Better than expected, a fun "cruise" ( )

A while back, The Lion's Den seemed to be advertised EVERYWHERE. Maybe it was just me and my book reading habit that the ads picked up on, but I kept seeing it over and over. I really wanted to take a dip into the waters of this book, but I kept putting it off. The ads had hyped the book up so much, what if it wasn't good anymore?! So I kept hiding and waiting... And then I finally decided to take the plunge and give this book a go. Well, it was quite the book!

If you like thrills packed tight with extra drama, then this book is for you! It's a soap opera lover's DREAM and will make you question what is actually going on. Right from the get go you'll know something is off, but will you be able to guess the twists before they happen? Try to be a super sleuth and pick apart this book! It's quite fun!

Belle is an actress. Well, kind of an actress. She's more so a bartender working really hard to try to be an actress. She's in some indie flicks and B movies, but she's out there! She's hot, she's got it, and she's working hard. One day, her good ole friend Summer invites her on the trip of a life time! Do you want to join Summer and her super old, super rich boyfriend on a yacht for a week to celebrate Summer's birthday?! It sounds like a blast! Or is it?

Summer was a good friend... kind of? Unreliable, never paid the rent, trying to get with Belle's love interests - you know, THAT kind of friend. The popular girl everyone pretended to like but everyone really despised. But now she's hitting the big time! She's got a super old boyfriend who's had too many marriages to count and wants all of Summer's friends on the yacht. A dream vacation, per say! Or... maybe... A dark and twisted nightmare?

But we aren't there yet! More of Summer's friends, her sister and Mom get to come along for the party of a lifetime! Although, there's a wee bit of a bump. One of Summer's sister's friends comes along instead of the verified and approved party... And this chick is HOT and everything that Summer despises (which is girls that rival her in any form. Be ugly or be square girlies!). And then the staff get controlling... And the girls get locked into their rooms... And no internet access... And nasty remarks or dictated schedules... Yelling... Screaming... Manipulation... Maybe not the dream week the girls were imaging!

This book gets wild FAST. It jumps back and forth between the present day and the months leading up to the trip. Summer's relationships are spotty and she proves to not be who she says she is. Belle also has an interesting past to follow, but shows herself to be a worthy lead character. I would say a lot of the girls feel fake and unlikable, but I'm guessing they were written that way. I only wish the book would have gone on for a couple more chapters so we could find out what REALLY happened... But alas, Katherine St. John leaves us off just a wee bit too soon. It definitely closes the book out, but not the way I would have liked it. I'm picky, what can I say?

As my first outing with Katherine St. John, I would say this is quite the success! I definitely want to grab a few more books from her and watch her style grow and evolve. This book is one dramatic thriller that packs quite a punch!

Four out of five stars.

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads. ( )

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 ( )

3.5 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. ( )