Member Reviews
Felicia R, Reviewer
El libro me ha encantado. Los giros en la trama son brutales y muchas veces me ha dejado con la boca abierta. |
Thanks to the publishers for sharing this one. I could hardly put it down! I'm looking forward to reading more by this author. My full review appears on Weekend Notes. |
5 stars from me for this book which I raced through in a couple of sittings. I’d never read a Miranda Rijks book before but the synopsis sounded intriguing. A well-to-do couple, Hannah and her doctor husband Daniel, open and idyllic holiday rental barn adjacent to their property in the Peak District. The second tenants are the visitors of hell and as you turn the pages, the experience for Hannah only gets worse. With a plot full of twists, turns and more than a fair share of “oh no” moments, this had me guessing until the end. Who is conspiring with who? Who knows what? Who is paying whom and for what reason? Why do the mobile phones never work? An excellent introduction to this author’s storytelling skills. I’ll be back for further holiday reads from this source. Many thanks to NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for a fair review |
Thank you to Netgalley and Miranda Rijks for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. This is my first time reading this author but definitely won’t be my last. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters. I thought they were well developed. The writing was great. I didn’t see the twist at the end. Or the second one. My jaw literally dropped! Can’t wait to read more from Miranda!! |
Heidi P, Librarian
Miranda Rijks formulated an interesting concept for her latest book. With the popularity of vacation rentals by owners in recent years, it certainly set the stage for a captivating thriller. This was a very quick read for me but just as quickly it became nonsense as the events leading up to the "crime" were almost as laughable as the crime itself. The nightmare tenants were unbelievable just as Hannah's response to them was. As Hannah unravels what actually happened that fateful night, the insanity catapults and motives again seem unbelievable. Nevertheless, I finished it and I'm glad I did. It was fun even though I could not take it seriously. Thank you to Netgalley/Inkubator Books for the ARC. I wouldn't shy away from another Rijks book. I would just be aware that use of artistic license is likely. |
Hannah lives in the countryside with her controlling husband Daniel. Daniel "let's" Hannah turn their old barn into a vacation cottage. All is going well until the Jones family arrives. They are messy, loud and disrespectful. Hannah is desperate for good reviews so she gives in to their demanding ways. But what is the Jones family really doing here? What do they want? When will they leave? The Visitors is my first book by Miranda Rijks but it won't be my last. It was fast paced and easy to read. The characters were well written and appropriately easy to dislike. Thanks to netgalley and Inkubator Books for the arc. |
Mia A, Reviewer
This book was good. I loved previous work by the author, so I could not wait to read this one. It was a bit difficult to read at times, due to just not loving the characters, but the buildup towards the end is so intense, so you definitely want to sit tight and hang out. Turned out better than expected! |
This is a cracking read you won’t want to put down. I was gripped from the beginning and the tension continues to build all the way through. This creepy story illustrates just how quickly and terrifyingly everything you know can disintegrate. When Hannah achieves her long-time dream of converting their barn into a holiday let, little does she realise she’s about to enter a nightmare. Miranda Rijks creates the most despicably awful family as Hannah’s second lot of guests, but does so brilliantly. I’ve read a few books recently featuring ghastly guests, in-laws, etc., but most have been a little over the top for me. Rijks, by contrast, manages to make Hannah’s visitors from hell, Mike and Nadia Jones and daughter Kayleigh, particularly believable and had me cringing at just how awful they were. I could perfectly imagine this boorish couple who knew no boundaries and were totally insensitive. And that was before their bad behaviour really ramped up… Not only does Hannah have the Joneses to contend with, but her perfect marriage seems to be showing cracks as well. And, on top of that, dark secrets emerge to compound Hannah’s woes, placing her even deeper into serious trouble. At first Hannah seems a little weak, having lost something of herself following her marriage to a prominent, fairly authoritarian doctor. But when things really get bad, she finds her fighting spirit and I admired her feistiness in dealing with her deteriorating situation. |
Hannah Pieters, a piano teacher, and her husband, Daniel who is a cardiothoracic surgeon, own a farmhouse with a barn in South Downs where they live with their eight-year-old daughter named Rosa and their son, Joel. Hannah converted the barn to a holiday cottage called Best View Barn which she now lets out to paying guests. Her new guests—Nadia, Mike Jones, and their daughter Kayleigh— from Sussex, who booked a week earlier have arrived and will be staying for a week. Despite being grateful for her husband, she sometimes questions her love for him because he constantly belittles her and is always critical of her, takes her for granted, and doesn’t show her true affection and respect. Nevertheless, she doesn’t want to give up on their marriage. Instead she wants to try and fix it. One day their guest, Mike sustains an injury on their property and threatens to sue the Pieters for negligence. In a bid to pacify their guests, Hannah buys them bedding from a high-end store and lets them stay for a few more days. Then things start getting weird when their guests start causing more ruckus on their property. This makes Hannah uncomfortable and she can’t wait for them to leave. But Mike insists on staying another two weeks because according to him his leg still hurts. Following an argument between Daniel and Mike the previous night, Mike is found dead with a broken wine bottle lying next to him and Daniel becomes the prime suspect. Hannah is somewhat convinced her husband isn’t the killer and that he’s being set up. As she tries to clear his name she uncovers some secrets Daniel has been keeping from her, making her question his innocence. Quick read and an enjoyable plot. Definitely recommend. Thank you to Miranda Rijks, NetGalley and Inkubator Books for the ARC of this book. |
Hannah and her husband, Daniel Pieters, live in a lovely home in the midst of a rural farm property on the outskirts of London. He's a cardiothoracic surgeon and works long hours in town, so Hannah and their two children are fairly isolated. Hannah decides to renovate a dilapidated barn and turn it into a holiday rental both as a project and to make a little extra money. She finally has everything redecorated and has opened to visitors. Unfortunately, the visitors -- Mike, Nadia, and their daughter Kayleigh, are anything but good customers. Things go from bad to worse as they wreak havoc on both the property and on Hannah's family. NO SPOILERS. This was a difficult read for me and I almost DNF a couple of times. I can't tolerate characters who have no backbone and who make such horrible decisions that allow bad situations to become even worse. I did not like ANY of the characters in this novel nor could I relate to any of the various situations where Hannah is meant to be courageous and stand up for herself but doesn't. Although the ending and resolution were a bit of a surprise (came out of nowhere), I wasn't gripped by curiosity nor did I find much of it believable. Sorry, this was just not my cup of tea. Thank you to NetGalley and Inkubator Books for this e-book ARC to read and review. |
As I started to read this book I thought it would be the usual formulaic, predictable sequence of events. We were introduced to the wife who lived under the thumb of a husband who ran the roost. She'd had her own career at one time but was beaten down over the years to be the subjugated soul of her former self. But he acquiesced to her dream to run a guest house on the property. She did everything to perfection both as a reflection of her skills and to keep her doubting husband on board. Those “predictable” events of renting to strangers did occur but with an interesting twist. We watched the blossoming of the the emotionally battered wife evolve back into her old self out of self preservation for herself and her family. Who knew she was capable of such mystery and intrigue? There is one moment in the book when she has the opportunity to seek her revenge on this man who had betrayed her so often and with no remorse. The escalation to the final event keeps you glued to your chair. |
Thank you NetGalley and Inkubator Books for my ARC. This is a fast paced thriller that had me hooked from the start. Hannah’s second set of guests to her holiday cottage has her anxiously awaiting their arrival. She has put in time and care, not missing a detail of the perfect experience at her welcoming cottage, Best View Barn. From the onset there is something strange about her new guests. Demanding and rude, Nadia and Mike prove to be more than she bargained for. How can you escape danger when it’s right outside your front door?⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ |
Amazing story. Well developed characters that are in a twisted engrossing thriller. Highly recommended. Super suspense that comes to a satisfying end! Highly recommended . A true roller coaster thrill ride |
I loved The Visitors by Mirand Rijks. I wasn’t sure which direction the book was going to veer off into, I thought I had it figured out but I was wrong- which is good. I love books that keep me guessing. The characters were unlikeable and awful, what a nightmare. Imagine renting out a home on your property to guests that don’t want to leave… Synopsis: She offered them a place to stay. They wanted so much more. Hannah’s life is almost perfect. She’s a full-time mother to two young children and married to successful cardiologist Daniel. The only thing missing is a project of her own. So she has poured heart and soul into converting their stone barn into a beautiful holiday rental. Things take a dark turn when visitors Mike and Nadia come to stay. They are noisy, dirty and disrespectful. Hannah is incensed by their behaviour, worried they may wreck her lovingly restored barn. But she gradually realises that property damage is the least of her worries. Nadia and Mike aren’t here just for a holiday – they have a deeper, darker purpose, one that threatens to destroy Hannah’s entire life. Spiralling into a nightmare that grows worse with each passing day, Hannah has to find the courage to fight back. But Mike and Nadia are clever and ruthless and they know something that Hannah doesn’t – a shocking secret from the past. Whew! A fun, twisty suspense that keeps you on the edge of your seat. I highly recommend this one. Out now! |
📣📣 Review 📣📣 ⭐⭐⭐ stars Hannah and Daniel live an idyllic lifestyle. He is an emergent cardiothoracic surgeon, while Hannah maintains the home and looks after their two children. Hannah has always dreamed of opening a holiday property. Her barn is transformed into a holiday let and sees the arrival of Mike, Nadia and their daughter. This is where is goes wrong. They are the guests from hell, and when hell breaks loose, it is not a pretty sight. Overall this book was gripping and fast paced. I felt that the descriptions from the author were woven well and the narrative itself flowed perfectly. My only criticism is that for such a well written and gripping book, the ending was a little predictable and expected. Thank you to @netgalley and @inkubatorbooks for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. #netgalley #TheVisitors |
Lydia M, Librarian
Thank you Netgallery for letting me read this book. I was quickly pulled into Hannah;s life, feeling sorry for her as she worries about her marriage and how to deal with her nightmare holiday rental guests. Mike and Nadia manage to trash Hannah's beloved barn conversion and try to insert themselves into Hannah's lives and then start to blackmail her. Terrifyingly realistic as it could easily happen in real life |
First, I want to thank Miranda Rijks, Inkubator Books and NetGalley for providing me this book so I may bring you this review. Guaranteed you will think twice of who you let stay over after reading Miranda Rijks The Visitors! She captured my undivided attention from the very beginning to the end of the book. I could not put it down as I had to know how it would end. WOW!! Miranda wrote an incredibly intense, extremely fast paced, very eye opening birds eye view of a world many of us don’t get to see prologue! The shock value and details she put into it were mind blowing. You could vividly see the scene play in your head but still at the same time you didn’t want to see that image! Miranda described the renovations of the barn so beautifully and picturesque. It would definitely be a place I would like to stay at. Yes, I would leave a review on Tripfinder! The Visitors dealt with some important issues such as domestic abuse, anger management, road rage, infidelity, and gluten intolerance. I laughed at the blood sisters comment and scene. Like Hannah I too remember what it meant from when I was a kid. However, I don’t think the young girls took It like that. Oh, those visitors were a very unique family that pushed a lot of people’s buttons including mine!! The more you got to know them the more they creeped you out! Speechless...just speechless with the twisted climax of the jaw dropping climax! So many secrets revealed left and right. Some you never saw coming….some you had an idea of. The graphics on the cover left you wanting to know more about this book as it was mysterious. My heart goes out to the author Miranda Rijks for being diagnosed in August 2015 of Ewing's Sarcoma (a rare bone cancer). She mentions in the book that sarcoma is the loneliest cancer as many people have never heard of it. Sadly, many doctors don’t have much knowledge of it either. Miranda raises money for research for Sarcoma UK as there are very little treatment options available. She gives a link in the back of the book if you would like to help her efforts out. I love how Miranda thanks her readers for reviewing her books. I appreciate knowing that I am helping her live her dream life as a full-time author. It is little things like this that give me great satisfaction for being a book reviewer. |
Now this is my type of thriller - I left so uncomfortable throughout and I loved it. So dark and harrowing I found myself wanting to read more but I knew that I didn't have brainpower for it. |
Megan F, Media
This book definitely intrigued me enough to keep reading. I loved the setting- can’t resist a mystery set in a gorgeous isolated house in the rolling hills of England. Perhaps the only thing that just didn’t grab me was the protagonist, Hannah. I just didn’t like her, I didn’t understand her motivations, I wanted more from her. The last third of the book unfolds very quickly, but that was where the most interesting things happened! There was a moment right at the end where Hannah is considering doing something that would’ve been so satisfying to explore in more detail. But it’s just wrapped up really quickly. That said, I tore through it in two sittings. I would say it’s a great beach or airplane read, and a perfect fun escape when you just want to rest a mystery. |
Lin P, Reviewer
Yet another amazing psychological thriller from Miranda Rijks. Hannah has renovated the barn on their isolated property into a rental holiday cottage. She welcomes Mike, Nadia and their daughter into the barn and soon realises they are trouble. They are loud, rude and show no respect for the property, Fran or her family. Mike constantly tries to antagonise Fran's husband Daniel and the public falling out is witnessed on several occasions. Then he is found murdered on their drive and Daniel's fingerprints are on the weapon. Fran sets out to clear her husband's name. |








