WOW. What a wild ride.

Join the affluent Babel family for the opulently indulgent destination wedding of their matriarch and her much younger fiancé at their 5* luxury safari camp in South Africa.....You'll soon discover that nothing is as it seems.

I devoured this book in a single day..

This masterfully crafted, thrilling tour-de-force and emotionally evocative safari is one you won't want to miss!

3.5 ⭐

The confluence of an unhappy family, combined with a superb setting and opportunity, forms the perfect conditions for murder. I loved being swept up in the Babels' world and in an unpredictable story full of questionable people, unforeseen twists, and deep dark secrets. Although a little difficult to remain anchored at first because of the multiple perspectives and because of the sensory overload (overly descriptive), as the land heated and the ironclad alibis stacked up, I discovered I was sucked into a grandiose story and completely lost track of time.

I think I’ll shelve my dream of an African safari for the time being!

I was gifted this copy by Atria and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

I can totally see this book as a White Lotus mini series! What a fun, suspenseful, intriguing mystery about a complicated family on safari! This book grabs you and leaves you guessing until the very end, and even then, there is another mystery that is unraveled. I really enjoyed all aspects of this book and will look for this author’s previous books to read. This wa a just the book I needed when I picked it up.
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Safari.

I've read the author's previous book and though I wasn't a fan I was interested in the premise of Safari.

What I did like about Safari:

The setting; the descriptions of the animals, the wildlife, what it entails to go on a safari

As a city kid, I'm enthralled by animals in their natural habitat.

What I didn't like:

Everything else.

The writing is good, but SOO wordy and verbose. Tons of long winded exposition on every character in the Babel family.

Long narrative with little to no suspense or urgency.

Too many POVs; we have the Babel family and the staff of the safari plus the new husband-to-be. All the voices began to blend together.

Everyone has a deep, dark, and deadly secret. Oh my.

You know, when everyone has something to hide and the narrative is written in that "but she/he knows something and will do anything to achieve their goals.." it actually decreases the tension and suspense.

Nothing happens until the last 10% of the book where every twist imaginable is thrown at the reader so be prepared to suspend disbelief.

My disbelief suspension meter is in good working condition so it was hard for me not to roll my eyes when I got to the end.

And it'll going to take a lot of time to get to the point.

What was really sad: I guessed some of the twists already because I read so many books in this genre, I've read variations of these twists in so many others books so there was nothing new here.

I didn't like anyone; there wasn't even a dog to like. There were plenty of animals but dogs are my favorite.

I found Gwen especially annoying with her tarot cards and believing everything the cards said would come true.

A family drama that starts with a murder. This was very twisty and full of secrets that suddenly came to light. Good pacing that made me want to finish “just one more chapter”. An enjoyable book!

Family goes for a wedding and murder and mayhem follow. This is a complicated plot and all characters have life changing secrets. This will keep you guessing.

Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for the egalley of this book.

Odelia Babel, CEO of a sustainable fashion empire, is about to marry for the second time—to a man twenty-five years her junior. Asher Bach is the thirty-something designer of Odelia’s luxury clothing line, the darling of every high-fashion journalist, and madly in love with Odelia.

Eager to celebrate her nuptials with her nearest and dearest, Odelia invites her adult children, her daughter-in-law, her grandchild, and her best friend/assistant to an all-expenses-paid luxury safari at Leopard Sands in South Africa, the Babel family’s favorite vacation spot. In its soil, they have deep roots—and even deeper secrets.

It seems like the perfect trip, but not everyone is thrilled for the happy couple. Amid game drives in the bush and bonfires beneath the desert stars, tensions among the family threaten to boil over. And then, the morning after a big fight with her son Sam—and hours before the wedding—Odelia is found murdered. Sam is immediately the prime suspect, but he claims he has an ironclad alibi—he was with his twin sister, Bailey. Only Bailey is nowhere to be found…

As the heat roils, desperate poachers and ferocious animals lurk, and dark motives fester, it becomes clear that whoever killed Odelia isn’t quite finished yet, and the rest of the Babel family is their prey.

This book was OK. I really disliked books in which the story is told from so many perspectives. I found it hard to keep track I'd who was who at the beginning. I couldn't relate to any of yhd characters. I found the storyline a little to far fetched. I had hopes for this book, but overall would give it a pass. 2.5 out of 5 ⭐️.

The Safari by Jaclyn Goldis is a story about a very wealthy family that goes to South Africa on a safari, staying in their extravagant resort for a family wedding.

Odelia Babel will be marrying Asher Bach, who is a designer at their family fashion empire.

Asher will be Odelia’s second marriage and is 25 years younger.

This book has all the family drama, and secrets which include Odelia’s three children, and a long-time best friend.

We are given mystery, drama, deaths, suspects, and many secrets.

This is the first book that I have read by this author, and I am not sure it is entirely my favourite style of read.

To me it came off as a bit of a soap opera. Just a tad too much being thrown at the reader, and a bit of an unbelievable story.

The book, however, will do well and find its audience.

Thank you to NetGalley, Author Jaclyn Goldis, and Atria Books for my advanced copy to read and review.

A solid whodunnit themed mystery. The different characters points of view throughout the book offered readers a unique perspective on the unfolding story, revealing characters’ deep secrets and inner thoughts. And the books spends a large amount of time on character development. However, at times, the constant shifts in conversation, extra storylines/ events and internal monologues became overwhelming, and confusing, making it difficult to follow. It ultimately slowed down the pace and detracts from the overall plot. Overall, it was an engaging and well-crafted mystery set in a beautiful location.

“No. Animals don’t scare me. Only humans do.”

I loved the juxtaposition of this murder mystery set against the backdrop of the South African safari! It’s a slow burn, but I loved the atmosphere and getting to know all the characters through their POVs. They were the perfect balance of incredibly unlikable while understanding the rationale behind their motives.

Like the quote above, this story is a reminder that humans are more cutthroat and bloodthirsty than any lion, leopard, hippo, or crocodile. It’s got all the dysfunctional family dynamics and buried secrets of Succession and Knives Out, with Goldis’s signature immersive prose. Highly recommend!

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Safari by new to me author Jaclyn Goldis, published by Atria Books is a raw and gritty read. Odelia is a wealthy CEO, a businesswoman extraordinaire and the bride of 25 years her junior Asher who's working as designer at her company.
The two and the whole family are invited to safari in South Africa. When Odelia is found unalive a whole avalanche is raining down on the survivors, only they aren't survivors for very long.
An ok read, was bored at some time, but will give 3 beautiful stars.

This is a great vacation read set in the safari of South Africa. I loved that the story was told in multiple points of view and that some of the characters were unreliable. There is a lot of family drama, murder, lots of secrets, and lots of twists. This was fun thriller and Jaclyn Goldis is one of my favorite authors.

“In all my years as manager for the most exclusive and expensive safari in Southern Africa, I have not witnessed a single truly happy family for decades. I’ve watched our guests parade through with their diamonds and their demons…the most dangerous predators are not the animals on the savannah.”

Leopard Sands in South Africa was a property consisting of five luxury suites surrounded by electric fencing, the vacation paradise of Odelia Babel, CEO of Circ, a sustainable fashion empire. Odelia had provided family members with an all expense paid trip to Leopard Sands after her sudden, surprise announcement that she would wed Asher Bach, the designer of her luxury clothing line who was 25 years her junior. Count on betrayal, deceit and murder in this locked-room mystery thriller.

Odelia was a demanding powerhouse who micromanaged every aspect of her business. Her children were expected to pursue jobs within the framework of the business, no exceptions! In alternate chapters, the reader is introduced to eldest son, Joshua, perhaps not the right child to eventually take the reins of the empire. The twins, Bailey and Sam, constantly butted heads with Odelia. Bailey wanted to explore veterinary medicine but was being forced to work in conservation for her mother. Sam had become highly religious, in part to deal with his drug dependency and Odelia's unwillingness to allow him to embrace his passion for photography. Many key players had a chapter of their own to express their opinions and qualms. What emerged were deep secrets and plots of revenge. Meet the bridegroom, Asher Bach. He seemed to truly love Odelia and even signed a pre-nup. Tonight is the rehearsal dinner.

“There is something strange, something eerily human and hideously familiar about the dead shape on which the vultures are feeding.” Odelia had been murdered. Her best friend, Gwen, tried to recover her locket. Why did Odelia constantly fidget with it and never take it off?

The flavor of South Africa played a prominent role as the “untamed nature and exotic, expensive feel” of the savannah was viewed through the panorama of the bush. Bailey, Odelia’s daughter, felt a bond with all of the animals but was boxed into the path chosen for her. A planned safari would provide animal encounters including a mother elephant using twigs to build a memorial to mourn the loss of her newborn. The threat of poaching was ever present. The contrast between the haves and the have-nots was palpable. As Jabulani, an Afrikaner, prepared house-made, homemade milk to Odelia’s specifications he laments, “my family had always been the poorest of the lot [in Graskop]...now that I make decent money, my grandmother’s been able to replace the windows, shore up the roof…”.

The pre-wedding celebration had ended. Tomorrow Odelia would marry Asher. Anxiety runs high. How could she have arrived at Leopard Sands, announce the nuptials stunning her children and leaving them speechless and resentful? Mayhem, murder and unspeakable events unfold as the dysfunction within the family comes to light in this multi-layered thriller.

Highly recommended.

Thank you Atria/Emily Bestler Books and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Odelia Babel, a CEO of a sustainable clothing line, is getting remarried at her family’s favorite spot in South Africa. It should be a happy occasion, but dark secrets and harbored resentments are bubbling beneath the surface. When Odelia is found murdered, anyone could be to blame in this entertaining nod to classic Agatha Christie.

Told from multiple viewpoints with an abundance of unreliable narrators, the story is compelling, albeit completely insane. The Safari setting adds to the setting, and the characters have a good balance of being likable and terrible. The beginning is much stronger than the second half of the novel, as it veers towards being too sensational near the end. All in all, it is a fun read and perfect for a vacation read.

The Safari is a murder mystery set in South Africa. The setting makes this book special. The setting is at a safari resort and the characters go on a couple Safari trips that are described in great detail. The family dynamics are interesting and clues are slowly dropped culminating in a fantastic ending.

The first 40% of this book was a lot of character studies and trying to figure out the dynamics of this honestly damaged family. The Babel family is enjoying their luxurious trip to South Africa where their family owns a resort like Safari thing and their mother is about to marry a significantly younger man. Everybody is extremely tense and nobody seems to get along, and the mother seems more obsessed with her boy toy, and clothing than her family’s emotional needs. Not exactly a great way to start. The remainder of the book is a lot of really out there of revelations and honestly it kind of destroyed the whole book, especially after surprise reveal number five?!?!? I stopped keeping track because it was so convoluted. It didn’t even make sense anymore. Even until the very last page, there were random revelations that didn’t make sense or weren’t really necessary to mention.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

I really enjoyed this atmospheric suspense. The safari background was a perfect metaphor for the savagery of this domestic/ family suspense battle was very much in the Agatha Christie vein where everyone is a suspect.

Jaclyn Goldis’ *Safari* is a wild mix of family drama, shiny excess, and nail-biting suspense set in a luxurious South African safari. The story revolves around the Babel family, a wealthy clan where secrets and betrayals run deep.

At the heart of it all is Odelia Babel, a strong businesswoman about to marry a younger guy, throwing a huge party at Leopard Sands—a place full of family memories. But things take a dark turn when Odelia turns up dead right before her wedding, and her son Sam is the main suspect while his twin sister Bailey mysteriously disappears.

Goldis does a great job of creating characters with plenty of secrets, and the safari backdrop adds an exciting twist with its stunning beauty hiding serious dangers. The pacing is spot on, with different viewpoints that keep the tension high, and just when you think you’ve cracked it, the plot throws in unexpected twists.

With its blend of luxury and deception, *Safari* is a gripping ride that you won't want to put down—perfect for fans of *The White Lotus* and *Big Little Lies* who crave a fresh thriller with tons of drama.

I've always wanted to go on a safari. Everyone I know that has been on a trip like that tells me how grand it is. Reading The Safari was wild. I'm not so sure this adventure is for me. The book is intense and twisty. I was drawn in right away. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

The very wealthy Babel family heads to their compound in South Africa. Joshua, Sam, and Bailey are Odelia’s grown children and at least one of them is not happy. Their mother is getting remarried to a man, Asher, 25 years younger than Odelia. Could he really love her, or does he just love her money? (I distrusted Asher at least as much as Sam did).
When Joshua finds Odelia’s body the morning of her wedding, chaos ensues. There are only so many suspects, her family or it must be someone on the staff. Tensions flare as they realize Bailey is missing. Is it related to her mother’s death or could she be guilty of murder?
Lots of secrets in this family. I guessed some but missed others. The location came to life on the pages and bumped going on Safari up a few places on my bucket list. You would think that the biggest mystery would be uncovering Odelia's killer, right, but I found the amount of skeletons hiding in this family’s luggage, amazing. The setting was incredible..