Carina and her family have the perfect life, she has a well paid job as a head teacher at a private school, her husband Don stays at home to look after their youngest whilst the other 2 attend the school where Carina works, things couldn’t be better. Or so it would seem.

Then one evening Alicia knocks or Carinas door claiming to be her God daughter, she’s had a troubled past and is looking to settle down and get a good education which she cannot get whilst living with her mum who she claims is living the high life in Spain and runs on illegal drugs.

Alicia seems to settle in well, Carina, Don and Arthur love her and she has bonded well with baby Ethan, however Tegan isn’t convinced by Alicia and sees something darker in her that no one else seems to see. Things start to go drastically wrong for Carina and her family and their lives are all turned upside down.

Poor Tegan is put through absolute hell in this book, and things seem to get worse when Alicia arrives. The. When Tegan is arrested for a murder she didn’t commit her family are determined to get to the bottom of who is actually behind this. Tegan suspects Alicia but everyone else is still head over heel la in love with her.

Soon the truth starts to come out when Carina loses her job and has more time on her hands she digs into Alicia and her past and the truth is more shocking than you could ever imagine. Carina begins to question who the hell she has let into her home and who is really living under her roof.

I have to say the godchild is another incredible read from Miranda Rijks I’ve read many of her books and am a huge fan of her work, and this book certainly didn’t disappoint. Fast paced, plenty going on and had the reader on the edge of their seat from start to finish, definitely a book I’d recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an advance copy of this book in exchange for this review.

Miranda Rijks kept me riveted throughout this entertaining read. Loved the long ago friendship of the Eena’s - Carina and Gina. Alicia made my skin crawl from the moment she arrived. She was truly diabolical. The family’s reactions to her were so predictable - lust, jealousy, pity, appreciation, with only Tegan seemingly seeing through Alicia’s story. Many of the twists were anticipated and were not shockers until the parentage of Alicia was revealed. All in all a very fast paced chilling read.
Many thanks to Mirnda Rijks, Inkubator books, and NetGalley for providing me with an arc of this engaging read, publishing on March 31st.

WOW - what a fantastic story. Keeps you guessing until the very last page. It's about a mother doing whatever she can to protect her daughter and her daughter's reputation. When her godchild shows up at the family's home, she invites her in. She last saw her many years ago. As she has no place to go, she is welcomed to stay for a short time. There is a suspicious murder and the mother finally starts asking questions and seeking answers about her godchild. What she finds out is chilling and will keep you guessing until the final page. I highly recommend this book. Miranda Rijks has a way of keeping you invested in the story and staying up all night to see how it ends.

Happy Publication Day!
Be careful of who you let into your home. They may expose all of your deeply hidden secrets and they may bring some of their own. And if you think it’s all over when the darkness comes to light, you’d be wrong. Dead wrong.

The latest novel by Miranda Rijks does not disappoint and like many of her other thrillers, this is easily a 5 star read. The plot moved along quickly making me flip page after page to see what happens next. If you’ve not read any deliciously dark tales by Rijks, you are missing out!

Thank you NetGalley, Inkubator Books, and Miranda Rijks for the opportunity to read this in exchange for a review!

So, girl appears one day, claiming to be the godchild of a woman. She manipulates her way into her home, frames the children for wrongdoing and ultimately she rises to the top. Strange occurrences begin to happen, causing the woman to realise that the godchild is not who she claims to be and is responsible for everything.
Plot seems familiar? I, for one, have encountered similar ones in books and movies. However, this is not a negative aspect, as I believe it takes skill to execute a popular premise effectively. Miranda Rijks is the perfect author to accomplish this.

Having read Make Her Pay and The Influencer, I can confidently say that this book is my favorite out of the three. Despite having a general idea of what would happen, I was still surprised by some revelations. The characters were more fleshed out and the pace was quick, as expected from Rijks.
Will definitely be keeping an eye out for more of her.

Wow, this was absolutely brilliant. Loved the story and could not put it down.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the advance copy.

The Godchild by Miranda Rijks is another fabulous psychological thriller.. It’s fast paced, engaging and has plenty of twists and turns. I really enjoyed this book! It kept me on my toes the whole time I was reading and never knew what to expect.
This has been intriguing and moves at the perfect pace.
I have devoured page after page, completely hooked and unable to predict where this one was going.
Looking for a compelling thriller, pick this up!

Thank You NetGalley and Inkubator Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

I love Miranda's books so was thrilled to get this!

Carina's Goddaughter Alicia turns up unexpectedly & needs somewhere to stay.

Alicia seems the perfect child, kind & studious but is all it seems?

I really enjoyed this, kept me wondering & the plot twists were great!

absolutely loved this page-turner! I’m a relatively new fan of Miranda Rijks, and after having read three of her titles, was happy to discover this one. It’s a novel written in true Miranda Rijks style, with twists and turns on every page. I love psychological thrillers, The Godchild focuses on the life of a family, which is blasted apart when Alicia comes to stay.. I couldn’t put it down and wouldn’t hesitate to award it five stars. It was an easy read, the characters were believable and the story slowly peeled off layers and layers, showing how much someone else’s past could have such an impact on so many lives. Miranda is one of my favourite psychological thriller writers along with Daniel Hurst ,Freida McFadden and K L Slater.

Unfortunately this one wasn’t for me. The plot itself was interesting enough, however I found it hard and confusing to follow as it felt like it was constantly jumping from one thing to the next. This is not a bad book though and I’m sure it’ll find its right readers.

First I want to thank NetGalley, Inkubator Books and Miranda Rijks for my ARC of The Godchild.

WOOOOOOW! This book had me from the beginning and left me wanting more! The characters and plot were very well developed. The twists and turns just kept coming! I enjoyed the multiple POVs and the jumps between time as it really helped develop the story. If you’re looking for a book that will have you picking your jaw up off the floor with an ending you don’t see coming than this ones for you! I can’t wait to read more from Miranda!

Master storyteller and queen of twists Miranda Rijks returns following Make Her Pay with her latest, THE GODCHILD. In this twisty psychological thriller of revenge and obsession, an average family finds their lives disrupted by a surprise visit from a godchild that turns into a chilling nightmare!

The tensions ratchet up as nefarious motives and twisted allegiances come to light. A delightfully twisty psychological thriller with the author's signature style!

Carina Ruff is the head teacher at a prestigious private school in the South of England. Carina is married to Don (a stay-at-home dad and aspiring novelist) with three children, Arthur (14) and Teagan (16) and baby Ethan.

The day their lives change is when a young woman unexpectedly shows up at the door, stating her name is Alicia and claims she is Gina's daughter. Carina has not seen her since she was a baby and is shocked.

Gina was her college friend, who had not seen or heard from her for many years. The girl says she has been living in Spain, and her mother was a drug addict. She wants to stay with them, but Carina thinks it is for a few nights. Soon, she worms her way into their home and lives, and they cannot escape her. Plus, they cannot reach the mom.

Teagan especially does not like her since she has to share her room. She has enough problems at school, and now Alicia wants to attend their school. She seems to be taking over their home, cozying up to her parents and brother while walking the dog and helping with the baby.

Teagan does not trust this girl and starts her investigation. Who is Alicia, and what does she want with their family? She seems to know a lot about their family.

Things go from bad to worse, turning dark, sinister, and creepy.

From past to present from Carina (then and now), we learn about the events of the past when Carina and Gina were in college. The wild girl that Carina was in awe of until things got out of control.

Now, here is Alicia. The gaslighting, lies, and manipulation begin. Then, a crime. What is her motive, and who is this girl claiming to be the godchild?

Told from the POVs of Carina and Teagan (then and now) and a counselor, Kathryn Friar, in therapy sessions with Alicia, where readers get insights into each character as we try and figure out this mystery.

The past and present converge in this pulse-pounding mystery domestic suspense. What darkness lies in this suburban home?

Unsettling and darkly sublime, the author deftly explores twisted family dynamics and devastating secrets in suburbia in this roller coaster wild ride that will shock readers by the final page. (that ending!)

Surprising. Entertaining. Spine-chilling! — From the opening page to the shocking last line, you will be hooked.

As always, Miranda Rijks (favorite author) delivers the unexpected and ways that past secrets rise to the surface in ordinary families. For Rijks fans and those of Daniel Hurst, K.L. Slater, and Emily Shiner.

Thanks to Inkubator Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced reading copy for an honest opinion.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4.5 Stars —rounded to 5
Pub Date: March 31, 2024
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Ooooh weeee!
Carina is the head of a private school where her daughter Tegan and son Arthur attend. They seem like the perfect family until secrets start to unravel and Carina’s godchild, Alicia shows up on their doorstep. Is Alicia who she claims to be? Tegan takes the hit for the murder of Jack. But is she to blame and will the whole school find out her secrets?! The twists and turns have you stumped.
At one point my mouth literally hit the floor. You won’t predict this one, I can guarantee that!
Thank you for the opportunity to NetGalley and the publisher.

Thank you to the author and the publishers for the advanced copy. The Godchild was my first book by Miranda Rijks. It follows Carina, a head teacher at a prestigious school, and her family as a stranger appears at their door looking for a place to stay. The book alternates between Carina’s POV and Tegan’s POV. The storyline was fast paced and kept me guessing

⭐️3.25
Grabbed my attention from the first chapter. Alicia shows up at the family’s doorstep. Everyone seems enamored except for daughter Tegan who feels that something is “off”.

This one was somewhat predictable with a few twists, but overall a fast-paced, fun drama-thriller.

Thank you NetGalley and Inkubator books for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Publication date: March 31, 2024

This was a quick and fun thriller. It read like a Lifetime movie. There was lots of suspense and drama, along with secrets, betrayal and lies. There were good twists and surprises that caught me off guard. I thought I knew what would happen, but the ending took a completely different turn from what I was thinking.

I am a thriller reader that can suspend reality for a lot of things that happen in the books I read, but this ending needed so much explaining to pull everything together. To me, it was slightly outlandish. Overall, this was a good read that had great suspense building.

This was my first book by Rijks, but it definitely won't be my last.

Thank you to NetGalley and Inkubator Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This boo and author never disappoints. She knows how to keep the suspend going all throughout the story and it deliver a strong blow right at the end Love everything about this book.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Godchild by Miranda Rijks was intense, nerve-wracking, with emotions and an anger-creating psychological thriller with a shocking end!
It was evident where the main twist was heading but was surprising how it played out! There were a good amount of small twists all the way through that made me so entertained!

Carina and her husband Don lived their ordinary lives with their 3 children until her goddaughter Alicia arrived. Would you let a stranger into your house to stay? They already were one messed up family without knowing it but now... Nothing will be like before. Secrets will be let out, the truth will be twisted and the fight between good and bad will take an active play!

Thanks so much to Netgalley and Inkubator Books for this copy!

Miranda Rijks is one of my favourite authors, so I was super excited to read this new book. It certainly didn’t disappoint.
It’s deliciously far fetched and has lots of twists throughout. I raced through it.
It’s a book that I definitely recommend.

I enjoyed this one alot. But unfortunately some of the characters drive me nuts but overall I loved it. I would give it 4 put of 5 stars.