The Rich...

Well, there's a title that will get you thinking?

What was this book going to be about? A bunch of stuck up housewives, concerned over what earrings to wear at the next gala?

I don't know, but I was about to find out.

I chose this book for two reasons, I liked the cover, and I had never read anything by Rachel Lynch, before.

EEEEEEK!!

What was that?!?!?!?!

This book is TWISTED!

Lynch does an incredible job exposing drool-worthy secrets, at the same time as delivering twist after twist.

This might be my new favorite book and I think it's about time you check it out for yourself!

Teaser:

They can buy everything except the truth.

Each week, they come to lie on her couch. Carrie, Henry and Grace. They don’t know one another, but Dr Alex knows them all too well. She listens as they reveal their dirtiest little secrets.

Then a murderer strikes in their elite neighbourhood. Could her clients hold the answers? As a psychologist, she knows that anyone can be a killer if they’re pushed hard enough.

But only some can get away with it.

A twist-a-minute standalone thriller with a massive dose of guilty pleasure, from the million copy bestseller Rachel Lynch. Perfect for fans of Adele Parks, Catherine Cooper and Chris Brookmyre.

Quite slow at the beginnning, it turns into a page turner after the early chapters.
Gripping, entertaining, and a bit chilly at times
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This book started off slowly and did not really grab me to start off with. Alex is a psychologist with several rich clients who have difficulties in their past . Her own family also has problems and the relationship with her husband is breaking down.
The wife of a friend disappears and is found dead a few days later. The book concerns the actions of friends, family and connections to the deceased and her husband in the period up to and after her murder as well as the police investigation , both into her death and the drug problems in the area. There are several twists in the plot and the action speeded up as the book progressed.
I started off being unimpressed by the book, but enjoyed it and appreciated the book and the cleverness of the plot more towards the end .
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC

I’d like to thank Canelo and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Rich’ written by Rachel Lynch in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Dr Alex Moore is a psychologist in an affluent part of Cambridge. Each week her clients, Carrie, Grace and Henry, come to her room and tell her their innermost secrets but she has her own problems with her alcoholic husband Jeremy and their family.

I’m a massive fan of Rachel Lynch’s two series with Helen Scott of the Royal Military Police and Detective Kelly Porter so when I saw her new standalone thriller ‘The Rich’ I was keen to get reading. Although I started with enthusiasm it very soon disappeared and what I didn’t expect to happen actually did - I hated it! The characters were all thoroughly dislikeable from Dr Alex Moore, her husband, her grown-up children, to her rich spoilt clients, and I didn’t want to read of them suffering with alcoholism, bullying or bulimia. I’ve no doubt ‘The Rich’ is well-written and will appeal to a lot of readers but I’m afraid I’m not one of them and despite trying to work up enough interest to keep reading I put my Kindle down and had no desire to pick it up again, which is a rare occurrence for me. This is purely my own opinion and as always I appreciate being given the chance to read this novel by the publisher.

THE RICH by Rachel Lynch is proof of why she is a writer that should be at the top of everyone’s TBR pile. This one is THAT good and the ending left me so shocked I had to pick my jaw up from the floor.

Psychologist Alex Moore and her deadbeat, drunk husband, Jeremy are raising three kids. James, at eighteen is the quintessential older brother; somewhat removed but still trying to look out for youngest, Ewan who is fifteen and being relentlessly bullied by the headmaster’s son. Then there is seventeen year old Lydia, who is battling bulimia to the point that she is passing out at school. And Jeremy is just a mess; drinking and in the middle of writing his thesis…for the last 20 years. We meet a few of Alex’s clients who are all dealing with their own issues.

When one of her closest friends goes missing and then comes up dead, Detective Inspector Paul Hunt begins to turn over rocks and find the slimey underbelly of all these people. Everyone is hiding something and everyone is a suspect in his book.

This one was SO GOOD. I was on the edge of my seat turning pages to race through to the end. AND WHAT AN ENDING IT WAS! Wow! I really enjoyed the writing style. I can’t wait to see where Rachel Lynch takes me next. I see that there are a few(?) other series by this author out there and will definitely be catching up on some of them.

Thank you to Netgalley and Canelo for this ARC opportunity. All opinions are my own and given voluntarily.

Wow what a read, but let’s start at the beginning. I love the author’s previous work, especially the Kelly Porter series so I was excited to get into this. As rain had stopped play on a miserable wet Saturday I excitedly settled down to this standalone but disappointingly was initially all a bit meh about it. Lots of characters, most so over privileged and pompous that I really didn’t care a bit about them, but then, about 10% in, that became the very attraction and I was hooked. So many twists and turns, so many despicable characters with so many, obviously very well researched, mental health issues. The close proximity that all the characters inhabit and the interwoven coincidences in their relationships just add to the claustrophobia. A brilliantly crafted thriller that went from a possible three star to a five. Stick with this one or you’ll miss out on a great read.

Smart, sophisticated and chilling work by Rachel Lynch. I enjoyed this very much. Easy to lose yourself in, impossible to pull yourself out of.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this gripping novel

wow this story is gripping right from the beginning and doesnt let up...

dr alex is very good at her job and very expensive, her clients pay a lot of money for her to help them

her client list are all high achievers

and most of her clients are her neighbours, she knows a lot about them all

anyone of them could be a killer its just a matter of time before the police find out who it could be...

wow never saw this one coming its very well written so many red herrings and brilliant characterisations of people you will love and hate

I struggled with this book as the author has a laundry list of traumatic experiences and was forcing them all in to this novel, for what effect? It certainly didn't make for a more authentic story. It did seem vulgar to use all of these things for shock or a plot point rather than looking at how victims survive.

The rest of the book is badly paced and isn't really a thriller.

Right... I didn't expect this to happen to be honest. I really enjoyed the Helen Scott Royal Military Police books, and I've been wanting to read more of Rachel Lynch ever since. When I saw this new stand-alone, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to do so... The Rich sounded intriguing, and I do always love a good murder mystery. I fully expected to have a great time reading this story, so imagine my surprise when the complete opposite happened... I tried reading The Rich twice, but in the end I had to throw in the towel and make the difficult decision to DNF. I'll try to explain briefly why I came to that decision below.

Part of the problem most likely lies with myself, as I've been in a reading slump for over a month now and slower and more character driven stories just don't seem to work for me at the moment. And this is exactly what The Rich is, so it could simply be a case of 'it's not you, it's me'. What I thought was going to be a psychological thriller focusing on a murder investigation actually turned out to be mainly a portrait of a group of let's say 'colorful' characters with only a side of murder... Or at least in the part I did read. Nothing wrong with that, but it isn't a story I tend to enjoy in the same way.

The Rich uses a multiple POV structure, where we switch between a LOT of different characters who mostly seem to be connected in some way to either Dr. Alex Moore or each other. I usually don't mind a multiple POV structure, but I did feel that there was a bit too much jumping around going on and it disrupted the pace of the plot. The worst part has a lot to do with the characters themselves though. It's been a while since I encountered a cast that was basically 99% despicable and considerably cliche, and I honestly couldn't care less about what happened to any of them. I hated having to spend time with them, and this lack of connection and my negative feelings made it extremely hard to find the motivation to keep reading.

I'm not sure why, but I also clashed horribly with the writing style. I was really surprised to be feeling this way, because like I said before this wasn't the first time reading this author and I didn't have issues with the other books. It might just have been that The Rich is a psychological thriller and not a crime thriller, and has a different style? Either way, there were some POVs in particular that had an overdose of short sentences and an especially halted style, and it was something that started to irritate me more and more. The pace was also a lot slower than expected, and like I mentioned before, the many POV switches didn't help either.

It seems like the author looked up an index of negative behavior/topics, and decided to include every single one in The Rich. I'm talking alcoholism, bullying, eating disorder, cheating, child abuse, rape... I didn't particularly liked how some of the elements were incorporated into the plot either, and especially the cheating was way too present (and you all know how I feel about that particular element). The characters were all just so extremely unlikeable... And not even the promise of a murder investigation could entice me to keep reading. It's a shame, but it is easy to say that The Rich most definitely wasn't for me. If you enjoy reading more character driven psychological thrillers with extremely flawed and unlikeable characters and a LOT of secrets and lies, The Rich will probably work better for you.

In The Rich, Rachel Lynch weaves an intricate web of relationships amongst the cast of characters, each harboring dark secrets and hidden agendas. As the plot unfolds, the characters' dark secrets are out in the open, creating an intriguing suspense that keeps one on the edge of their seats.

Mind-blowing twists are plenty. The latter half of the story is nothing short of a roller coaster ride. One twists after another, one shocker after another, this gob-smacking thriller blew me away! The final twist was SHOCKING! I had to pinch myself to make sure I read it right. Like, WOW!!!

The story explores the deepest of tangled emotions, fractured identities, dark secrets, narcissistic tendencies, and sinister motives.

The Rich by Rachel Lynch is a dark, gritty, gripping, riveting, and totally mind-blowing psychological thriller. Highly recommended!

This one just wasn't for me. It's not bad, but it moved slowly and I didn't find any of the characters particularly engaging. DNF for me, but it will likely work for others.

This is a quick read with a complicated plot and equally complex characters. Dr. Alex, a small town psychologist, is trying to balance her own personal struggles while helping others manage theirs.. Carrie, Henry and Grace all have something to hide from their therapist, but when their neighbor, Monika Thorpe, ends up dead, one of them might be guilty of murder. Plenty of drama ensues with lots of secrets, lies, and unexpected twists. Can Dr. Alex get to the bottom of this mystery? Thank you Netgalley, Canelo and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be available for purchase on November 9, 2023

I loved all her previous books but this one missed the mark for me. I found it confusing to begin with and as I read on I found all the characters to be unlikeable.. There were many twists and turns but on balance was just an ok read in my opinion. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

***Trigger Warning*** drug use, bullying, bulimia, infidelity, sexual abuse

Each week, they come to lie on her couch. Carrie, Henry, and Grace spill their inner most secrets to psychologist Dr Alex.

Then, a murderer strikes in their elite neighbourhood. Could her clients hold the answers? As a psychologist, she knows that anyone can be a killer if they’re pushed hard enough.

This was my first read by the author Rachel Lynch and it has been a thrilling rollercoaster ride.

The books initially started slow, introducing multiple characters and setting the story. It really picked up speed once we are fully immersed in the case. There are plenty of characters, and they are all linked to Dr. Alex, either family, clients, or friends. The chapters are short and written from multiple POV. There are also  flashbacks to the days when the victim was still alive.

At times, I felt Dr. Alex should have focused more on sorting her own family rather than trying to fix her clients. It is hard to sum up the book as it has a complicated & entwined plot, and I don't want to give away any spoilers.

The Rich is a gripping thriller that delivered multiple twists. I didn't see the end coming as I was initially suspicious about another character.

I certainly enjoyed the writing style of the author, and I am looking forward to reading further books of Rachel Lynch.

Many thanks to @Netgalleyuk, @canelo_co, and @rachellynchcrime for the chance to read the ARC.

Carrie lives in a pristine mansion and tells no one what she had to do to get there. Henry has a dangerous predilection for the wives of the men he works for. Grace hides a dark secret behind the yoga=perfect image she projects to her online fans. Tony has enough money and connections to buy anything or anyone. Now their neighbour Monika Thorpe is dead. And Dr Alex knows that anyone can be a killer if they're pushed hard enough. But only some can get away with it.

This story is told from multiple perspectives. We get flashbacks into the murder victim's final days. The characters are both complex and flawed. The story has been descriptively written, the pace is fast with lots of twists. It's also filled with deceit, secrets, and lies. I was quickly pulled into this book, the mystery throughout kept me turning the pages. This is a character driven story.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #Canelo and the author #RachelLynch for my ARC of #TheRich in exchange for an honest review.

The Rich is a drama-filled psychological thriller that follows multiple characters as they deal with their own problems while also dealing with a grotesque murder. As Dr Alex, a psychologist in a small town, attempts to balance her work life with her personal life, she finds herself front-and-center of a murder investigation - one in which three of her patients are prime suspects.

Based on the premise, I was really hoping to enjoy The Rich; however, it just wasn't for me. To begin with, all of the characters are super unlikable. I had a hard time reading some of the chapters due to the POV of that chapter. To be honest, some of the characters just made me feel uncomfortable. The pacing throughout the book was also off. There were parts that were exciting and fast-paced and then other parts that dragged on. I didn't find the end overly satisfying. With that all said, I did want to keep reading to find out who was the murderer and how everything all connected. I think there was potential here, but it just didn't work.

Thank you NetGalley the publisher and the author for an ARC of this book.

This is my first by this author but certainly not my last, it was well written, brilliant premise and although there were quite a few characters they were all interwoven perfectly with their own role in the story.

The story centres around Dr Alex who is a therapist , and the patients she treats really do live some lavish rich lifestyles. But in the midst of it all we have a murder and a drug overdose and everything appears to be linked. Lots of secrets and lies and the ending came As a shock

'The Rich' by Rachel Lynch is a captivating guilty pleasure read. The plot revolves around a psychologist who listens to the secrets of her wealthy clients and how those secrets could be connected to a murder in their posh neighbourhood. The story is filled with unexpected twists and turns that keep me engaged.

The author's ability to create complex characters, such as Carrie, Henry, and Grace, all intertwined in a scandalous web of secrets, adds to the story's intrigue. Even though the killer's identity can be predicted and their motives, the pacing and the way the author builds suspenseful moments throughout the story and the twisted characters make it an enjoyable read.

Overall, 'The Rich' is an immensely entertaining novel that will keep you hooked from beginning to end. If you're a fan of mystery thrillers with a twist, then this book is worth reading.

"Money can't buy happiness", but it may ease some troubles in certain cases. "The Rich" by Rachel Lynch is set in Cambridge and follows a group of characters who come to realize the truth of the aforementioned adage.

Dr Alex Moore is a successful psychologist trapped in an unhappy marriage to Jeremy, an alcoholic and unemployed. They have three children: 18-years-old James, Lydia who battles bulimic, and Ewan who faces bullying at school. Among her patients are Carrie, a wealthy businesswoman; Henry, a former criminal; and Grace, an influencer and a fitness trainer, all with troubled pasts and hidden secrets. When Monika, the young Eastern European wife of their close friend Tony Thorpe, disappears, rumors fly. The plot thickens when her beaten body is found, and DI Paul Hunt, a misogynistic and inept man, is assigned to the case. He clumsily delves into the lives of the rich and neurotic yet privileged individuals. What comes to light will either shock you or not, but one thing is clear in this web of deceit: there is a murderer on the loose.

The book narrates the story from multiple perspectives, with only Alex's perspective told in the first person. The rest are written in the third person, and I found the writing in this perspective more engaging than the first-person narration. The author skillfully incorporates flashbacks into the story, shedding light on the victim's final days and adding to the suspense. The main characters are complex and flawed, but I didn't connect with any of them and changed my opinion about some of the protagonists midway through the story.

Sex, drugs, and murder sum up the book perfectly. The premise seemed promising, but unfortunately, it fell short of the mark for me. The story had a slow start, and I struggled to immerse myself in it. It does improve in the final section of the book, as more tidbits come to light and tension and action intensify. Themes like drug use, bullying, bulimia, infidelity, and dysfunctional families run through the narrative. I appreciated the way the author connected the dots, provided insights into the lives of the wealthy, and woven the storylines together.

It is ironic that Alex addresses other's issues but fails to confront her family's problems. The saying "the shoemaker's children go barefoot" certainly holds true in this case. I couldn't understand why she didn't leave her husband, as it was evident from the beginning that there was no love lost between them.

I found the ending and the message it conveyed unsatisfying. While I anticipated some twists, such as the murderer's identity, others took me by surprise. While the concept excited me, the execution left much to be desired, leading me to give this book 2.5 out of 5 stars. It was challenging to become fully engaged in the book until the final section, as the pacing was slow, the plot dragged, and the ending felt weak. Additionally, I never reached a point where I genuinely cared about any of the characters.

I refrained from giving it just one star because the plot was intricate and well-thought-out, things got really interesting toward the last section, and I enjoyed the dynamics between the characters. Their interactions and inner thoughts revealed much about their pasts and motivations. While not fully engaging, it wasn't a bore either. The book also raised some interesting moral questions about choices and how far will one go to protect a loved one. A tighter plot could have made it a much more gripping read.

* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc. All opinions are my own.