Snake Oil

A sharp and twisty novel of literary suspense that interrogates the dark side of wellness, startup culture, and female ambition.

“If you commit to it, wellness can optimize every facet of your life. Unleash your superpowers. If every woman felt radically healthy, we could save the world. That’s my Radical vision.”

Rhoda is a quintessential girlboss: the founder of billion-dollar wellness company Radical, she’s equally admired for her business acumen as for her flawless skin and enviable Instagram presence. But behind her perfect veneer, Rhoda is riddled with an all-consuming desire to keep growing her empire, and fear that it could all be taken away from her. As she grows increasingly desperate to maintain her status and paranoid of the people surrounding her, she must question what lengths she’ll go to, to protect what she’s built.

Dani found Radical at a low point in her life, and it took her less than a month to sell her house, board a red-eye across the country, and apply for her dream job. When Rhoda hand-selects her for a prestigious new role, Dani is thrilled. But as she’s drawn into Rhoda’s inner circle, she begins to question Rhoda’s motives and suspect that something sinister may be going on behind Radical’s walls.

Cecilia spends her days dealing with customer complaints as part of Radical’s “Customer Worship” team, and her nights running an anonymous Twitter account dedicated to exposing Rhoda as the hypocrite she believes her to be. And then she stumbles upon a story that might just prove her suspicions right once and for all. But how much is she willing to sacrifice to share the truth and bring down Rhoda?

These tensions all come to a head on the night of Radical’s company party, when a shocking tragedy strikes the company. In the aftermath, the women of Radical will be forced to confront their loyalties and figure out what’s real, and what’s just snake oil.

“A sharp, fun, and wickedly smart examination of female ambition and the constant pursuit of perfection, in a world where perfection is just another illusion to be sold. — Kathy Wang, author of FAMILY TRUST and IMPOSTER SYNDROME

'Snake Oil sheds its light and shining skin to reveal deep and resonant truths about modern life. Dimberg's prose glows with the power of a thousand serums. I underlined the hell out of this perfectly timely yet surprisingly timeless gem.' — Avery Carpenter Forrey, author of SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT

'A lush, attentive portrait of a culture where botanicals are revolutionary, nourishment is a superpower, and wellness is one click away, Snake Oil purrs with abundance and delivers the uneasy thrill of buying and selling ourselves on every page.' — Barbara Bourland, author of THE FORCE OF SUCH BEAUTY View Less