The Lion's Den

By: Katherine St. John

Narrated by: Christine Lakin

A dream vacation on a luxurious yacht turns deadly in this pulse-pounding beach read, perfect for fans of Lauren Weisberger and Ruth Ware.

Belle likes to think herself immune to the dizzying effects of wealth. But when her best friend, Summer, invites her on a glamorous getaway to the Mediterranean aboard her billionaire boyfriend's yacht, the only sensible answer is yes. Once she's aboard the luxurious Lion's Den, it soon becomes clear that this jet-setting holiday is not as advertised. Belle's dream vacation quickly devolves into a nightmare as she and the other girls Summer invited are treated more like prisoners than guests by their vicious host.

Belle is going to have to keep her wits about her—and her own big secret closely hidden—if she wants to make it off this yacht alive.

Includes a Reading Group Guide, exclusive epilogue, and sneak peak of Katherine St. John's next book, The Siren.

Critic reviews

"Sex! Intrigue! Jealousy! Betrayal! Secrets! Batten down the book clubs, Katherine St. John is on deck! This dazzling novel is chock full of delicious characters, who flaunt their sins and peccadilloes, like the latest Birkin bag. Come aboard for a fabulous read, pure escape, beautifully written. Loved it!"—Adriana Trigiani, New York Times bestselling author of Tony's Wife

"Katherine St. John's thrilling debut, THE LION'S DEN, gripped me from the first page. A breathtaking romp through the glamorous and decadent world of billionaires on the Riviera, this riveting tale of friendship and betrayal is sure to be the breakout hit of the summer. It is irresistibly wicked . . . I couldn't put it down!"—Kathryn Stockett, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Helpp.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Helvetica; color: #000000}

"St. John wraps a fun yarn around a sinister mystery . . . Toss in a dysfunctional family dynamic . . . and you're off to the regatta. After all, a vacation gone wrong is great fun, as long as you're not on it."—New York Times

"Welcome to the bougiest of bougie settings . . . [a] juicy thriller."—Cosmopolitan magazine

"[A] delicious read . . . brilliant."—Marie Claire magazine

"Engrossing."—Entertainment Weekly

"St. John's sizzling debut sparkles with yacht and fashion porn, and smart, decent Belle is easy to root for as the panic reaches its peak. Blingy, swingy fun plus a well-crafted, socially conscious suspense plot: Anchors aweigh!"—Kirkus

"Katherine St. John's clever debut makes for the perfect escape."—CrimeReads

"Once the story gets going, clever twists abound . . . Fans of Liane Moriarty and Jessica Knoll will devour this story of beautiful people with horrible secrets."—Booklist

"This ultimate beach read has all the essentials you need for an escape: a billionaire boyfriend, a yacht, a Mediterranean background, and plenty of secrets to keep you guessing."—SmarterTravel

"[A] title to watch."—Library Journal

"Machiavellian . . . St. John dishes up a diverting poolside-ready page-turner."—Publishers Weekly

"The Lion's Den has it all. Well-written characters, a great setting, twists and turns, and a story that you don't want to put down. It makes for a really fun summer thriller."—Red Carpet Crash

"A good mystery keeps you guessing with an enticing plot and convincing characters, and St. John delivers that and much more in The Lion's Den . . . This is the guilty pleasure you won't feel the least bit guilty about."—BookTrib

"The perfect, and I mean PERFECT, summer binge. Though I must say, it’s a great Mediterranean escape during the winter months."—Frolic

Awesome Summer Book

It took me just 2 days because I could not put this down! It was fun and entertaining, Mediterranean Yacht cruise full of mystery and juicy secrets the perfect summer read.

Enjoyed it!

The writing was wonderful! It made me feel like I was watching a movie. I just couldn’t stop reading. One of my pet peeves with books is they rush the ending and there’s so many questions and holes left unanswered. This book did NOT do that! It gave a very satisfying ending!

Smarter than it seems

For most of the book, I thought it was frivolous and shallow. But if you listen to the whole thing with an open mind, it pays off in the last few chapters.

Not just a silly girl story

Great story of girlfriends.
Sometimes the girl we knew grows up to be someone we don’t recognize. Sometimes you are to close to see that maybe you don’t really like who they are. And sometimes being treated to a luxurious overseas vacation can make you ignore any misgivings.

The Lion’s Den

I didn’t hate it but I didn’t love it either. Christine Larkin was good. She did a few accent blubbers.
Storyline wasn’t as realistic as it could have been. Someone said it in another review, “mean girls”. Why would you want to be friends with a mean person?
No excuse! would I recommend this book? It did improve. Not enough though.