First of all, I need to start by saying, I hated Maria. I absolutely hate obsessed / stalker like characters. And there were so many moments I literally cringed with what she did etc. I really struggled to read it in parts as it just really put me off. She was literally deranged. But I knew that there was more to it so I carried on.

I loved Imogens character and felt for her in multiple times. She was trying to be a good wife, mother and businesswoman aswell as dealing with her own grief. Then along comes Maria 😂

She was so twisted. And I have to admit, if the ending wasn't what it was.. I would've seriously rated this book less than I have. But, once everything came together and it got closer to the end... It was brilliant. Everything matched up, and I was happy for how it all turned out. I have to say, it made me enjoy Maria's character.. I just hate how weirdly obsessed she could be.. But it all made sense 👀

Very twisted thriller! Perfect for the spooky season.

The Homemaker .. oh my !

If you have been following along with my blog you know that Miranda Rijks, and I go way back.

WAY WAY BACK to "I Want You Gone"

Rijks, is an author I like to refer to as a "sure thing". I know if I am in a book slump, Rijks, is sure to put me back on my path and light the spark for my love for thrillers.

Rijks puts us right on the fast track for an intense and suspenseful thriller. There is no pause and this book does not let up. You will be thrust into a million different directions and have limited time to catch your breath in between twists.

Secrets. Lies. Deceit.

The perfect recipe for a gut wrenching thriller.

Check out this teaser :

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.

Thank you NetGalley and Incubator Books for the chance to read and review this book. It is a story about obsession, manipulation, grief and murder. Maria comes to work as a housekeeper for a family and believes she has found the family she has always wanted to be a part of. She becomes overprotective of Imogen and her young daughter Ava and attempts to make herself indispensable. She takes matters into her own hands to protect the relationship to disastrous results. She is conniving, manipulative and deadly and causes much chaos. It's a quick read with a bit of tension and good characterization with a few twists to keep you guessing. So yes I would happily recommend this book.

Imogen needs help around the house. When Maria shows up, she knows she's hit the jackpot. She seems perfect....until she's not.

Wowzer! This book is WILD! And I'm not going to give you much of a synopsis because honestly, you need to read this one yourself to get the full shock value. This book is exactly why I love psychological thrillers! Fast paced and twisty, I guarantee you'll struggle to put this one down. Add it to your tbr today!

The Homemaker is another great story from Mirander Rijks. It had me hooked from the beginning and with all the twists and turns I just could not put it down so I didn't!

Thank you to NetGalley and Inkubator Books for my ARC.

This book had everything I like in a thriller. Nice enough protagonists, a little bit of stress, a little tension, a few giggles.

Maria applies to be a housekeeper for Imogen and her family. Everyone seems nice enough at first, and then things start to go wrong.

This was such a fast and easy read, and I couldn't wait to see what twists would happen next.

I read The Other Mother by Miranda Rijks not too long ago, which was just as intense as this one.

I really like books that are emotional churners, and The Homemaker definitely did that for me.

Q. Who are your auto-buy authors?

Imogen and Josh Letwin, along with their daughter, Ava, 4, live in a beautiful Georgian rectory. Josh’s 15-year-old son, Kyle, also lives with them here and there. Josh is a dentist. Imogen is a consultant and as their home is so big, they turned two bedrooms with en suites into a Bed and Breakfast. With all of her responsibilities, Imogen decides she needs someone to help her with the housework several days a week. She also realizes that she is pregnant so it’s imperative to get some household help.

Maria Hinks is down on her luck and when she presents herself to apply for the job with Imogen, she calls herself a homemaker and Imogen hires her.

As Maria weaves herself into the family, she has an agenda and won’t stop until she reaches it.

imogen îs conflicted about her pregnancy and some things that she has done in her past of which she is ashamed.

We see the back and forth between the two women from their point of view and it’s wobbly. Maria is a wretched person and Imogen isn’t perfect either. But Maria is playing a dangerous game. Will she win what she wants?

Some scary events here and one person with a very damaged mind. I guess this is a reminder to really vet someone before allowing them into your home. Enjoy!

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Master of domestic suspense, Miranda Rijks (favorite author) returns following The Lodge with her twentieth novel, THE HOMEMAKER — a family hires a housekeeper into their home to help out a busy pregnant mom and turns into a terrifying nightmare in this twisty, well-crafted domestic suspense thriller.

Rijks expertly builds subtle menace, creepy and compelling!

Imogen (hotel consultant practice) and Josh (who owns a dental practice) Letwin are a happy couple living in a beautiful old Georgian renovated historical rectory built in 1750 (Fairview House). They have a four-year-old daughter, Ava, and a fifteen-year-old son, Kyle (from Josh's first marriage).

Their house is significant, and they have turned two bedrooms with en-suites on the opposite side of the house with its own staircase into an upmarket bed and breakfast.

Imogen is a busy mom who must serve the guests breakfast each morning, tend to Ava (almost five), and turn the rooms. She is also pregnant and grieving her adopted mom, who has recently passed away. Imogen was unaware she was adopted until her mom's deathbed.

She is hiring a housekeeper to help out. Then Maria Hinks shows up. She has 50s/60s gray hair and fits the bill. Maria seems enthusiastic and explains she can help with the cleaning, cooking, shopping, school runs, and errands. She calls herself a homemaker. She gets around on a bike.

Imogen has two best friends, Danielle (a childhood friend) and Tom, a stay-at-home dad to Ava's best friend.

All goes well in the beginning until strange things begin happening. Kyle does not like Maria and thinks she is like a witch and creepy. Maria seems overprotective of Imogen. She is nosy and intrusive. Maria is lonely and wants a family, but how far will she go to get what she wants?

Maria turns manipulative and controlling and then resorts to blackmail and gaslighting. She will not leave. Maria discovers Imogen has been hiding a terrible secret and threatens her. She wants to run the house the way she wants. Are they safe? Imogen is a ball of nerves.

How will Imogen get rid of her? Then things turn more sinister, and someone winds up dead. Now she is in danger, her husband, friends, and children.

Who is this woman? She cannot believe anything she says. Then things get worse. They must get rid of this psychotic evil woman before she destroys them.

What is Maria after? And how far will she go to get it?

Miranda always gives her readers both good and evil characters, fully developed, and Maria is a piece of work! She is unhinged and terrifying. From suspense, twists, turns, and an unreliable narrator, the author cleverly explores nature vs. nurture and what it is like for an adult to find out they were adopted later in life—where nothing is as it appears.

Miranda is an adept and skillful writer who writes suspense remarkably well. She leaves readers questioning who they can trust and relishing every moment of this nail-biting guessing game.

For fans of Joy Fielding's The Housekeeper.

I highly recommend Miranda's books if you enjoy domestic suspense and psychological thrillers. I also appreciate and enjoy the inspiration behind all her books. (I wish all authors would include this).

Thanks to Inkubator Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

Blog Review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: Oct 22, 2023
My Rating: 5 Stars
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I struggled to finish this book mainly because there were holes in the plot I tried but failed to overlook. The plot felt like a few other books I’ve read cobbled together but not very well.

Date Reviewed: 10/21/2023
Publication Date: 10/22/2023

What a crazy ride! Miranda Rijks did it again!
This story will have you at the edge of your seat from the beginning until the end. It's one of those books you read in one day cause you don't want to put it down to miss anything.
Right from the beginning I disliked Maria as I could sense her ill intentions towards the Letwins family but I sure did not expect for her to be so evil. I found the main character - Imogen a little annoying and naïve at times but overall she was a caring and loving mother.
The one thing that was missing and I wish was explained more was how and why Maria targeted the Letwins family. I think a little bit of background on her past would have tided this story perfectly.
Overall though this was a great psychological thriller that I would recommend to anyone that enjoys a fast paced, twisty story. 4 solid stars from me!

Thank you NetGalley, Inkubator and the author for a free ARC in exchange to my honest review.

What a page turner!! FINALLY, I finish a psychological thriller, and I feel nothing but happiness!
The story's core strength is the characters. Their thoughts and slow development throughout the book. It is told from Maria and Imogen's perspectives. Maria's is the most entertaining, even though she is very annoying, and she is not what she appears to be.
And Imogen... I think I will remember Imogen's character for a while. What she goes through, the burden she feels, and that feeling of going crazy because of everything that is being thrown at you spoke to me on a deep level.

A crazy awesome, very very engaging book!!

Housekeeper Maria insinuates herself more and more into Imogen's life and her family's, as she gradually changes.

I liked that the character Maria seems motherly, good natured at the beginning, while slowly showing other sides of her personality as the story goes on. We even have sympathies for Maria's past as she tells it. The real reasons underlying her later actions seem unoriginal, however, and the plot becomes a little unbelievable.

I enjoyed and sympathized with the character Imogen, the hapless mother and career woman overwhelmed by her duties who relies on her housekeeper more and more.

This was a page turner. Dual POVs. Had me at the edge of my seat. This is one of those books that you don’t want to end because it’s soo good!! I don’t want to give any spoilers just know that I highly recommend this book!! 🤎


Thank you #Netgalley for allowing me to read this e-ARC! 🤎

Good thriller with unexpected twists!

Imogen has the perfect family - a husband who truly cares about her, a lovely small daughter, and two jobs she truly enjoys. But when Imogen realizes she is pregnant again suddenly she doesn’t want this baby at all.

Is she still grieving her mother’s death or there is more to it? Wait for all secrets to pop up!

Same time Imogen finds a new housekeeper Maria, who day by day, step by step intentionally makes her way to become a part of this family. Whatever it costs.

For me, it was a quite fast read, finished the book in one day. The story goes smoothly, twists are crazy and I honestly didn’t see some of it coming!

Characters were a little “what-the-hell-are-you-doing” type and “just-open-your-mouth-and-talk” type, but it matches with the plot! If they act rationally (e.g. if Imogen strictly insisted on some proof, can’t say more without spoilers!) and talk openly about what’s going on, there will be just no story!

One thing I learned is what secrets in a marriage can do 🤣 Don’t keep secrets guys!

The book also has a good closing, thanks for it!

Thank you NetGalley and Inkubator Books for opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a twisted book - so brilliant. So many twists and turns all the way through.
Imogen finds the perfect 'homemaker' to help in her house - the homemaker turns out to be a 'little' obsessive.
Read this book in a day. Could not put it down.

Another fantastic book by an amazing author.

highly recommended.

Gripping and fast paced. I couldn't put it down which comes as no surprise with Rijks. Nothing is as it seems and secrets and intentions are slowly dug up, twisting the story as well as the characters. Excellent page turner.

I can’t resist a Miranda Rijks novel and this was just what I was looking for. “The Homemaker” is a psychological thriller that is fast paced and as always with her novels kept me gripped until the very end. Family secrets, and manipulation forge a gripping thriller that I loved every minute of.

Maria takes on the role of housekeeper for Imogen who has a family, a demanding job and is struggling to juggle her life. Imogen is instantly impressed with Maria who is a willing employee who is very keen to help. But everything is not as it appears and Maria has her own agenda.

Miranda Rijks writes fast paced, edge of the seat psychological thrillers and this one is packed with tension, suspense and plenty to keep your mind wondering. Both women have secrets and Imogen must decide whether to expose her secret in an effort to protect her family.

This is page turner that you will find difficult to put down, great characters, twisty plot and well written.

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

Yet again I'm left with a feeling of how? How does Miranda write these epic stories.

Every single book I've read of Miranda’s has had me gripped and addicted from page 1.

This book was no exception and I couldn't put it down. Maria certainly was a piece of work and had an interesting history.

As always I can't wait for what is next from Miranda.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I liked the main storyline of this book but it wasn’t for me. I would have preferred more of why Maria chose Imogen and how she found her. It’s also pretty clear right away that Maria has issues so there’s not a lot of suspense or build up. Imogen’s character was too spacey and seemed unlikable so I wasn’t able to connect with the story at all.

Miranda Rijks has crafted a truly amazing character in house cleaner/homemaker, Maria Hinks!

I’ve learned that a story can be elevated when I fall in love with a character - they aren’t often likeable characters, but strong, magnetic characters that fuel my obsession with the story. I kept reading because Maria was compelling and intriguing; she had high agency. I didn’t really know or care what she looked like and I certainly didn’t like how she went about realizing her goals, BUT Rijks put one likable/emotional moment - one - in Maria’s backstory and I was hooked to see if she got what she wanted/needed. Rijks also doled out just enough breadcrumbs and just the right amount of misdirection, keeping me intrigued about what motivated Maria and how this created the conflict in the story. Maria kept me engaged and completely invested in the goings on in the Letwin household!

Rijks takes the Letwins, an ordinary blended family, puts them in a beautiful 1750s-style Georgian rectory, and then starts to heap on the conflicts; a troublesome teen from a first marriage, overworked parents with a young child, and enough grief and secrets to keep them all unstable. Readers are slowly made aware of what’s troubling Imogen and it’s not only the death of her mother, but the revelation of a deathbed secret that shatters Imogen’s life.

Rijks explores impossible decisions and being cruel to be kind, but most of her examination is on the nature versus nurture debate.

I was held captive by Rijk’s story and was reminded again why I love her psychological thrillers! You'll have to read this one to discover why I loved Maria so much and if the Letwins will 'let Maria win' (see what I did there?!) over their household to her liking ... or not.

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