Kismet

About the book

From Amina Akhtar comes a viciously funny thriller about wellness-the smoothies, the secrets, and the deliciously deadly impulses.

Lifelong New Yorker Ronnie Khan never thought she’d leave Queens. She’s not an “aim high, dream big” person-until she meets socialite wellness guru Marley Dewhurst.

Marley isn’t just a visionary; she’s a revelation. Seduced by the fever dream of finding her best self, Ronnie makes for the desert mountains of Sedona, Arizona.

Healing yoga, transcendent hikes, epic juice cleanses…Ronnie consumes her new bougie existence like a fine wine. But is it, really? Or is this whole self-care business a little sour?

When the glam gurus around town start turning up gruesomely murdered, Ronnie has her answer: all is not well in wellness town. As Marley’s blind ambition veers into madness, Ronnie fears for her life.

Praise for this book:

"Kismet is the twistiest, most delicious take on wellness and self-care gone wrong. With a cast of unforgettable characters, a point of view you'll never guess, and an ending that leaves you breathless, you'll be busting down doors to join me as co-president of the Amina Akhtar fan club!" - Yasmin Angoe

"A remarkably original, terrifying read that seized me from the first line. Kismet is an astonishing, expertly structured thriller. Akhtar's signature creepy tone, suffused with dread and laced with wicked humor, is riveting. Her characters make you blur the lines of morality and justice. With brilliantly shifting points of view, a touch of magic, and a jaw-dropping ending, this is a stand-out suspense." - Samantha M Bailey

"Kismet is a gleeful (and at times literal) skewering of influencer culture and clout chasing, as well as a deeply relevant look at how easily and often the white wellness world intersects with racism and cultural appropriation - and how blind we can be to that and to the stain it leaves on the world around us. A bold and insightful whodunnit that ensures you'll never look at ravens the same way again." - Heather Cocks

"Unsettling from the very first page, Kismet takes its readers on a wild ride set in Sedona's wellness community, featuring a serial killer, crystals, and kick-ass ravens. It's strange and smart and spellbinding, with sharp social commentary and huge surprises. Another eerie gem from Amina Akhtar." - Megan Collins

"Kismet is funny, sharp, twisty, and spot on. Whether she's dealing with toxic relationships or everyday racism, Ronnie Khan is a character that you can't help but root for. I can't remember the last time I had this much fun reading a novel. Everyone, and I mean everyone, is going to be talking about those ravens." - Kellye Garrett

"A mystery thriller just the way I like them - full of secrets and karma. Amina Akhtar creeps us out and keeps us guessing all the way!" - Christopher Golden

"Dead bodies are turning up in Sedona's upscale wellness community? Sign me up! I loved everything about Kismet, Amina Akhtar's sharply observant, funny thriller. Gleeful and gripping, Akhtar has knocked it out of the park with this wickedly entertaining, twisty novel." - Jennifer Hillier

"With Kismet, Amina Akhtar invites us into the foxhole with Ronnie Khan, a New Yorker stationed in Sedona, just in time for Wellness World War. I loved this book - the claustrophobia of wide 'open' exclusive spaces. Amina teleports us to the passive-aggressive front lines in this dry landscape where caftans and corpses are equally foreboding. You want Ronnie to make a run for it, but she's a real hero - she wants to make a go for it. Lucky for us, she stays. Kismet is wicked and smart, a fly-on-the-wall humdinger where a light social gathering spikes your blood pressure. Amina deftly intertwines the earthly with the otherworldly. Read it now so you can be the one telling your friends about Kismet." - Caroline Kepnes

"Wickedly smart and outrageously entertaining, Kismet grabs hold and doesn't let go until a final twist that will have even the savviest readers gasping. Just like the clever, scene-stealing ravens, Akhtar skewers those who deserve it with her trademark wit while also layering in emotional nuance as compelling as the captivating mystery. At once atmospheric, chilling, and thought-provoking, Kismet will surely be this summer's must-read thriller." - Brianna Labuskes

"The twists just keep coming in Kismet, Amina Akhtar's dark and delicious thriller. I can't imagine a better companion around these nail-biting curves than the novel's protagonist, Ronnie Khan, who is wide eyed yet smarter than she lets on, naive yet world weary. In a nutshell: she's the perfect heroine. I'd follow her anywhere." - Jess Lourey

"Kismet is as atmospheric as it is dark and twisted. An unsettling read with wholly original protagonists, this is one thrilling story I won't be forgetting soon." - Hannah Mary McKinnon

"A desert setting, crystals to ward off evil, cunning ravens, and murder. Amina Akhtar has whipped up a creepy mystery that will have you second-guessing what you know about the wellness industry, not to mention what to think the next time you see ravens!" - Wanda M Morris

"Amina Akhtar yet again brings her wickedly wicked style to this twisty thriller about a woman who's finally taken charge of her life - only to find dead bodies piling up around her in the wellness community where she's starting over. Kismet is a page-turner populated by eerie ravens and people who aren't what they seem in a perfectly unsettling desert setting." - Gigi Pandian

"Gaspingly original. Kismet is brilliant and twisty - a knockout page-turner about guilt, revenge, and the toxicity of family and friendships. The oh-so-talented Amina Akhtar unleashes her keen eye and mordant wit - and exquisite understanding of human emotions - to reveal the dark side of the wellness industry and the terrifying reality behind the glam exteriors. Wow! This gripping, heartbreaking, and constantly surprising thriller is not to be missed!" - Hank Phillippi Ryan

"Kismet is an unforgettable read, with a fantastic setting and backdrop - sharp, haunting, and loaded with Amina Akhtar's hypnotic, visceral voice. Chilling, surprising, and loaded with biting commentary on the Sedona wellness community, this novel lingered with me for days after I finished it. Kismet is mesmerizing - a writer at the peak of her powers." - Alex Segura

"A chilling tale that lures in the reader with a seductive blend of friendship and tranquility, then transforms it into something evil and deliciously twisted." - A R Torre

"Amina Akhtar had me at ravens! Then she kept me turning the pages with her colorful cast of characters, keen insights, and layered, engaging heroine. Kismet is darkly funny, sharply observant, and full of surprises. Don't miss this utterly original and wildly entertaining thriller." - Lisa Unger

"One of the most original, chilling, and startlingly honest thrillers I've ever read, Amina Akhtar plunges readers into an altogether fresh flavor of hell in Kismet. Balancing nail-biting terror with razor-sharp wit, Akhtar interrogates the feral side of the human heart with a rare fearlessness that is certain to make Kismet one of the year's hottest titles and an absolute must-read. Period." - P J Vernon