August 2023

I’ve said it repeatedly: a good psych thriller has twists and turns, lots of layers, and keeps the reader guessing until the end. The Inheritance by Samantha Hayes has all of that and more.

In fact, even the title lends itself to several interpretations. But more on that later.

The author sets the stage with a family reunion – one of the first times that three sisters and their families are together after their father’s death. Their mom, Connie, has something to tell them, but we don’t know exactly what that is.

An inheritance, presumably, right?

However, it turns out that there are secrets galore in the Hunter family. I think the only character with no secrets is the family dog. And almost nobody is who they really seem to be.

In that regard, the author does a masterful job directing and misdirecting reader attention and perceptions. For example, is Theo as devious as he appears, or is he hiding something? Is Travis an awful person – if so, what does Darby see in him? What’s going on with Darby and Adrian?

Amazon: https://geni.us/B0C5RBLZ4Ksocial

The questions go on and on and form quite a web of lies and deceit, so much so that uncovering one secret exposes more layers of deceit.

I can’t really talk about any character who stood out because it was more of an ensemble piece. I liked the way that the action switched between characters. That helped add to the “web” of connections and lies.

That being said, a couple of “reveals” felt more gratuitous than actually contributing to the plot. And one at the very end was good, but I thought it was unnecessary because it was thoroughly glossed over. However, I did like how the author allowed the reader to make their own conclusions about a few other points.

Oh, and about the actual “inheritance?” The obvious meaning is a decent reveal, but by the time the characters get around to it, the reader has (probably) already figured out what the issue is. Deeper meanings of inheritance (insanity? Family problems handed down?) abound as well.

All told, The Inheritance is exactly what I want out of a psych thriller, and I can’t wait to see what Samantha Hayes comes up with next.

I think I was predisposed to like The Lodge, a new psych thriller by Miranda Rijks. She had me hooked at “game reserve in South Africa.”

Two of the best trips of my life were to Africa. I absolutely devoured the descriptions of the animals on the reserve as they brought back memories of our safaris. A few times in the book, I found myself looking forward to those rather than the actual plot.

I think that’s because the initial setup felt a bit contrived to me. I thought the coincidences were way too “convenient.”

That was right up until the main character, Anna, voiced exactly what I was feeling. That’s when I knew the author had more planned, and I needed to go along for the ride.

Buy Link – https://mybook.to/thelodge-zbt

I didn’t expect it to be as twisty as it was. And there were certainly a couple of “Oh no way!” moments, especially towards the book’s last third. There is one twist in particular that I never saw coming, which threw the entire story to a different level.

I thought Anna was a sympathetic character – even though her impulsiveness seemed to repeat itself with Clayton and Joel. Clayton is by far one of the creepiest antagonists I’ve ever “met.”

A couple of things didn’t quite ring true and seemed obvious, but those were minor in the bigger picture of the whole story. And the pace is a little bit off. It seemed like there was a long setup, and then once the shoe dropped, it was a race to the end.

As a result, a couple of the resolutions seemed very rushed. But I suppose those are minor gripes.

All in all, I think The Lodge is a great psych thriller and one of the better ones that Miranda Rijks has written. I’ll definitely be looking for her next one.