Kismet A thriller

Early in this often hilarious bildungsroman from Akhtar (#Fashionvictim), health guru Marley Davenport persuades Ronnie Khan to leave Ronnie's selfish aunt and New York City's insular Pakistani community for Sedona, Ariz., home of the Kismet Center, "a one-stop wellness-o-rama place" for New Age groupies. Though Ronnie is quite insecure and emotionally needy, she's too smart to be taken in by the crowd of white faddists, many of whom don't know that India and Pakistan are different countries and insist that her dark skin means that she must be a Sufi mystic. Meanwhile, inspired by the flock of ravens that infests the town, someone has begun killing interlopers who are ruining the place's natural beauty. As the ravens get bolder and Ronnie's dreams become violent, she must declare independence and make some hard choices before the darkly happy ending. Sharp prose and convincing characters make up for some dangling plot threads, including one that involves some mysterious papers Marley supposedly received from a guru the women meet in Sedona. Still, readers will be curious to see what this talented author does next. Agent: Chris Bucci, Aevitas Creative. (Aug.)

A submissive young woman trades family pressure for friendship with a wannabe New Age influencer involved with murder in a Southwestern mecca. Ronnie Khan can't believe she's out from under her Aunt Shameem's thumb after all these years. Sure, Pakistani culture emphasizes honoring her elders, but did that really mean shrinking in the shadows as Shameem abused her for so many years after her parents' deaths? Now she's moved with her best friend, empowerment coach Marley Dewhurst, from New York City to Sedona to embrace the New Age lifestyle Marley's promised. Instead of bringing Shameem her chai, Ronnie takes desert hikes with Marley. Not yet self-aware enough to know that neither of these brings her the happiness she seeks, she's confident that yoga, caftans, and crystals will make her feel centered. In fact, crystals are something Ronnie genuinely connects to, along with Brit and Star, the twin owners of BritStar Crystals, who offer her a job and their friendship. And not a moment too soon, because Marley, whom Ronnie's considered her savior, has taken on shades of Shameem, taking Ronnie for granted and ordering her around. Ronnie's convinced it's the influence of Caroline, a social climber with a bad aura who's attached herself to Marley and plans to brand Marley as Sedona's biggest influencer. After Ronnie and Marley find human remains on a desert hike, Caroline pushes Marley to create Marley's Eyes, a vigilante group designed to keep Sedona safe. The effect may be the opposite, and Ronnie wonders if she should trust in her friend or her instincts. An amusing takedown of influencer culture. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.