Jaclyn Goldis’s The Safari is a tightly wound, atmospheric thriller that grabs you from the first page and doesn’t let go. Set against the striking and dangerous beauty of the South African bush, this novel expertly blends family drama, deep secrets, and a steadily building sense of dread that keeps you turning pages late into the night.

The story centers on Odelia Babel, a fashion mogul with a glamorous life, a younger fiancé, and a family teeming with resentment. What begins as a luxury celebration quickly turns deadly, and from the moment Odelia is found murdered, the story morphs into a riveting game of cat and mouse. Suspicion runs rampant, alibis crack under pressure, and the lush safari backdrop becomes a deadly hunting ground—not just for wild animals, but for truth and justice.

Goldis lays her clues with precision and grace, making you second-guess everyone and everything. The characters are flawed, fascinating, and sharply drawn, with family dynamics that are as explosive as the murder itself. The pacing is perfect—twist after twist keeps you guessing until the final, gasp-worthy reveal.

If you're a fan of Agatha Christie-style puzzles set in exotic, high-stakes locations, The Safari is an absolute must-read. It's equal parts thrilling, chilling, and deliciously satisfying. Prepare to devour this one in a single sitting.

I loved the setting of this book--a luxury safari resort in South Africa. Odelia Babel, the very successful CEO of a fashion company, has been coming to the resort for years with her family. The widowed Odelia is now getting remarried to a much younger man, and she's returned to the resort to celebrate her upcoming nuptials. In addition to the groom, Odelia is accompanied by her grown children as well as her "best friend"/assistant.

Everyone, including members of the resort staff, has something to hide, and we slowly learn from each person what that secret is. Everything comes to a head following Olivia's murder--who will be next???

A fun read, although I did find it hard to like any of the characters (which was probably the point).

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

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

I loved the beautiful setting in this book. The characters and the plot could use some work, but overall it was a good book.

I found myself invested about half way through and have no trouble recommending.

The Safari takes place in South Africa where a wealthy CEO brings her family to celebrate her impending marriage to her new fiancee. She is murdered and this book follows the twists and turns to solving her murder.

If I’m being honest, this book fell a bit flat for me. It’s marketed as a thriller that has a lot of twists. But in my opinion the book moved very slowly. Most of the characters are completely insufferable. This wouldn’t be an issue for me if the book actually moved quickly. But I found myself despising the characters and just wanting to figure out how it ended.

The ending felt a bit far fetched and I probably could have gone without the last few twists. I did really enjoy the setting and the animal aspects. I just wish there were a few less secrets between the characters and that it moved a bit quicker. Overall, it’s a fine book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for my copy!

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

I was sold on this one just based on the setting. An African safari is a Bucket List trip for me, so I loved that part! The descriptions are amazing! The story starts off pretty slow, but after a few chapters it takes off and is very twisty and turny. Wealthy and powerful Odelia Babel, a fashion house CEO is set to marry a much younger man. The whole immediate family is invited, and some are not happy about the wedding. Then there's that pesky murder! Odelia is dead and her son Sam is the top suspect. His sister is his alibi, but where the heck is she? There are a LOT of characters, but they all seemed to have a point, and most were likeable. A big change from my last few books. Overall, a good story and I look forward to more from Jaclyn Goldis!

Thank you to #NetGalley, Jaclyn Goldis and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

I will post my review to Amazon, Instagram, Barnes and Noble and other retail and social media sites upon publication day of June 3, 2025.

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.

chef's kiss. i loved this book.

i thought about it throughout the day. i couldn't wait to get to it each night. i didn't want to sleep.
the characters were interesting and annoying. i loved the pacing of story. something was constantly happening but it didn't feel dramatic or fantastical. i also enjoyed the layers of secrecy.

the twist caused me to make this face 😱

it gave me Knives Out with safari resort vibes.

4.5/5 stars. excited for this to be released.

i have some book related drawings on my blog if you are someone who likes book related art :)

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