This was a really fascinating thriller set in South Africa with so many twists and reveals it stayed engaging throughout. I felt like it was a really quick read, with a beautiful setting and so much family drama to get into. I really enjoyed this!

3.5⭐️ What a great setting for a thriller! South Africa as the backdrop for this book makes me want to go back to Kruger and explore the bush on safari again! I haven’t read a who done it mystery in a while and this was a fun one. I think the book tried to tackle too many things at once and would have been better without all the subplots. Still a fun an and compelling read!

I really enjoyed this destination thriller as it reminded me a lot of The Guest List. As a family gathers for a wedding, one member of the wedding party turns up dead, and many people at the site of the wedding, a South African safari resort, are potential suspects. A lot of family drama, many twists and turns and the welcome inclusion of the power dynamics of luxury tourism.

My blog review goes up May 13 and I will come back and link it!

Thank you Atria/Emily Bestler Books for my gifted copy!

I’m having a love hate relationship with The Safari.

The world building in the beginning was necessary, don’t get me wrong, but it was a lot. It wasn’t what I expect in a thriller from Jaclyn Goldis. That’s not to say it was bad, it wasn’t at all, but it was a lot. It felt out of place in a book compared to White Lotus (which, admittedly, I’ve never watched, but get the general idea of). There was a slog of information and I was about ready to give up.

And then!

I inhaled another 150 pages of delectable, messy family drama. I mean god, they were so dysfunctional and full of trauma baggage. It was almost unbelievable.

And then?

In the third act, we get a completely different book, with comparisons to Agatha Christie. A big reveal, a long-winded explanation about whodunit and whydunit. It was … too much. This book was a rollercoaster and I can’t tell if I’m happy I read it or not. Sorry. 😞

A deep dive into family dynamics that have lingering repercussions. Set in South Africa, the Babel siblings, gather to witness their mother’s second marriage.
Each sibling is dealing with their personal and professional relationships and after their mother’s unexpected murder must have to navigate even more secrets. This was a quick and engaging read that left the reader with additional things to ponder.

These characters are exceptionally unlikable. I knew they would be rich and entitled and was expecting White Lotus vibes. However in those shows I usually at least love to hate the characters. I really couldn't here. And the contrast with being in Africa made it worse. There were some religious undertones that were a turn off too. I chose to DNF after I couldn't get connected to the characters.

I liked the story and loved the setting. I could feel the danger and it worked with this storyline and dysfunctional family. I didn’t quite connect with the story and any of the characters.

Odelia embarks on a lavish safari getaway with her dysfunctional family to celebrate her marriage to Asher — but not everyone is thrilled about the union. Tensions rise, secrets simmer, and the trip takes a chilling turn when Odelia is found dead, and shockingly, her own son becomes the prime suspect.

What follows is a whirlwind of lies, betrayals, and deadly twists that will keep thriller fans on the edge of their seats. The safari setting is vividly described, adding an exotic and haunting backdrop to the drama.

However, while the story is packed with suspense and intrigue, at times it feels overly crowded with subplots. The pacing could have benefitted from tighter editing to maintain focus and momentum. Still, it's a gripping tale of family dysfunction, hidden motives, and the ultimate price of secrets.

I so enjoyed this novel, and all its richly woven entertainment. I literally was on safari, as I read it, and everything in her story mirrored what was happening for me. The characters are well developed, and the whole book brings in intrigue as well as the excitement of the bush.

The Safari is a twisty, perfect for summer/vacation read. I think reality TV fans will be particularly drawn to this book about a rich, dysfunctional family, that brings plenty of secrets and drama. The characters are MESSY and make lots of terrible decisions.

We meet the Babel family on a safari, where they’ve gathered at their family-owned resort to celebrate the matriarch’s marriage to a man as young as her own adult children. But the novel kicks off with a murder and it seems everyone may be prey-to one another-not the wild beasts that surround them.

This is a jam-packed, locked room murder mystery that will keep you guessing, everyone has a motive!

This is the perfect book to take on vacation -- especially if you're headed to South Africa for a safari! Ms. Goldis has crafted an unputdownable whodunnit filled with complicated family dynamics; the desire for money and power; murder, beautiful scenery, wild animals, and a compelling storyline. If I was being more picky, I would say there were a few too many surprises, twists and turns, but I sure kept reading! I will definitely add the author's two previous books to my TBR list.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for the eARC and the opportunity to read and review this novel. Highly recommend.

I tried, but I just could not get interested in this book. I did not like any of the characters. Did Not Finish at 65%

A women with a fashion empire plans on getting married to a designer that is much younger than herself. The wedding will be at an all expenses paid safari in South Africa. Her family is invited, but not everyone is happy with this wedding. After Odelia is found murdered, her son becomes the suspect. He claims to have been with his sister, but she’s nowhere to be found. More murders occur and the suspect pool opens a bit. I loved the writing in this book and thought the premise was very unique. I literally couldn’t put this book down towards the end!

During a luxury safari in South Africa, a wealthy family's reunion turns deadly when CEO Odelia Babel is murdered hours before her wedding. As secrets surface, her son becomes the prime suspect, but with his twin sister missing and danger lurking, it’s clear the killer is still hunting.

The Safari by @jaclyngoldis
Pub date - 5/20/25

The Safari is hands down one of my favorite thrillers I have read this year. We follow the Babel family as they travel to their Safari compound in order to celebrate the marriage of their mother, Odelia, to Asher, who is young enough to be her own child.

What ensues is murder, lies, secrets and lots of fun safari descriptions. I didn’t see the twist coming in this book at all, and it kept me engaged from page one. I love a thriller that has all the elements of suspense while still being able to delve into character flaws and character development.

I felt very connected to all of these characters and was sad to see them go when the book ended. This was my first Jaclyn Goldis novel and now I need to dive into her back log!

This is such a fun book to pick up for this summer and I highly suggest you do! Thank you @netgalley and @atriabooks for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately this was a DNF for me. I had a hard time following the story and the writing. I wanted to like it!

Hmm. I don’t know what to say about this one. I mean, I didn’t love it, but take that comment with a grain of salt. I’m wondering if these thriller authors are just grasping at straws trying to come up with ideas that no one‘s done before. Yet even though they come up with new settings and new plots, they all seem to fall back on a few of the same tropes.

This one fell back on the “rich people behaving badly” trope. There are a lot of characters, and they’re all unlikable, and while this book has a lot of twists in it, the twists are pretty outlandish.

While a thriller can be a fun popcorn read once in a while, I think I need to just cool it and not read as money because they all blend together.

If you like rich people be behaving badly, you will probably love this book! If you haven’t tired of the thriller genre yet, you will probably love this book! But if you’re like me and you’ve read enough of these books, this one won’t stand out to you in my opinion.

🦁 T R A G I C T U E S D A Y review 🦁 featuring “The Safari” by Jaclyn Goldis!

MY RATING: 🖤🖤🖤/5

Odelia Babel is about to get married for a second time to someone 25 years her junior. Her three adult children are not thrilled about her upcoming nuptials and it creates tension within the family.

Odelia plans an all expenses paid luxury safari trip to South Africa for those closest to her. This happens to be the Babel family’s favourite vacation spot and now the perfect place to get re-married.

Hours before the wedding Odelia is found murdered and everyone attending the trip becomes a suspect! There are predators lurking around that are not only animals, but humans too. Is the rest of the Babel family in danger of becoming someone’s prey?

The South African setting is one that I have never read before! It is super unique, interesting to read about and thrilling as you navigate through such dangerous terrain. Pay attention to the family tension, acts of manipulation and exposed secrets in order to understand the toxic dynamics of the family and the history they share.

Thank you kindly to @jaclyngoldis @atriabooks @simonschusterca @netgalley for my #gifted advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review. This book releases on May 20, 2025!

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

A wealthy businesswoman has found love again, and she decides to marry in South Africa with her family and friends surrounding her. Except that she is the only one who is happy, and when she is discovered dead, all fingers point to those she trusted most.

If you're looking for a hot mess of a dysfunctional family, you will find it here. Pure ruthlessness all the way. This wasn't a book I could read in one sitting because this family was CRAZY!! Usually, I have some empathy for someone in the story, but I cannot find myself an ally of anyone. The last section of the chapters was wild with a lot of twists, but it took a while (50 %+ mark) before I really felt invested in the outcome.

I do want to mention that this book wasn't even on my reading radar until I was sent a marketing email. I loved the location, as it was different than my other thriller settings( North America, Scandinavia or the UK).




Expected Publication Date 20/05/25
Goodreads Review Published 28/05/25

While the setting of this books was very exciting, there were too many points of views to keep track of everything. I wanted to be swept away by the mystery and suspense. But I just didn't.