Back in the ‘70s, when I was in college, I lived in a quasi-commune situation in an abandoned mill town in rural South Carolina. We didn’t have a guru or anything like that, but we were an insular community of students, shift workers and layabouts who lived in a cluster of clapboard shacks, plus the “big house,” where more transient types came and went. We gardened, put up canned goods, raised chickens, and on weekends we had killer volleyball games, went skinny-dipping in the pond and threw insane parties. Life wasn’t easy, because we were all so broke, but I can’t help looking back at it through rose-colored glasses.
Now that me and my friends are approaching Social Security age, we like to imagine buying land and creating an aging ladies’ commune where we can all grow old together. There’s just something so appealing about the idea of communal living — surrounding yourself by likeminded people who share responsibilities and provide companionship. It’s a fun fantasy.
But that kind of lifestyle has a dark side, too. I’ve seen it up close. When I was a teenager, a friend of mine joined the Children of God, the notorious religious cult that later became known as The Family and was exposed for its rampant child sexual abuse. I witnessed the person I knew disappear and re-emerge as this starry-eyed stranger espousing nonsense. It was really creepy. She eventually got out, but not after a lot of damage was done. We’ve since lost touch. I hope she’s OK.
All that is to say, I am fascinated by the concept of communes and cults, so when “The Vicious Circle” (HarperCollins, $27.99) by Katherine St. John came across my desk, I was all in. And I’m happy to report that St. John, an Atlanta transplant from Mississippi, does not disappoint. This is a juicy page-turner filled with fabulous locales, strong characters and intrigue to spare.
Sveta is a former model living in NYC with her problematic fiancé when she learns that her beloved but long-lost uncle, Paul, has died and left his fortune to her. Summoned by his widow to attend the funeral, Sveta ventures to Xanadu, the wellness center her uncle founded in a sprawling villa on a river in the remote jungle of Mexico. There she encounters Lucas, the son of her uncle’s lawyer, with whom she had a memorable tryst on her 18th birthday, and Kali, Paul’s beautiful, formidable common-law wife, who runs the show at Xanadu.
It quickly becomes clear that something is off at Xanadu. Sveta’s and Lucas’ possessions are confiscated upon arrival, including their electronic devices, and the elaborate teas Kali pushes on them leave them feeling not quite themselves. Even more concerning are the residents of Xanadu who seem to blindly obey Kali and perhaps even fear her. Things turn tense when Kali presents a second will she claims Paul signed on the day he died leaving everything to her. Meanwhile, the helicopter required for Sveta and Lucas’ departure is mysteriously grounded for mechanical reasons.
One of the things St. John does so well is weave together a tapestry of compelling mysteries, each one connected to the other. What were the circumstances surrounding Paul’s death? Why did he name Sveta his sole beneficiary? Which of Paul’s two wills expresses his true wishes? Why was Sveta’s mother estranged from Paul? And why does Sveta get the feeling Lucas is withholding important information?
As the story unfolds, the reader senses that if Sveta can just find the right thread, one good yank will unravel all the mysteries at once. And boy does it ever. By the end, though, all those loose ends are tied up as tight as a drum.
“The Vicious Circle” is a fun, escapist romp that has succeeded in putting me off the idea of communal living for a while.
Suzanne Van Atten is a book critic and contributing editor to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Contact her at svanatten@ajc.com, and follow her on Twitter at @svanatten.
