Not bad, but not unique or riveting. Not altogether believable. Decent writing but somehow misses the mark.

I haven’t read anything by this author before and although the 3 books are not the best thrillers I have read there was a decent storyline with each one that kept me reading with a few plot twists thrown in it made for an ok read. I will look to read more by this author. I would recommend for an easy read at the weekend snuggled up with a blanket.

Roses are red

I am so sorry to say this but - Yawn. This must be the most predictable book EVER. I sincerely hope not all of her books are written this flat and uninteresting, because I have three more by her I was approved for.
It was just so... Predictable and easy. There was no surprise, no mystery, no twist, no guessing. You have a murder - and you immediately know who the murderer is. And the reason for the killing?! Sigh. Same old story.
Can you read too many thrillers? Is it my fault for already knowing what's about to happen because it's difficult to come up with new motives during thrillers and crime novels. On the other hand, though, I enjoy Sherlock Holmes a great deal and that's more or less the same...



Deserve to Die

Much better than the previous book I've read by this author! It still wasn't great, but really, my favourite by this author so far. The villainesse wormed her way so smartly into family - even though the reason made me yawn. So... Predictable.

You Are Mine

Okay-ish. Much better than the first one I've read. I really enjoyed Rupert's perspective, wish he had been the sole narrator of this book...


I received a free ARC by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This set of three books by Miranda Rijks is wicked good! I really like the author’s writing and plot style.

The first book, Roses are Red, revolves around major gaslighting after Lydia meets a new guy after her husband tragically dies in their backyard swimming pool. Lydia is extremely naïve to the point where you want to scream at her to wake up. Her waffling back and forth between she loves him; she suspects him, drove me a little crazy. And you might guess what is going on, but the story evolves in a way that will have you racing to the end to find out “how” and “why” it happens.

Deserve to Die is the second book and you guessed it – more gaslighting! But this time there is more than one person on the receiving end, as Tamara manipulates her way into the business created by Dom and Stacey. The story takes you through a revenge fueled path to the suspenseful ending.

The third book was the one I liked least, but only because Rijks has successfully written in a character you love to hate. Charlotte is struggling artist, desperate money, so when three of her paintings are purchased by one man, she takes a commission to work on his portrait while living at his estate. Sir Rupert Baskerville turns out to be -no big reveal here - a psychopath, with narcissistic tendencies who will make you cringe.

Thanks to NetGalley and Inkubator Books for an advance reader's copy for review.

The first story was not to my liking, be it the characters or the plot or suspense. The second and third were better, though the story was predictable and the suspense guessed easily, the narrative was fast and engaging. 3.5 stars

Three gripping, page turning thrillers, each with their own twist! Each book has characters which are relatable and believable, making them easy to read and sparking the imagination. The stories explore relationships and keep you guessing whose viewpoint is the truth, and who is lying. Each book also differs in the psychological issues being explored, making them feel very different, but with a common and enjoyable writing style throughout. Although there are some points where the pace slowed a little, I still thoroughly enjoyed all three books. Would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers!

A Mixed Bag....
A box set of three psychological thrillers - Roses Are Red; You Are Mine; Deserve To Die - a mixed bag and each rather predictable with twists that the reader may well see coming, despite the blurb, but equally each is well paced and still entertaining.

Roses Are Red:
No Stars

WARNING THIS REVIEW CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS

I hated the main character, Lydia...she was selfish, stupid and very easy to manipulate.

- Dating after death of husband four months earlier
- Lends money to new guy twice
- Engaged, to 2nd guy she dates within 7 months of the death
- Knowing him for only three months gets engaged to him
- She got engaged when the kids have only met the guy only once
- Friends/sister haven't met him at all
- She does EVERYTHING he says, like no party for the wedding
- She has to keep "reminding herself" that he is the man she loves now
- Believes this loser over her friend of 20 years
(I'm not talking little incidentals, I'm talking MURDER!)

And the main reason I hated this book:
- I knew Fiona was in on it 1/4 of the way in

NO STARS, NONE, ZERO, NADA, MINUS ALL THE STARS IN FACT!

Deserve to Die:
☆
For the first third I was enjoying the book but then the characters started getting on my nerves and the writing became very repetitive and I guessed the "big reveal" just passed the half way mark.

I hate when thrillers use the mental health card and call characters with issues "fragile". Being late to pick up your kids means you're losing your mind? P-LEASE. If that was the case I would have been locked up years ago!

Another part of the plot was the husband not trusting the wife after one disastrous evening out. I mean after having what the book called a "good marriage" the husband suddenly doesn't trust his wife after ONE incident...I'm not buying into it.

I found Stacey very whiny and needy it made me want to barf..."I look up at him, so grateful for my steady husband." PUKE! Dom was mostly patronizing and treated Stacey like a child. I'm afraid from there it only got worse. Such a shame because it was a good story idea.

As far as I'm concerned Stacey did deserve to die and so does every other main character in this book. But don't take my word for it as this book has a 4.21 rating so maybe I read it wrong?

You Are Mine:
☆
This book bordered on the ridiculous, the main character named his penis and the dialogue was stilted. I figured out the big twist a quarter of the way through the book and the "big" second reveal I had figured out less than forty percent in...bummer.

Bottom Line:
I hated all three books in this collection, Miranda Rijks is definitely not for me. I need something a little more intelligent and interesting.

Miranda Rijks at her best.
Roses are Red
Lydia finds love again after her husband died. Within months they are married and he starts to control everything in Lydia's life.
Deserve to Die
Dom and Stacey are happily married with two children and a successful business. Tamara is out for revenge on Stacey.
You are Mine
Charlotte is struggling after the death of her fiancee when she agrees to paint Sir Rupert's portrait.
Three very different but equally brilliant psychological thrillers.

In a Miranda Rijks novel there is usually someone in jeopardy and the stakes couldn't be higher. Her novels are powerful and beautiful, taut and tense, and always unputdownable. Here are three fine examples of her work:
ROSES ARE RED - This is a tense and intense psychological thriller. The author explores the dark side of an intimate relationship and a woman seeking a new love through her grief.
A powerful novel full of twists and turns and a truly horrific, and totally unexpected denouement. Superb character development throughout.
DESERVE TO DIE - Miranda Rijks drip feeds one the information she wants with tantalising aplomb. She allows the two women at the centre of this story to play a cat-and- mouse game with her readers. This is a tale of love, loss, hatred and revenge. It is paced to perfection for ultimate suspense.
YOU ARE MINE - When Sir Rupert Baskerville appears as a character name in a psychological thriller I think it is quite safe to hazard a guess at him not going to be one of the good guys. And thus Miranda Rijks introduces another psychopath into her body of work.
This is Rijks at her most suspenseful, full of tension and terror.

Not the author's best😕

I was not terribly taken with these three thrillers. I thought the author's more recent release The Visitors was a much tighter, better read.

Roses are Red
Characters in search of someone to like them?🙄
3.5🌟stars
This plot's major flaw was in its characters who almost all, apart from the heroine and her children, have a nasty side that takes control. I find it really hard to enjoy a book when I have no buy in for the characters' welfare. I need someone to like and cheer for!

Yes, I kept reading to the end and the book had a good measure of ominous suspense and a murder mystery to resolve. If only the main character, crafting executive Lydia, had been someone I could like, respect or relate to.

But I could not. She's privileged, impulsive and incredibly ingenuous when it comes to judging people. A few well-placed words by the new man in her life and she's ready to suspect a colleague/friend who she's worked closely with for many years and throw him under the bus! When her sister questions her impetuous actions she resents it and distances herself. I felt a bit sorry for her tween son Oliver and moody teen daughter Mia. I just kept turning the page to learn what new foolishness she could come up with. Her transformation at the climax into a warrior woman Mama Bear was so overdue!

Deserve to Die
🌊Distressing build-up took too long😕
3🌟 stars
😑 I really found it difficult to keep reading the first half of this story. So much unexplained mayhem and issues with the villain. She's a femme fatale who throws money around for expensive things and to cozy up to her new boss yet she says she has no money. Which is it?! Her witchy moves were distressing and made me reluctant to continue reading about the train wreck she is orchestrating.

This was the third novel I've read by this author. All three books focus on a woman who is bullied, manipulated and psychologically tortured until, finally, she fights back. The villains seem irredeemable psychopaths. This one especially was a bit too twisted for me.

You Are Mine
Not impressed with the plot😕
2.5-3🌟 stars
This story was improbable, incredible and predictable, with a delusional villain who is very one-dimensional. The female lead, like in most of the author's works that I've read, falls into a situation of manipulation, deceit and abuse. One of the weakest of Rijks' works that I've read and not something I would recommend to friends who are looking for a good thriller.

Thanks to Inkubator Books and NetGalley for providing a complimentary copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

I have read a few of Miranda's books so when I was given this set by Netgalley and publishers in exchange for an honest review I was very happy.
Her books are typical of a psychological thriller and these 3 do not fail in that aspect.
Roses are Red
Adam and Lydia are in the process of arranging a divorce when he dies in their swimming pool. Suspicion falls on Lydia then onto their business partner. Lydia then falls in love with Patrick and despite concerns from friends and family quickly marries him. Things soon start going wrong with her business and someone is out to sabotage her whole life. I guessed the perpetrator soon into the book but there was still a twist at the end that i didnt see coming.
Deserve to Die
Dom and Stacey have it all, successful business, lovely house and 2 adorable children, so why does Tamara want to wreck everything. Another great book.
You are Mine
Charlotte, an up and coming artist is grieving the loss of her fiance when she holds an exhibition of her art. 3 paintings are bought by Rupert who requests that she stays with him at his hall and paints his portrait. However Rupert wants more than just his portrait painted. How low will he go to get the woman of his dreams.
All in all 3 great books,

This was an enjoyable collection of books. Enough mystery and suspense to keep the reader turning the pages. In addition, a few interesting twists.

A good collection of books. Three books are there and all of them were somehow good in some way or other. Although characters were not too likable but they were ok.

I live a good mystery book. This sound like it's got mystery thriller and romance. Great combo. I'm asso ready to start reading this book

I was so happy to receive this box set from this author. I completely devoured it all in one weekend. Brilliant, twisty, and suspenseful. Love everyone.

I had first read a book by Miranda Rijks thorough Netgalley and was happy to discover another author whose books I can cherish. When I found another of her books and that too a three in one thriller box set I just knew that I'd to get it. And I am not disappointed with this one too. Three stories which I equally enjoyed but would go say that "Roses are red' is the best among the lot. All characters of all three stories are believable and we can relate to them. Another hit from a talented writer and I hope of more to come.
Recommended read

3 amazing thrillers. I enjoyed the first and 3rd the best. The second seemed to drag a bit for me but still a great read. The last book holy drew me in and wouldn't let go. Such a fantastic preview of what this author can write. If you havent read her before.
Wont be the last that I read from her.

Thanks to the author,the publisher, and NetGalley for an early release of this book.
4.5 stars

I came across author Miranda Rijks by a chance recommendation some 6 months ago when I read her novel ‘The Arrangement’. I was hooked and loved her writing, the interesting characters and the quick moving plots. Full of suspense the books feel like quick reads because they are so difficult to put down. Since then I have tried to read her earlier books and have found them just as captivating.

‘Roses are Red’ is another gripping read and thoroughly entertaining even if I did guess the twist. Lydia Palmer is getting divorced after the breakdown of her marriage to Adam when suddenly he dies. Three months after Adam’s death Lydia is tempted to try on line dating and it is not long before she meets Patrick. Patrick appears to be the perfect match and love and marriage follows very quickly. Lydia’s family are not completely accepting of their relationship and her failing business is struggling badly. Lydia has a feeling that someone is plotting against her to destroy everything she has.

I found this a great read but I do hate it when publishers make promises that perhaps don’t live up to the hype. The hype for this book promised a twist you won’t see coming, well I did see it but still loved it. This is a fast paced novel that is a page turner. Lydia is a character that will annoy you, irritate you and drive you to despair but fascinating all the same.

Fast paced suspense.

Another gripping read by author Maranda Rijks. Her books are fast paced and full of twists and turns that make the books really enjoyable. This one has some great characters that will frustrate and excite the reader, suspenseful plot and a tense finale.

Married couple Dom and Stacey have a great marriage and share a perfect life, that is until they meet Tamara. Tamara is beautiful, intelligent and gets results but she also has a secret. The secret threatens to destroy Dom and Stacey. Dom runs a successful design agency and Stacey is enjoying the successes from writing children’s books. Life couldn’t be any better and they are so happy with their two children.

Then Tamara comes into their life and everything including their happy marriage is threatened. Tamara has a plan and won’t let anything stand in her way whatever the consequences. Dom and Stacey’s marriage is put under pressure from Tamara’s scheming and they are heading for disaster.

This is a page turner and you will struggle to put it down. Fast paced and full of suspense.

Another fast paced Miranda Rijks novel and tbh probably the weakest of the one’s I have read yet still an entertaining read.

Talented artist Charlotte Aldridge’s life is starting pick up again and while trying to sell some of her paintings meets Rupert, a wealthy handsome British aristocrat who is eager to find the love of his life. Rupert is taken by Charlottes paintings and not only buys three of them but wants her to paint his portrait.

Rupert is very persuasive and thinks it is only a matter of time until Charlotte becomes his wife.

Fast paced and exciting but this one was a little too much to believe for my taste.

Thankyou to NetGalley, Inkubator Books and the author, Miranda Rijks, for the opportunity to read this Psychological Thriller Box Set in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.
This box set contains 3 thrillers written by this author. All 3 provided great storylines that keep hold of your imagination and keep you turning pages.
Well worth a read.