THE SAFARI is a fun multi POV story with a unique safari setting. The author does a wonderful job of including enough evocative details that you feel dropped into the scene, but not so many that the plot gets bogged down. She has also clearly researched South African culture, which I appreciated. While there are quite a few characters to keep up with, thankfully they are easy to keep straight and each of the POVs is sufficiently fleshed out so that, over time, we learn about each person's motivations and desires. In terms of pacing, I do think the novel would have been tighter if it was a bit shorter, but that did not impact my overall enjoyment of the story.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-galley; all opinions in my review are 100% my own.

4.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed “The Main Character” by this author, so I was excited to read her next book. And this was such a great read!

First off, I love the multiple POVs and how they were utilized. Each character was fleshed out and became well-developed too. Every POV felt very unique, which is important in a book like this.

The setting was also very unique. I loved the safari setting and the South African culture sprinkled throughout the book. It was a real treat reading a book set in this particular setting.

Finally, the plot was well done and I loved the twists and turns! I honestly didn’t predict all of them, which made my reading experience that much better. I loved watching the mystery unfold and how everything slowly but surely came together.

If you’re looking for a slow-burn mystery set in a unique location, I can’t recommend this one enough!

This was a fun, fast-paced mystery thriller, that fits well within one of my personal favorite mystery subgenres : rich people behaving badly. This is a pretty typical set-up : an ultra-wealthy family is on vacation in South Africa, celebrating the mother of the family’s marriage to her decades-younger fiancee. There are rifts within the family and secrets among them all and the mother ends up dead. Most of the characters in this are awful, verging on despicable. I did like the way the author built these characters - although they are awful, they’re still written differently than other rich people mysteries I’ve read, with a bit more nuance. I liked the perspective changes with each chapter and the solution to the mystery, even if certain storylines felt a little obvious (I read a lot of mysteries, so this could be a product of that). If you’ve read and enjoyed either “The Chateau” or “The Main Character” by Jaclyn Goldis, you’ll enjoy your time with this. If you like a family drama mystery with a fairly unique setting, this will probably be a hit as well.

I've always been fascinated by South Africa and have dreamed of going on safari. Thankfully, Jaclyn Goldis has brought that dream to life in her superb thriller, allowing me to feel like I was right there, witnessing the majestic elephants, the fierce lions, the swift cheetahs, and the breathtaking landscape, all while staying at a luxurious hotel/family compound.

In The Safari, an incredibly wealthy family gathers at their opulent hotel compound for a wedding. The occasion is the marriage of the family matriarch, Odelia, to her much younger fiancé, Asher. However, this union is anything but joyous for Odelia's three adult children, whose discontent looms over the event. Tensions rise, secrets come to light, and when a shocking murder occurs, followed by multiple mysterious disappearances, chaos descends. No one knows who they can trust, and the danger lurking in the shadows keeps everyone on edge, unsure of what’s coming next.

Jaclyn Goldis weaves an intricate tale of suspense, betrayal, and family dynamics set against the stunning yet perilous backdrop of the African savannah. It’s a thrilling ride that kept me hooked from start to finish, making me feel like I was part of the adventure — up close with the wildlife, surrounded by opulence, and entangled in the mystery.
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