The Arrangement

by Suzanne Forster

Alison Fairmont Villard wakes in a hospital bed with a face she doesn't recognize and a husband she doesn't know. Andrew Villard, a self-made millionaire, has a bright future but a shadowy past. When he tells Alison the details of their life together, she has no choice but to believe him-and to accept the shocking proposal he offers. It isn't just the partial amnesia that Alison suffers. She has her own terrifying secrets that can't be entrusted to anyone, even Andrew. Even the police suspect he was behind Alison's near fatal accident aboard his yacht and were ready to charge him with murder before her body was found, battered on the razor-sharp coral reefs. When the veil of amnesia lifts, it's too late. Alison is caught in a web of her own making. And now an FBI agent with a personal vendetta is about to blow the lid off her deadly marriage of convenience.

Genres: Mystery, Romance, Fiction, Suspense, Thriller, Book Club

464 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Suzanne Forster is living proof of William Shakespeare’s maxim that the uses of adversity are sweet. Suzanne’s writing career began by accident. Literally. A car accident ended her dreams for a career in clinical psychology. During her recovery, she began writing to fill the hours, and before she was well enough to return to graduate school, she’d sold her first book and launched a new career.
Since then Suzanne has written more than thirty novels and been the recipient of countless awards, including The National Readers’ Choice Award for Shameless, her mainstream debut. She’s received recognition for outstanding sales from Waldenbooks and Bookrak, and her recent novel, Unfinished Business, was made into a movie for the Oxygen Network.
Suzanne has a Master’s Degree in Writing Popular Fiction, and she teaches and lectures frequently. Her seminars on Women's Contemporary Fiction at UCLA and UC Riverside were rated outstanding, and her most requested workshop, "The High-Concept Synopsis," is based on personal experience. Her breakout novel, Shameless, sold on a synopsis that triggered a bidding war and garnered her a six-figure contract.
Suzanne has received considerable media attention, including a feature segment on Extra, NBC's news and entertainment magazine, and an Emmy Award–winning "Special Report" on CBS Channel 23 News. Her many print appearances include the L.A. Times, the Philadelphia Inquirer, Redbook and Orange Coast Magazine

Reviews

[Missyk · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was excited about this - we don't often read mysteries for book club. I was pretty disappointed. The story was pretty weak, the characters were not likeable - in fact, I could care less what happened to the whole lot of them. The main mystery is revealed really early, the rest of it just kind of dragged. The only reason I didn't give it 1 star is I was able to finish it.

[Lynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t think I’ve ever read a more convoluted and far fetched mystery! And it wasn’t even particularly well written. So much of the writing was just cringy. But if you like to laugh at bad writing and a beyond ridiculous story then this might be the book for you!

[☆.。.:*・°☆Love2Read♡HEAs☆.。.:*・°☆ {Anne} · Rating 1 out of 5]

1 Dysfunctional Star

Read this a long time ago and disliked it immensely.

I stupidly thought it was Romantic Suspense but IT WAS NOT! It was a Thriller, and not a good one.

Not a fond memory, I assure you.

To the author's credit though, I have read a few of her SS's that appeared in Anthologies, (Contemporary Romance and a Erotic Romance), and they were pretty good. Maybe she should stay away from Suspense?

[Liesbeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Could have been good, the potential is there.
It just felt like a hard slog.
Don't get to know or like the characters.
Poor attempt at sub plots.
Uncohesive writing.
Did not enjoy this, nor will I remember having read it.

[Melody · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just a fun quick read. Murder mystery thriller!

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Silly, yes. Annoying rich people, yes.... Entertaining? Yes!

[Amir Hirani · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terribly written and the plot was nonsensical!

[Jess Swann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Une romance sous fond d'intrigue policière et de secrets de famille... Certes, le tout est assez convenu (franchement on se doute assez rapidement de l'identité de Marnie) et l'évolution de l'histoire d'amour entre Marnie et Andrew est prévisible mais on prend plaisir à suivre les personnages. J'avoue que le début est assez déroutant, on pense pendant longtemps que Marnie est réellement amnésique. Sur l'identité du véritable meurtrier, j'avoue que cela est évident assez rapidement, en revanche, sur la victime secondaire (le frère de l'enquêteur), je ne l'avais pas vu venir. Le tout est assez plaisant à lire et pas prise de tête mais on oublie vite ce roman


Ce que j'aime : le conte de fée de Marnie, sa relation avec les Fairmont


Ce que j'aime moins : prévisible


En bref : Une petite romance policière sympathique qui fait passer un moment agréable


Ma note


6/10

[Alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thought it was a really interesting and thrilling book- was hard to put it down. Some of the scenes dragged on a little long, but I could imagine them not in the book. Great twists that turned into an unexpected ending.

[Kimberly Peters · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this a few months ago, but overall I thought it was a really great thriller mystery book. Well written without too much sappy romance, you have to read the first few chapters and then I think you get caught up in it and just want to keep reading more!
I would like to read more from her!!

[Hellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent murder mystery page-turning thriller. It had great plot twists I would have given it 4 stars if it wasn't for the ending. It felt rather dragged and rushed and some parts didn't have enough clarity.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast and fun!

[Judy Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing-the first I've read of this author. Interesting premise...good summer red.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is all about mystery and an event that links two lives

[Stephenie Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book In a couple hours! Couldn’t put it down! Love this author! You will love this book!

[Mary Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of twist and turns a good book

[Angel Downs · Rating 5 out of 5]

full of twists

[Alison Janssen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kept me captivated!

[Paula · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF What a waste of time. Unlikeable book, unlikeable characters. Unbelievable plot.

[Lauren Browning · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed trying to figure out what was happening and how Eveything was connected, but it got to be too much to follow. To me, there was not enough continuity with storylines.

[books_with_sass · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually give this 3.5, but it only lets you do full stars. It was definitely a slow start and I almost stopped reading multiple times. Some of the twists I turns I saw coming, some were a surprise, but about 3/4 of the way through it I knew the "who" at the end, just not the details of "why." Once you get through the first 100 pages or so, it's a pretty quick read. Although having so many Points of View can be a little confusing at times. I agree with another reviewer that said none of the characters were people you would like or wanted to root for. They were all very self-obsessed and not likeable. In the end, though, they all get what's coming to them, so I guess that's fair.
All in all, a good mystery if that's what you like. Just make it through all the boring stuff at the beginning and you'll be good to go after that. It's a long book, but pretty easy to read quickly. The chapters aren't too long, so you feel like you're reading at a fast pace. I would recommend this to anyone that likes murder mysteries.

[Melissapalmer404 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book #18 Read in 2014
The Arrangement by Suzanne Forster

This book reminded me of the book Gone Girl....I didn't really like any of the characters or find anything redeeming about them...but I had to finish the book to see what happened to them. In The Arrangement, Allison was swept overboard and her husband, Andrew, is blamed. She is then found...or was she? It turns out that Andrew replaced his wife with Marnie, a deformed local girl who was also thought to be dead. He wants to use her to flush out Allison's true killer so that he can be freed from suspicion. A long line of suspects exist, including Allison's dysfunctional mother Julia and her mentally ill brother.

This book has good twists and turns in it. As I said above, none of these characters are truly innocent and some are not even decent people. That being said, readers will want to see what happens to them, if they get their just desserts and how this book will end.

http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com

[Jenn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really excited about this book until about p. 186. This book had a great plot but it had so many twists and turns and secrets that I lost track and then got bored because of no reveal. Usually you read a book and they reveal important pieces throughout not this. I did figure out the secret that Allison was really Marnie - that was pretty easy. Everyone in this book had an agenda but you didn't really find out about it until the end. One thing that bugged me was Julia. She was a self involved woman with lots of issues and at the end, she blackmails the lawyer and give the millions to Marnie instead of keeping it and the fact that Tony's father was the one that killed Butch not Marnie. Of course Andrew and Marnie live happily ever after and Bret is killed and revealed as the killer of LaDonna and Allison. Crazy brother wanted the money which was supposed to go to him if Allison died without violating the morals cause.

[Shawn Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a fan of Forster books because she always can surprise me with her stories. This one definitely caught me off guard, I wasn't sure in the beginning who the bad guy was, or if there were any good guys at all! Good book, but I read it a few weeks ago....when I went to review it, I had already forgotten who the characters were. Not sure that's a good sign. But, still worth reading if want an edgy book.

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The lifestyle of the rich Fairmont family of the beautiful beach community of Mirage Bay, California is complicated by murder. The would be dead are Alison Fairmont, Butch Bogart and Marnie Hazelton and there are the would be killers Julia Fairmont, Bret Fairmont, Andrew Villard,
Alison Fairmont, Marnie Hazelton and Rebecca, Julia's assistant. Lots to keep you guessing in this tale of a twisted rich family.

[Rainz ❤️rainnbooks❤️(on a break) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somehow the reviews had given me an idea that the book was not all tht good but i loved it.The mystery /suspense quotient was great even though the romantic aspect was appalling. There was absolutely no chemistry btwn the leads and the emotions were missing completely.
Nevertheless, it was gud story with lots of layered characters to keep us hooked.
Go for it if u love mysteries!

[Tara]

I got this book at the 2nd hand store by mom. 3 books for $2, got 6 books. Eh, not too bad. Haven't been there in awhile. I have soooo many books to read; I really hope to read more this year, than did the last 1/2 of last year!!

[The Reading Cove Book Club ❦ · Rating 2 out of 5]

159th: THE ARRANGEMENT
Chosen By: Miriam
Trivia Winner - Lynette

~COVE OPINION: C, Average story

We discuss THE ARRANGEMENT in the 39th episode of our Cove podcast - listen in!

[Jewelz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it!! this was soo good i didn't want to put it down!!

[Tristen Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good murder mystery, with a fun twist at the end. There were several plots and stories going on at once, which I love. I couldn't wait to get done to see how it ended. :)