The Lion’s Den
TW: rape
I really wish I could write a full review of The Lion’s Den and how utterly fantastic it is, but to do so would require spoiling a lot of the book and I want readers to go in fresh. When I picked up this thriller I thought it would be a locked-room mystery set on a yacht with fancy people murdering each other, which sounded fine.
It is not that at all. Despite the cheerfully illustrated cover, this is a psychological thriller that unraveled in a totally unexpected and absolutely delightful way. I want to warn readers that there is:
…a graphic depiction of an attempted rape that may be upsetting. Other than that, the book is light in terms of on-screen violence. There is a lot of emotional manipulation and gaslighting, though.
Belle is a struggling actress in LA. Her friend, Summer, has recently started dating a billionaire 36 years her senior, and is inviting all of her friends to party on his yacht to celebrate her birthday. All of this seems very glitzy, but it’s immediately apparent things are not right. Said billionaire, John, is extremely controlling, right down to where everyone sits for meals and what will be discussed. There is no WiFi on the yacht. Cabin doors are locked from the outside at night. And even more troubling, Belle catches Summer in several lies and manipulations that make her question what is really going on with her friend.
Even though the setting is sun-soaked, the undercurrents of this book are dark and twisty. That contrast makes for a wonderful sense of tension and unease.
This book is really two mysteries in one, and when they collide it’s a wonderful “ah-ha” moment. I wish I could say more than that, but I don’t want to ruin a single thing for another reader. Justice is delivered in a way that is so satisfying I wanted a cigarette when I was done. If you want a thriller that unwinds in the best and most unexpected way, pick up The Lion’s Den.
– Elyse
A dream vacation on a luxurious yacht turns deadly in this pulse-pounding beach read and perfect book club pick about glamour, friendship, romance, and betrayal on the Riviera.
Belle likes to think herself immune to the dizzying effects of fabulous wealth. But when her best friend, Summer, invites her on a glamorous girls’ getaway to the Mediterranean aboard her billionaire boyfriend’s yacht, the only sensible answer is yes. Belle hopes the trip will be a much-needed break from her stalled acting career and uniquely humiliating waitressing job, but once aboard the luxurious Lion’s Den, it becomes clear that all is not as it seems.
The dream vacation quickly devolves into a nightmare as Belle and the handful of other girlfriends Summer has invited are treated more like prisoners than guests by their controlling host, and Belle comes to see Summer for what she truly is: a vicious gold digger who will stop at nothing to get what she wants. Belle soon realizes she’s going to have to keep her wits about her — and her own big secret close to her chest — if she wants to make it off the yacht alive.
Mystery/Thriller
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I love your short review! I have this book sitting on my bookshelf but I don’t know anyone else who has read it yet. Your A rating makes me want to put it at the top of my TBR.
Just finished listening to the audiobook. Loved this book!