A Devil Wears Prada Meets Ready or Not Thriller Is a Must-Read for the 2026 Beach Season

Image: Penguin Random House

Blending the cutthroat corporate aesthetics of The Devil Wears Prada with the high-stakes survival tension of Ready or Not, Rachel Moore’s upcoming release, Safari Murder Party (out May 19), is far from your typical office romance. If you’re looking for a book that subverts traditional workplace rivalries with a lethal twist, this belongs at the top of your reading list.

For three grueling years, Fletcher Spence has served as the personal assistant to the tyrannical CEO of Cartwright Media, chasing a promotion to travel photographer. She balances a punishing 70-hour work week, a dormant social life, and a lackluster engagement, all while waiting for her big break. The company’s annual corporate retreat—an excursion to a secluded, private safari island—seems like the perfect stage to prove her worth and finally secure that promotion.

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Fletcher’s ambitions are derailed when her boss suffers a sudden, gruesome demise in a lion’s den. The reading of the will reveals a deadly clause: the Cartwright Media empire goes to whichever employee survives the remainder of the week. Trapped and desperate, Fletcher finds an unlikely, albeit infuriatingly charming, ally in her late boss’s son, Waylon.

We sat down with Moore to discuss the blend of adrenaline and romance in her latest novel and to see if all the carnage made the final cut.

Image: Penguin Random House

Polygon: Safari Murder Party marks your adult fiction debut. Did you approach this project differently than your YA work?

Rachel Moore: I definitely spent more time researching gruesome ends than I ever did for my young adult titles! However, the core process remained consistent. People are surprisingly uniform; beneath the surface, we’re all just carrying our teenage selves around, longing for safety, love, and—perhaps most importantly—to avoid being eaten by predators. The themes are universal, regardless of the age bracket.

The book weaves together corporate satire, thriller elements, and slasher-style violence. What drew you to this specific genre fusion?

Moore: I’m a fan of a well-made soup; there’s something deeply satisfying about a hearty bowl composed of your absolute favorite ingredients. That’s how I write. This book offered a chance to combine high-octane thrills with the romance I adore. Plus, writing is significantly more affordable than therapy, so it was a fantastic release for my frustrations with corporate culture.

The story kicks off with a chilling nod to Richard Connell’s The Most Dangerous Game. What inspired you to inject such a dark, predatory concept with a romantic core?

Moore: In a narrative so obsessed with greed and power, I wanted love to emerge as the ultimate, indomitable force. It provides the perfect contrast to the gore and satire. Also, quite simply, I never get tired of writing love stories!

Outside of Connell’s work, were there other thrillers or slashers that influenced you?

Moore: I’m actually quite timid—I’m squeamish, which makes the violence in my book a bit ironic. I’m a huge fan of the Knives Out series, the unsettling atmosphere of Severance, and Ally Carter’s excellent high-stakes romance, The Blonde Identity.

Were there any kill scenes that ended up on the cutting room floor, or any you hesitated to include?

Moore: I’ve been nervous about the hippos. People love them, but they are arguably some of the most dangerous creatures on earth. Let’s just say: stay alert for the hippos.

The inclusion of a map is a refreshing touch for a romance novel. What was that process like?

Moore: I was thrilled when my team suggested it. What began as a rough Canva mockup turned into a beautiful replica, thanks to my publisher’s incredible design team. The book is grounded in reality, but it has a campy, larger-than-life energy; the map really leans into that playfulness.

What is your favorite romance trope?

Moore: The bodyguard trope, hands down. There is something about forced proximity and the evolution of contractual protection into genuine devotion that makes me go feral. It’s definitely on my author bucket list.

Finally, if Waylon and Fletcher were at a book bar, what would their drink-and-read order be?

Moore: Fletcher would order a Manhattan and likely be reading an Ashley Poston novel—quietly hoping for a bit of magic—or perhaps the employee handbook. Waylon sticks to whiskey, neat, with a copy of The Will of the Many by James Islington on his nightstand.

Source: Polygon