In the midst of a sizzling hot summer, some of Hollywood's most notorious faces are assembled on the idyllic Caribbean island of St. Genesius to film The Siren, starring dangerously handsome megastar Cole Power playing opposite his ex-wife, Stella Rivers. The surefire blockbuster promises to entice audiences with its sultry storyline and intimately connected cast.
Three very different women arrive on set, each with her own motive. Stella, an infamously unstable actress, is struggling to reclaim the career she lost in the wake of multiple public breakdowns. Taylor, a fledgling producer, is anxious to work on a movie she hopes will turn her career around after her last job ended in scandal. And Felicity, Stella's mysterious new assistant, harbours designs of her own that threaten to upend everyone's plans.
With a hurricane brewing in the distance, each woman finds herself trapped on the island but united against a common enemy. As deceptions come to light, misplaced trust may prove more dangerous than the storm itself.
From The Lion's Den author Katherine St. John, The Siren is another sublimely escapist thriller: when A-lister actor Cole Power hires his ex-wife, Stella Rivers, to act in his son's film on an isolated island, he sets in motion a chain of events that will unearth long-buried secrets and unravel years of lies.
With a layered plot, well-developed characters, and enough soapy insight into the entertainment world, The Siren is a perfect summer read. Told from the perspectives of the three leading ladies, the multiple points of view work exceptionally well to provide the backstories and motivations that are responsible for bringing these women to the island. Taylor most closely aligns with the reader, making assumptions about Stella—a washed up actress—and Felicity—her flighty assistant. But as the story unfolds, it becomes apparent that they are intelligent and complicated women, both victims of traumatic events in their past.
Capitalizing on celebrity culture, St. John does an excellent job with pacing and fully fleshes out the narrative. She ratchets up the tension with the escalating storm which proves to be just as destructive as what is revealed.
Reading like a Hollywood rag, The Siren is a bombshell of secrets, lies, and deceit. Purely entertaining.
KATHERINE ST. JOHN is a native of Mississippi, graduate of the University of Southern California, and author of the critically acclaimed novel The Lion’s Den. When she’s not writing, she can be found hiking or on the beach with a good book.
St. John currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband and children.
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