Snake Oil: A Novel

“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.

"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

“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 Impostor Syndrome

"Menace grows slowly here as Dimberg immerses readers in the complex interplay of affirmation and vicious retribution in cultish movements. A great recommendation for readers seeking a follow-up to Liane Moriarty’s Nine Perfect Strangers.” - Booklist

“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