Even better than her first book!! Loved all the twists at the end and seeing everything come together is something I always like to see. Definitely a good vacation book and something to escape into

What a fun book! Chock full of family drama and scandal! The “rich people behaving badly” trope is common but so well done here.

Buckle up, this one is a wild ride! Jaclyn Goldis' take on a closed room thriller set on a luxury African safari was gold. It was a bit confusing at first trying to keep the characters and their entanglements straight, but once you get to know everyone you are in for a treat.

I was sucked right in and spent the entire book trying to guess the motives and outcomes for the family. There are several twists and many breadcrumbs throughout. The backdrop really is the differentiator for me, bringing in secondary characters that bring the story to life.

This is a great book club pick for the family murder thriller crew.

Thank you to #netgalley for granting me this ARC
Unfortunately I could not finish this novel, it moved way to slow for me and was putting me to sleep. I may try to read it again at a later date. It could be that my mind just wasn't into it at this point in time.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Atria, and Simon and Schuster for this arc. I received this book in exchange for my honest review. My thoughts are entirely my own.


In this book we are following the Babel family as they go to a safari they own to celebrate a wedding and the trip takes a turn when the bride is murdered and everyone is a suspect. Odelia is the CEO of Circ a fashion empire and is getting married to Asher who is younger than her. Asher ends up having ulterior motives for marrying Odelia and ends up killing her for something that she did in her past. Her two sons and daughter: Joshua, Sam, and Bailey find out that Josh will be CEO and that he is in charge of Sam’s trust fund because of how reckless he is with money. Josh and Bailey both work at Circ but Bailey really wants to be a veterinarian which she decides to do after her mother dies and she finds out who her real father is. There is so much drama and intrigue throughout this book. I enjoyed this book as much as I did her last two books.

very fun thriller, but, and this is something I never thought I'd say, it's WAY too twisty. like, legit, there are like... 10, and it just feels overwhelming. 3.5 stars. tysm for the arc.

Thanks so much for this ARC Atria! I loved “The Chateau” by Goldis and was stoked to read this one on my vacation. It did not disappoint! This is an unputdownable page turner. (This comes out May 20th!)

Odelia is a powerful matriarch with a huge fashion empire. She’s about to remarry, to a man 25 years her junior. Her grown children are at the African resort to celebrate but have a lot of feelings about this match. Hours before the wedding, the bride is found dead. It seems like every family member and close friend present has a secret they are hiding from the group.

Goldis writes atmosphere SO WELL! In “The Chateau,” I was swept away to a grand French villa. In this novel, I was transported to sweaty game drives among the elite. Her books (at least the two I’ve read) alternate perspectives, which keeps the tension high. I really didn’t see where this was going. Highly recommend this for a thrilling vacation/summer read!!

✨Content Warnings: Murder, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Gore, Ageism, Classism

Safari by Jacklyn Goldis marks my first experience reading a novel by this author. Set amidst the breathtaking landscapes of South Africa, the story unfolds at the Leopard Sands Compound, a luxurious resort type owned by the Babel family. This compound is nestled int he heart if nature, offering both the awe-inspiring beauty and the thrills unpredictability of wild life. The plot revolves around the matriarch, Odelia Babel, who has gathered her family for a wedding celebration-her own, to a much younger man. This decision doesn’t sit well with her relatives, creating underlying tensions. Told from multiple prospectives, including Odelia’s children, her daughter in law, her best friend, her fiancée and even staff members at the resort. The book weaves together numerous storylines. It begins with a murder, setting the stage for a complex narrative. While I appreciated the vivid descriptions of the resort and the land and finding Goldis’s character development engaging, the multitude of interwoven plots made it difficult to for me to stay fully immersed. Although the book drew me in, I can’t say this book fully captured my enthusiasm.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I was immediately drawn in by the title and description of the book. A rich family on safari for the mom’s wedding to a much younger man and she’s found murdered the day of the wedding. Yes please! I love a good toxic family whodunnit. But this was a mess full of unrealistic and unlikeable characters. Entertaining but not my favorite.

After visiting France and Italy, the author’s third locked-room mystery is set in an African Safari, my dream destination. Odelia is a rich widow heading her own sustainable fashion empire. She is marrying a much younger man and brings her three adult children, daughter-in-law and her best friend since childhood to the big event. Right from the beginning we learn that Odelia will be murdered. Since everyone is hiding something, it’s not easy to find out whodunit. Every chapter is told by a different character, and they are not too likable, even if I did have a soft spot for Bailey, the animal-loving daughter, and Joshua, the responsible elder son. If I didn’t care much for Odelia, but I was still invested in the story and wanted to learn all the secrets. As is usual with these books, some are more benign than others, and most have nothing to do with the murder. The problem was that I found the pace uneven. I’m fascinated by different religions and I love to learn about them. But I just wanted to know who was the killer, so every interruption to explain Jewish practices and beliefs just aggravated me. Same with the story of South Africa or the importance of sustainability in fashion. It’s not that I don’t care, it’s that it kept interrupting the action. I’m also one of those animal lovers who can’t watch documentaries because I can’t bear to face the cruelty of nature. So interrupting the action to see how lions tear apart their prey was not for me, especially when it didn’t add anything to the plot. The last part was very suspenseful and I enjoyed the novel overall, just not as much as I was expecting.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Atria/Emily Bestler Books.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed the setting. It was well written and exotic. A South African safari was the perfect backdrop for a murder mystery.
Unfortunately, everything outside of the setting was very lackluster. The characterization was thin, and there wasn't enough intrigue/mystery to keep me invested in the story.

I felt the same way about her previous book, The Chateau.

Oh this was a good one! Fast read for me. I now think no k South Africa should be the next setting for The White Lotus.

I love this author. She turns a basic mystery plot into something complex and layered. There is no way to figure out where she is going with it until she tells you as it is nearing the conclusion. There are many elements that tie together to create a comprehensive story. You might be able to work out some of what is going on, but the entire picture will not fit together until the author is good and ready. I will continue to read all of her books. I also appreciated how she worked the setting (safari in South Africa) and environmental trends (sustainability, a move away from throw away culture, etc.) into the themes running in the background of the story.

I definitely recommend this to anyone that likes a good mystery with a good plot.

Enjoyable enough story, but nothing really memorable. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

The setting was amazing. I am wondering how Ms. Goldis did the research. The descriptions of the resort were jaw-dropping.

I enjoyed the different POV's, and I felt most characters were at least somewhat likable. Aside from Odelia and her deceased husband, that is.

The surprises kept coming, though I did predict a few of them to some extent. But they all made sense! Nothing, to me, was a crazy twist just to be twisty. I thought all the surprises helped explain the characters' motivations and actions.

I also thought the writing was beautiful and lyrical.

Looking for a well paced, well plotted mystery, then check this one out! This had me tapping my kindle fast because I needed to know more.
Well done.

Set on a supposedly beautiful South African game resort, “The Safari” follows the ultra wealthy Babel family. As the matriarch, Odelia, prepares for her second wedding to a man 20+ years her junior, she’s mysteriously found dead.
“The Safari” unfortunately had much potential and never delivers. About 40% of the way through the novel, nothing has happened yet. This turtle-like pace combined with almost no scene setting, on a scene that has enormous potential, leads to a DNF.

The Safari was such a wild ride—literally and figuratively! This book had everything I love in a mystery: a lush, exotic setting, messy family dynamics, and a whodunit murder mystery packed with twists and turns that kept me completely glued to the pages.

From the very start, I was hooked. There’s something about an isolated, dangerous setting that immediately amps up the tension, and the author nailed that feeling here. The descriptions of the safari itself—the vast landscapes, the unpredictability of the wilderness, the thrill of being surrounded by untamed nature—made the atmosphere feel so vivid and alive. It wasn’t just a backdrop; it was a character in its own right, adding to the overall sense of unease as the mystery unfolded.

The family drama was another major highlight. I love when thrillers incorporate deep, complicated relationships, and this book had plenty of those. Secrets, betrayals, long-buried tensions—it all made for such a compelling read. Every character had layers, and as the story progressed, I found myself constantly shifting my suspicions, second-guessing everyone’s motives. Just when I thought I had something figured out—BAM! Another reveal completely threw me off.

And those twists? So well done. The author wove them seamlessly throughout the story, keeping the suspense high and the stakes even higher. Everything came together so perfectly by the end, which I deeply appreciate in a mystery. There’s nothing more satisfying than a book that delivers on all its promises and doesn’t leave you hanging with loose ends.

The chapters were a bit on the longer side, but honestly? It didn’t bother me at all. Once I got drawn into the story (which happened fast), I didn’t want to put it down anyway!

Overall, The Safari was an absolute page-turner, blending thrills, drama, and suspense into one unforgettable read. If you love twisty mysteries, family secrets, and an atmospheric setting that keeps you on edge, this one is definitely for you!

The Safari was such a great read. It included all of my favorite things. A fun, exotic setting, family drama, and a whodunit murder mystery. There were so many different twists in this story. The author did a great job of weaving them together throughout and tying them neatly together at the end. The chapters are on the longer side but that didn't deter me after being quickly drawn into the story.

This will be a fun, light summer read. If you like a lot of plot twisting, you will enjoy this. The character development and dialogue is often a bit like watching Dallas or Dynasty back in the day--totally fun if you are in the mood for that. Small spoiler: The minute someone dies, everyone just starts accusing everyone else LOL. NO ONE IS SAD. It does all take place over a few days (mostly), so I found that different than most books with multiple POV. Complicated family dynamics. I was a little worried about the safari angle because I'm not big into animals or zoos, but those early chapters were extraordinarily well done (clearly researched) and they were really some of my favorites. Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the ARC and the opportunity to share my review.