Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty
Title: Nine Perfect Strangers
Author: Liane Moriarty
Pages: 450
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Genre: Thriller, Suspense
Source: Book of the Month
Format: Hardcover
Summary (back of the book)
Could ten days at a health resort really change you forever? These nine perfect strangers are about to find out…
Nine people gather at a remote health resort. Some are here to lose weight, some are here to get a reboot on life, some are here for reasons they can’t even admit to themselves. Amid all the luxury and pampering, the mindfulness and meditation, they know these ten days might involve some real work. But none of them could imagine just how challenging the next ten days are going to be.
Frances Welty, the formerly bestselling romantic novelist, arrives at Tranquillum House nursing a bad back, a broken heart, and an exquisitely painful paper cut. She’s immediately intrigued by her fellow guests. Most of them don’t look to be in need of a health resort at all. But the person who intrigues her most is the strange and charismatic owner/director of Tranquillum House. Could this person really have the answers Frances didn’t even know she was seeking? Should Frances put aside her doubts and immerse herself in everything Tranquillum House has to offer - or should she run while she still can?
It’s not long before every guest at Tranquillum House is asking exactly the same question.
Combining all the hallmarks that have made Liane Moriarty’s writing a go-to for anyone looking for wickedly smart, page-turning fiction that will make you laugh and gasp, Nine Perfect Strangers once again shows why she is a master of her craft.
Review
Loved it!
My kids did an unexpected night at their grandparents’ house. They were away for about 24 hours. I read 300 of the 450 pages of this book in that time. Once I got a block of uninterrupted time I just couldn’t put it down. Sometimes I equate “thriller/suspense” with something scary - and I didn’t really find this to be scary, but it was most certainly a page-turner.
The book shifts between the point of view of everyone at Tranquillum House, including the owner/director and her assistants. The back of the book makes it sound like Frances is the main character - and I do agree that we get her perspective more than the others, but I really felt like the story was more than just about her. I’m a real sucker for books that alternate narration, and this one does it beautifully. It was a lot of fun to understand what brought each guest to Tranquillum House, and to also understand the journey taken by the owner and her assistant to get to this point in time. I enjoyed being inside each character’s head, which isn’t something I can say about many books that follow this format.
This was the book I kicked off my summer vacation with. It got me reading quickly and got me in the mood to dive into something else with the same ferocity. In a reading slump? This may be your cure. It’s fast-paced and interesting with a lot of heart. Each character is fully drawn, no shortcuts here. Highly recommend!
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