whole. What I did enjoy was learning about poisonous plants and Googling what they looked like.

This book fell flat for me largely because of its bland protagonist, who was passive and not very bright. The storyline is actually quite straightforward and most things are obvious from the outset, but somehow Sveta still manages to be shocked upon reaching the reveal. Even though I liked her journey of self-discovery, there were several subplots that felt unresolved by the end. I would have liked to see her standing up to those who had treated her badly at the start of the novel. I also didn't care for the romance at all and am so over the cheating.

While this wasn't my favourite by the author, I'll still look forward to her books.

It kills me to say I didn’t love this one. :(

St. John is an auto buy author for me. I have been impatiently anticipating this one for a while. I think my biggest struggle with it is the premise. Books about being left a fortune without knowing it are huge right now.. and I found this one to not be super original. Our main character was also confusing at times. I’m not sure why she did things. She’s a respectable model, but acts like a high schooler. She had a lot of backstory, but I don’t feel like she had a lot of depth. You can tell she’s brilliant, but didn’t really act like it.

This was a slow burn for me, that did build up towards the end. I’d recommend reading this one first if it’s your first time reading this author!

I love the cover though. It was done so well, and really represents the book. Just like the title!!!

A religious cult deep in the jungles of Mexico, with no easy access and limited to no access with technology to the outside world? Yes, please to this fresh spin on both cults and isolation in an interesting new setting. Sveta is questioning how happy she is in her relationship with rich boy snob Chase, who follows his mother’s edicts to the letter, when she gets word that her Uncle Paul has died. Paul had led a spiritual group as Shiva, and moved the group to Xanadu, deep in the jungle. A trip for Sveta is necessitated by the fact that Paul had named her as his heir, and reunites her with Kali, the current head of Xanadu, and Lucas - Paul’s lawyer and Sveta’s former one-night stand. While everything seems peaceful initially, it doesn’t take long before Sveta begins feeling trapped, pressured, and concerned about her safety. St. John throws in an interesting twist that makes Sveta feel even more isolated and concerned about who she can trust. The atmosphere is perfect - poisonous plants, jaguars, drug cartels and the general dangers of the jungle. I don’t necessarily love the storyline involving Chase, but it does make Sveta’s relationship and attraction to Lucas more interesting. I also think the culmination with the cult feels contradictory to Kali’s desire for control and access to all of Paul’s estate, but that may be my interpretation. This is definitely different from St. John’s last novel The Siren; both are enjoyable stories and I’m glad St. John didn’t just regurgitate her previous book with a different setting and slightly different characters. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I have read and loved both of Katherine St John’s previous books; 5 stars for both! So I was beyond excited to get an ARC of her newest book, The Vicious Circle, out Sept 27.

The book centers around Sveta, a retired model who is trying to figure out if her fiancé is the one for her when she finds out she’s receiving a large inheritance from her uncle. He has amassed a large fortune as a self help guru with a retreat center in Mexico called Xanadu. She is notified of this inheritance by her uncle’s lawyer, Lucas who insists she must go to the memorial and discuss the reading of the will.

Sveta is surprised to have this huge inheritance, especially since her uncle was married although she finds out quickly that this was not a legal marriage. Sveta and Lucas realize that Xanadu isn’t exactly what it looks like and it’s definitely more like cult. The employees are very controlling and their phones and other electronics are taken away. They are forced to drink this special tea that makes them lose their inhibitions. There’s been some talk of people what have mysteriously died while at the property. Sveta just knows something isn’t right and she needs to figure out what’s happening if she wants to escape with her life.

I didn’t like this one as much as her other books. I liked the idea of the inheritance and her uncle’s massive fortune. I thought the descriptions of Xanadu were beautiful and you could definitely picture the location. But The book reminded me a lot of 9 Perfect Strangers which I also didn’t love. I miss the drama of the Lion’s Den. The book starts with a good premise, but it was wrapped up very quickly. It is a short read though.

Thank you so much to @williammorrowbooks and the author for my gifted copy. While I didn’t completely love this book, I would absolutely read more.