The Atonement by Kiersten Modglin
Published: July 1, 2022
Kiersten Modglin
Pages: 274
Genre: Psychological Thriller
KKECReads Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.
Kiersten Modglin is an Amazon Top 30 bestselling author of psychological thrillers, a member of International Thriller Writers and the Alliance of Independent Authors, a KDP Select All-Star, and a ThrillerFix Best Psychological Thriller Award Recipient. Kiersten grew up in rural Western Kentucky with dreams of someday publishing a book or two. With more than twenty-five books published, Kiersten now lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband, daughter, and two Boston Terriers: Cedric and Georgie. She is best known for her unpredictable psychological suspense.
But her latest attempt to repair her marriage left it more damaged than ever before.
Now, trapped in a vicious game of cat and mouse with the man she thought she knew, Ainsley must do what it takes to put out the fire their arrangement ignited.
But it won’t be that simple.
As Peter closes in on her, Ainsley finds herself driven down a path of paranoia and fear.
Her only hope lies in her ability to trust her instincts, but they’ve let her down before.
This time, there’s so much more at stake, and the secrets waiting to be revealed will change everything.
Whom can she trust when her world is up in flames?
One wrong decision could cost her everything she has left—her family, her home, and her life.
And, with a final showdown looming, Ainsley must decide what she’s willing to let burn in order to survive.
As the blaze continues to heat up, it’s only a matter of time before someone must atone for their sins.
“Well, better late than never, I guess.”
Ainsley is in the fight of her life after getting Peter’s text. Now, she has to try and outsmart a deranged man with minimal resources while keeping her children safe. Peter is pissed but not discouraged. Clearly, his wife had a lapse in judgment, but he can fix this. This can be fixed. One final time, Ainsley and Peter will attempt to fix their marriage- if they can survive each other.
OH, HOLY BUCKETS BATMAN. I devoured this book in hours. This was incredibly fast-paced, anxiety-inducing, and the most twisted conclusion ever. This is the third book in this trio, so read The Arrangement, and The Amendment before reading The Atonement.
We alternate between Peter and Ainsley as our narrators, and the alternating perspectives keep the pace at a ten.
KMod is terrifying. She can bring a narcissistic personality to life in such a vivid, realistic way. The manipulation and gaslighting- whoa.
I spent the majority of the book cheering for Ainsley. She has done bad things, but her motivation has never been genuinely selfish. And she really just wants to protect her children. The mama bear is real.
Peter is so calm it’s scary. And he is so calculating, a step ahead at every turn- betrayal is really a bitter dish. The cat and mouse, hunter vs. prey aspect only intensified as this book unraveled.
This is KMod at her most devious. The deceit and despair are deliciously intermingled with an unwillingness to lose. About halfway through the book, I realized this was no longer about love. It was no longer about family or saving a marriage.
It was about winning. Being the victor. And when someone has seemingly nothing to lose, they become their most dangerous. Twists, turns, lies, and the devastating fact that you can’t always rely on the law to protect you are excellent, motivating factors.
One final deal, one final envelope, and the winner takes it all.