A really enjoyable thriller that was full of tension and atmosphere. I was gripped and couldnt put it down

Thank you Inkubator Books, NetGalley And Author for this advanced ebook!

The Only Child By Miranda Rijks was a framing heck of a ride!
I've enjoyed Miranda's books since The Arrangement and The Visitors! Which I loved both!
But this one has to take the cake.
Finishing the novel was exciting and surprising. I was not expecting the contents of the Epilogue and this reflects the plot in its entirety. The twists and turns added to the mystery that we are all trying to find answers to.
Enjoyable, twists filled story, amazing characters!
Loved it

The plot is quite good but the book is missing a likeable protagonist so adding a third point of view and developing the sister might have saved it. Alternatively, some vulnerability or if any human traits displayed by Chantal would have made a difference despite everything because reading a book and not being able to stand anyone in it makes it difficult to finish it.

Regarding Alex, his character just portrays how gullible kids are nowadays. Being vegan without ever explaining the reason for it, blaming a clothing company as the biggest polluters on the planet, etc.. Plastic bottles take 10 time longer to decompose in the landfill than most polluting textiles. The oceans are filled with plastic but I doubt that even most "environmentalist" kids nowadays stop drinking coca cola, using plastic bags or in general stop littering.

Author Miranda Rijks has become one of those authors that I know I can turn to for a good addictive read that will keep me flicking through the pages. If I am completely honest this one was a little different to the other books I have read by the author in that it took me a little longer to fully engage in it. The more I read the better it got.

Divorce attorney Chantal is married to TV news show presenter Stuart after getting together when they were both at college. They have a son named Alex who is seventeen and together with his girlfriend Luna they pursue environmental issues which tends to go against the wishes of Chantel. A storm is brewing when family problems accelerate, Alex is injured in an accident and Stuart is acting strangely which Chantel suspects may be an affair. Tensions rise and Alex moves in with his aunt and Chantel receives threatening messages. The anonymous intimidator states they know Chantel’s secret and will tell her family if they are not given money. Chantel is desperate to keep her secret but her actions could send her life out of control.

Good characters, interesting plot if not a little hard to believe but an entertaining read.

I would like to thank both Net Galley and Inkubator books for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This was fantastic a real page turner I needed to keep going to find out what was happening, cant say more due to spoilers.
Do yourself a favour and read it you wont regret it


I was given an advance copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.

Good book! This book had suspense, action intrigue, and quite a few messed up characters! Lol this book had a very interesting storyline! I definitely recommend reading this book! Its well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

The Only Child is another page-turner from Miranda Rijks. I am once again reminded of just how much I enjoy the storytelling of Ms Rijks, and this was yet another that I absolutely devoured.

Chantal is a successful lawyer, married to her college sweetheart Stuart and mother to seventeen year old Alex. But there is a tension that simmers just beneath the surface of this domestic scene, and all is exacerbated when Chantal begins to receive anonymous texts that threaten to expose all of her deepest secrets if she does not pay.

While there are not many empathetic characters in this twisted tableau, I was nonetheless fully engaged as I struggled to slot everything into place. Ms Rijks, you have done it again.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Inkubator Books for an ARC.

Chantal is a prominent divorce lawyer with a minor celebrity husband who features on a morning news show. They have a teenage son, Alex, who has been pushing his boundaries, most recently skipping school to be with his new tattooed and pierced older girlfriend, Luna. Their tendency to stage protests for saving the environment causes Chantal trouble at work - the client for her biggest case yet is the owner of a company notorious for environmental pollution and unsafe working conditions. When her son’s actions start to affect the divorce case, she angrily blames him and Luna for interfering. That’s not all that causes tension - she hardly sees her husband, Stuart, as it is, and now he’s up for a huge promotion. Not only that, but Stuart doesn’t support her discipline of Alex and tends to let him off too easily, in her opinion.

Right as Chantal starts to buckle under the stress of it all, she receives mysterious text messages alluding to a dark secret from her past. She’s determined to uncover who could possibly be threatening her now, when it’s been many years since that troubled time in her life. But will she discover who the culprit is before they spill the secret she’s so desperate to keep?

The story is told in alternating viewpoints, mostly Chantal’s and Alex’s. This helps later on when the reliability of some of the characters comes into question. It also alternates between Chantal’s narrative in the present and in the past, almost two decades ago. It’s not hard to see where that timeframe leads and why someone would choose now to reveal what she’s been hiding.

Unfortunately, if you prefer stories where you empathize with the characters, or at least like them in any way, this one’s not for you. We’re supposed to sympathize with Alex about how Chantal is hard on Luna, but Luna really is a terrible influence on him and he’s too blind to see it. So is everyone else except Chantal, apparently. It’s not due to her looks, it’s the fact that she’s rude, engages with criminals, and tries to turn Alex against his parents. He doesn’t even care when he’s arrested due to incorrect information on her part – he doesn’t even bring that up!

Likeable characters aren’t a necessity, but it’s hard to enjoy this book, otherwise. I couldn’t root for anyone specifically and found I was just waiting to see when and how everything would explode. The author is great with pacing, as I found myself racing through the pages towards the conclusion. But upon reaching it, I thought, this is it?? There’s a narrative sorely lacking from the epilogue. If that been included, I would be much more satisfied with the ending and I believe other readers will feel the same.