Nine Perfect Strangers is a psychological thriller novel written by Australian author Liane Moriarty. The book was published in 2018 and made it in the New York Times Bestseller List. It was a finalist for Best Fiction in the 2018 Goodreads Choice Awards. The story is set in New South Wales in a historic building that houses a wellness and health resort.
The narrative follows nine guests taking a luxury retreat at the Tranquillum House with the hopes of a transformative experience. The health spa is managed by Masha with the aid of two other employees, Yao and Delilah. The nine strangers include the Marconis who are seeking closure after the death of a family member; Jessica and Ben, a couple struggling with their new life as lottery winners. The other sole guests are Frances, a romance novelist with a failing career; Tony, a former football star; Carmel, a mother with self-esteem issues, and Lars a divorce lawyer with a strained relationship. The guests are taken through the typical sanatorium program including meditation and mindfulness, counseling, and detox until the activities take a bizarre turn.
In 2020, the novel was adapted for television starring Nicole Kidman and Melissa McCarthy as Masha and Frances respectively to premiere on Hulu in 2021. The book received mostly favorable reviews with Booklist stating “Each reveal is a delicious surprise…Nine Perfect Strangers is so well written and slyly constructed that it won’t feel like enough.”
