I am eagerly waiting for the second season of Big Little Lies. I loved the show, and the book started me down a path of reading Liane Moriarty’s books. Of course, I had to read her newest novel.

Book Read: Nine Perfect Strangers
Author: Liane Moriarty
Number of Books Read, 2019 Edition: 15

Frances Welty fell victim to an Internet dating scam. Heartbroken and in need of a break, at the advice of a friend, she signs up for a 10 day cleanse at the Tranquillum House. With eight strangers, she is signed up for mediation, fasting, counseling, and a whole lot else (she just doesn’t know the “else” at first).

Some don’t look like they need a cleanse at all. But each has their reasons for being there. A family mourning, a single mother feeling insecure after her divorce, a former football star who has lost his way, a lawyer who just likes these types of places, and a lottery winning couple seeking counseling.

The biggest unknown and most intriguing part of Tranquillum House? The owner, Masha. After a near death experience, she transformed herself and now wants to help others. But she’s looking into a new practice, and everyone is wondering how far she will really go.

Add in a loyal employee, a masseuse with a message, and a lot of smoothies, and you’ve got Nine Perfect Strangers.

When I heard Moriarty had a new book, I immediately put it on my list to read. Then it happened to be available at the library one day, so I checked it out.

This book did start off slowly. The introductions to each character took some time, and at times seemed to drag on. Some characters were more interesting than others, which is to be expected when there are so many.Then I hit a turning point - the moment where a book sucks you in. It did take a good amount of pages to get there, as a warning.

I had doubts that we would ever get to that point, but we did. Thanks goodness, because books that have no turning point towards being good are the worst. And let me say, s**t got crazy. A crazy you can’t stop reading. I won’t spoil what happened but if you can get through the first section, you are in for a treat.

If you are waiting for June 9 to see Meryl in Big Little Lies, reading this is a good way to spend your time. Is this Moriarty’s best book? Definitely not. Is it suspenseful with a side of crazy? After over half of the way through, yes it is.

Next Read: The Book of Dreams by Nina George