The Wild Girls

The four longtime friends at the center of this enjoyable psychological thriller from British author Morgan (The Babysitter) used to call themselves “the wild girls” until an incident drove a wedge among them two years earlier. Now, teacher Alice Warner, new mother Hannah Jones, and introvert Grace Carter, all Londoners, each receive an invitation from Felicity Denbigh, with whom they lost contact after Felicity moved to Manhattan with her boyfriend, to attend her 30th birthday party in Botswana, all expenses paid. When Alice, Hannah, and Grace, who each view the trip as a way to settle past grievances, arrive in Botswana, they’re driven from the airport to Deception Valley Lodges, a luxury resort—except there are no other guests and no birthday celebration, and with no phone signal or internet connection, they can’t reach the outside world. Terror lurks in every crevice of the resort while dangerous animals roam in the bush, and past deeds that pulled apart the friends become life threatening. The suspense ramps up as the plot evolves into a locked-room mystery. This perceptive look at female friendship and betrayal will resonate with many. Agent: Camilla Bolton, Darley Anderson Literary. (Apr.)