Kirjahaku

Some guests were not invited..... The authors of Santa Monica once again illuminate the dark truths of life in sunny California in this twisty and atmospheric psychological thriller about a 50th birthday celebration on a remote mountainside in Topanga Canyon, where things go terrifyingly wrong.For Los Angeleno Dani Sanders, turning 50 seems like one more disappointment. Her career has stalled, her nineteen-year-old daughter with developmental issues is regressing, and Dani's ex-husband Craig, a fertility doctor worshipped by Hollywood's elite, is forever upending her life. Though she doesn't feel much like celebrating, she can't say no when her best friend Mia Markle, a flamboyant and strong-willed actress, insists on planning a "creative" birthday weekend in the wild, wealthy bohemian enclave of Topanga Canyon. On the weekend of the Summer Solstice, Dani and her six closest friends gather in the hills above the canyon at "Celestial Ranch," 18-acres of rugged, wooded mountainside where they'll spend three glorious days hiking, practicing meditation and reiki, and enjoying lavish catered cuisine. They will also indulge in a little DMT, a short-acting psychedelic drug meant to open their senses and transport them to a higher plain. But as the weekend unfolds, long-buried tensions, unresolved grievances, and old secrets emerge, leaving Dani desperate for clarity about her life. Dani and her friends take the drug late at night on an open hillside beneath the glittering stars. When Dani returns from her intense and revelatory "trip," she learns that one of her friends has gone missing. Then another disappears. And soon, Dani finds herself alone on the dark mountainside, seemingly abandoned by the people who are supposed to love her most. Or have they somehow been taken from her? What could Dani have possibly done to deserve a devastating birthday night like this--and how will she make it to the morning alone?

Some guests were not invited..... The authors of Santa Monica once again illuminate the dark truths of life in sunny California in this twisty and atmospheric psychological thriller about a 50th birthday celebration on a remote mountainside in Topanga Canyon, where things go terrifyingly wrong.For Los Angeleno Dani Sanders, turning 50 seems like one more disappointment. Her career has stalled, her nineteen-year-old daughter with developmental issues is regressing, and Dani's ex-husband Craig, a fertility doctor worshipped by Hollywood's elite, is forever upending her life. Though she doesn't feel much like celebrating, she can't say no when her best friend Mia Markle, a flamboyant and strong-willed actress, insists on planning a "creative" birthday weekend in the wild, wealthy bohemian enclave of Topanga Canyon. On the weekend of the Summer Solstice, Dani and her six closest friends gather in the hills above the canyon at "Celestial Ranch," 18-acres of rugged, wooded mountainside where they'll spend three glorious days hiking, practicing meditation and reiki, and enjoying lavish catered cuisine. They will also indulge in a little DMT, a short-acting psychedelic drug meant to open their senses and transport them to a higher plain. But as the weekend unfolds, long-buried tensions, unresolved grievances, and old secrets emerge, leaving Dani desperate for clarity about her life. Dani and her friends take the drug late at night on an open hillside beneath the glittering stars. When Dani returns from her intense and revelatory "trip," she learns that one of her friends has gone missing. Then another disappears. And soon, Dani finds herself alone on the dark mountainside, seemingly abandoned by the people who are supposed to love her most. Or have they somehow been taken from her? What could Dani have possibly done to deserve a devastating birthday night like this--and how will she make it to the morning alone?

A debut novel in the vein of Liane Moriarty and Tom Perrotta, about dark secrets brought to life after the mysterious death of a handsome and charismatic trainer to the elite women in Santa Monica.On the western edge of Los Angeles is the gorgeous beachside city of Santa Monica, where the sun-kissed, wealthy residents seem to inhabit real-life California dreams. When movie-star-handsome heartthrob fitness coach Zack Doheny, is found dead on the floor of his gym, the tragedy shocks the elite community, especially those who'd spent many hours each week exercising with the charismatic trainer. As the narrative flashes back to the months leading up to Zack's death, it quickly becomes clear that things in this coastal paradise are not as glittering as they seem. Lettie - Zack's secret half-sister and an undocumented housekeeper for the toned, entitled women of Santa Monica - holds her brother responsible for a horrific family accident, and desperately needs his money to prevent her deportation. Regina, type-A exercise addict and entrepreneur, will do anything to get out of debt and to claim Zack for herself. And Mel - a New York City transplant who finds herself forty pounds heavier and far more cynical than the lithe women of Santa Monica - discovers an electric attraction to Zack that threatens to disrupt his bond with Regina and upend Mel's own marriage. As these residents of Santa Monica begin to crack under the stress of their secrets, one question hangs above it all: what really happened to Zack Doheny? As addictively suspenseful as it is sharply observed, hilarious, and compassionate, Santa Monica is the rare novel that captures readers with propulsive storytelling alongside emotional urgency, irresistible characters, ambitious themes, and a vivid sense of place.