The Arrangement by Miranda Rijks
Genre: Domestic thriller, Psychological thriller, Suspense
Read: 23rd June 2022
Published: 30th August 2020
★★★★★ 5 stars
DESCRIPTION:
Abi had a secret life. That’s why she had to die.
Grace is living through every mother’s worst nightmare. Her student daughter Abi went away on a dream vacation - and was murdered.
Overwhelmed by grief, and fighting off old demons which have resurfaced, Grace tries to make sense of it – who would want to kill her beautiful girl?
But as she learns more about Abi’s life, she realises she didn’t know her own daughter very well. How did Abi acquire all those designer clothes? And what was she doing on those mysterious trips to the city?
Grace desperately needs to find answers. But soon it becomes clear that someone doesn’t want her digging into Abi’s secret past. Someone who knows how to use Grace’s own weaknesses against her, sending her on a journey to the darkest hell…
The Arrangement is a gripping psychological thriller that builds to a stunning climax. Perfect for fans of K. L. Slater, Teresa Driscoll, and Andrew Hart.
MY THOUGHTS:
Do we really know anyone? Even those closest to us? This book will make you question everything and everyone you think you know in your relationships!
WOW! WOW! WOW! This is my fourth Miranda read by Rijks and she is fast becoming a go-to author for me with this addictive domestic thriller THE ARRANGEMENT grabbing me from the very first page and gripping me until the swipe of the last page. Upon beginning the book, I'm not sure what I expected but it is certainly unputdownable and engaging throughout...no matter how unlikeable the characters may be. I could have easily devoured it in one sitting had it not been for real life getting in the way...lol
The prologue is incredibly intriguing to say the least as it opens in a bar in Cape Town in South Africa where Abi is unknowingly observed. Who is it that is watching her? Who is it that appears to bear a grudge against her with the disturbing thought of making her pay? Who follows her down to the deserted beach in the middle of the night, thus taking her by surprise with a knife to the heart? Who killed Abi Woods?
Back home in Horsham on the south east of England, Grace Woods awakes to the news that her daughter has been murdered. She is beside herself with grief and filled with questions as to who would want to kill her...and why? Abi was well loved and liked. She was at university in Durham where she wanted to pursue her studies and become a solicitor. And she had saved all her money working every shift she could as a barista to join her friends Becky and Ethan for three weeks in Cape Town on their gap year. So what happened? Why was she killed? Where were Becky and Ethan?
And then when she learns that her friends weren't even in Cape Town when Abi arrived, Grace begins to dig into her daughter's life in an attempt to uncover some answers and hopefully learn what she had been hiding and if it had lead to her murder. But the rabbit hole in which she finds herself, whilst battling her own demons, Grace quickly discovers that there was much more to her daughter's life than she knew. Shocked and a little perturbed, Grace finds solace in alcohol and the sneaky ciggy as she tries to piece together her daughter's secret life. But as her sobriety begins to spiral it becomes clear that someone doesn't want her delving too deep. She receives threats...Dalek-like phone calls...a snapchat from "Abi's ghost"...all warning her to stop her digging or she will risk the life of not only herself but her remaining daughter Ella.
Predictably, when Grace does reach out for help no one believes her, attaching their own beliefs to her drinking in that she is imagining things and is therefore just paranoid. No one is out to get her. Abi is dead. Just move on. But Grace can't move on...not until she uncovers the truth. All the while she continues to bury herself deeper into an alcoholic haze of sleep and oblivion to escape the pain. She is alone and she is terrified...and she is being silently watched.
Despite her grief, I have to say Grace really did get on my nerves. She made it so easy for the villain to make her the scapegoat in it all with her drinking. No one would suspect for a minute everything Grace was claiming with the amount of alcohol she was drowning herself in each day. She adamantly refused to accept that she was an alcoholic and that she could control her drinking...as if every alcoholic hasn't said the very same thing. It's a lie they tell themselves to justify their drinking. She's not an alcoholic - that's a medical condition, they can't help themselves whereas she can. Or so she tells herself. Her constant metaphoric self flagellation followed by one drink, two drinks, free jinks...zzzzzzz... Just grated on me a little. I don't know how she expected to get to the truth if she continually drank herself into oblivion each night. But...having said that, grief is such a complex emotion and she had just lost her daughter so tragically. And her life just seemed to be a series of unfortunate events from then on. But it was the ending that, surprisingly, brought tears to my eyes. I was actually moved by those final pages.
THE ARRANGEMENT is a quick and entertaining read that I could have easily devoured in one sitting, had real life not intervened. It is well written and intriguing that explores the depth of grief amidst tragedy. There are secrets, lies, loss, betrayal and so much more in this book that will have you turning the pages at the speed of light to uncover the truth! I had my suspects - well, two really - and then it hit me who it just had to be! Was I right? Indeed I was...but will you be able to figure it out amidst the red herrings Miranda Rijks peppers throughout?
A totally fabulous addition to her repertoire, THE ARRANGEMENT is a spine-tingling thrill ride from start to finish. I loved it and cannot recommend Miranda Rijks enough to fellow domestic thriller fans of this genre.
I would like to thank #MirandaRijks, #NetGalley and #InkubatorBooks for an ARC of #TheArrangement in exchange for an honest review.
MEET THE AUTHOR:
After a degree in Law, Miranda worked in marketing in London and Eastern Europe before setting up businesses in the horticultural, leisure and retail sectors. Along the way, she got a masters in writing and wrote the self-help book, ‘How Compatible Are You?’ and biography, ‘The Eccentric Entrepreneur’. In 2018, Miranda wrote ‘Don’t Call Me Brave’, a novel very loosely drawing upon her experiences of having a rare bone cancer.
She feels extremely lucky to be living the dream, writing psychological thrillers full time!
Miranda loves connecting with her readers, so feel free to drop her a line.
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