"Money can't buy happiness", but it may ease some troubles in certain cases. "The Rich" by Rachel Lynch is set in Cambridge and follows a group of characters who come to realize the truth of the aforementioned adage.
Dr Alex Moore is a successful psychologist trapped in an unhappy marriage to Jeremy, an alcoholic and unemployed. They have three children: 18-years-old James, Lydia who battles bulimic, and Ewan who faces bullying at school. Among her patients are Carrie, a wealthy businesswoman; Henry, a former criminal; and Grace, an influencer and a fitness trainer, all with troubled pasts and hidden secrets. When Monika, the young Eastern European wife of their close friend Tony Thorpe, disappears, rumors fly. The plot thickens when her beaten body is found, and DI Paul Hunt, a misogynistic and inept man, is assigned to the case. He clumsily delves into the lives of the rich and neurotic yet privileged individuals. What comes to light will either shock you or not, but one thing is clear in this web of deceit: there is a murderer on the loose.
The book narrates the story from multiple perspectives, with only Alex's perspective told in the first person. The rest are written in the third person, and I found the writing in this perspective more engaging than the first-person narration. The author skillfully incorporates flashbacks into the story, shedding light on the victim's final days and adding to the suspense. The main characters are complex and flawed, but I didn't connect with any of them and changed my opinion about some of the protagonists midway through the story.
Sex, drugs, and murder sum up the book perfectly. The premise seemed promising, but unfortunately, it fell short of the mark for me. The story had a slow start, and I struggled to immerse myself in it. It does improve in the final section of the book, as more tidbits come to light and tension and action intensify. Themes like drug use, bullying, bulimia, infidelity, and dysfunctional families run through the narrative. I appreciated the way the author connected the dots, provided insights into the lives of the wealthy, and woven the storylines together.
It is ironic that Alex addresses other's issues but fails to confront her family's problems. The saying "the shoemaker's children go barefoot" certainly holds true in this case. I couldn't understand why she didn't leave her husband, as it was evident from the beginning that there was no love lost between them.
I found the ending and the message it conveyed unsatisfying. While I anticipated some twists, such as the murderer's identity, others took me by surprise. While the concept excited me, the execution left much to be desired, leading me to give this book 2.5 out of 5 stars. It was challenging to become fully engaged in the book until the final section, as the pacing was slow, the plot dragged, and the ending felt weak. Additionally, I never reached a point where I genuinely cared about any of the characters.
I refrained from giving it just one star because the plot was intricate and well-thought-out, things got really interesting toward the last section, and I enjoyed the dynamics between the characters. Their interactions and inner thoughts revealed much about their pasts and motivations. While not fully engaging, it wasn't a bore either. The book also raised some interesting moral questions about choices and how far will one go to protect a loved one. A tighter plot could have made it a much more gripping read.
* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc. All opinions are my own.
* For more info about the book: "The Rich" by Rachel Lynch
