Dear Great Book Guru, I was at the Silent Book Club at the Campground in Sea Cliff recently and the person sitting near me went on and on about the book she was reading, She said it was a combination of the TV series “White Lotus” and the play “Bad Seed”. I was intrigued but forgot to get the title. Any idea?  Eager Reader

Dear Eager Reader, I just finished HAVOC by Christopher Bollen and it certainly had a “White Lotus” feel coupled with lots of psychological drama. Set in Luxor, Egypt, at the Royal Karnick Palace Hotel, the story is narrated by Maggie Burkhardt, an American octogenarian (think a malevolent Agatha Christie) who is set on solving the many problems of her fellow hotel guests. Having made friends with other long-term guests and staff, she is sure this new hotel will be her permanent home. While it has become a bit shabby, it definitely has vestiges of its luxurious past. When a troubled young woman and her eight-year-old son check in, Maggie immediately plots to “improve” their lives.  We soon realize there is much we don’t know about Maggie, and she is a very unreliable narrator. As her efforts create one disaster after another, we come to sympathize with everyone she attempts to help. Richly developed characters and an exquisite description of Luxor make this a highly recommended choice!