“A brisk and fun thriller… This is a novel with a lively churning plot about which nothing
more can be said without revealing its deftly constructed twists. Blending soap-operatic
thrills and boardroom intrigue Snake Oil is consistently satisfying a reminder that it might
be intoxicating to watch bubbles grow but it’s always more memorable when they burst.” — San
Francisco Chronicle A razor-sharp literary thriller about three women vying for power at a
wellness startup where the cost of ambition might be deadly One woman’s elixir is another
woman’s poison Rhoda West is Silicon Valley’s favorite female CEO: the luminously charismatic
founder of the fast-growing startup Radical a wellness company whose core mission is the
betterment of women’s lives. Rhoda’s Instagram page offers intimate glimpses of her personal
life alongside promotions for the cult-status products developed in the Well Radical’s
secretive lab. Dani Lang is a “quester ” as Rhoda calls her most avid followers. Dani found
Radical at a low point in her life and took an entry level job just to get in the door. When
she volunteers to test a controversial new supplement Dani wins an opportunity to rise in the
company even to work with Rhoda herself. Cecelia Cole is a “quasher.” She grinds away at the
Customer Worship queue resenting the entitled customers the woo-woo Radical jargon and
Rhoda’s smiling hypocrisy. Cecelia who suffers from a miserable chronic illness knows that
the remedies Rhoda sells can’t cure real sickness. Just as Rhoda announces another fundraising
round that could turn Radical into a billion-dollar unicorn an anonymous Twitter account
begins spilling snarky gossip from inside the startup. Is Rhoda really the nurturing leader she
presents to the world or a fraud? Or is this just another case of a woman in business being
punished for her strength and audacity? Tensions rise and loyalties clash then tragedy strikes
during a company party. In the aftermath of what looks more and more like a crime even the
most faithful questers begin to wonder to what lengths Rhoda will go to protect her company.
Part page-turning suspense part darkly comic skewering of startup culture Snake Oil is a
gripping exploration of ambition and authenticity shining a revealing light on the wellness
world.
