REVIEW: Violets are Blue by Miranda Rijks

Violets are Blue by Miranda Rijks

Genre: Psychological thriller, Domestic thriller

Read: 26th April 2025

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 6th April 2025

★★★ 3 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Her perfect home. Her perfect man. How wrong can she be?

After a bitter divorce, criminal solicitor Laila moves to idyllic Violet Lane where she quickly falls for Max—her charming, piano-playing neighbor. They begin a wildly passionate affair and Laila feels she is really starting to live again.

But the tranquility of this close-knit community is shattered when Jackie, a young mother from across the street, goes missing. Her husband is the chief suspect and Laila agrees to act as his lawyer.

As she investigates Jackie’s disappearance, Laila discovers that this quiet street hides deadly secrets, and someone is watching her every move. Anonymous threats pull her ever deeper into a twisted web of deception.

Meanwhile, her intense relationship with Max is starting to feel like a runaway train. And Laila begins to wonder if her gorgeous new man may have a hidden dark side.

She desperately needs to uncover the truth. And when she does, Laila realises that she’s put herself in terrible danger, that she may lose everything – including her life.

Violets Are Blue - the dark and steamy psychological thriller from the best-selling author of The Visitors and Make Her Pay.

MY THOUGHTS:

Her perfect home. Her perfect man. How wrong can she be...?

Well...that was different. I love Miranda's books with her fast-paced thrill-rides-a-minute and this was no different in that respect. But what did I just read? Lots of steamy sex scenes (granted, the author did warn us of the fact beforehand) but honestly did that turn the main character's brain to mush in the process?

Laila has just gone through a long drawn out divorce with ex-husband Jacob and has moved to Violet Lane for a fresh start. As a criminal lawyer working in the same firm as her ex, Laila had to leave her job and start afresh at a local firm where she is made more than welcome. She's barely unpacked the boxes when she receives an invitation to a BBQ to welcome her to the Lane at neighbour Phyllis' house on the weekend - the last thing she feels like doing. But she makes the effort and meets the rest of her neighbours. 

When she first sees Max standing at the BBQ, a static of electricity runs through her. His eyes meets hers and she feels it again. It isn't long before her thoughts keep returning to the hunky paramedic next door watching him mow his lawn without a shirt, his muscles rippling. 

Then Max comes knocking and it isn't long before Laila finds herself embroiled in a steamy affair with the gorgeous Adonis that is Max. She knows nothing about him but could trace every line of his stunning body. And the way he makes her feel sends her weak at the knees. Everything about him is perfect, and she soon finds herself falling for him.

But the tranquility of their little street soon turns into chaos when Laila returns home one day to find the place crawling with police. Young mother Jackie has gone missing and though her husband seems to be the police's prime suspect it isn't long before the finger is pointed in her new boyfriend's direction. Just how well does she really know Max?

In a long line of bad decisions, Laila makes another as she takes on the role as Finn's lawyer thus further tangling her in the complex web. Then threats are made towards her and her life placed in danger, thrusting her even closer to Max when she is beginning to question everything she thought she knew about him. Laila feels trapped and doesn't know who or what to believe.

It's hardly surprising. Laila has seemingly followed bad decisions with even worse ones since moving into Violet Lane. There were plenty of eye-rolling moments as I shook my head every time Laila opened her mouth or followed through with yet another bad decision. She was so blinded by sex that not even Ludwig's dislike of Max registered with her. But as soon as I saw his reaction, I knew he wasn't to be trusted. I just didn't like him. He made my skin crawl. But is he a killer? And can he really be trusted?

Not one of Miranda's better thrillers, it was readable with plenty of eye-rolling moments and a quick enough read that I did so in a few hours.

I would like to thank #MirandaRijks, #Netgalley and #InkubatorBooks for an ARC of #VioletsAreBlue in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Miranda Rijks lives in West Sussex, England, with her husband, their musician daughter and black Labrador. ‘The Obituary’ was her first psychological thriller. She has also written a psychological thriller series featuring Dr Pippa Durrant, a psychologist and specialist in lie detection, who works alongside Sussex police getting embroiled in some scary stuff!

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.

Social Media Links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

    

REVIEW: The House Swap by Miranda Rijks

The House Swap by Miranda Rijks

Genre: Domestic suspense, Psychological thriller

Read: 7th December 2024

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 4th December 2024

★★★ 3.5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Two perfect families. Two beautiful homes. A one-way trip to hell.

When two families organise a house swap, it seems like the perfect holiday arrangement.

The Browns will exchange their London townhouse for a stunning chateau in the south of France, the perfect place to relax and rekindle their flagging marriage.

And the Lesters are looking forward to showing their son, Rafael, around their old haunts in the British capital.

Sounds wonderful. Except for one thing - both families are hiding dark secrets, and secrets have a way of coming out...

In France, there’s a mysterious break-in at the chateau. Then the Browns discover that a woman who lived there disappeared and was never seen again. Instead of feeling rested and relaxed, they now feel isolated and vulnerable.

Then, in London, 17-year-old Rafael vanishes without a trace.

As the tension mounts to an unbearable pitch, both couples are forced to face their darkest demons. Someone won’t be coming home…

MY THOUGHTS:

Two perfect families. Two beautiful homes. A one-way trip to hell...

So who's fancied a house swap at some point or another? I mean, we've all secretly wished we could literally swap houses...but I'm not sure I'd be comfortable with strangers staying in my space. And I'm not entirely sure I'd be all that comfortable in theirs either. But never fear, this book will put that idea to bed quick smart!

Elodie and husband Lewis live in the very affluent area of Knightsbridge in London and their house is simply to die for. While Lewis runs a string of semi-successful (but not really) gyms, Elodie is in the prestigious real estate business with her best friend Niall. Together they own and run Hutchinson Brown, marketing prestigious properties both in the UK and Europe to affluent clients. As part of the business, the pair decide to branch out in a new venture of house swapping. And Elodie and Lewis guinea pig the trial with similarly aged couple Piers and Susan Lester who own a crumbling villa in Provence, with the sole intention of renovating it.

From the first moment, it is obvious that the Lesters have landed firmly on their feet as they take in the stunning home they are to inhabit for the next two weeks with their 17 year old son Raf, who would much rather have holidayed at the seaside. While Elodie and Lewis have drawn the short straw in this house swap. And from that first moment, Elodie wonders if this really was a good idea after all. Especially when she begins to see photos of her home plastered all over Susan's social media.

The first morning in France, Elodie and Lewis are woken by construction workers who have been employed by the Lesters to work on the renovations. It's obvious as soon as you set foot inside the villa that it is tired, old, run-down and in serious need of some renovating. But this is meant to be a holiday. While the Lesters are living it up in their luxurious home back in England, they have been sold a lie and have to deal with constant noise and discomfort. This isn't quite the holiday they had hoped for.

Meanwhile, Susan and Piers are enjoying the luxury of the Brown's stunning home. Only Raf is a fish out of water here. Though he was born in London, he has spent most of his life in France and England is foreign to him. And while Piers thought this would be the holiday that would bring the family together, Susan is out every day till all hours shopping up a storm. That is when she's not quietly trying on Elodie's designer gowns and stunning clothes. Piers tries his best to make his wife happy but there's something not quite right. And then his visit to Harley Street brings news that shakes his world and everything he thought he knew to the core. When Raf suddently goes missing, Piers and Susan are out of their minds with worry...but things are about to get a whole lot worse.

Back in France, the quiet solitude Elodie had been hoping for is but a pipe dream. Strange things start happening - someone keeps trying to break into the house, there's a strange smell that seems to emanate from somewhere and Lewis is constantly going out for bike rides leaving Elodie by herself. And then she discovers something shocking and begins to question everything.

The story unfolds through Elodie and Piers' respective narratives with the odd chapter through Raf's POV peppered throughout. It was fast paced for the most part though it did take a while to get going. There's a whole lot of drama and plenty of baggage that these families are carrying around. But in the end, the tale was relatively entertaining, a little OTT, filled with secrets, lies and deception. I guessed the two major lot twists quite easily though to be fair they weren't immediately easy to spot. They were just random guesses on my part.

Overall, an entertaining tale though I'm still not a huge fan of continent-based tales and prefer them to be in miserable old blighty. lol

I would like to thank #MirandaRijks, #Netgalley and #InkubatorBooks for an ARC of #TheHouseSwap in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Miranda Rijks lives in West Sussex, England, with her husband, their musician daughter and black Labrador. ‘The Obituary’ was her first psychological thriller. She has also written a psychological thriller series featuring Dr Pippa Durrant, a psychologist and specialist in lie detection, who works alongside Sussex police getting embroiled in some scary stuff!

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.

Social Media Links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

    

REVIEW: Every Breath You Take by Miranda Rijks

Every Breath You Take by Miranda Rijks

Genre: Psychological thriller

Read: 2nd November 2024

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 14th July 2024

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Has her husband really left her? Or is someone playing a deadly game?

When Eva’s husband Samuel doesn’t come home from a boys’ night out, she thinks he’s sleeping off his hangover at a friend’s house. So she waits. And waits...

Eventually, he sends her a text – he’s met someone else and needs a few days to get his head together. Eva is devastated. How could he do this? How could he do it to their children? She’d thought her marriage was rock solid.

She tries to go on with her life as best she can. But then things take a truly bizarre turn…

She receives a terrifying photo of Samuel with a knife to his neck, and a demand: do everything on my bucket list or he will die.

As Eva completes the increasingly crazy demands on the kidnapper’s bucket list, every aspect of her life begins to unravel: her children are struggling, she’s not paying attention at work, and her friends and family fear for her mental health. All the while, the threats are mounting. Samuel will die. Unless…

Can Eva save her husband and children or will she lose everything that’s dear to her?

Every Breath You Take - the gripping psychological thriller from the best-selling author of The Visitors and Make Her Pay.

MY THOUGHTS:

A missing husband...and a deadly list of dares...

Miranda Rijks has long time been a go-to author for me and the premise for this latest thriller (my 13th by her) drew me right in. I was intrigued as to what was really at play here. When the first big reveal came just halfway through, which I had funnily enough already theorised (so I was surprised to find I was right), I knew that there had to be a bigger better twist to come. But what that was, I had no idea. So when it came I was shocked by the twisted deviousness in her plotting! I certainly didn't see that coming.

Eva has just returned from a weekend in Amsterdam with her three besties - Angela, Kalah and Nicolette - to celebrate their collective fortieth birthdays. Straight into the haphazardness of mum life as she picks her two children Riley (11) and Alfie (9) from school and they return home full of the day's adventures. After packing them off to bed, a quick glance at the time tells Eva that it's gone 9pm and Samuel should have been home long before now. When he hadn't arrived home by the time she drifted off to sleep, she just assumed he had crashed at one of his mates' place after a drink or two at the pub.

But by morning, Samuel still hadn't arrived home and Eva began to worry. She rang his best mate Hunter who said he'd left the pub early the night before to return home and see her after her weekend away. After ringing a few people and his work, Eva calls the police to report him missing. But they aren't too concerned, citing most people return after a few hours, at the most a day or two.

And then Eva's phone beeps with a message. From Samuel. Finally! But nothing prepares her for what he discloses.

He has met someone, they are in love and he is leaving her to be with them.

What the...? Who ends a fifteen year marriage via text? Eva is both angry and upset in equal measure. But hold on, it doesn't end there. She receives another text with one word "Snapchat". She downloads the app and before long she receives a message to say that Samuel has been kidnapped and if she wants to see him alive again, she must follow the strict instructions completing a bucket list set out to her one by one by the kidnapper. If she goes to the police, Samuel dies. If she tells anyone, Samuel dies. If she fails to comply, Samuel dies.

What ensues are a list of rudimentary and ridiculous requests that she begins to follow until they start to become insane. From changing her Facebook status to single to signing up to a dating app and going on three dates to cutting off her gorgeous hair to barely an inch...and all of this must be captured on her social media. But when the requests border on insane, Eva knows she can no longer comply and must seek the police for help. But her every move is counteracted and stopped. Which leads Eva to wonder if she is being watched or tracked somehow...thus leading her to an old friend to turn for help.

For all intents and purposes, Eva looks as if she is spiralling out of control so is it no wonder no one believes her ludicrous allegations? She doesn't even have the proof to back up her claims because snapchats disappear as soon as you read them. Even when she tried screenshotting the threats, her tormenter knew and demanded she delete it or...face the consequences. If not Samuel's death, then her children's.

This is a fast paced entertaining thriller that does require you to suspend belief somewhat, but none of that matters if it is entertaining, which it is. I knew I didn't have it all figured out because who discloses their big reveal just halfway through a story knowing there's still a long way to go till the end. I knew Ms Rijks had something else up her sleeve but just what that was I had no idea. I was just prepared for something BIG...and it was. So big it blindsided me that I didn't see it coming. And I was expecting it! Hahaha.

I love the alternating chapters between "the wife" and "the lover" which will keep you guessing until she slips in her reveal that will leave you going, wait...what? The writing is addictive and plot is just crazy but like a car crash, you can't look away. My only complaint is how quick her friends and everyone else were quick to gather round and offer support when they had spent the entire book dismissing her theories and allegations as insane, citing she must be having a mental health breakdown. How quick the turnaround was after all was revealed. I would have thought - "sorry, but in times of adversity you find out who your true friends are" and they didn't seem to have her back at all.

Overall, a fast paced thrill ride that kept me engaged from start to finish, devouring it in just under 5 hours. A quick fast paced read that won't disappoint psychological thriller fans.

I would like to thank #MirandaRijks, #Netgalley and #InkubatorBooks for an ARC of #EveryBreathYouTake in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Miranda Rijks lives in West Sussex, England, with her husband, their musician daughter and black Labrador. ‘The Obituary’ was her first psychological thriller. She has also written a psychological thriller series featuring Dr Pippa Durrant, a psychologist and specialist in lie detection, who works alongside Sussex police getting embroiled in some scary stuff!

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.

Social Media Links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

    

REVIEW: The Godchild by Miranda Rijks

The Godchild by Miranda Rijks

Genre: Psychological thriller, domestic thriller

Read: 6th April 2024

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 31st March 2024

★★★★★ 4.5 stars (rounded up)

DESCRIPTION:

Everything was fine until Alicia arrived.

After her own mother mysteriously disappears, seventeen-year-old Alicia turns up on her godmother’s doorstep and asks if she can stay. Carina can’t say no to the godchild she hasn’t seen in over a decade.

And in a way, Alicia is the daughter she always wanted – she’s so smart and driven, definitely scholarship material. Carina is only too happy to help this brilliant young woman achieve her full potential.

But husband Don and children Tegan and Arthur aren’t so sure. There’s something about Alicia… Is she just too good to be true?

Then, out of the blue, sixteen-year-old Tegan is accused of a horrible crime and life for this ordinary family spirals down into chaos.

Does Alicia have anything to do with the terrible secrets that are only now being exposed? Has she set out to destroy this family? Before she can answer these questions, Carina will have to face her own troubled past, stepping out of the light and into a very, very dark place…

The Godchild -the shocking psychological thriller from the best-selling author of The Visitors and Make Her Pay.

MY THOUGHTS:

Be careful who you let into your home...

Wowsers! This is so not what I was expecting. With a title such as this, I'm thinking something to do with a new baby (especially with that cover) and all that follows in such domestic thrillers. But no. The godchild is not a baby at all. Not even a child. But boy, she is something else!

Carina and her husband Don have been together since their university days and have three children - Tegan (16), Arthur (14) and baby Ethan (9 months). Carina is the head teacher at their local selective school at which her two children attend whilst hubby is a stay at home dad to Ethan working on his novel.

Then one day a knock at the door reveals Alicia, Carina's long lost godchild and daughter of her old uni friend Gina. After the scene she created at their wedding nearly two decades before, Carina has not set eyes on Gina since. And the news Alicia brings tells a familiar tale of woe that seems to follow Gina. Drugs, alcohol and who knows what or where Gina is now. 

But Alicia arrives with her bags in tow and nowhere else to go so Carina begrudgingly invites her to stay, if not as a nod to her old friend. Don is not best pleased and neither is Carina's teenage daughter who finds herself having to share her room with Alicia. 

And from there, everything seems to go downhill...especially for Tegan, who finds herself the subject of bullying. But it's not just that...mysterious things begin happening...and while the Ruff family's world begins to implode, Alicia is the only one who seems to be sitting pretty. But their bad luck just continues with the death of a student, bullying, drugs and secrets and lies in abundance.

Unfolding through the THEN and NOW format, this is another stellar read by Miranda that is indeed easily devoured in one sitting. Plenty of twists, plenty of red herrings and oh so many secrets, lies and deception. Despite some of its predictability, this is one compelling read that will still manage to shock you even if you can easily figure out much of what it going on.

I would like to thank #MirandaRijks, #Netgalley and #InkubatorBooks for an ARC of #TheGodchild in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Miranda Rijks lives in West Sussex, England, with her husband, their musician daughter and black Labrador. ‘The Obituary’ was her first psychological thriller. She has also written a psychological thriller series featuring Dr Pippa Durrant, a psychologist and specialist in lie detection, who works alongside Sussex police getting embroiled in some scary stuff!

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.

Social Media Links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

    

REVIEW: Make Her Pay by Miranda Rijks

Make Her Pay by Miranda Rijks

Genre: Psychological thriller, Suspense

Read: 8th December 2023

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 10th December 2023

★★★★★ 4.5 stars (rounded up)

DESCRIPTION:

Leonie has the perfect life. Someone wants to take it away.

Leonie is living her best life. Still in her twenties, she’s beautiful, successful and has just met Markus, the man of her dreams.

But Leonie has a secret. Ten years ago, she was involved in an accident in which another driver died. Leonie shouldn’t have been behind the wheel that night – no license, no insurance – so she fled the scene. And ever since, she’s been struggling to deal with the terrible guilt.

Now, as her wedding to Markus draws near, it seems someone is out to get her. It’s little things at first – botched work appointments, a cancelled bridal dress - but it soon escalates into a terrifying campaign which threatens her business, her family and even her life.

Leonie, caught up in a relentless nightmare, has no idea why anyone would set out to destroy her. Until she realizes there’s a link to the accident that happened all those years ago.

Someone knows what she did. Someone is determined to make her pay.

Make Her Pay – the gripping psychological thriller from the best-selling author of The Visitors and What She Knew.

MY THOUGHTS:

I love Miranda's books since discovering her around the same time as Daniel Hurst and both have become firm favourites of mine. This book is by far one of her best and I just loved the revenge plot despite it being clear as day what was going on, it's still a thrilling read none the less. My only complaint is how it all ended with, well, everything. What the hell was that? Everything was going well till then. 

Leonie lives a charmed life. In her mid twenties, she's beautiful runs her own successful business and then she meets Markus, a handsome client whose stunning home is sold and she was tasked with finding him something illustrious in London. But soon, that property search went by the wayside as Markus was pretty much living at her place in South Kensington and after meeting her parents at their country estate in Sussex, he proposes. Leonie can't believe her luck. How did she get so lucky?

Indeed, she wonders. Because Leonie has a secret. Ten years ago when she was just sixteen she took her mother's Range Rover with the intention of meeting up with her new boyfriend, only to be involved in an accident which claimed the life of someone else. Almost at once, Leonie knew she shouldn't have been behind the wheel that night. She was underage, no licence, no insurance and as such she fled the scene at her father's behest, lest she end up in prison. For the past ten years Leonie has relived that night and tried to forget it but she has been haunted by the terrible guilt she has carried with her since. And her father covering for her has left her in his debt.

But now she has struck gold. She is marrying Markus, the man of her dreams, and everything seems to be falling into place. Until...it isn't. Suddenly, just weeks before the wedding things begin to fall apart. At first she believes it is her father's influence trying to control how he thinks the day should go ahead - after all, it's an opportunity for him to rub shoulders with clients and network with business acquaintances. His daughter's happiness appears to be the furtherest thing from his mind. But her mother claims ignorance leaving Leonie wondering who is trying to sabotage her big day. At first it's the flowers, then she arrives to pick up her wedding dress only to discover it's been sold to someone else. Then there are botched appointments and soon Leonie realises that someone is out to make her pay. When she arrives at the church, she immediately gets the uneasy feeling that something isn't right. Where is Markus? Her happiest day threatens to become her worst nightmare. What is happening? Who is doing this?

An addictive and easy ready read from start to finish, I read this in one sitting. The predictable plot didn't matter as it was entirely entertaining. It was enthralling and dark in places but was completely suspenseful throughout. Filled with secrets and lies and a multilayer of twisted deception, MAKE HER PAY was a delight to read.

I would like to thank #MirandaRijks, #Netgalley, #InkubatorBooks and #ZoolooTours for an ARC of #MakeHerPay in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Miranda Rijks lives in West Sussex, England, with her husband, their musician daughter and black Labrador. ‘The Obituary’ was her first psychological thriller. She has also written a psychological thriller series featuring Dr Pippa Durrant, a psychologist and specialist in lie detection, who works alongside Sussex police getting embroiled in some scary stuff!

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.

Social Media Links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

    

REVIEW: The Homemaker by Miranda Rijks

The Homemaker by Miranda Rijks

Genre: Psychological thriller, Domestic thriller

Read: 28th October 2023

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 22nd October  2023

★★★★ 4.5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Maria always wanted a family. Now she’s found one.

Imogen has never been so busy – she’s juggling two jobs, has a young family and now she’s pregnant again.

Enter Maria, the perfect housekeeper. Hard working and capable, she seems like the ideal solution to Imogen's chaotic life. But Maria isn’t at all what she seems – she has a sinister agenda of her own.

Little by little, she installs herself at the heart of Imogen’s family – doing the school run, cooking meals, caring for Imogen’s little girl.

But once she has won the family’s trust, Maria starts to do some digging. And discovers that Imogen has been keeping a terrible secret, a secret which Maria threatens to reveal unless Imogen starts to run this home the way Maria sees fit.

Caught between a rock and a hard place, Imogen has no choice but to comply.

A terrible mistake. Because as the full scale of Maria’s horrifying plan becomes apparent, Imogen realises that everything she holds dear – her marriage, her family, her friends – all may fall victim to The Homemaker.

The Homemaker – the chilling psychological thriller from the best-selling author of The Visitors and What She Knew.

MY THOUGHTS:

Maria always wanted a family...and now she's found one...!

What a deliciously disturbing domestic suspense thriller Miranda Rijks has cooked up for us. This time we meet a lonely middle-aged woman who is desperately searching to belong. Only problem is, does she belong to THIS family?

Imogen has a perfect life with her dentist husband Josh and their 5 year old daughter Ava. She wants for nothing and the beautiful house in which they live was clearly too big for them with seven bedrooms but the moment they saw the 18th century property, they fell in love with it. As an aside, Imogen rents out two of the ensuite bedrooms, which are accessed separately, operating as a thriving Bed and Breakfast whilst providing a consultancy business for hotels. It's not that she needs the money - she just loves doing what she does.

But then Imogen discovers she is pregnant. And the news is not at all welcome, given the devastating revelation her mother made just days before her death three months before. Now Imogen has no way of knowing how she can come back from this. And how can she bring another child into this world knowing what she knows?

Hubby Josh is oblivious to Imogen's silent heartache but he has noticed her looking tired and pale of late and suggests a visit to the doctor. Imogen then reveals her pregnancy to which Josh is ecstatic and announcing it to anyone and everyone. Imogen is not so sure. But one thing she is sure of and that is she is going to need the extra help especially now with a baby on the way. And that's when she hires Maria.

Maria enters Fairvew House with her own agenda. Sure, she's there to help Imogen, providing a cleaning service and whatever else she may require but Maria has a hidden agenda. She plans to inveigle her way into every aspect of Imogen's life so that she can no longer be without her...and then she will reveal the truth to her. However, it's not long before Maria uncovers Imogen's own hidden secrets and only then does she have the power of the upper hand. And Imogen doesn't know what's hit her.

OK, so Maria is not who she appears to be. That much is obvious from the start but then we wouldn't have a story then, wouldn't we? But just how much is Maria keeping from Imogen and just how much power does she yield? One thing is for sure, Maria has plenty of secrets of her own.

Once again, Miranda Rijks has pulled me in from the very first page and kept me engaged throughout. Her thrillers are addictie, compelling and definite page-turners, and this one is no different. Of course I wanted to slap Imogen for trusting Maria and punch Maria in the face. I could have gladly given Kyle a swift kick up the gluteus maximus also for his bad attitude. And Josh? So quick to believe the worst of his wife without even sitting down and talking with her. Only Ava seemed to make any sense and she's a five year old! But then again, who is sane in this psycho-domestic thriller?

With its snappy chapters a perfect length, the pace moved steadily through to the nail-biting end. Another great read from one of my favouritie authors.

I would like to thank #MirandaRijks, #Netgalley, #InkubatorBooks and #ZoolooTours for an ARC of #TheHomemaker in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Miranda Rijks lives in West Sussex, England, with her husband, their musician daughter and black Labrador. ‘The Obituary’ was her first psychological thriller. She has also written a psychological thriller series featuring Dr Pippa Durrant, a psychologist and specialist in lie detection, who works alongside Sussex police getting embroiled in some scary stuff!

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.

Social Media Links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

   

REVIEW: The Lodge by Miranda Rijks

The Lodge by Miranda Rijks

Genre: Psychological thriller, Suspense

Read: 28th July 2023

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 26th July 2023

★★★★★ 4.5 stars (rounded up)

DESCRIPTION:

It’s so quiet at the lodge. But if you listen very hard, you can hear the screams.

Anna has rebuilt her life after a toxic relationship with her obsessive, controlling ex, Clayton. She's finally found happiness with her fiancé, Joel, a veterinarian in the running for a dream job on a game reserve in South Africa.

When Joel is asked to interview at the luxurious safari lodge, Anna is delighted to be invited too. But her exotic holiday takes a sinister turn when she discovers that toxic ex Clayton is also a guest at the lodge.

 

Clayton seems happy with his new girlfriend, but Anna isn’t buying it. She doesn't believe in coincidences, and her gut tells her that Clayton is here for all the wrong reasons.

 

And she’s right. Because what Clayton has planned is beyond her worst nightmare. She escaped him once before – but this time he’s prepared the perfect trap.

 

The Lodge – the shocking psychological thriller from the best-selling author of The Visitors and What She Knew.

MY THOUGHTS:

It’s so quiet at the lodge...but if you listen very hard, you can hear the screams...

Could a thriller get any more atmospheric? Any more claustrophobic? Any more creepier than THE LODGE? Maybe so, but in a place where the wild animals are not the only predators it certainly made it one very thrilling read. I've lost count of the amount of Rijks thrillers I have devoured but this one has to be one of the most chilling. It brings to mind the movie with Val Kilmer and Michael Douglas "The Ghost and the Darkness" - and that same sense of isolation tinged with danger.

I was drawn in from the very first page and was soon so absorbed that nothing and no one was going to stop me until the I swiped the very last page. The entire read was filled with tense moments that I was wondering how it was all going to pan out. And while the story was largely predictable there was still some part of it that wasn't...and that made the tension doubly palpable. I'm not sure I could have stayed sane in Anna's shoes while at the same time I was frantically waving my flashing baton to warn her of what I could clearly see coming from a mile off.

Two years ago, Anna was in a toxic relationship with suave and handsome charmer Clayton who was also controlling to the point of obsession. After she broke off their engagement, he would not take no for an answer and popped up everywhere she was. Outside her flat, her work, her mother's house, even following her in his car. He would send her flowers, order gifts, make dinner arrangements, make nuisance phone calls from an unlisted number. Anna was at her wit's end that she ended up moving abroad.

Now she has rebuilt her life and found happiness with Joel. Although he proposed after three months, she made him wait six months before she gave him her answer after the train wreck of her last relationship as she didn't want to find herself in the same situation again. But Joel is nothing like Clayton. He is kind and compassionate, a vet who specialises in large animals. And they are busy saving for their wedding.

All that is about to change when Joel excitedly informs Anna that he has been headhunted for a veterinary position at a game reserve in South Africa - a secret dream of his. They have been given an all-expenses paid trip for the unique experience and for Joel to be interviewed for his dream job. But Anna is hesitant. She hates flying and it's so far away...from everything. A fact that is only reinforced when they step off one plane only to step onto a smaller five seater plane that flies them another hour away. They are greeted by Ntando, a tracker who works at the reserve, who then drives them another half an hour to the reserve and the lodge where they will be staying. The absolute middle of nowhere.

But Anna has to admit...the lodge and its surrounds are stunning. The luxurious tents with the subtle privacies of a hidden shower and free standing bath. The cooling swimming pool. And those stunning views. And then they meet the other guests - two other couples staying to help launch this new game reserve ready for paying guests. And Anna's heart stops. No. It can't be. But it is. Clayton. But he's supposed to be dead. What is he doing here? Could it just all be a coincidence or a sinister plot to get her back?

But Anna doesn't believe in coincidence. She knows Clayton...and she knows he is there for a reason and that it cannot be anything good.

I remember reading on Miranda's instagram some time back when she was in South Africa and her pondering about it being the perfect setting for a thriller. I was like...um, yeah...not a fan. But oh em gee!! Did it work?! The setting of the game reserve really gave the reader that sense of isolation. And in a real "locked room" sense despite being out in the open. I mean, how could she leave? She had arrived by air and didn't know how to escape. Not only that, she was surrounded by predators but despite the lions, snakes and other wild animals that could tear you to shreds should you cross their path, it seemed that the human kind proved to be the most dangerous of all.

The story unfolds predominantly through Anna's narrative both in the past and the present as we are lead through step by step of her train wreck of a relationship with Clayton in which he pretty much railroaded her into. As the twists started, so too does the necessary suspension of belief for it to work. And crazily enough, it kind of does in a weird way. But then our villain is just a little bit loopy and the setting merely adds to the delusional factor. But then despite this, it just works so well. Rijks has that knack of making it work even when it seems ludicrous. 

I honestly didn't think I would enjoy a book set in the wilds of Africa, but boy did I enjoy it! I devoured it in five hours in one sitting! No way was I stopping for sleep or anything. I was seeing it through the bitter end. It was a wild ride, a little predictable but sometimes not. The chapters are also relatively short and snappy, keeping the pace moving along nicely.

Overall, it was an atmospheric, fun and fast read that was also claustrophobic and chilling and oh so addictive. A thoroughly entertaining outing with Rijks once again.

I would like to thank #MirandaRijks, #Netgalley, #InkubatorBooks and #ZoolooTours for an ARC of #TheLodge in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Miranda Rijks lives in West Sussex, England, with her husband, their musician daughter and black Labrador. ‘The Obituary’ was her first psychological thriller. She has also written a psychological thriller series featuring Dr Pippa Durrant, a psychologist and specialist in lie detection, who works alongside Sussex police getting embroiled in some scary stuff!

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.

Social Media Links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

  

REVIEW: The Other Mother by Miranda Rijks

The Other Mother by Miranda Rijks

Genre: Psychological thriller, Suspense

Read: 30th April 2023

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 19th April 2023

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Four-year-old Florrie is missing. Who has taken her, and what do they want?

When Jane is asked to pick up her friend’s daughter, Florrie, from school, she can’t imagine the horror that will unfold. Because someone pretending to be Jane has already collected Florrie. And now the little four-year-old is missing…

 

Things don’t get any easier when Jane starts receiving anonymous letters that include intimate details about her life. As a psychologist and agony aunt, she's used to getting letters asking for advice, but these are different. Are they somehow connected to the missing child?

 

Then, to her utter dismay, Jane finds incriminating evidence in her own home, evidence that is clearly linked to Florrie. She starts to doubt everyone around her, even her own family – could one of them be implicated in Florrie’s disappearance?

 

Under the unspeakable stress, her marriage crumbles, her children act out and her once-successful business falls apart. And that’s when Jane discovers a shocking secret that shatters her entire world.

 

In a heart-pounding race against time, Jane must find Florrie and uncover the truth. Can she save Florrie and her own family, or will she be too late to stop the unthinkable?

 

The Other Mother is an explosive psychological thriller that will grip readers till the very end.

MY THOUGHTS:

Four-year-old Florrie is missing...who has taken her and what do they want...?

I'm a sucker for missing child thriller tropes and I love Miranda Rijks' easy style. She just pulls you in, ramps up the tension and delivers a thrilling read every time. With a mixed bunch of characters (mostly unlikeable), there are plenty of twists to keep you guessing and entertained throughout. THE OTHER MOTHER was such a quick read that I devoured it in one sitting in bed last night.

Naomi is a physiotherapist caught up on a training course when she asks her best friend Jane to pick up her four year old daughter Florrie from school and meet her at the dentists where Florrie has an appointment. But when Jane arrives at the school she is told that the little girl has already been collected by her mother's friend Jane. But she is Jane! So who picked up Florrie? And where is she now? 

Jane is frantic trying to contact Naomi, who is unreachable, and searching for the little girl all the while questioning the school as to why they didn't properly identify the woman who picked her up claiming to be Jane. They certainly wanted to see her identification so why did they not check those of whoever picked up Florrie? 

A psychologist who specialises in family dynamics, Jane also masquerades as an agony aunt for a local paper doling out advice to those who seek it. But it isn't long before the "agony aunt" letters begin to take a sinister turn targeting her and including intimate details of her own life. Every time something happens in her life, she receives a letter from an anonymous source mirroring recent events. Jane begins to feel spooked. And when a client starts getting too familiar and wanting to focus on her her life rather than his own, Jane wonders if it's all somehow connected.

And then when she finds incriminating evidence in her own home that is clearly linked to Florrie, she begins to doubt everyone around her...including her own family. As her marriage crumbles, her children acting out and becoming more distant than ever and her successful practice falls apart, Jane is further rocked by a secret that threatens to shatter her entire world. Can things ever be the same again?

Time is running out. Can Jane find Florrie and uncover the truth whilst saving her own family before it's too late?

Once again, Rijks delivers a fast paced tension-filled thriller that keeps you turning the pages until you reach the end. I devoured it in under five hours as it was such an easy read. None of the characters were particularly likeable but some moreso than others. It was such an easy and entertaining read that I have come to love. I also love the multiple POVs that allow you to see different sides of the story whilst trying to figure out the mystery therein.

I don't think the ending was the "twist you won't see coming" kind of jaw-dropping shock the tagline promised, but it was still a nice touch all the same.

Overall, THE OTHER MOTHER was a thoroughly entertaining thriller that is easily devoured and completely addictive from start to finish.

I would like to thank #MirandaRijks, #Netgalley, #InkubatorBooks and #ZoolooTours for an ARC of #TheOtherMother in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Miranda Rijks lives in West Sussex, England, with her husband, their musician daughter and black Labrador. ‘The Obituary’ was her first psychological thriller. She has also written a psychological thriller series featuring Dr Pippa Durrant, a psychologist and specialist in lie detection, who works alongside Sussex police getting embroiled in some scary stuff!

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.

Social Media Links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

 

REVIEW: The Concierge by Miranda Rijks

The Concierge by Miranda Rijks

Genre: Psychological thriller, Domestic thriller, Suspense

Read: 15th December 2022

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 13th December 2022

★★★★ 4.5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

They hired an assistant to help them. But she has other plans.

High-flying duo Goldie and Braun Delucci run a major film production company. But recently their gilded lives were touched by tragedy when one of their leading actors, Ally, died in a car crash.

What the Deluccis don’t realise is that their newly hired private assistant is actually Ally’s sister. Simone is convinced Ally’s death was suspicious and she is determined to find out what happened on that terrible night.

Simone’s new job puts her at the heart of a rich, dysfunctional family. As she digs for the truth about Ally’s death, she realises someone is watching her. And they want her gone.

That just makes Simone more determined to discover whatever terrible secret the Deluccis are hiding. But she doesn’t understand she is about to uncover something so dark, so shocking that her own life may never be the same again.

MY THOUGHTS:

I always enjoy a thriller by Miranda Rijks, even when they aren't as good as some of her others I still enjoy them and the ride she takes you on. Following on from her previous "Forget Me Not", "The Insomniac" and my own personal favourites "The New Neighbour" and "The Arrangement", Miranda returns with the riveting and wholly absorbing THE CONCIERGE. 

Now for me, I thought a concierge was someone who does all the customer services relations stuff in a hotel but when I googled it, the term actually means "a person or service that provides assistance with personal business such as travel arrangements, scheduling appointments or running errands. OK, so that is pretty much what takes place here..and, of course, more.

We meet Simone at the beginning of the story, looking forward to what used to be a regular get-together of dinner and a catch up with her younger sister Ally. But since getting the lead on an upcoming film "The Insomniac" (clever coincidence in a nod to one of Miranda's previous titles), she has rarely seen Ally at all, putting it down to the long hours on the set. And now this latest dinner is cancelled at the last minute by Ally when she has to work into the night. 

Then she's awakened in the middle of the night to a ringing phone. Who is calling her at 3am? It can't be good news given the hours. It's Ally's husband, Rob, with the worst news possible. Ally was dead. It seems she was driving her boss' car and crashed into a tree...but nothing about the accident makes any sense. The car belonged to the Deluccis, the owners of the production company Ally worked for and what's more...there were drugs in her system. But Simone refuses to believe what the police has written off as accidental. Nothing about this is Ally at all, and it makes no sense whatsoever. But no one will listen to Simone believing her to be just the grieving sister.

If only she could get close to the Deluccis and investigate the matter for herself. And then the perfect opportunity arises when a concierge position for the Deluccis becomes available and Simone sees her way in. She makes herself invaluable and indispensable to the family as she blends seamlessly into their world and find that she doesn't mind the job, despite its demands, and quite likes Goldie, the wife and brains behind Delucci Productions. But Simone believes that there is more to her sister's death and that one or both of the Deluccis are hiding something.

But what she discovers will endanger more lives than just her own...Will she get to the truth before it's too late?

What an addictive thrill ride THE CONCIERGE turned out to be! And I didn't know what to expect. The characters are flawed yet well developed and most are unlikeable, with the exception of Simone and Goldie really...oh, and Florian. What kind of name is Florian? No wonder the kid was bullied with a name like that. But then Braun wasn't much of a name either. At least Goldie was an abbreviated form of her full name Marigold. But the crown for the least likeable character has to go Rose and Braun alike. Even Tony. They all deserved it. They were all horrible people that I hated at first glance. As soon as Tony entered the picture, I didn't trust him at all and at 17 Rose really should have been a little wiser than to fall for his crap. But she was too busy being up her own butt trying to get one over on her parents or Simone. And Braun? Well, he didn't feature very much but I didn't trust him from the off. There was just something about him I didn't trust. I didn't think much of Goldie's parenting style. I can understand her wanting to give her kids the best so they didn't miss out but then she was never there for them anyway. Instead she got Simone to take care of things...like that is even in Simone's remit. She is not their mother and Rose is hardly going to listen to some stranger bawl her out and try curbing her activities just because her mum gave her instructions to do so. I was left shaking my head and thought you can't be both career woman and mother.

THE CONCIERGE is a fast paced thriller that I read pretty much in one sitting, turning the pages at the speed of light. I did think the ending was tied up a little too neatly with all the kiss and make up and forgive and forget between them all. Given all that happened I don't think things will have smoothed out quite so quickly.

I love the three perspectives we hear from throughout the story - Simone, Goldie and Rose. Introducing Rose's narrative added an interesting aspect to the family dynamics, as much as I couldn't stand her. And the skillful way in which Miranda weaves all three narratives together into one big picture is seamlessly clever.

I thoroughly enjoyed THE CONCIERGE and look forward to reading more by Miranda. In fact, I have a blacklog of her previous releases from prior to "The New Neighbour" to get to at some point...one day.

Perfect combination of psychological and domestic suspense make this an easily entertaining and enjoyable thriller. Highly recommend.

I would like to thank #MirandaRijks, #Netgalley, #InkubatorBooks and #ZoolooTours for an ARC of #TheConcierge in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Miranda Rijks lives in West Sussex, England, with her husband, their musician daughter and black Labrador. ‘The Obituary’ was her first psychological thriller. She has also written a psychological thriller series featuring Dr Pippa Durrant, a psychologist and specialist in lie detection, who works alongside Sussex police getting embroiled in some scary stuff!

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.

Social Media Links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads