I gave Liane Moriarty’s Nine Perfect Strangers a rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars. I really wanted to give it a 4-star review, but I just couldn’t get past the slow beginning. The book follows nine strangers as they gather for a 10-day restorative retreat at Tranquillium House, a somewhat deserted old home turned wellness spa. Slowly we are introduced to the 9 guests, retreat director, and her two loyal retreat guides. This “introduction” phase takes about 1/3 of the novel, which was really my only reservation about the book. I wanted the good stuff to happen faster! So after the slow ascent, the book gets better and I remembered why I loved reading Liane Moriarty novels. As the story progresses, we discover why the guests chose this retreat: to lose weight, to detox a bit from their many vices, to get lots of spa treatments and massages, and to get a handle on the problems that have plagued them. Tranquillium House promises that in only 10 days they will feel totally transformed. Of course, this change is going to take some work and these perfect strangers have no idea just how far the director of the resort is willing to go to make a difference. The guests will have to tackle more than just smoothies, yoga, and exercise. In actuality, their very survival may be at stake and certainly, their ability to challenge themselves. The plot unravels with a typical Liane Moriarty twist that will have you reeling. Without giving the ending away, I will say that it was less of a “thriller” and more of a creepy character study– with an interesting look at how relationships can form. Neither the book or these strangers were perfect– but the read was perfectly entertaining.
Click here to purchase or to take a peek inside the book.
Click here to read a Goodreads review.
