The Godchild

by Miranda Rijks

They were just a normal family living normal lives. Then Alicia arrived.After her own mother mysteriously disappears, seventeen-year-old Alicia turns up on her godmother’s doorstep and asks if she can stay. Carina can’t say no to the godchild she hasn’t seen in over a decade.And in a way, Alicia is the daughter she always wanted – she’s so smart and driven, definitely scholarship material. Carina is only too happy to help this brilliant young woman achieve her full potential.But husband Don and children Tegan and Arthur aren’t so sure. There’s something about Alicia… Is she just too good to be true?Then, out of the blue, sixteen-year-old Tegan is accused of a horrible crime and life for this ordinary family spirals down into chaos.Does Alicia have anything to do with the terrible secrets that are only now being exposed? Has she set out to destroy this family? Before she can answer these questions, Carina will have to face her own troubled past, stepping out of the light and into a very, very dark place…The Godchild - the shocking psychological thriller from the best-selling author of The Visitors and Make Her Pay.

Genres: Thriller, Psychological Thriller, Mystery, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller, Domestic Thriller, Fiction

270 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 31, 2024

About the author

Miranda Rijks is the author of 26 psychological thrillers, many of which have been Amazon bestsellers. She lives in Sussex, England with her Dutch husband and black Labrador.

Her fast-paced, twisty thrillers are inspired by scary things that have happened to her or places she has visited.

Miranda turned to writing after recovering from Ewing's Sarcoma, a rare bone cancer. She's so grateful that she's now a full-time author and living the dream!

Visit www.mirandarijks.com to get her FREE novella, The Cheat, and the chance to name characters in her books.

Reviews

[chantalsbookstuff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another "one-sitting" read! The plot in this book was absolutely great. Fast paced, mind boggling and a another crazy villian made this book very entertaining. Carina's Godchild appears on her doorstep after years of no contact and it all downhill from there. Mysterious things happen in this family and you have to wonder if its just pure bad luck or is there a story behind it.
As with drama-thrillers we can often guess were a book is going and what the outcome will be, but mostly it comes down to the author's creativity. Some of the plot was quiet obvious and I feel like it was intended that way, but the last bit did surprise me. Miranda is fast becoming one of my favorite writers.

Thank you Netgalley and Inkubator Books for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

[Tonya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carina appears to have a perfect life. All of her dreams have miraculously come true. Soon after a surprise visitor shows up, cracks quickly form in her perfect facade. I was immediately drawn into this mysterious web where past and present collide. There were so many shocking twists towards the end, I couldn't wait to get to the surprising conclusion. One of the twists I was able to guess, and seemed pretty implausible. That point did not diminish my enjoyment of this very fast-paced and entertaining thriller. Thank you Booksprout for my copy.

[Mandy White (mandylovestoread) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really thought I had this one all figured out.. Miranda Rijks, you got me again!L this was an absolute page turner, I binged it an afternoon and loved it. So many unlikeable characters and drama for one family!! Very cleverly done by the author.

Would you let a stranger into your house to stay? When Alicia knocks on the door, telling Carina that she was the daughter of her college best friend who she hadn’t seen for many years, Carina lets her in. After all, the girl is her godchild. Eldest child Teagan is less than impressed, even. Ore so when she gets to know Alicia. But nobody is listening to her.

This was one messed up family! I really only liked Teagan, and really felt sorry for her being ignored and so badly treated by everyone. This is really fast paced thriller, another winner from this author.

Thanks so much to Inkubator Books for my advanced copy of this book to read. Publishes on March 31st

[Jayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Miranda Rijks continues to wow me!

OMG, "The Godchild" was pacy, character-driven, intricately plotted, and unputdownable.

(My kind of book!)

Even though I guessed the two final twists, I still enjoyed this compelling read.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Elizabeth Knowelden, Fiona Hardingham, and Ruth Urquhart.

Full-cast narrations are always a treat and all three narrators did an outstanding job.

I am a huge Miranda fan and always look forward to her releases.

4.5 stars, rounded up.

[Melissa Borsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carina is the headmistress of the school her daughter and son are attending and her husband Dan, a writer stays at home with baby Ethan. They are a normal, quiet family just going about their day to day when Alicia enters their lives. Years ago Carina’s friend Gina had a baby girl and asked Carina to be the Godmother, she agreed and then they lost touch. Alicia, now a teenager, shows up asking for a place to stay because her mother has gone missing and may even be dead. Carina allows Alicia to move in and gets her enrolled into their school. Life from here on out will never be the same for any of them! This book is truly addicting and the jaw dropping surprises left me speechless. Highly recommend! I thank Inkubator Books and Miranda Rijks for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Jannelies (living between hope and fear) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m always happy to discover a new title by Miranda Rijks, and this time I was happy to find it in the Read Now section. Just in time because I was in need of a nice but not too complicated (light) thriller.
Carina, Don and their children Tegan, Arthur and Ethan look like a normal, happy family. And there it is: they are anything but. Each of them has secrets and each of them harbours grudges against other members of the family. Except little Ethan of course because he’s not even a year old. When ‘godchild’ Alicia arrives, you know immediately that things will go terribly wrong for these people. But which fate has Miranda Rijks in mind for them?
As I said, just what I needed because it was very hard not to read this book in one sitting. Miranda writes with a good insight in the human mind, although I’ve yet to meet people who behave as some of her characters do – lucky me.

Thanks to Netgalley for putting this in the Read Now section.

[adinazina on substack.♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Carina, her husband Don, and their three children (Tegan, Arthur and Ethan) live a privileged life until Alicia, Carina’s goddaughter turns up uninvited on their doorstep claiming her mother walked out on her and she has nobody else to turn to. Alicia adjusts to family life easily, she’s intelligent and helpful and everyone seems to warm to her, but Tegan has a feeling she is hiding something. Then, tragedy strikes and Tegan is accused of a horrific crime, but she believes Alicia is really behind it and sets out to prove it.

-

The Goddaughter is a fun, quick read. It’s a thrilling, page-turner with interesting albeit infuriating characters. The premise was solid and the first half of the book I found enjoyable. However by the end it just became so ridiculous and unbelievable it took me out of the story a bit and I stopped enjoying it as much. This would’ve been 4 stars if it hadn’t been let down by the ending because I did have a lot of fun reading it. Overall a fine read if you’re into the genre but I do think the ending let it down.

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

[Natalie all_books_great_and_small · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review as part of the book tour hosted by Zooloos Book Tours.

The Godchild is a fast-paced, twisty, rollercoaster of a book.
Carina opens the front door one day to a surprise - her seventeen year old goddaughter Alicia. Alicia's mother has died, and when she asks if she can stay with Carina and her family, she can't say no despite not having seen her for at least ten years and feels she owes it to her deceased friend. Alicia is the daughter Carina wishes she'd had with her brains and determination to succeed. But her husband, Don, and children Arthur and Tegan feel something is off about Alicia they just can't put their finger on what...
When Tegan gets accused of a crime, the family starts splitting at the seams, and Carina finds herself facing her dark past. Is Alicia set out to destroy her family, and if so, what will she have to do to stop her?
This was a mindblowing twisty read that flows between past and present-day. I did piece together some of the twists and ending, but it still contained a few shocks and red-herrings I didn't expect.

[Rachel the Page-Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

“They were just a normal family living normal lives. Then Alicia arrived.”

That sentence from the synopsis hooked me - I had a feeling this would be good, and I wasn’t disappointed. I’m giving this one a page-turner alert! This is a fast-paced thriller that can be read in one sitting; it’s not too long, and you won’t want to stop reading once the story gets going.

Carina, her husband Don, and their children, Tegan, Arthur and Ethan, have just sat down to dinner when they hear someone at the door. The uninvited guest is Alicia, Carina’s goddaughter. Alicia’s mother, Gina, went to school with Carina, but the friends fell out and haven’t spoken in years. Alicia says she was living in Spain with her mom, but that she hasn’t heard from her in weeks and didn’t know where else to turn.

Apparently Gina never left her university hard-partying lifestyle, and Alicia figures she’s either dead or holed up in a crack house somewhere. Carina is taken off guard but offers to let the teen girl in - at least until they can find Gina. Soon, they find that Alicia is smart, upbeat and happy to help around the house. Everyone loves her but Tegan, who is forced to share her room with the stranger.

Soon though, even Tegan is fine with having her there, as she needs the reinforcement dealing with bullies at school (the school at which her mother happens to be head master). Then the unthinkable happens and Tegan is accused of a horrible crime. Does Alicia have anything to do with this? Tegan’s arrest sends this family into a spiral, until Carina starts thinking about her old friend, Gina, and dives into a rabbit hole of revenge…

This was more on the popcorn thriller side, but I don’t mind that - sometimes that’s what I’m in the mood for and this hit the spot! The ending was a little dramatic and implausible, but I definitely didn’t see it coming, and I loved the epilogue. Four stars for a very entertaining story!

(Thank you to Inkubator Books, Miranda Rijks and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released on March 31, 2024.)

[Celeste Velocci (bookrecs_by_celeste) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This gave me major Freida and Lisa Jewell vibes. I really enjoyed the mystery of this but the ending kind of lost me a bit. I figured out some things but I really thought the ending was quite ridiculous but overall it wasn’t bad. Predictable ? Yes at times. It was good for a quick mystery on kindle unlimited. I’ve heard great things about this author so I’m excited to read her other work.

[Kristina Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Inkubator Books for the ARC (Advance Reader Copy) of The Godchild by Miranda Rijks. This story has a dual timeline, the past and the present. It is a very suspenseful read. It was fast paced and kept me engaged. It is a drama thriller with some surprising twists and turns. This is my second book by this author and she did not disappoint. I would recommend this book to others. A 4 star rating from me.

[Danielle-Gemma💜 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty middle of the road book, I would try another book by her as it was an easy read but I wasn’t wowed by it

[Tina Plintz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I give this book 2.5 stars rounded up to 3.
My honest opinion on this book is it was an easy read but I never felt a big pull to the book.
Alicia shows up with just a back pack to her godmother’s house who she has never met. With this story about her mom just up and disappearing on her and Carina and Don take her in no questions asked. It just feels so far fetched. She becomes accepted into the family and they even get her a spot in the private school Carina is the headmistress of. It feels kinda rushed and the story could have way more into the characters. It’s almost like a piece work quilt that all fits together but doesn’t exactly have all the elements to make it feel put together.

[Sherri Thacker · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Godchild by Miranda Rijks is her latest thriller and once again, I wasn’t expecting that outcome and she outsmarted me once again. I love her writing style and loved all the characters. I can’t wait to see what Miranda has up her sleeve next! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review. To be published March 31, 2024. A great book to add to your collection!!

[Tara Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It started out a bit slow but once it took off I could not put it down.

The book is well written and has great, unpredictable twists. I recommend giving it a read!

[StinaStaffymum · Rating 5 out of 5]

★★★★★ 4.5 stars (rounded up)

Be careful who you let into your home...

Wowsers! This is so not what I was expecting. With a title such as this, I'm thinking something to do with a new baby (especially with that cover) and all that follows in such domestic thrillers. But no. The godchild is not a baby at all. Not even a child. But boy, she is something else!

Carina and her husband Don have been together since their university days and have three children - Tegan (16), Arthur (14) and baby Ethan (9 months). Carina is the head teacher at their local selective school at which her two children attend whilst hubby is a stay at home dad to Ethan working on his novel.

Then one day a knock at the door reveals Alicia, Carina's long lost godchild and daughter of her old uni friend Gina. After the scene she created at their wedding nearly two decades before, Carina has not set eyes on Gina since. And the news Alicia brings tells a familiar tale of woe that seems to follow Gina. Drugs, alcohol and who knows what or where Gina is now.

But Alicia arrives with her bags in tow and nowhere else to go so Carina begrudgingly invites her to stay, if not as a nod to her old friend. Don is not best pleased and neither is Carina's teenage daughter who finds herself having to share her room with Alicia.

And from there, everything seems to go downhill...especially for Tegan, who finds herself the subject of bullying. But it's not just that...mysterious things begin happening...and while the Ruff family's world begins to implode, Alicia is the only one who seems to be sitting pretty. But their bad luck just continues with the death of a student, bullying, drugs and secrets and lies in abundance.

Unfolding through the THEN and NOW format, this is another stellar read by Miranda that is indeed easily devoured in one sitting. Plenty of twists, plenty of red herrings and oh so many secrets, lies and deception. Despite some of its predictability, this is one compelling read that will still manage to shock you even if you can easily figure out much of what it going on.

I would like to thank #MirandaRijks, #Netgalley and #InkubatorBooks for an ARC of #TheGodchild in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

[justine ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book pulled me out of my reading slump!! It is so brilliantly written!! I love the story and the plot twist at the end was chef’s kiss!! 💗💗 I enjoyed reading this book very much

Thank you netgalley for this arc! 💌

[Susan Z (webreakforbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Godchild was an entertaining thriller that had me glued to the pages. It was a quick read and I flew through it. Although I had some of it figured out, the major twist was quite a shock, yet entirely plausible. I'm left a bit heartbroken for main characters.

[Donna Mallery · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Miranda’s books and have read almost all of them. I am not a big fan of domestic stories where there is a stalkerish type of theme but this one wasn’t bad. It wasn’t too over the top-that is until you get to the last chapter. So many authors ruin a decent book with that last “twist” that is so unnecessary. Unfortunately this book had that type of ending. Of course, I’ll still read her books. This one just frustrated me with that last chapter as well as a particular event that was just depressing. Don’t shame me, readers, if you disagree. It’s just my opinion, lol!

[Andrea Pole · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Godchild by Miranda Rijks is exactly what I needed to pull me out of a reading slump. This one is completely addictive, and the twists and turns kept me on my toes from beginning to end.

Carina is shocked one evening to open the door to her godchild, Alicia, the daughter of her old school friend, Gina. When Alicia tells Carina about her unconventional upbringing and Gina's drug use, Carina's maternal instincts kick in, and she knows that she must do whatever she can to help the troubled young woman, who seems pathetically grateful to have a hot meal and a roof over her head. But as Alicia infiltrates herself into family life, the quiet order of things begins to spiral into chaos. Has this young woman appeared with an unspoken agenda, and why is teenage daughter Tegan the only one who really sees her for who she is?

This is a gripping narrative that had me flying through the pages. You cannot go wrong with a Miranda Rijks book, and this latest is no exception.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Inkubator books for an ARC.

[Jessica Huntley · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I say I was hooked on this book, I'm not lying! I usually like a little more violence and darkness in my thrillers but this had such a good plot and addictive characters.

I wanted to know what was going on so bad! And did I see it coming? Nope! Brilliantly executed.

Highly recommend this for a popcorn thrillery good time!

[bookloverness · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Godchild was a real page turner that will have you hooked from the beginning.

Carina and her husband Don are just sitting down to have dinner with their children Tegan, Arthur, and Ethan. When a knock interrupts them. It's a young girl named Alicia claiming to be Carinas godchild, whom Carina hasn't seen since she was a baby. She says she needs a place to stay because her mom (Gia) is missing. Carina agrees to let her stay for a few days, but it turns into a longer stay.
Everyone seems to love Alicia, who is helpful around the house. Everyone except Tegan, who feels like there is something off about Alicia.
I didn't see the twist at the end coming, and the epilogue had me with my jaw on the floor! It's such a great fast read. I will definitely be reading more of Miranda Rijks books.

Thank you, Netgalley, for a copy of this book.

[Barbara Schultz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Name of Book: The Godchild
Author: Miranda Rijks
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Publisher: Inkubator Books
Pub Date: March 31, 2024
My Rating: 4.5 rounded up
Pages: 260

Carina Ruff, her husband Don, and their children, teenagers Tegan, Arthur and baby Ethan, have just sat down to dinner when someone is at the door.
It is Alicia Watts, Carina’s seventeen-year Godchild that she hasn’t seen since she was a baby and she needs a place to stay.
Carina and Gina -Alicia’s mother, were classmates and friends but haven’t spoken in years.

Alicia says she was living in Spain with her mother who has once again done one of her many disappearing acts and Alicia hasn’t heard from her in weeks and didn’t know where else to turn.
Carina figures she could stay while they try to find Gina. Alicia is willing to help around the house. Everyone loves her but sixteen year old Tegan, is bent out of shape as she has to share her room with Alice a stranger.
Alicia like her mother has a way of worming her way into people liking and accepting her

I am one of those psycho thriller fans and Yes Miranda Rijks once again messes with my emotions even though
I know to expect the unexpected!
Yikes that Epilogue!!! After reading it I went back and reread the prologue which, of course, now I understand.

I always love reading the Author’s note and/or Acknowledgements.
In “A Letter From Miranda” she tells us her thought in writing this story.
She talks about the role of a godparent and how most of us really don’t give forethought as to what that mean and how easy it is for friendship to drift and we really never get to know our godchild or god children.
I have to admit when I saw this title the first thing I thought of – Where are ‘my godchildren’ and how are they today?

This is my sixth Miranda Rijks thriller. When I read my first book book: The Second Wife], I knew then I found a new fav author!
She is such a clever storyteller! I will read anything she writes!

Want to thank NetGalley and Inkubator Books for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Day is March 31, 2024.

[Karen Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Miranda you are a genius. This woman had the best talent and her books are just brilliant.

This book was read in 24 hours, that's how much I loved it, again that twist at the end - just yes!!

As usual Miranda draws you in with a belter of a prologue and keeps you invested for the whole book.

Can I wait for the next book? No absolutely not.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Rosie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Girl shows up one day saying she's this woman's godchild, girl figures her way into the home, frames the children of bad stuff so she ends up on top and then weird stuff happens so godmother woman then realises godchild is behind everything and is not who she says she is.

While this may seem like a familiar plot, the author, Miranda Rijks, has proven herself capable of executing popular storylines in a captivating manner. In fact, I have previously read two books with a similar outline, but I trust Rijks to bring a fresh perspective to the story. Out of the author's three books that I have read, including Make Her Pay and The Influencer, I found this one to be the most enjoyable.
Despite having a predictable plot, the book still managed to surprise me with its twists and turns. Additionally, the characters were more well-rounded and the pace of the story was fast-paced, as always from Rijks!

[Shauntelle (myglamorousreads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Michelle ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked up this book with no knowledge of the author and ended up staying up all night to read it. I think the ending was a bit predictable but it was very well written. The characters are strong and it was easy to feel empathy towards Teegan. I’ll definitely be reading another of hers in the future!

[Christina Faris (books_by_the_bottle) · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Alicia turns up on her godmother Carina’s doorstep, saying her mother took off and is looking for a place to stay, Carina can’t turn her away. Carina feels bad for Alicia, especially since she hasn’t seen her in years. Her mother was once Carina’s best friend until they had a big falling out. Carina gets along great with Alicia, but her husband and children (Teagan and Arthur) aren’t quite as taken by her. It seems to them that Alicia is too good to be true. Then, out of the blue, sixteen year old Teagan is accused of a horrible crime and the whole family’s life is upended. Could Alicia have anything to do with it?

I love how this story involves a normal, everyday family - Miranda Rijks always creates such relatable characters. From the beginning, I thought they were a little too trusting to let Alicia into their home without having seen her or her mother in such a long time. But Alicia was just so kind and helpful, I can see why they would want to trust her. As the story went on and we learned more about Alicia and the family, I found myself getting really angry. I don’t want to say much more than that and risk spoiling anything; I think its best to go into this one blind.

I have read many of Miranda’s books and I think this is my favorite yet!


“The Godchild” releases March 31, 2024. Thank you to Miranda Rijks for the ARC! This review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)

[Mills · Rating 5 out of 5]

A major thanks to Zoe at Zooloo Book Tours for allowing me to be a part of this tour.

This book was absolutely phenomenal. This is not the first of Rijks' work that I haven read and I am determined to now read every single one of her novels.

From the moment we met the family, I knew something felt off. I can smell dysfunction from a mile off, but I really wasn't prepared for how dysfunctional this family was. Lies, deceit and dodgy relationships - this book had it all.

I honestly found the twists and turns to make my jaw drop to the floor. The then chapters provided some insight into Carina's life and the way in which she had found herself in the position she was in, as well as delving deeper into Gina and her's relationship. Alicia was an extremely interesting character and I like how her entrance really altered the family dynamic.

I can honestly say that the plot twists were totally relentless and this book will be on my brain for the foreseeable future.

[Regina · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a wild ride! This book definitely brought crazy to the next level. I was shaking my head and shouting at the characters over their stupidity. I know it's only fiction and they're portrayed that way for pure entertainment purposes but come on! No one can be that naive. I kept thinking how I would do things so much differently. I know this might sound derogatory but it's not. The author stirred up my emotions big time while reading this page turner. The ending left me shellshocked and I really hope that Rijks will honor us with a sequel. I would love to read more about what happens next. I highly recommend to all my fellow psycho thriller fans!
 
Thank you to the author, Inkubator Books, and NetGalley for grating me digital access in exchange for my honest review!