Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. While this was a solid thriller, it was very slow moving and had a huge character load. Both of these things detracted from the plot itself. Many may like it but it wasn't for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

MY REVIEW: I cannot wait to add a physical copy of this book to my shelf! From the start, Goldis serves atmospheric vibes of a South African safari setting; the inclusion of culture throughout the book establishes a sense of place and magnifies the setting. The inclusion of Jewish-Orthodox religion, background, and customs was greatly appreciated and added even more layers to the background of the Babel family.

I really enjoyed the multiple POVs and how they were utilized; each character is richly developed, which gives psychological depth and believability. Each of the characters is flawed, holding onto secrets and information unknown to anyone else. The dynamic among the Babel children and staff was a lot of fun!

There are several layers to the plot, each being revealed slowly, to masterfully weave together the secrets of the present and past. The plot was easy to follow and kept me guessing (and wrong) until the very last page. The first half is slow-paced and sets the scene for the great mystery we all know is on the horizon, with the second half intensifying to bring the reader to the (truly) shocking end.

What didn’t work for me: The repetition (like many iterations) throughout the book about, what I think, may be the character’s insecurities. Repetition works, but not when there is no information added to what we already know to be true. While I enjoyed the characters, I could not relate to any of them; on a surface or deeper level.

4/5!!!

This was a solid thriller, but slow going and a bit confusing with all the characters. I enjoyed the later half of the book and the African safari part was exciting. An overall solid read but not my favorite.

This book goes back and forth between chapters, each devoted to a different character. This is one messed up family. There were several twists at the end that came totally out of left field. Even after you figure everything has been resolved there is another twist. I never saw them coming! Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

Jaclyn Goldis's The Safari is a thrilling mystery set against the exotic backdrop of a South African safari. The narrative centers on Odelia Babel, a wealthy CEO of a fashion empire, who invites her family to Leopard Sands, a luxury safari resort, to celebrate her upcoming marriage to Asher Bach, a designer at her company 25 years her junior. The family gathering quickly unravels as secrets, betrayals, and a shocking murder come to light, leaving readers guessing until the end.

Goldis's vivid descriptions bring the African landscape to life, immersing readers in the setting. The novel's multiple points of view provide insight into the complex dynamics of the Babel family, though some readers felt the numerous perspectives were a bit overwhelming. The pacing is deliberate, with a slow buildup that eventually leads to a gripping climax.

While the intricate family drama and suspenseful plot are engaging, certain character motivations may seem less believable to some readers. Nonetheless, The Safari offers a unique blend of luxury, family intrigue, and mystery, making it a worthwhile read for fans of the genre.

<i>Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.</i>

3 stars

A solid thriller, maybe just not my cup of tea. I do love stories with grown adult siblings coming together and the setting for this was very fun and unique! But I found it was a bit slow to get going, and then there was A LOT (like almost too much) going on towards the end. Twist after twist to the point of it being a bit unrealistic? Overall though, a fun read!

The Babel family is headed to their South African resort for a celebration. The matriarch of the family plans to marry and wants her family to witness this celebration of love. The groom is much younger, independently wealthy, and has signed a prenup. Should the family worry? Although the mother, Odelia, is a widow, her children have concerns. The family business has grown under Odelia and provided for the family. Would her will change now that she is remarrying? Her adult children need to voice their concerns over inheritance to their mother without upsetting their relationship with her. The pace of the wedding festivities may prevent them from talking with their mother. Tension surrounds this family gathering making it difficult to feel celebratory.

Jacklyn Goldis describes the South African resort and surrounding area beautifully. She relates the story of a family trapped by greed, deception, and miscommunication. This poor, rich family can't get along and with the turn of each page, the reader wonders whether there will be any peace. Each person has a hidden agenda, revealed as each narrates a portion of this surprising story. Hints of trouble begin early yet the true scope of deception isn't revealed until the final pages. This is a thriller that delivers. It is easy to imagine the cinematic punch that this story would have in a "Succession" style show. Keep your wits about you, this thriller is sure to please.

I really liked this book… I enjoyed the other books by this author, and her settings are spot on. She really does her research when locating a novel. This book took place in a luxury African Safari resort… A locked room who done it murder mystery at its finest. I loved the characters and how they developed over the course of the novel, and I was surprised at who the murderer turned out to be. There were a lot of underlying other plot twists that I really enjoyed. Thank you NetGalley for the digital copy- all opinions are my own

This was a tough read for me and did not enjoy it. It was slow going and for me, it hard keeping up with the characters.

read if you like:
💰 wealthy mysterious families
🦒 safaris
👯‍♀️ multiple POV’s

summary:
This book follows Odelia Babel, a widow preparing to remarry to Asher Bach, her company’s clothing designer who is 25 years her junior. To celebrate, the entire family heads to South Africa to their family-owned resort to go on safari and hold their wedding. This includes her rebellious gay son, Sam, his twin, Bailey, their older brother, Joshua, his wife, Davina and their baby Ruby, along with her lifelong best friend, Gwen. Mixed with the staff that feels more like family, the group starts off having a good time — before Odelia turns up dead. Who killed her, and why?

This story starts off slowly but quickly gains momentum. The resort and its surroundings are described so vividly that you feel immersed in the setting alongside the characters. Initially, the number of characters and the depth of detail seem overwhelming, but as the action unfolds, it becomes clear which parts are essential. The climax arrives much earlier than expected and, while somewhat predictable, continues to develop in compelling ways until the very end. The alternating POVs provide insight into the characters and their backstories, deepening the impact of the final reveal. Additionally, the contrast between the privileged guests and the staff introduces a thought-provoking social commentary on wealth and power.

If you love South Africa and exotic mysteries, check this book out when it releases on May 20. Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for the advanced reviewer copy!

How many secrets can one family HAVE???? This family had ALL of them, and they all came out while they were gathered for a wedding at their safari camp in South Africa. This thriller was well paced, with backstory for all the characters interspersed with the current time frame as people were disappearing & getting murdered. There are multiple POVs, and you can’t tell who’s reliable or who to trust.
This was a fun, twisty story, with secrets being revealed right up to the last chapter.

“The Safari” is by Jaclyn Goldis. Lately I’ve been reading books about extremely rich people, along with a huge age gap between spouses. This book also has a number of points of view … from unreliable various characters, who also are unlikeable. Interestingly, this is the second book I’ve recently read about unlikeable rich people … hm, something to ponder. Anyway, this book begins slowly … like painfully slowly as I kept losing track of who was who. It started to pick up after the halfway point and then cruised to a conclusion in the last quarter of the book, but I had to push myself to finish reading the book. I did enjoy the South African culture and the safari setting. I think if you liked to armchair travel to South Africa and like a decent mystery, this might be a book to pick up and read. 3.25 stars, rounded down to 3 stars.

This was a great “locked room” mystery! I thought I had it all figured out but didn’t see the twist coming. I love when that happens! It’s so rare and wonderful. The characters were great, it was such a convoluted story and I loved all of it! Brilliant storytelling and a brilliant mystery.

This is closed-space, domestic/family murder mystery. A wealthy family owns a safari resort in South Africa, where they have gathered for a family member's wedding. Someone is murdered and all the family's long-held secrets are slowly revealed. A lot happens, some of it very unbelievable, but I wanted to keep reading. I didn't love many of the characters so it was hard to connect with their family drama. I also expected it be more atmospheric - I wanted to feel like I as in South Africa with them, but I thought it was surprisingly light on descriptions of the setting. I would recommend if you want a palate cleanser thriller.

This book was a wild ride! A family, a wedding, a murder, a missing person? This novel was a such a page turner, and I could not get enough. I never saw the twists and turns coming. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books | Atria/Emily Bestler Books for a copy of this book for an honest review.

Tried multiple times to get into this and just had no desire to push through. The characters are flat and annoyingly obnoxious. The plot is played out in many other books and very predictable due to its unoriginal nature

This was my first book by this author. The beginning chapters moved from character to character giving the reader some insight into each character. There were several subtle hints along the as to secrets being held. Finally the murder occurs and the action begins. This story was filled with unexpected twists and turns often at a fast pace. I enjoyed this mystery and look forward to more by this author.

3.5⭐️

I unironically love a messy, rich, completely out of touch family so this was right up my alley. I really liked the look we got into each character and how the death of the patriarch of the family changed so much. The divide between the different family members as well as the divide between the the family and the 'help' at their resort in South Africa really drove the tension in the story.

Each character had things to hide that made them all unreliable narrators. Most of the characters were extremely unlikeable and also having motive to want Odelia dead. I also really liked the twist and how it proved that your past will always come back to haunt you. Between the story and the descriptions of the South African Safari, this was a fun read!

Thanks Netgalley and Atria Books for providing this ARC to me!

The only way I know how to describe this book is The (Jewish) Real Housewives of Miami meets National Geographic. Odelia is celebrating her soon-to-be second marriage to Asher, a MUCH younger designer at her clothing company that she inherited from her first husband. Her kids, Joshua, Bailey, and Sam, are less than thrilled to be heading to Leopard Sands, their personal safari resort in Africa to celebrate the nuptials. Throw in an obsessive BFF, a mysterious resort manager, and a "cooky" safari guide and you've got The Safari. I wanted to like it but I'm not one for reality television and truly that's all I could think about while reading this one. It may be a good one for you if you're into a good Bravo show!

Reviewed for NetGalley:

Odelia Babel and her three adult children and her much younger fiance head their family resort in South Africa to finalize her nuptials. Until Odelia is found murdered at the resort.

This was such a fun mystery, thriller with so many twists and turns. Definitely made for a fun and quick read.