paradise lost

Artist Victor D'Arcangelo is dead. There was no funeral, no service. There was only a weekend memorial for ten of his closest family members and business associates at a private island. The ten chosen received personal invitations and met in Florida to take a yacht to the island. There were first class airline seats and cars with drivers that brought them all to the marina for the trip.

There was his brother, his ex-wife, and his son. Gallery owners and an art journalist. And the young woman who claimed to be his daughter.

The yacht took them to the island, the captain and his first mate the only crew. When they get to the island, they are met by D’Arcangelo’s assistant, who shows them to the hotel. They have to walk from the boat to the hotel, and the assistant points out the dangers along the way. There are poisonous plants and snakes, a lagoon filled with sharks, and bugs everywhere.

But once they get to the hotel and get in their rooms, things are a little better. There is air conditioning, and they have a lovely meal set out for them. They can shower and relax and enjoy the luxury. They eat and drink and be merry. And they all keep their secrets. For that first night.

The next day, things change. The luxury food is gone, and all that’s left is pre-packaged, canned, and frozen that they have to prepare for themselves. Storms blow in, knocking out the power. And guests start dying.

Before the assistant left, he left them with words from the artist himself, “How did you help me or hurt me?” And as the guests try to survive the weekend, they are faced with a reckoning with the actions of their past. But when the boat shows back up, who will still be standing?

Ten Perfect Guests is a dark thriller in the vein of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None. There are secrets and lies, dangers and divisiveness, and one person who is determined to take the whole inheritance. I really liked the concept of this book, but I did find the way the story rolled out to be bleaker than I expected. I still enjoyed it and raced through to find out what was happening behind the scenes, but there are a couple of scenes that take a strong stomach to get through. I did like this book, but I will say that it’s not for everyone.

Egalleys for Ten Perfect Guests were provided by Sourcebooks Landmark through NetGalley, with many thanks, but the opinions are mine.