You just can’t go wrong with Miranda Rijks’ books and her newest one is another hit!
It started with a bang and I could not put it down. Intense, twisty and when you think you have it figured it out, boom – another twist! I highly recommend it!

Thank you NetGalley, Inkubator Books and the author for an ARC in exchange for my honest 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 – savoring every moment of this delicious cat-and-mouse game.

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 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 for a digital advanced reading copy for review.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars +
Pub Date: Dec 6, 2023
Dec 2023 Must-Read Books
Dec Newsletter

Leonie is living her best life. Still in her twenties, she’s beautiful, successful and has just met Markus, the man of her dreams....

A great read, full of twists. Fast paced, interesting characters and written from two different perspectives which I always enjoy. Make Her Pay was really well written and I found I couldn't put it down.

I did find the ending felt ever so slightly rushed, it certainly tied everything up nicely but I think it could have done with a bit more detail. It didn't detract from the enjoyment of the book, just personal selfish reasons of wanting to know where things ended up a few months in the future.

My first from this author but absolutely won't be my last - I can't wait!

I honestly don’t know how Miranda Rijks writes such intense fast paced psychological thrillers?! Every time I read her latest book I think “this is her best book”. But then she comes out with a new book and it’s even more incredible than the last. I’ve just finished Make Her Pay and honestly it might just be my favourite psychological thriller of 2023. It is one of those books that from start to finish you cannot stop thinking about. All I wanted to do was power through and get to the end as I needed to know how things turned out. The level of intensity was high. At points I felt anxious turning the pages waiting to see what happens next. About half way through I figured out a plot twist but then was blind sided by a twist I didn’t see coming. My jaw literally dropped and I shouted out loud as I was so dumbfounded by such an unexpected turn of events. I actually wanted to reach out to the author and tell her how thunderstruck I was. Such an excellent book. The only sad thing is that now it’s done and I’m left wondering what’s happened to the main character. To be honest I think the author ended in such a way that a sequel could be written!! 🙏🏻 🤞🏻 😅

Thank you so much Miranda Rijks, Inkubator Books and Netgalley for my electronic arc of Make Her Pay. A definite 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me.

Pub Date: December 10, 2023

I was gripped by this book from the very beginning, definitely a page turner and hard to put down. This is my first book by this author and I will certainty be reading more!

Leonie is young, successful and everything in her life seems to be going her way, but she is constantly living with guilt due to the incident that happened years earlier. I had no idea where this book was going to go, particularly after a plot twist was revealed within the first half of the book. A plot twist that made me put the book down and this about for a couple of minutes.

The book was fast-paced (which I love) and events would happen that were very unexpected (which I also love). I really liked Leonie's character. She seemed like such a genuine person who has had inexplainable bad luck. Reading the book made me root for her and feel so bad for her the entire journey.

Thank you to Netgalley and Inkubator Books for allowing me to read this before it is published. I highly recommend anyone who loves psychological thriller to read this book when it is published on 10 December 2023

Wow. This story is crazy…in a good twisty-turny sort of way. The turmoil and control the main character, Leonie lives under is suffocating. I read through this book quickly and was kept guessing through different scenes…as to what might happen. I will definitely recommend to friends.

This is my first book by this author, and definitely won’t be my last. I am so glad I read this ARC before it hits shelves.

I did really enjoy this book! The plotline was intense and I was on the edge of my seat. I loved the plot twists this book contained. Only losing one star because I was not the biggest fan of the ending and the turnout with her mother. However, I would recommend this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Miranda Rijks for allowing me to read an advanced reader copy of this book! :)

I always know when I see a Miranda Rijks book that I am going to love it and this one was no exception. There was twists and turn throughout which kept me hooked from start to finish read it in one sitting. It was also full of lies and secrets which made it a awesome rollercoaster of a read. The story is told in two perspectives Leonie and Carrie which I think helped build the suspense. I will definitely be recommending this to everyone fantastic thriller. Thanks to netgallery and the publisher for my advanced copy.

I made the mistake of starting this in the evening.. in true Miranda Rijks fashion… I was HOOKED and stayed awake to keep reading!

The storyline was fantastic, while there’s a bit of predictability, the flow didn’t take me out of the story as the twists came.

WOW! If this isn't a book to brag about I don't know what is... I started it late last night. Never did I anticipate I would be closing the book at 3am left in complete shock... This book was insane! It was twisted, it was gripping but it was so darn good!

Loved this book - so many twists and turns. I read it in a day.
Edge of the seat thriller. When you think you figure it out it keeps getting twistier.
Highly recommended.

I've enjoyed all the books I've read by Miranda Rijks and this one gripped me just the same as they did.

I love this author so I just had to get my hands on this one. I wasn't sure about the protagonist at first. But oh my after that first chapter I was hooked to the extreme.
Carrie is dealing with some stuff and Leonie is afraid someone will find out about the accident she caused when she was 16.
Anyway, you can't trust people, except me when I tell you a book is a good fun read.
This is a good one.

Miranda Rijks name pops up when you look up Freida McFadden, Kiersten Modglin, etc. so I wanted to try it and it didn't disappoint.

This is Miranda Rijks’ best book so far! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this awesome early release. I started reading and could not stop. Twists and turns throughout which made it even more exciting! I felt like every single thing was so well executed and thought out that I just kept wanting more. Looking forward to many more books by this great author. Love her writing style! To be published 12/10/2023.

A typical Miranda Rijks novel. Good storyline. Easy to read. Predicable but entertaining. I enjoyed this novel and recommend it to her fans and those whose enjoy simple, flowing mysteries. I always look forward to this author’s books. She is one of my favorites.


I received an ARC from Incubator Books through NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion or rating of this book. I am voluntarily submitting this review and am under no obligation to do so.

Wow! Miranda Rijks does it again! Another fabulous read that is full of twists and turns. So many secrets and lies. Nice and creepy with fantastic characters. This one kept me up way past my bedtime. Thank you NetGalley and Miranda Rijks for the opportunity to read and review this book.

The beginning started off very interesting. A lot of back stabbing and such in the book. Made for an interesting read on how the beginning intertwins with the rest once your into the storyline. Characters that aren't really rememberable. The ending was very lackluster bringing my rating down.
Overall not too bad of a read.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an early release of this book.

“Make Her Pay” is a mystery thriller by Miranda Rijks. I found this book to be engrossing, with some twists that were pretty obvious, but that didn’t affect my enjoyment of this book. I did feel, though, that the ending came a bit out of left field and I feel rather “icky” after reading it - though, honestly, I didn’t really care for either character, it just felt, well, icky. There’s revenge, there’s payback, there’s double crossing, and there’s trusting those who should not be trusted … on many levels. Enjoyable book that was also a quick read.

I have read a lot of books from this author but I think this was one of her best, a brilliant storyline that kept me interested all the way.

Good characters and very easy reading, four stars from me, would have been five but I felt the ending fell a bit flat but nevertheless a great, twisty read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Inkubator Books for this ARC which I have no hesitation in recommending.