Kismet follows Ronnie Khan, a Pakistani-American woman who relocates from New York to Sedona, Arizona, in search of a fresh start. Raised by an abusive aunt in Queens, Ronnie's life takes a dramatic turn when she befriends Marley Dewhurst, a glamorous wellness guru.

Kismet is a compelling read that successfully combines elements of thriller, satire, and social commentary. Its strengths lie in its sharp humour, well-developed protagonist, and insightful critique of the wellness industry. The narrative is both entertaining and thought-provoking, making it a standout in the genre. However, the pacing issues and occasional lapses in character likability might detract from the overall experience for some readers. Nonetheless, for those interested in a darkly humorous take on wellness culture, Kismet is well worth the read.

Good book that was well done. I liked the story as a whole and overall it was a good book. Definitely one to add to your to be read list.

An interesting and unique story that had me guessing until the end. I enjoyed the world that Amina Akhtar created and loved every second of this book.

Kismet is the kind of book you long to find, it's witty, it's suspenseful and it is filled with engaging characters. Ronnie Khan goes to Sedona on a whim; she's temped by Marley, a "wellness guru," a lifestyle influencer who charms Ronnie out of Queens. But Ronnie has no idea what awaits her in Sedona, it's a whole different culture than Manhattan. How will she survive? And what to do about the dead bodies that keep turning up? Wickedly funny and highly original, I recommend this book!

I love a story about the wellness industry, how it can be a bit cult-ish and this story fits teh bill.

Ronnie meets a wellness guru Marley and follows her to a Wellness Spa in Arizona. Ronnie starts to consume Marley's life and Ronnie slowly starts to change.

But there's a murder on the mountains of Sedona. Whose body is it?

If you need a book with some major twists, then Kismet is a must read! The book started off steady in pace and suspense, and I loved the various perspectives that the story was told through. The chapters told from the perspective of the crows was unique and made this book especially memorable. I loved that I did not know which characters I could trust, and the serious undertones of cultural norms, racism, and identity were well done. The ending was spectacular!

The book gas a great start, but later it slowed down a little bit and I was confused in some parts. Overall it wasn’t a bad book, I just didn’t feel attached to any of the characters.

Full review to come on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy.

This book was OK but a bit disappointing. Roni is a young woman who has absolutely no self esteem and is pretty much a pushover. She lives with an aunt in the beginning of the book but soon leaves to travel to Arizona with a woman she just met.

She is being groomed to be a live-in servant for most of the book and from a few different people. The only constant in her life in the ravens. They pick up on her kindness and want to help her.

A series of murders occur in the town and it is mainly people that are dishonest or just not very nice people.

The mystery was pretty good and I was surprised at the end .

Ronnie Khan and Marley Dewhurst had moved to Sedona, Arizona. She didn't know Marley that well. In fact, she'd only met her a few months earlier. But now she was a person who meditated, did yoga, hiked, and drank smoothies. She'd been raised being abused physically and mentally by her aunt.

She had her talents that she kept to herself. She'd dreamed about ravens, a murder, and hadn't been able to stop it. Sedona was a small town despite being weird and wasn't what she'd expected. All the shitty people would flee or be killed.

It seems that what the ravens wanted and the humans wanted were similar. They wanted Sedona to be safe and filth cleaned up. I think this book is technically underrated. I love a story of sweet revenge and Ronnie is the central character that moves the story forward. A story about magical birds, life-changing and full of suspense.

My rating: 4.8 ⭐️

Thanks to @netgalley and #thomasandmercer for the review copy. Opinions are my own 💙

DNF - I did not connect with this novel and was expecting more of a thriller so I will be putting this one down. Thank you, publisher, and netgalley for the early copy.

This book was in my top five favorite books that I read this year! I loved the multiple POV and this was my first time reading a bird POV. I didn't know what to expect at first since I don't read many thrillers but this book was fast paced and the story was not predictable. This was a great satirical story about privilege, crime and the "wellness" industry. I enjoyed how realistic and magical this book felt. I can't wait to read more from Amina Akhtar!

I loved this as it was a thriller that really made me think and kept me wanting to know more. I also enjoyed the goth side too. A pleasurable read.

What a great book! I love everything by this author and this book was no different! I couldn't put this down and was up all night waiting to see how it ended!

Love the Sedona setting of this mystery/thriller! That is definitely what caught my attention first. I'd read this author's previous book tackling the fashion industry, and was very excited to see her take on wellness next. I really enjoyed many elements of this book (tone, setting, some characters), but did find the plot a bit disjointed at times with the back and forth of the timeline. Overall, a very creative (the ravens!), unique book, and I continue to look forward to whatever Amina Akhtar writes next!

Absolutely thrilling—but it’s also a wickedly funny takedown of the wellness community. A perfect companion to the author’s debut #fashionvictim, which I also LOVED.

This book had me hooked from the start and there was so much that I enjoyed throughout. The chapters labeled "The Town" were like little gems (or crystals?) scattered for me to find. Reading from the killer's POV before they are revealed and not being spoiled by those chapters was excellent. Ronnie was a fantastic protagonist that I found to be believable and likable (even in her worst moments). The layering of social commentary was built well, starting subtlety and then becoming more overt. This was probably my second favorite thing about the book, in fact.

What was my top favorite thing, you ask? The ravens. I know they're probably a divisive element of this book, but I absolutely adored them. They were the perfect blend of creepy and hilarious. If I was a raven, I too would take joy in swooping down at people I didn't like. Or throwing rocks at them. 10/10 love the ravens and would read more about them if I could.

My only complaint is mild and it's that I felt that I knew who the killer was somewhat early on. Though I wasn't 100% sure until my hypothesis was proven correct, I would have loved a bit more of a thrilling twist at the very end. Generally, though, the technicalities of the plot were handled well.

I never saw those reveals coming… I have to know what happens next! A fun novel, that I enjoyed without having the usual head scratching my thriller reading gives me.

You know, now that I look at the cover, I should have had a hint, maybe? But this was such a weird read. There were whole chapters from a raven's POV. And the story was a bit. . .lyrical. It almost felt like there was supposed to be magic or. . .something. It was so odd and not the straightforward mystery I thought it would be. Interesting but I didn't love it.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Dismiss the given synopsis and try this out for size: revenge and ambition mean anyone could be a suspect and no one can be trusted in this manipulation suspense set in Sedona.

I agree with many reviews that this wasn't a thriller, I'd say that it was more of a suspense novel. I love when suspense novels keep me guessing who the killer is until the end because everyone is questionable and a suspect here.

I ended up reading basically the second half of this one morning just as I woke up and didn't want to put it down. I had to finish it.

I wouldn't say this is funny, it's more quirky and follows how tourists and outsiders aren't always welcome.

If you're looking for an easy, bingeable popcorn suspense - try this one out!