Review - Nine Perfect Strangers

​​Nine Perfect Strangers

​​by Liane Moriarty

​​release date 11/06/2018

​​453 pages

​​5 out of 5 stars

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According to the publisher, “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. Amidst all of 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.

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​​Frances Welty, the formerly best-selling 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 that 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?

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​​It’s not long before every guest at Tranquillum House is asking exactly the same question.

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​​Combining all of the hallmarks that have made her writing a go-to for anyone looking for wickedly smart, page-turning fiction that will make you laugh and gasp, Liane Moriarty’s Nine Perfect Strangers once again shows why she is a master of her craft.”

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​​This is my third book by Liane Moriarty, and I am ready to say it:  I love her!!!

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​​Moriarty is a master at keeping readers engaged and keeping pages turning.  If you are in a reading slump, all you need to do is start one of her books - you won’t be able to put it down!

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​​As the title leads us to believe, this book focuses on nine people who all happen to be at the same health spa at the same time, albeit for wildly different reasons.  Each character has their own background and story arc that we are introduced to throughout the book.  For some authors, nine ‘main’ characters would be far too many, but I felt the author did a great job of creating distinct characters, and finding a way to intertwine all of their stories without creating too much confusion for the reader. 

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​​It wouldn’t be an interesting book if we just followed a group of people during their weekend at a spa; of course there is a huge plot twist, followed by some fantastic craziness, ultimately finishing with a happy ending.  I personally was totally surprised by the latter part of the book, which is really all it takes for a thriller to win me over.  

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​​I saw quite a few negative reviews of this book online, with the most common complaint being that the book was over-the-top and the plot twist wasn’t believable.  Yes, this book is a bit over-the-top, but I like to think that it was in a lovable, zany way, rather than poorly-done camp.  It’s not necessarily the most true-to-life story, but for me, that’s never a deal-breaker.  I laughed, I cried, and I can’t wait until Moriarty’s next book!

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​​If you like this book, I also recommend Big Little Lies and The Hypnotist’s Love story, both by Liane Moriarty.