Widow Odelia Babel thrives on perfection, whether from Circ, the billion-dollar sustainable fashion brand where she's CEO, or from her seemingly close relationship with her three adult children. Even their favorite vacation spot, Leopard Sands estate in South Africa, has an elegance to its name. But her search for excellence is as ruthless as the predators they spot on "game drives" in the wild in The Safari, a tense thriller by Jaclyn Goldis (The Main Character).
Sixty-four-year-old Odelia cajoled her family and best friend into traveling to Leopard Sands to celebrate her marriage to Asher Bach, who is 25 years younger than Odelia and a designer at Circ. The illusion of the impeccable barely masks the family's discontent with Odelia's controlling nature over even the smallest details. Odelia feuds with her oldest son, Joshua, who wants more control of the business. She stonewalls her younger son Sam's loud demands for more money, since she believes he will squander it as he has in the past. Only Sam's twin sister, Bailey, seems sensible. All three think the marriage is a ridiculous idea and worry about its effect on their future inheritance. Odelia distrusts her longtime staff, and they resent her endless demands. When Odelia is found dead on her wedding day, her body ravaged by animals, Leopard Sands is filled with suspects.
Goldis's effective storytelling in The Safari switches between each character's point of view, delving deep into why they are unhappy. The beauty of the African setting juxtaposed against its predators' unsparing brutality echoes the mix of polish and cruelty that define Goldis's characters. --Oline H. Cogdill, freelance reviewer