Happy Monday, readers! Today I'm a stop on the Random Things tour for Katherine St. John's latest, The Vicious Circle.
Sveta's Uncle Paul (now Shiva) is a popular self-help turned spiritual guru. And though she's been estranged from him for most of his life, she's followed his career from the sidelines for quite some time. But Shiva has been out of the public eye ever since a supposedly false #MeToo accusation, living in South America at his palatial retreat, Xanadu, with his wife, Kali, and their followers. And although she'd heard he had some health problems, Sveta is still shocked to learn that Shiva has died. Even more shocking is the fact that he's left everything to her. Not Kali.
Sveta travels to Xanadu for the funeral and finds what appears to be a utopian enclave filled with the spiritually enlightened. But from the start things seem off. Shiva's lawyer says he wanted to shut down Xanadu. And Kali is all smiles until she turns up the "real will" leaving everything to herself. Sveta doesn't know what to think, but she soon realizes she's essentially trapped in the middle of nowhere and completely unsure who she can trust.
I love Katherine St. John's work! Rich and privileged people behaving badly. Everyone else caught up in their various webs of misdeeds!
When we meet Sveta, she's preparing for a New Year's Eve party with her fiancé and his brother. And it soon becomes very clear that the relationship is more than a little strained between the former model and her soon to be in-laws. News that her uncle, a man she'd always loved deeply but who'd been distanced from the family since her father's death, hits her hard. As does the news that she's inherited his fortune, his company, and his property.
Fortunately for the reader, Sveta is a bit more grounded than you might expect of someone who's been in the modeling industry since she was 14.
She's easy to like, easy to empathize with, and you really don't want to see her get hurt in any way!
So it's easy to get wrapped up in her story! Plus, it really is a fun read. If you've read either (or both) The Lion's Den and Siren, you will definitely love The Vicious Circle!
If you're new to St. John, The Vicious Circle is billed as being "a gripping, escapist suspense" "for fans of Lucy Foley and Liane Moriarty." Which is all true! (And pretty perfect comps considering I've read all three authors.) Definitely one I recommend for your fall reading TBR! If you're anything like me, you'll gobble it up in one sitting :)
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