Saturday 4 May 2019

BLOG TOUR: Fatal Fortune - Miranda Rijks


I recently discovered Miranda Rijks through damppebbles blog tours and I am so glad that I have done so.  Having read and enjoyed the excellent I Want You Gone, I didn't hesitate for a second before signing up to the blog tour for the first book in the Pippa Durrant series, Fatal Fortune.  Scroll down to read my review.


Is someone trying to frame psychologist Pippa Durrant for the brutal murder of a woman she’s never even met?

It certainly seems that way when Pippa’s photo is found on the body of murdered lottery winner, Leanne Smith.

Pippa soon finds herself a suspect at the centre of a huge media storm. But she has an invaluable skill set – she is a human polygraph, expertly trained to spot lies and deceit. Skills she will need to help her to solve the mystery of who killed Leanne before it destroys her career - and her life.

But every cloud has a silver lining and this one arrives in the shape of DS Joe Swain. Initially suspicious of Pippa, he comes to trust her and to value her lie detection skills. Soon it’s clear there’s a definite spark between them....

Then, when another body turns up, Pippa realises her reputation isn’t the only thing in danger. Can she identify the killer before she becomes the next victim?

Fatal Fortune is the electrifying first book in the Dr. Pippa Durrant Thriller Series. If you like edge-of-your-seat action, clever sleuths, and shocking twists, then you’ll love Miranda Rijks’ gripping crime novel.


What did I think?

This is an other excellent book from Miranda Rijks, with a story along the same lines of I Want You Gone, and being equally gripping and intriguing.  It's very much a 'someone is out to get you' storyline with psychologist Pippa's photo being left on a dead body.  Pippa can read people so she is the perfect choice to help the police catch a brutal murderer, especially when it appears that she could be the main target.

The victim is a lottery winner so you can imagine that there are many people in her own family who would have motive to kill her.  As the police look at Leanne Smith's family for suspects, it's interesting to see how people react especially when a potential windfall could be coming their way after Leanne's death.  Naturally we suspect anyone who starts spending money they don't have, but did they kill Leanne to get her money?  There's definitely a bit of animosity in the family as there are those who think they should have received a bigger gift of cash after Leanne's big win.

Miranda Rijks is brilliant at lining up suspects in her books; I looked at every single character and could see motive until my sights settled on one in particular.  I did find it a little too easy to guess the killer but it didn't diminish my enjoyment of the book at all.  It's not always about the big reveal at the end when you are enjoying the literary journey you are on.

This is an author who crams so much mystery and intrigue into her books that it makes you keep turning those pages as quick as you can.  I really liked the character of Pippa Durrant and the introduction to her personal story that I am sure will continue to unravel in future novels to keep us interested throughout what I'm sure will be an amazing series.  I, for one, certainly can't wait to see where Pippa's story takes us next.

Fatal Fortune is a fast-paced, gripping and intriguing book with a myriad suspects when money appears to be the motive...but this story goes so much deeper than that.  A very enjoyable read that scratches the surface of a shady cast of characters and shows us what lies beneath.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:


Buy it from Amazon UK
Buy it from Amazon US


About the author:

Miranda Rijks is a writer of suspense novels. I WANT YOU GONE is her first psychological thriller. 

Miranda has an eclectic background ranging from law to running a garden centre. She’s been writing all of her life and has a Masters in writing. A couple of years ago she decided to ditch the business plans and press releases and now she’s living the dream, writing suspense novels full time. She lives in Sussex, England with her Dutch husband, musician daughter and black Labrador.

Up next is FATAL FORTUNE, the first of three books in a mystery romance series that will be published in May 2019. They feature Dr Pippa Durrant, a psychologist and specialist in lie detection, who works alongside Sussex police getting embroiled in some scary stuff!

Miranda loves connecting with her readers, so you can reach out to her at www.mirandarijks.com


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