Nine perfect strangers

Tranquillum House in New South Wales has been redesigned and advertised as a health retreat and wellness resort offering those who attend a total transformation in ten days. Nine people with assorted problems and requirements travel to Tranquillum House, little expecting what is in store for them at the resort, especially as the Masha, the resort's director, has decided to rearrange the program and experiment with new treatments.

The reader is introduced to the nine participants in chapters devoted to each person. Although the guests are nine individuals they  are not, at first glance, all strangers as three are from the one family while two others are married. However as we learn why they have come to the health retreat and the challenges many of them are facing it can be concluded that they are indeed often strangers to family members . They are definitely a mixed bunch and I found reading of the interaction of the characters in the first part of the book interesting and, usually, amusing. Some of the characters, however are still coming to grips with real tragedies that have occurred. The book also provides background into the life of the director, Masha, and her main helper, Yao.

Although it is suggested that the original concept of establishing the health resort was to benefit those who needed a complete break form their normal lives, it eventually becomes apparent that perhaps all is not as it should be at Tranquillum House. I enjoyed learning the life stories of the participants and watching the interactions between group members, but began to lose interest in the second part of this, possibly, overlong book. The readers providing reviews in Goodreads appear divided in their feelings for Nine Perfect Strangers.

This is the first novel that I have read by Liane Moriarty. Generally I enjoyed it and will look for other books by this author to read.