This book started off well and I was gripped, however, it soon descended into complete ridicule. I was very confused with the ending and would have stopped reading much earlier.

I started off loving this book - the setting was wonderful, I could really picture the game reserve and enjoyed accompanying the characters on their game drives. The story was interesting and well paced in the first two thirds.

I did feel that the last third of the book descended into chaos, and became a bit too silly and unrealistic. Also, in the book as a whole there were a few sloppy mistakes (there isn't an hour difference between the UK and Tenerife for example) and the dialogue was a bit iffy in parts.

Overall I did enjoy reading the book, but after a promising start it didn't quite deliver in the way I expected it to.

You know those aircraft marshalls who direct on-ground traffic at airports with illuminated batons? Well, I felt like that while reading this book. I was frantically waving my baton, trying to get Anna’s attention to keep her from making terrible choices.

Author Miranda Rijks makes sure readers feel the anxiety and suffocating effects of being in a toxic relationship and choreographs her setting to enhance the feelings of loneliness and helplessness.

It all begins with Anna’s fiance getting a job offer he can’t refuse - a vet’s position in South Africa. Should he be hired, his job will involve assisting in the rehabilitation of injured animals at a reserve. When he shows Anna the pamphlet for Twivali Safari Reserve and Lodge, she hesitantly agrees to go for the interview with him. Who wouldn’t want to experience ten thousand hectares of unspoiled African bushland, see the Big Five and stay at a luxurious lodge?! Could you do it knowing that it’d be a complete digital detox?

I know what you’re thinking. Isolated setting. No form of communication. Surrounded by wild game. And men with guns. You’d be right to be tense.

At times I felt there were just too many coincidences, but it didn’t overshadow the intense, well-written read. I appreciated the different points of view and the well-crafted atmosphere.

Do you think fear is real? Or is it simply an imagined thought about something which may or may not happen? Perhaps you’ll change your mind after this story….

I was gifted this copy by Inkubator Books and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

Thank you NetGalley and Inkubator Books for the eARC.
Miranda Rijks is a hit or miss author for me and unfortunately this was a miss. The setting is great, if a little creepy, with dangerous animals and even more dangerous humans. None of the characters were particularly likeable and I could guess most of the outcome. The story couldn't hold my attention and I rushed to the ending. Sorry!

Wow - this is a fast paced story with plenty of twists and villains! The setting is amazing and the author does a great job of painting the helplessness of the situation at times (can’t say more or it would spoilt the story). Some of the dialogue is not great, such as the use of “forevermore” in a conversation - cringe. But all in all, I thought this was a terrific, fun read.

Miranda Rijks, The Lodge, Inkubator Books, 2023.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review.

I have found Miranda Rijks’ novels, while not amongst my favourites, a good leisure read. The ultimate beach read in many ways. However, The Lodge really does not fulfill this basic requirement that I have for the books that I like read, like well enough and then move on. The narrative moves between Anna and Nancy, with Anna providing the main story line and background to the events at the safari lodge. Nancy is the owner of the lodge, and is first seen through Anna’s eyes, before making her own first-person contribution. The women tell the story, with Joel and Clayton, Anna’s present and past fiancés, seen through Anna’s eyes through the main part of the narrative. The past and present are well woven, with Anna’s statements at times conflicting with the men’s behaviour. However, Anna is the sympathetic character, and it is her interpretation of events that holds sway.

Joel is offered the opportunity to be interviewed for a veterinary job at the safari lodge in South Africa. His work with large animals at his surgery in the south of England has led to his being head hunted for the post. Anna is reluctant about the offer – her job and preferred location remain in England. However, she is persuaded to join Joel in this adventure – the lure of a holiday is too much. Early in the trip we become aware of Anna’s fear of flying, and then Joel’s duplicity in involving her in a small airplane flight to their destination. Upon their arrival Anna realises that Clayton is part of the group at the safari lodge. Has the manipulative Clayton engineered this meeting?

Anna’s character is difficult to like, she is easily swayed, ignores the ‘red flags’ in her relationship with Clayton, and similarly appears unaware of the questions that she should ask (and so should the writer) about Joel’s behaviour. His enthusiasm of the proposed job overrides Anna’s reluctance, his secrecy about the small aircraft arrangement is manipulative and his sympathy with her distress about Clayton is limited. I was surprised that Anna’s experience with Clayton, although his behaviour was far worse, had no impact on her understanding of her own preparedness to ignore her needs.

However, the real problems are in the resolution of the narrative. I found this over wordy and unrealistic. Somewhere there was the possibility that this novel could have maintained the pace of the early chapters which, despite my reservations kept me interested. Unfortunately on this occasion Rijks did not meet the challenge that she has managed well in her previous work.

Anna was engaged to Clayton, and knew that she was being controlled, and practically forced to marry him. She escapes to France and later hears that Clayton died in Australia, and she returns home.
She meets Joel and realises that he is the love of her life. He is a vet and has a job offer in South Africa on a game farm.
She travels with him, and to her horror, sees Clayton at the same lodge.
She has no idea what is in store for her. The idyllic setting is fast becoming a nightmare.

Oh wow! Miranda Rijks has done it again! Written an absolute page turner with so much suspense and hair raising moments!
And a huge plus is that the setting is my home country, South Africa, and reading our particular vernacular is wonderful. I will never stop calling a 'barbecue' by the South African name, which is 'braai', and never be able to refer to a sjambok as a whip.....
I know the words sound weird, but to me personally - it is home!
I love that Anna is a strong woman that knows what she does not want in a relationship and has the guts to walk away. I love that she does what she knows she has to do in order to survive, even though she is disgusted... I don't want to give away too much of the story, but I admire her courage and strength.
Fantastic book, and well worth reading.
The author could have had pages and pages of descriptive text about the landscape and the animals, but she didn't, I like that too. The book concentrates on the plot.


Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! What a crazy twisted tale! Great book! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one! This book had a bit of everything! It had suspense, intrigue, murder, mystery, some really crazy deranged characters, that I loved lol and so many crazy twists and turns! The storyline was so very interesting and had me glued to my Kindle! I highly recommend reading this book as it was well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!