VBT# Don't Answer the Phone - Miranda Rijks

Review: Don't Answer the Phone - Miranda Rijks - March 2026

I'll be honest with you  the moment I spotted a new Miranda Rijks on my radar, I did a little happy dance right there in my kitchen. She is one of those authors who just gets the psychological thriller; the slow-burn dread, the creeping wrongness, the feeling that something terrible is coiling itself quietly around a perfectly ordinary life. So I settled into my favourite armchair with a cup of tea and absolutely no intention of moving until I'd turned the last page.

Don't Answer the Phone begins with such a lovely, ordinary act of kindness. Daniella steps in to help elderly Peggy on a Boston street, the sort of small good deed we'd all like to think we'd do. But as any seasoned thriller reader knows, no good deed goes unpunished  and into Daniella's life steps Lucas, Peggy's son, all charm and smouldering attention. After years of feeling invisible beside her distant husband Grant, the pull is understandable. Human, even. That one reckless night feels almost forgivable.

And then the nightmare begins.

He doesn't just storm in he seeps. Befriending Grant. Charming her twin daughters. Always there, always watching, always just a little too close. The tension builds beautifully, each scene tightening the knot in your stomach a little further. I found myself reading with my shoulders hunched, willing Daniella to trust her instincts before it was far too late.

The pacing is excellent as Miranda Rijks knows exactly when to press the accelerator and when to let the dread simmer and the family secrets lurking beneath the surface add a satisfying layer of darkness that elevates this beyond a straightforward stalker story.

If you're new to Miranda Rijks, this is a wonderful place to start. If you're already a fan, settle in as she hasn't lost her touch one bit. Don't Answer the Phone is a taut, unnerving read that will have you side-eyeing strangers for days.

Highly recommended. Just maybe don't read it alone at night.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/4cMo9pY