This is my third book by this author and it's just as good as the previous two. She knows how to keep you hooked! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't like this title as much as previous Katherine St. John books. I will still read her upcoming titles, and look forward to the next offering. This one left me a little bored.

A Nighttime Soap Version of a Cult Drama

3.5 stars

The Vicious Circle is a soapy read about a model who inherits a fortune from her uncle, who happened to be the leader of a world-famous wellness retreat, aka a cult.

Sveta, a former model, engaged to a prominent millionaire, is shocked to learn that her deceased Uncle Paul left her $180 million. She travels with her Uncle’s lawyer, Lucas, to a compound in the Mexican jungle, Xanadu, to attend Paul’s funeral. But something isn’t right at the so-called wellness retreat, and Sveta must put the pieces together to keep her inheritance and escape with her life.

This is an easy read to sink your teeth into. There is mainly one timeline with a few flashbacks and one narrator. Narrated by Sveta, she constantly reminds the reader of how sharp she is. The problem is that she isn’t all that sharp. She is likable and has a relatable voice. I enjoyed her chemistry and banter with Lucas.

I loved the remote setting in the Mexican jungle. However, I found the members of the cult, especially Kali, a bit cartoonish. The plot is more about the drama over Sveta's inheritance than the cult dynamics, although some over-the-top rituals, ceremonies, and weirdness are shared.

The Vicious Circle is a fun, guilty pleasure read. It is predictable but action-packed and twisty. Some of the events are a little ridiculous, but it has all of the elements I associate with St. John’s novels: mystery, intrigue, and romance. I couldn't put this down, and I recommend it for when you need a fun diversion!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and William Morrow in exchange for an honest review.

Definitely a different vibe than her previous books but I still enjoyed how captivated she kept my attention! What a unique and interesting plot line! It fell flat near the end but I still enjoyed the ride!

Katherine St. John's books keep getting better and better. I have read all three and she is the queen of writing escape suspense novels that are impossible to put down. Like her former books, this one also centers, to some degree, on the world of the elite, as Sveta, the main character, is a former model and her uncle is a multi-millionaire spiritual guru. What's different is that this one is a cult story that felt all too real and was filled with many surprises.

Synopsis: When Sveta's estranged uncle, and famous wellness guru, passes away, she receives a call from his lawyer telling her she is the sole beneficiary of his inheritance. The only catch is that she has to go to the retreat he lived on, which is located in an isolated jungle in Mexico. When she gets there, Sveta quickly realizes that this retreat is in fact a cult, now led by her uncle's wife, who is called the Shiva. What is supposed to be a quick 24 hours to sign the will and attend the funeral turns into a suspenseful and intense attempt to escape.

What I loved: There is nothing better than a thriller read that actually makes you feel scared and shocked! The twists and turns got me everytime. The setting and characters were well described. And Sveta was the kind of reliable and trustworthy main character you want to be rooting for!! Do not skip out on this one!

Read if you like:
-Escape thrillers
-Cult stories
-Second guessing who should be trusted
-Vivid, remote settings

Thank you so much William Morrow for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review!! Pub date: 9/27

The Vicious Circle by Katherine St. John

Books that have a sense of humor, as well as a sense of suspense, are my favorite and Kathrine St. John does this well. Her books are fun but keep you glued to the pages and I always enjoy some funny parts too.

This book checked all the boxes for me: sympathetic character? CHECK. Fast-moving plot? CHECK. Humor? CHECK. A plot I haven’t seen a million times before? CHECK. An interesting setting? DOUBLE-CHECK.

The whole wellness guru living in paradise is so relatable because we’ve seen so many of these people all over social media and online. This reminded me of the author’s first novel, The Lions Den, thanks to the fast pace, thrills, and wit!

PLOT:

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.

Coming out on September 27.

I've read all of Katherine St. John's books, so I was awaiting the publication of The Vicious Circle. Of them, I enjoyed The Lion's Den but wasn't as big a fan of her second book, The Siren. Her newest follows the general motif of the previous books where a young female protagonist is trapped in increasingly alarming circumstances in a remote locale--this time the jungle of Mexico and a wellness retreat center/cult nightmare. If you're naturally suspicious of yogis, self-help books, and herbal tea, you'll really enjoy this super quick thriller as much as I did!

I loved the idea of this book. A wellness retreat on a secluded island, amazing! A secret cult with very questionable practices, I'm in! Unfortunately, the execution wasn't really there for me. There seemed to be a lot of unnecessary filler and secrets that didn't exactly contribute to the story. It was still a pretty decent read but didn't have me too connected to any of the characters or on the edge of my seat.

I really liked this book. I’ve enjoyed other books by Katherine St John but I think this is my favorite of hers. I really enjoyed the setting and while I could see a few twists coming I really enjoyed it.

Great book with a deep story. Loved the twists in this one. The setting for all of the thrills to go down was unique also. Definitely one to check out if you like a great thriller/mystery.

Sveta gets the surprise of her life when she learns she’s inherited a posh wellness center in Mexico called Xanadu, from her uncle Paul. Sveta was estranged from her uncle so the inheritance makes no sense, plus there’s the fact that Paul had a wife. None of it makes sense, but Sveta leaves her home in New York to to visit the property in Mexico. Any initial illusions that Sveta has of Xanadu as a lush resort are soon replaced by the belief that the “guests” are more like cult members and that Paul’s wife, Kali, is their leader. The lush surroundings in this book are a perfect foil for the mounting dread as Sveta realizes she has no way to escape