The Lion’s Den by Katherine St. John is a 2020 Grand Central publication.

Belle’s best friend, Summer, has invited her on a Mediterranean getaway, along with a few other people, aboard her much older, and very rich boyfriend’s yacht. It’s an offer she can’t refuse, although there is some tension between Belle and Summer. It doesn’t take long for Belle to regret agreeing to this trip. Summer’s sugar daddy is beyond controlling and Summer is behaving like a witch on wheels, and that’s just for starters. As the week progresses, Belle begins to suspect something more sinister is afoot and she might be at the center of it…

Looking at the cover, one might be fooled into thinking this book is a lighter, chick-lit style mystery, but the story has some decidedly dark undertones. This is a mystery of sorts, but truly it reads more like a crime drama.

The book is a little too long and the pacing drags at times, but it has an interesting plot, and a surprising poignancy about it. Money is a key theme in the story, and the pursuit of it corrupts the characters and can change someone so drastically they become unrecognizable to us.

While you might think this is a story that would prompt a great deal of reflection, I thought it bordered on a cautionary tale, as much as a tragic tale of greed and murder.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and have already queued up another book by this author.

4 stars ( )

Belle is excited to be going on her first Mediterranean cruise aboard a yacht owned by her best friend's fiance to celebrate her birthday. Joining them is her best friend, Summer's mother and sister as well as two more of their friends. The first indication that there is something wrong with this trip is when they are not only made to wait for hours before boarding the private plane that will take them to the yacht, but there is a seating chart once they get on board. Belle knows that she will be sick if she is made to sit facing the back of the plane, but she is not allowed to move out of her assigned seat. Things just get stranger from there as Belle realizes that once they board the yacht, they are being locked in their cabins at night.
The Lion's Den is a bizarre story that starts out as a simple rivalry between friends but slowly turns into something more sinister. There are two narratives being told in alternating chapters. One takes place in the present, following Belle on her trip aboard the yacht; the other begins ten years ago and finally meets the current story in the very last chapter. Much of the story wreaks of melodrama that deteriorates into some kind of spy adventure. Having said that, however, I was extremely anxious to get to the finish in order to find out what actually happens. Some details are left as loose ends, but for the most part, the story is completed with a relatively satisfying but somewhat patronizing ending. ( )

Trashy and shallow. Summer invites her friends on. Mediterranean cruise on a private yacht. Belle, friends with Summer since they were 15, quickly realizes that there is something sinister going on. The guests must hand over their passports, they are locked into their rooms at night, they must sit in assigned seats. Summer’s boyfriend, John, is manipulative and a ruthless businessman.
This was nearly a DNF for me, but I put the audio on at 3x speed and wasted only about 5 hours of my life. ( )

A great story of suspense! The story developed slowly at first and almost all the characters were unlikeable but became more interesting in the second half of the book where it quickly picked up and the mysteries became more and more intriguing ( )

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer, or is it money is the root of all evil?? Either way, this book will take you on the trip of a lifetime, although it’s one I doubt I’d ever want to go on myself!
St John tells the story in threads of past and present, which all culminate into an end I didn’t see coming. The characters are varied, some were witty, intelligent, and fantastic while others I simply wanted to smack! A great read with mystery, suspense, and romance, this one was hard to put down and I didn’t want to finish.

*I received an arc from the publisher through NetGalley for an honest review ( )