By: Miranda Rijks
Narrators: Charlie Albers, Ella Lynch
ISBN: 9781837563043
Publisher: Inkubator Books
Publication Date: 12/10/2023
Audio: 03/12/2024
Dreamscape Media
Format: e-book
My Rating: 5 Stars + (ARC)
Leonie thought she’d escaped the past. But someone knows what she did.
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 she’s spent the last ten years trying 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 canceled bridal dress – but it soon escalates into a terrifying campaign that 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.
My Review
Bestselling author, master storyteller, and queen of twists, Miranda Rijks, returns following The Homemaker with her latest and one of her best, MAKE HER PAY —an intense, stylish, crafty, nail-biting, and compelling psychological thriller that explores guilt and its effects from adolescence into adulthood with all its emotions and horrors.
The author gives us all an early Christmas surprise gift with this powerhouse of a novel. (thank you!) Highly recommend! I am in awe of her talent and how she can write so many books! I think this is her 21st book!
With the author's signature twists, Rijks surprises readers with atmospheric settings, vivid descriptions, compelling characters, and a story that could be ripped from today's headlines—from untrustworthy characters and believable gasp-worthy twists, you will be hooked.
I was so captivated I read in one sitting! The part where she was lured to the secluded Airbnb, the forest, the road, the car—My heart was pounding, and I was on the edge of my seat!
Leonie came from a well-to-do family. Her father is a huge real estate developer. He is also very controlling. He controls her mother, and he tries to control her brother until he escapes.
Like most teens, their family is on vacation in one of their homes and hosting a big party by the pool. They are leaving the following day, and Leonie wants to see this boy she had met over the summer before and say goodbye. Don't we all remember these days? I do.
Leonie still needs to get her driver's license, has no car insurance, etc., steals her mom's SUV, and plans on meeting the guy. She thinks they are in the middle of entertaining and will never miss her.
However, not accustomed to driving, she gets nervous when a car follows her too close, speeding up and blinking lights, blinding her while another vehicle is coming head-on in her lane. She loses control of the car, and there is a deadly accident.
It was her father in the car behind her, trying to get her to pull over after he discovered she had stolen her mom's car. She is afraid someone in the car is dead, but her dad says they need to leave, and there is nothing they can do. They need to cover up the accident and never speak of it again, or it could ruin all their lives.
The trauma has stayed with Leonie her entire life, shunning away from relationships and burying herself in work. She also chooses not to drink for fear of spilling the events that she has buried for so long.
Ten years later, Leonie works for an online real estate company catering to wealthy clients, a division of her dad's company. It is here she met Markus, a homeowner. They have been together for quite a while, and he proposes marriage.
However, strange things start occurring as they plan the wedding, from her wedding dress work appointments and more. She soon suspects someone knows about what happened years ago. Could the person in the car be alive or somehow knows them and is trying to get revenge as the 10th anniversary of the date is upcoming?
Little does she know the complex, multi-layered revenge plot coming for her. She has felt such guilt. But she looked at the car briefly and begged her father to check on the person and call the authorities. But he refused. She was just a kid.
Then it is the day of the wedding. Something is not right. Then, soon, she is caught up in a nightmare. Who is doing this? It has to be someone who knows their whereabouts. Is Markus who he says he is? Things do not add up.
Later, after a tragic event, she is lured to a BnB spa for relaxation and finds herself trapped. She soon realizes this has everything to do with the night of the accident, and now she is fighting for her life!
Someone is determined to make her pay!
Pulse-pounding and deliciously unpredictable, MAKE HER PAY will be every thriller lover's winter obsession. Ratcheting tension and jaw-dropping reveals will leave readers questioning who they can trust – and savoring every moment of this delicious game of cat-and-mouse.
Oh, my, the author pulls out all the stops in this riveting, dark, suspenseful thriller with a cast of compelling characters. Cleverly constructed, a multi-layered story that will hook you from start to finish, tapping into every parent's darkest fears. With wildly intricate plot twists, it will keep you guessing to the end.
With deceitful characters who are not what they seem, a myriad of unexpected twists and turns, and a story that moves along at high speed and never a lull.
I loved, MAKE HER PAY. Every page turn leaves you unsettled with a sense of foreboding that something dark is coming. You could feel every fear and emotion—a cautionary tale for parents who try to protect themselves and their children by covering up their misdeeds. The past will come back to haunt you sooner or later.
I also listened to the audiobook narrated by Charlie Albers and Ella Lynch who made the characters come alive for an engaging performance!
I adore this author, have read many of her books, and love her writing style. I highly recommend The Lodge (another super revenge story) if you enjoyed this one.
MAKE HER PAY is perfect for fans of Mary Kubica, Robyn Harding, and Kimberly Belle. #CoverCrush This well-written, gripping domestic suspense is a total package and would make for a perfect Christmas gift for the thriller lovers on your list!
Thanks to Inkubator Books, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for gifted digital advanced reading and listening copies for an honest review.
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars +
Pub Date: Dec 6, 2023
March 12, 2024 (Audio)
Dreamscape Media
About the Author
I write psychological thrillers - many of which have been Kindle bestsellers. If you'd like to be the first to know about my new books, win free copies, get a character named after you, or chat about your favourite psychological thrillers, please join my new Facebook Group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mirandarijks. I'd love you to be part of our thriller reader community!
Before becoming a fiction writer, I helped newbie entrepreneurs turn their ideas into successful businesses. In 2015, I was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma, a rare bone cancer, and everything changed.
I live in Sussex, England with my husband and black Labradors. When I'm not writing, I'm dreaming about living in a chalet on a Swiss mountain, obsessively knitting and painting on my iPad. My books include: The Lodge, The Visitors, The Arrangement, The New Neighbour, The Second Wife, The Other Mother, The Insomniac, The Concierge, Forget Me Not, The Only Child, What She Knew, The Influencer, Roses Are Red, You Are Mine, Deserve To Die, I Want You Gone, Fatal Fortune, Fatal Flowers and Fatal Finale.
Find out more at www.mirandarijks.com and please join us at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mirandarijks. Thank you for reading my books!
Check out my
Interview with
THE CONCIERGE
Behind the Book &
The Author
