The Vicious Circle
A Novel
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3.9 • 24 Ratings
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
For fans of Lucy Foley and Liane Moriarty, a twisty, escapist suspense about a mysterious retreat center harboring violent secrets.
“Masterfully plotted and superbly twisty, The Vicious Circle is a read-in-one-sitting thriller.... This novel will send you spiraling into a deadly vortex of greed, lust and lies.” —Rose Carlyle, author of #1 international bestseller The Girl in the Mirror
A perfect paradise? Or a perfect nightmare?
On a river deep in the Mexican jungle stands the colossal villa Xanadu, a wellness center that’s home to an ardent spiritual group devoted to self-help guru Paul Bentzen and his enigmatic wife Kali. But when Paul mysteriously dies, his entire estate—including Xanadu—is left not to Kali, but to his estranged niece Sveta.
Shocked and confused, Sveta travels from New York City to Mexico to pay her respects. At first, Xanadu seems like a secluded paradise with its tumbling gardens, beautiful people, and transcendent vibe. But soon the mystical façade wears thin, revealing a group of brainwashed members drunk on promises of an impossible utopia, guided by a disturbing belief system and a charismatic, dangerously capable leader.
As the sinister forces surrounding Sveta become apparent, she realizes, too late, she can’t escape. Frantic and terrified, she discovers her only chance of survival is to put her confidence in the very person she trusts the least.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
When Manhattan supermodel Sveta Bentzen, the narrator of this far-fetched but fun romantic adventure-thriller from St. John (The Siren), learns that her late father's brother, self-help guru Paul Bentzen, has died suddenly at Xanadu, his wellness center in the Mexican jungle, she's surprised that he left her—not his wife Kali—his entire mega-million-dollar estate. Collecting, however, will prove more than a little complicated. For starters, the lawyer for the estate, dashing Lucas Baranquilla, is about the last person Sveta's likely to trust since he ghosted her after their hookup years earlier. And then there's the charismatic Kali, who makes it clear once the duo arrive for Paul's funeral at Xanadu that she's determined not to relinquish control of the bulk of the estate. As Sveta wrestles with whether to allow herself to be bought off, and in the process ignore increasing evidence of sinister goings-on—including her uncle's possible murder—she also fights an undeniable attraction to Lucas. St. John effectively ratchets up the suspense and the surprises. Lushly exotic locales and touches of humor add to tasty escapism that should please fans of Nine Perfect Strangers.
